Chinese-Canadian entrepreneurs play a crucial role in the Canadian economy, demonstrating boldness in establishing businesses and exploring markets not only in Canada but also in China, the United States, and beyond. As they navigate various stages of business development, they encounter challenges to achieving rapid and sustainable growth.

 

The Canada China Business Council (CCBC) was pleased to have Mr. Noah Xie, Chairman and Founder of Kmind Consulting, one of China’s leading strategy consulting firms, share cutting-edge insights on strategy. Nearly 120 guests gathered for the lively, sold-out event on February 28. Mr. Xie highlighted his unique strategic system, blending top Chinese strategy theory with Western management theory, and offered practical experience and knowledge on guiding firms to achieve market leadership through rapid and sustainable growth.

 

Following Mr. Xie’s presentation, there was a panel discussion that featured the Chairman of Unisync Group, the Founder of Beautywww Inc. (Shoosha), and the General Manager of Canada Royal Milk. They shared their experiences in building businesses in both the Canadian and Chinese markets, engaging in a discussion with Mr. Xie about strategies to enhance brand awareness and drive sales.

Click here to see more photos.

 

Event Language: Mandarin

 

Tickets: Free for CCBC members; $50 + HST for non-members

 

Venue:
SmithToronto, Smith School of Business, Queen’s University
Simcoe Place, 200 Front Street West, 30th Floor
Toronto, Ontario

 

 

Welcome By:

 

Dr. Wei WANG
Associate Dean, Professional Graduate Programs
Smith School of Business, Queen’s University

 

Dr. Wei WANG is a Distinguished Professor of Finance and Associate Dean, Professional Graduate Programs, at Smith School of Business at Queen’s University in Canada. He is also the founding director of Renmin Queen’s Master of Finance.

 

His research papers on corporate restructuring have been published in top finance journals and featured in prominent media, such as the Wall Street Journal. Dr. Wang’s coauthored book, Corporate Financial Distress, Restructuring, and Bankruptcy, was published by Wiley Publishing House in 2019. Since 2012, he has been invited to write finance case packages for the Harvard Business School and has published many cases, which have been adopted by many schools internationally. From 2015 to 2018, he was an adjunct professor at the Wharton School of University of Pennsylvania, teaching corporate restructuring, in their undergraduate, MBA, EMBA, and Exec Ed programs. He was a visiting professor at the HKUST Business School and a foreign expert at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. In 2020, he was invited to join the COVID-19 and Bankruptcy Working Group, providing policy response recommendations to the US Senate and Congress.

 

About the Speakers:

 

Noah XIE
Founder and Chairman
Kmind Consulting

 

With over two decades of professional experience & research, Mr. Noah Xie has guided over a hundred firms in developing their corporate strategy. Specializing in the fusion of Eastern wisdom with Western business theory, he navigates firms to secure strategic opportunities, build competitive advantages, and attain sustainable growth, positioning them as market leaders and driving industry development.

 

Since 2008, Mr. Xie has shared his strategic theories and insights, benefiting over 50,000 business owners. In June 2023, he presented his cutting-edge strategic insights at MIT Sloan, Brown University, and the Harvard Club of Boston to 500 veteran business leaders, becoming the first Chinese expert to do so.

 

In recent years, Mr. Xie has led Kmind in guiding dozens of firms to become industry leaders, including but not limited to China Feihe, Bosideng Group, Yadea Holdings, Hodo Group, Bull Group, Angel Water Purification, and Xiaoxiandun, leading five companies to surpass an annual revenue of 10 billion RMB.

 

 

Sarah Kutulakos
Executive Director and COO
Canada China Business Council

 

Ms. Sarah Kutulakos joined the CCBC in 2007 and has since revitalized CCBC’s role as Canada’s premier bilateral trade and investment organization. Ms. Kutulakos has re-centered the Council’s activities around providing business services, catalyzing business growth and activity, and advocating for stronger Sino-Canadian bilateral trade and investment. This has resulted in extensive public outreach activities, internal infrastructure improvements, the launch of new programs such as the Business Incubation Centre, and thriving member relations.

 

Prior to joining CCBC, Ms. Kutulakos worked for 11 years in marketing, product development, and management with a major multinational corporation, where she had multiple assignments involving China. Ms. Kutulakos managed worldwide product businesses that marketed to China and used China-based sources of supply. She was also involved in several projects requiring cooperation with the Chinese government. Ms. Kutulakos has led both established and start-up businesses within the context of a global corporation and has broad emerging market business experience, and has been involved in the Greater China region since the late 1980s when she lived and worked in Taiwan. There, she was the first non-Chinese employee of a local high-tech start-up firm, where she gained a deep understanding of Chinese business practices.

 

A fluent Mandarin speaker, Ms. Kutulakos’s interest in China began at the University of Wisconsin, where she studied Chinese, marketing, and international business. She holds an MBA in finance and operations from the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester. She frequently speaks on China issues, including marketing, trade, investment, and Canada-China relations.

 

 

Chenggang HAN
General Manager
Canada Royal Milk

 

Mr. Chenggang HAN (Master in Veterinary Microbiology) joined Canada Royal Milk in 2018, where he initially served as Quality Manager until 2021. Since late 2021, Mr. Han has held the position of General Manager at Canada Royal Milk.

 

Commencing his dairy industry career in 2002, Mr. HAN has held various roles, including Area Supervisor, Quality Manager, Production Manager, Project Manager, Business Development Manager, and Factory Manager, at European enterprises operating in China such as Nestlé, Bayer, and Food Union.

 

 

Tim Gu
Chairman
Unisync Group

 

Mr. Tim Gu is a distinguished entrepreneur and business leader with over 25 years of experience. As Chairman of Unisync Group (TSX: UNI.TO), a publicly traded company and one of Canada’s largest uniform suppliers, Mr. Gu has been instrumental in providing uniforms to top-tier clients such as Air Canada, WestJet, and Tim Hortons.

 

In his capacity as Owner and President of E.Star International Inc., he oversees a major apparel manufacturing operation, inclusive of three garment factories in the Toronto area, catering to prominent clients like Canada Goose and the Canadian Department of National Defense.

 

Additionally, Mr. Gu is the co-owner of Tilley Endurables Inc., renowned for its premium hats, and Willowwood School, a well-regarded Toronto-based private school with a 40-year history.

 

His diverse business portfolio extends to real estate investments and high-end custom home building. Mr. Gu’s commitment to community and business development is exemplified by his 23-year tenure as Vice President of the Scarborough York Region Business Association. Complementing his extensive practical experience is an MBA from the Rotman School, University of Toronto.

 

 

Claire Zhang
Founder
Beautywww Inc. (Shoosha)

 

Since immigrating to Canada in 1996, Ms. Claire Zhang has accumulated over a decade of procurement and management experience in the retail industry, working for multinational companies such as Bata, Fila, and Forzani Group.

 

Driven by a passion for nature, advocacy for environmental protection, and concerns about the sustainability of agriculture, she founded Beautywww Inc. in 2020. The company currently boasts the first fully USDA-certified food-grade organic skincare brand in North America, Shoosha Truly Organic, and the Ecocert-certified organic skincare brand Beauty Duo.

 

Beautywww Inc. is dedicated to developing and manufacturing organic skincare products, striving to offer safer and healthier skincare options. These products are well received in retail channels such as Costco, Whole Foods Market, Well.ca, and more, with distribution spanning the United States, mainland China, Turkey, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

 

Fueled by her passion, Ms. Zhang strives to propel individuals toward a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle through her dedication and efforts.

 

 

Jeff Zhang
Regional Director, Central Canada
Canada China Business Council

 

Jeff Zhang has over 20 years of international experience in private, public and non-profit organizations in a variety of sectors including E-commerce, oil and gas, retail, commercial real estate, education and financial services. Prior to joining CCBC, Mr. Zhang worked in establishment and operation management at a Sino-Foreign joint venture company and in strategic partnership management at a Fortune 500 multinational company. He also led and assisted a number of Canadian companies and educational institutions into China where he was responsible for strategic partnerships and branding establishment.

 

Mr. Zhang has an MBA in marketing and international business from Concordia University in Montreal and is fluent in Mandarin and English. He has also been a guest speaker at professional business associations in China and Canada.