Bijan Ahmadi is the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Canada China Business Council (CCBC), where he leads the Council’s strategic direction, operations, and programming across all seven chapters in Canada and China. In this capacity, he also serves on CCBC’s Board of Directors and its Executive Committee.

As a recognized voice in Canada–China relations, Bijan works closely with senior executives, policymakers, and institutional partners to strengthen bilateral trade and investment ties, advance member services, and position Canadian companies for success in the Chinese market. His work focuses on translating policy and regulatory developments into practical insights for business leaders and supporting high-level commercial engagement between the two countries.

Prior to joining CCBC, Bijan co-founded and served as Executive Director of the Institute for Peace & Diplomacy (IPD) from 2018 to 2024, where he helped build the organization into a respected binational foreign policy think tank operating in Canada and the United States. During this period, he launched IPD’s Asia research program and its annual flagship conference, the Indo-Pacific Strategy Forum (IPSF) in Ottawa, now widely regarded as Canada’s leading platform for policy and economic dialogue on the Asia-Pacific region. He was also co-editor of Canada–China Brief, an online policy publication covering political and economic developments in the bilateral relationship.

Throughout his work on China, Bijan has advised multinational corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises on navigating Canada–China trade, regulatory, and policy environments. He has led Track 2 and Track 1.5 dialogue initiatives in partnership with Chinese, Canadian and American institutions and he regularly delivers lectures and professional training on Canada–China economic relations for public and private sector audiences.

Bijan also serves on the Advisory Board of the Canada China Forum, a platform dedicated to nurturing the next generation of China-competent Canadian professionals.

He holds a Master’s degree in Global Diplomacy from SOAS University of London and a Master of Applied Science from the University of Toronto. Earlier in his career, he worked in strategy and management roles in the financial services and real estate sectors and has served on the boards of several Canadian non-profits and NGOs, including the Toronto branch of the Canadian International Council.

Baris Akyurek is the Vice President of Insights & Intelligence at AutoTrader, Canada’s largest automotive marketplace. With over a decade of experience in the Canadian automotive industry, Baris leads a team that delivers cutting-edge research, analytics and insights to help consumers, automakers and dealerships make informed decisions. His expertise in vehicle pricing, consumer behaviour, and industry trends makes him a trusted voice in the evolving automotive landscape. As a leading spokesperson for AutoTrader, Baris frequently appears on major Canadian broadcast programs and national news outlets, offering data-driven analysis on market shifts and emerging trends. He holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University.

Jason has had a 30+ year career in the Automotive space having worked in the UK between 1994 – 2014 for various automotive and motor racing teams and clients including Ford Motor Company, British American Tobacco, Worldcom as well as the Renault-Nissan Alliance, and subsequently returning to his Canadian homeland serving as the head of the Canadian International AutoShow from 2015 until today.

Jason’s first experience in China was attending the first race at the new Zhuhai motor racing circuit at the inaugural race in 1995, but has subsequently visited China over 15 times over an extensive career managing Automotive and major consumer promotional campaigns in the region.

Today Jason oversees the operations of Canada’s, and one of North Americia’s largest Automotive Showcases – the Canadian International AutoShow. An event that brings together nearly 375,000 visitors over a ten day period to celebrate the Total Automotive Experience each February in downtown Toronto – a market where over 40% of the Canadian Automotive business is done annually across Canada.

A distinguished logistics professional with over a decade of progressive experience in freight forwarding. He possesses extensive expertise in international air and ocean operations, with a strong track record in managing complex global logistics, ensuring regulatory compliance, and delivering efficient, scalable solutions within multinational supply chain environments.

Yufeng Ding (丁宇锋), CPA, CA, is a Tax Partner and Business Advisor with MNP’s Tax Services group in Markham. Yufeng provides comprehensive corporate and personal taxation services to a wide variety of clients, with a focus on privately owned enterprises and high net worth individuals.

With more than 15 years of experience in public accounting, primarily as a Canadian tax advisor, Yufeng has worked with clients in various industries, including real estate developers and builders, professionals, technology companies, and private investment funds. His areas of expertise include the taxation of partnerships and trusts, succession and estate planning, remuneration strategies, dispute resolution with the Canada Revenue Agency, and tax considerations for the sale or acquisition of a business.

In today’s fast changing tax environment, Yufeng helps his clients navigate change and minimize taxes, with a primary focus on achieving their business and personal objectives. Yufeng is fluent in both English and Mandarin. He has been invited to present at numerous webinars to the Chinese community on various tax topics.

Yufeng is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and a Chartered Accountant (CA). He obtained his Bachelor of Business Administration degree (Accounting major) from the University of New Brunswick and has completed the CPA In-Depth Tax courses.

Lional Liao, CPA, is a Partner with MNP’s Assurance and Accounting Services team in the West GTA. Lional provides tailored, full cycle accounting and tax services, as well as controllership, corporate accounting, financing, and tax services for commercial clients, in addition to tax services for high net worth new immigrants.

With more than a decade of experience in public accounting, Lional delivers comprehensive financial packages and collaborates with a variety of financial institutions to provide corporate finance services to clients. Lional works closely with a wide range of businesses and individuals, including owner managers, professionals, elite athletes, investors, and clients in the real estate, automotive, wholesale and retail, import and export, manufacturing, and large construction contracting sectors.

Lional is dedicated to helping clients maintain a competitive edge and achieve their business objectives. He takes a proactive approach to implementing prudent financial controls and supports clients in addressing financial issues from both an accounting and tax perspective.

Prior to joining MNP, Lional was a partner in his own firm for a decade. He earned an Honours Bachelor of Commerce (BComm) from Laurentian University in 2010 and became a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) in 2011. Lional is fluent in English and Mandarin.

Jeff 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, Jeff 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.

Jeff 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.