Introduced in 2020, CCBC is pleased to host the second edition of the China Ready webinar series, designed to provide SME executives with the knowledge and insight needed to launch into the China market successfully. As China continues to rebound from COVID-19, the demand for Canadian branded products will be strong throughout 2021. Participants who complete all six sessions will receive a ‘CCBC China Ready’ certificate. Conclusion of all six will leave participants ready to consider their next steps.

 

China Ready 2021 Series Session #5: Finding the Right Business Partners in China

Doing business in China can be daunting given the challenges of distance, culture and language. That’s why choosing the right business partner is critical in this enormous and complicated market. Taking the necessary steps to ensure your business partners are reliable and aligned with your business goals will set your company up for success.

 

Conversely, rushing ahead without due diligence can lead to an unfortunate, and avoidable, outcomes. With the right ‘fit,’ your business partner with expertise on the ground can effectively identify suitable clients or suppliers, help with hiring staff or assist with finding a JV partner.

 

In this fifth episode of the CCBC’s China Ready Series, we explore with industry veterans the best practices and tools available to Canadian organizations for finding and selecting suitable business partners in China.

 

Who this webinar will benefit:

• Executives of companies looking to enter the China market
• Business development managers planning their growth strategies for the China market
• Managers of companies working to pivot their current business footprint in the China market.

This session was free of charge for CCBC members, C$25+HST for non-members.

 

The link to the video presentation is available upon request. Please contact your regional Chapter Director to request access:

 

• Atlantic: Laura Markle
• Quebec: Philippe Jeanneau
• Ontario: Jeff Zhang
• Prairies: Philippe Jeanneau
• BC: Philippe Jeanneau

• Beijing: Noah Fraser

• Shanghai: Edward Dai

 

Webinar Series Sponsor 

 

 

Session Sponsor 

 

 

 

About the speakers:

 

 

Tim McGuire
Executive Vice President, Corporate Banking
China Construction Bank

 

Tim McGuire joined China Construction Bank (CCB) in 2019 and has more than 20 years of experience in international finance. His focus is on corporate debt, project finance, M&A, trade finance and insurance. He is responsible for leading business activities and providing strategic advice to corporate clients across Canada. Prior to joining CCB, Tim worked at EDC and HSBC, where he led global business development activities in mining, energy, financial institutions and real estate. He is a frequent speaker to audiences worldwide. His key differentiators, include: a) extensive network of client, bank, industry, and government contacts; b) strong knowledge of political and ESG risks; c) proven record of generating, growing and keeping business.

 

Tim graduated from the University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Commerce (with Distinction), which included an exchange to Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. Tim has also taken Executive Education courses at Columbia University in New York. Tim is active in the Toronto community, being on the Board of YPO, mentoring university students and coaching youth hockey, baseball and soccer.

 

 

Mathieu Cormier
Director Economic Affairs
Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie du Québec

 

Mathieu has extensive experience in internationals relations, business development, investment, and management. He has contributed to the internationalization of several hundred Canadians companies since 2008 in China thanks to his expertise in import-export, strategy, marketing, financing and project management. China is a well-known market for him, where he first visited in 2002, and lived for 9 years. He was also leading the Canadian business community in Shanghai as Executive Director of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CanCham), with energy and new initiatives during 2019 and 2020.

 

He founded in 2018 Niapisco International Business Consulting, a company specialized in Import-Export trading between Canada and China. He’s also co-owner of Quebec distillery and involved in many real estate and construction projects in The Belle Province.

 

Mathieu is now in charge of economic affairs at the Quebec Trade office in Silicon Valley and Quebec Office in Los Angeles. He is based in San Francisco.

 

Mathieu holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Université Laval, as well as a Master’s degree in International Public Administration from the National School of Public Administration (ENAP) of Université du Québec. He also studied Mandarin at Tianjin Nankai University in China, and Politics at the University of Granada in Spain.

 

Moderator:

 

 

Philippe Jeanneau
Chapter Director, Quebec & Western Canada
Canada China Business Council

 

Philippe is responsible for building the CCBC membership base by connecting Canadian and Chinese businesses, promoting bilateral trade, organizing events, and delivering member services.

 

He has over 15 years of business experience in product design and development, consumer marketing, global trade, overseas manufacturing and sourcing. Prior to joining CCBC, Philippe owned a product design, development and sourcing business that connected Canadian companies with Chinese manufacturers. He worked for industry-leading companies including Reebok, Adidas, and CCM Hockey where he managed the development of state-of-the-art composite ice hockey sticks. Philippe also lived in Shanghai for a year to establish a Canadian-owned factory. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering, specialized in aeronautics, from the Polytechnique Montréal.