On the heels of the successful launch of the world’s first China E-commerce Accelerator, CCBC and WPIC Marketing + Technologies partnered to assist members in need of rapid APAC market access. On Monday, July 13 at 2 pm EST, CCBC and WPIC held an exclusive webinar focused on how Canadian brands can expand into the Chinese e-commerce market in 30 days or less.

Moderated by CCBC Executive Director and COO Sarah Kutulakos, the webinar featured a presentation and fireside chat with Joseph Cooke, Co-founder and President of WPIC, and addressed:

• Concrete steps on how companies can launch in the Chinese market in under 30 days
• Which Canadian sectors are poised to succeed online in China in the second half of 2020 and beyond
• Administrative, legal, financial and logistical first steps
• Domestic tax and regulatory requirements
• Any impacts of COVID-19 on consumer demand in Greater China

After the webinar, WPIC staff will be available to set up one-on-one sessions with participants to assist with China market entry planning.

This webinar was free of charge for all CCBC members and non-members.

About the speaker:

Joseph Cooke
Co-founder and President, WPIC Marketing + Technologies

Joseph Cooke is the Co-founder and President of WPIC Marketing + Technologies. Having lived in China for several years, his key areas of expertise include e-commerce, analytics, big data insights, website development and deployment, legal setup, licensing, ICP registration, and more.

Awarded British Columbia’s Top Entrepreneur by CIBC, Joseph’s sharp acumen, big-picture thinking and attention to detail have helped numerous clients enter both the China and Japan consumer markets and thrive.

Having earned a reputation as an innovator and problem-solver in Asia’s digital space over the past 15 years, Joseph understands the complexities of global business development, overseas strategic planning and cross-border projects. As such, he serves as a trusted advisor to international organizations including IKEA, Disney, Lululemon, Ford-Lincoln, the Government of Canada, and more.

About the moderator:

Sarah Kutulakos
Executive Director and COO, CCBC

Sarah joined the CCBC in 2007 and has since revitalized CCBC’s role as Canada’s premier bilateral trade and investment organization. Sarah 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, Sarah worked for 11 years in marketing, product development, and management with a major multinational corporation, where she had multiple assignments involving China. Sarah 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. Sarah 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 1980’s 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, Sarah’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.