Mr. WANG Shouwen, male and of Han ethnicity, was born in Xuancheng, Anhui Province in Mar. 1966. He started his career in Feb. 1989 and joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Apr. 1986. Mr. Wang obtained a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Hunan University, a master’s degree in economics from the University of International Business and Economics and a doctoral degree in economics from Peking University.

Having worked as Deputy Director of Translation and Interpretation Service Division of the Protocol Department, and Director of Tendering Division and Textile Division of the Department of Foreign Trade Administration of MOFTEC, Mr. Wang was promoted to Deputy Director General of the Department of Foreign Trade Administration in May 2001. He subsequently worked as Deputy Director-General of the Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Tibet Autonomous Region under the Aid-Tibet Program in Aug. 2001. After his tenure as Deputy Director-General and Director-General of the Bureau of Fair Trade of MOFCOM starting from September 2003, Mr. Wang became Director General of the Department of Foreign Trade of MOFCOM in Dec. 2006 (between February 2009 and July 2010, he temporarily served as Member of the Standing Committee of CPC Nanjing Municipal Committee and Vice Mayor of Nanjing). In August 2013, Mr. Wang was appointed Assistant Minister of Commerce and member of the CPC Leadership Group of MOFCOM. He was appointed Vice Minister and member of the CPC Leadership Group of MOFCOM in April 2015. In January 2018, Mr. Wang was also appointed Deputy China International Trade Representative.

At the CCPIT, Mr. YU Jianlong worked successively as Deputy Division Director, Division Director and Deputy Director General of the Department of International Relations. In December 2014, he was appointed Director General of the Department of Economic Information. He then worked as Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) and President of the Arbitration Court of CIETAC, Vice Chairman of the China Maritime Arbitration Commission (CMAC) and President of the Arbitration Court of CMAC, and Secretary General of the China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC). In January 2021, he was appointed Secretary General of the CCPIT. Mr. Yu started to serve as a member of the CPC Leadership Group and Vice Chairman of the CCPIT since August 2022.

Ms. Jennifer May was appointed Canada’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China on September 23, 2022. She is the first woman to serve in this position.

Prior to her nomination, Ambassador May served as the Ambassador of Canada to the Federative Republic of Brazil from 2019 to 2022. She was Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Canada to the Federal Republic of Germany from 2015 to 2019.

Ambassador May has extensive Asia experience, having served in political and economic roles at the Consulate General of Canada in Hong Kong from 1998 to 2000, in Beijing at the Embassy of Canada to the People’s Republic of China from 2000 to 2004 and in Bangkok at the Embassy of Canada to the Kingdom of Thailand from 2010 to 2012, with additional responsibility to Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.

Through her thirty-two-year career with the Government of Canada, Ambassador May has also served as Director of Eastern Europe and Eurasia Relations, Executive Director of the Defence and Security Relations Division at Global Affairs Canada and held overseas assignments in Vienna, Austria and Bonn, Germany.

Ambassador May was born in Toronto, Canada and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and German from Laval University in Québec City. She is married with three grown children. She speaks English, French, Mandarin, German and Portuguese. Ambassador Jennifer May is known as 梅倩琳 in Chinese.

Jean Chrétien was born in Shawinigan, Québec, Canada. Mr. Chrétien completed his law studies at Université Laval and was admitted to the Québec Bar in 1958. He is also a member of the Ontario Bar.

Mr. Chrétien was elected Member of the House of Commons in 1963. During his career, he also served as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Minister of National Revenue, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, President of the Treasury Board, Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources, Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs and Minister in charge of Social Development.

Mr. Chrétien was sworn in as Canada’s 20th Prime Minister of Canada in November 1993 after winning a majority of the seats in the House of Commons. During his tenure he was re-elected with majorities in 1997 and 2000. As Prime Minister, Mr. Chrétien stressed balanced budgets, national unity and a strengthened place for Canada in the world. His government’s legacy also includes a number of social reform and humanitarian initiatives.

Mr. Chrétien left the Office of Prime Minister of Canada on December 12, 2003. In February 2014, Mr. Chrétien joined Dentons Canada LLP as counsel.

In 2007, Mr. Chrétien was appointed Companion of the Order of Canada.

In 2008, he became co-president of the InterAction Council, an international organization that mobilizes the experience, energy and international networks of former Heads of State and Government. Council members jointly develop recommendations and practical solutions for the political, economic and social problems confronting the global community.

In 2009, he was awarded the Order of Merit by Her Majesty Elizabeth II.

The Honourable Scott Brison joined BMO as Vice-Chair, Investment & Corporate Banking in 2019. As an elected Member of Parliament, Mr. Brison served the constituency of Kings-Hants (Nova Scotia) who elected him to Canada’s House of Commons seven consecutive times over 21 years. During that time, he served in government for seven years holding key roles, most recently as President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government from 2015 to 2019, Minister of Public Works and Government Services from 2004 to 2006, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister with special emphasis on Canada-U.S. relations from 2003 to 2004.

In June 2020, Mr. Brison became Dalhousie University’s eighth chancellor.

Mr. Brison is a member of the Trilateral Commission and was named by the World Economic Forum of Davos, Switzerland, as one of its “Young Global Leaders.” In August 2010, he was awarded the Order of San Carlos by Colombian President Álvaro Uribe in recognition of his contributions to the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement.

Mr. Brison serves on the board of Universal Rail Systems, the Canada-China Business Council (CCBC), the Macdonald Stewart Foundation, Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee (CJPAC), the advisory board of the Canadian American Business Council (CABC), Power Sustainable, High Liner Foods Inc. and previously served as Chairman of SeaFort Capital Inc.

Mr. Brison earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Dalhousie University. He has completed the Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century Executive Education Program at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.

Jacob Cooke is the Co-Founder and CEO of WPIC Marketing + Technologies, a leading growth partner for global brands in China and APAC.

As CEO, Mr. Cooke is the driving force behind WPIC’s world-class data tools, e-commerce services, and artificial intelligence technology.

Under his leadership, WPIC has built out an expansive solution set covering e-commerce activations and store management, data analytics, brand strategy, livestreaming, merchandising, warehousing, 3PL integrations, and more.

Mr. Cooke has lived in Beijing since 2003 and is a regular contributor to international media on e-commerce, retail, and technology trends in China.

Joseph Cooke is the Co-Founder and President of WPIC Marketing + Technologies, a leading growth partner for global brands in China and APAC.

As President, Mr. Cooke spearheads WPIC’s global business development, strategic planning, and deployment of cross-border projects, enabling companies from around the world to achieve their targets in APAC markets.

Based in Shanghai, Mr. Cooke’s areas of expertise include e-commerce, analytics, data scraping, legal setup, licensing, ICP registration, and more.

An innovator and problem-solver in Asia’s digital space, Mr. Cooke has been the recipient of a number of awards, including: CIBC’s Top Entrepreneur Award (BC region); Pacific division finalist for EY’s 2021 Entrepreneur of The Year Award; gold-medal winner of CCBC’s 2020 Canada China Business Excellence Award; and a Western Canada finalist in KPMG’s Enterprise Tech Innovator Competition.

Michelle Cooper joined Agriculture and Agri-food Canada in February 2022 as Director General of the Market Access Secretariat. Prior to this she served at Global Affairs Canada for over 20 years including as Counsellor and Head of Section for agriculture, fisheries and environment at the mission of Canada to the European Union from 2013 to 2018 and Director of the Services Trade Policy Division 2010 to 2013, where she was a lead negotiator for Canada. She has also served in Canada’s Embassy to Chile and Canada’s permanent mission to the UN and the WTO in Geneva and covered APEC, strategic economic policy, market access and tariffs and multilateral trade policy. Prior to joining AAFC, Ms. Cooper was Executive Director in the International Business Development Branch at GAC, covering sectors including life sciences, natural resources and agriculture and agri-food.

Mr. Desmarais has been Senior Vice-President of Power Corporation since 2017. Mr. Desmarais is the driving force behind the Power Sustainable vision as a global, sustainability-led alternative asset manager.

He chairs the Canada China Business Council (CCBC) and also sits on the boards of directors of Canada Life, IG Wealth Management, Mackenzie and Lumenpulse.

He is actively engaged in the community as member of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research.

Mr. Desmarais holds a Bachelor of Civil Law from the University of Ottawa, a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Political Science from McGill University, and has been a Québec Bar member since 2009.

Dr. Rui FENG is a successful entrepreneur, explorer, and mine builder with over 25 years of global mining industry experience. He was integral in discovering Jinshan Gold’s CSH Gold Mine in China in 2002, which was acquired by China Gold International. Dr. Feng founded Silvercorp in 2003 by acquiring early-stage properties in China. Through discovery and development, Silvercorp has become one of the most profitable Canadian mining companies, with multiple mines in China. As founder of New Pacific Metals, Dr. Feng led the company to Bolivia in 2017 and acquired the Silver Sand project which has led to a significant discovery and Carangas project which has discovered a near-surface silver horizon stacked on top of an extended gold zone. Dr. Feng is also the founder of Tincorp Metals Inc.

Dr. Feng obtained his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Geology in China, his Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada in 1992, and received a Post-Doctorial fellowship from the National Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada in 1992. Dr. Feng supports many community and social causes through contributions made personally and through the actions of the companies he leads.

Noah Fraser spent three years as Director of CCBC’s Ontario chapter building the chapter’s membership base and organizing bilateral delegations and events before becoming Managing Director of CCBC’s operations in China.

He has 10 years of progressive international career experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors and in multiple sectors including government, manufacturing, education and life sciences. He also was the Director of Marketing and Business Development for a manufacturer of medical devices, overseeing all marketing, sales, and communications activities, driving international strategy for emerging markets with a specific focus on Greater China.

Mr. Fraser holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences in International Development and Globalization (Honours) with a minor in Business Administration from the University of Ottawa, partially completed at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and has a certificate in Mandarin Chinese from Nanjing Normal University. Additionally, he has completed the Ivey Business School Certificate in Sales Management.

With a career spanning over twenty years in the agri-food industry, Yanick Gervais has always been involved in meat production and processing. Grandson of Fernand Colbert, founder of La Fernandière, Trois-Rivières’ leading producer of fresh sausages, he spent every summer from an early age in the family business, learning the trade.

Co-owner and general manager of La Fernandière for over 10 years, having held every position in the plant, he played an active role in the company’s expansion, optimizing management and production processes. Mr. Gervais joined Olymel as Vice President and General Manager of this new division when it was acquired in 2016.

In 2018, he was appointed Senior Vice President, Operations also overseeing the Engineering and Logistics departments. In this capacity, he was responsible for overseeing the efficient running of operations in more than 30 plants located primarily in Quebec, but also in four other Canadian provinces.

Mr. Gervais was promoted to President and CEO of Olymel on November 11, 2021.

Trained as an Accountant and Tax Specialist, Mr. Gervais began his career with a firm of Chartered Accountants. Throughout his career, he has been very active on various committees related to the affairs of the Chartered Accountancy profession, notably on training and recognition of the next generation of Chartered Accountants. He holds a graduate diploma and a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, as well as a Master’s degree in Taxation (M. Fisc.) from the Université de Sherbrooke.

A transparent, rallying leader who listens to his teams, Mr. Gervais makes it a point of honour to always put people at the heart of his business decisions. Drawing on his expertise in the industry, he advocates a participative management style in which he encourages his teams to constantly surpass themselves, by coaching them to help them grow.

Last but not least, Mr. Gervais is deeply committed to his community, and is also involved with a number of philanthropic organizations, notably in the fight against food insecurity and health. In 2023, he agreed to be named Honorary President of the Leucan Experience and to sit on the organization’s Board of Directors.

Grand Chief Edward John is a Hereditary Chief of Tl’azt’en Nation located on the banks of the Nak’al Bun (Stuart Lake) in Northern B.C. He is an Indigenous leader who has dedicated his life to the pursuit of social and economic justice for Canada’s Indigenous people, having worked as a leader in Indigenous politics, business and community development. Grand Chief John has been a lawyer for over 30 years. He holds a B.A. from the University of Victoria (UVIC), an LL.B from the University of British Columbia and Honorary Degrees from UVIC and the University of Northern BC.

Grand Chief John has served in many leadership roles at the local, provincial, national and international levels. He is a long serving elected member of the First Nations Summit political executive, which is mandated to carry out specific tasks related to Aboriginal Title and Rights negotiations with the governments of BC and Canada and other issues of common concern to First Nations in BC. He participated in the development of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2007. He served a three-year term as the North American Representative to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (January 2011 – December 2013) with a mandate to discuss indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights.

Frank K. Tang is Chairman and CEO of FountainVest Partners, a leading Asia-based private equity firm with offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Frankfurt, Shanghai and Singapore. FountainVest actively invests in the consumer, healthcare, industrial and business service sectors.

Prior to co-founding FountainVest, Mr. Tang was with Temasek Holdings as Senior Managing Director, Investments and China, where he simultaneously headed China investments as well as global telecom, media and technology investments. As a member of the senior leadership team at Temasek, Mr. Tang sat on both firmwide Senior Management Committee and Senior Investment and Divestment Committee.

Mr. Tang worked at Goldman Sachs for nearly 11 years, beginning his investment banking career in New York and later moving to Hong Kong. He held roles including Executive Director in Principal Investment Area, and Managing Director and Head of Telecom, Media and Technology investment banking in Asia (excluding Japan) before joining Temasek.

Mr. Tang is a board member of Amer Sports, Pure Fitness, BMTS, and previously served on the board of Accenture, Key Safety System, IMAX China, Weibo, and Pacific Pension & Investment Institute, among others. He has been a member of the World Economic Forum, a governor of the China Venture Capital and Private Equity Association, a trustee of Donghua University, and a board member of Columbia Business School’s Board of Overseers. He was born in Shanghai, and holds a bachelor’s degree from Donghua University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

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.

Stuart Mercier is a Managing Partner, Asia Pacific, responsible for expanding Brookfield’s Real Estate activities and partnerships across Asia Pacific and the Middle East and is the Country Head for Singapore. He has held several roles across the organization including as the inaugural Head of Asia where he lead the establishment of Brookfield’s Chinese, Korean and Japanese real estate businesses.

Prior to joining Brookfield in 2012, Mr. Mercier held various investment roles within a boutique Asia real estate investment and advisory firm. He also held several positions at Oxford Properties, the global real estate platform of the OMERS pension fund.

Mr. Mercier holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Hong Kong and London Business School, where he was the recipient of the Haitong Securities “New Generation of Leaders” scholarship, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bishop’s University. Mr. Mercier serves on the board of the Canada China Business Council and is a Global Governing Trustee and APAC Executive Committee member of the Urban Land Institute.

A graduate of McGill University with a degree in economics, Ben (Wai Bun) Mok has extensive experience in beverage production, marketing and general management. Mr. Mok is an independent non-executive director on the board of China Foods Ltd., Yashili International Holdings Ltd., and Max Sun Enterprises Ltd. He served as a senior consultant for COFCO Coca-Cola in 2012 and as general manager of Beijing Coca- Cola Beverage Co., Ltd. from 2002 to 2011. From 1993 to 2001, Mr. Mok was the general manager of Hangzhou BC Foods Company Limited and Nanjing BC Foods Company Limited.

Graham Shantz served for over 25 years in Canada’s public service providing advice to Canadian governments, mainly on management of Canada’s relations with Asia. He has lived and worked for over 12 years in Asia, half of that in China. In Ottawa, Mr. Shantz has worked in senior management positions in Global Affairs Canada, the Department of Finance and the Privy Council Office. In 2000-2001 he served as Canada’s lead negotiator for Foreign Investment Protection Agreements (FIPAs) and in 1996-1997 served as deputy chief negotiator for the Canadian team during China’s WTO accession talks. Over the past decades, Mr. Shantz has been involved in numerous major bilateral visits between Canadian and Chinese leaders.

Mr. Shantz has served on the Board of Directors of the Asia Pacific Foundation (2013-2016) and on the Board of Directors of the Centre for International Governance Innovation (2006-2009). He served as Canada’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain (2009-2012) and ended his career in the public service in senior management positions in Global Affairs Canada’s Asia Branch.

A Mandarin speaker, Mr. Shantz pursued his interest in China while studying economics at Goshen College in Indiana. He holds an M.A. in International Affairs from Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. He also pursued language and economics studies in China, including at Beijing University and Xiamen University, under the Canada-China Scholars’ Exchange Program.

Rahim Suleman is President, CEO, and a Director of Neo Performance Materials Inc., having been appointed on July 7, 2023. Previously, he was President from January 1, 2023 and served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since January 16, 2017. Rahim was Chief Financial Officer at Stackpole International since 2010. From 2009 – 2010, he was Global Finance Manager with GE Digital Energy Protection and Control. Prior to 2010, he held successively senior finance positions in public accounting, manufacturing, internet technology and financial consulting firms. He is a Canadian Chartered Accountant holding a Masters of Accountancy and a Bachelor of Arts in Accountancy from the University of Waterloo.