Chamber Committees

The Canadian Chamber offers a variety of committees for members to take part in. Committee involvement allows members to enjoy quality networking opportunities as well as to assist the Chamber in addressing opportunities and challenges within your industry. All Chamber members are welcome to attend these monthly meetings.

Executive Committee

President: Kathleen Slaughter - Dean, Richard Ivey School of Business (Asia)

The Executive Committee is the driving force behind the Chamber. Chaired by the Chamber′s President, the Executive Committee plots the course of the Chamber, devises strategies and assists in providing resources to contribute to the strategic direction of the Chamber. The Executive consists of 25 business leaders and captains of industry from the Canada-Hong Kong business community. The Committee′s role includes:

Ensuring that the Chamber does not run into funding difficulties, including assisting in sourcing members, sponsors, partnerships, and connections for the Chamber;

Assisting the President and Executive Director in matters of import to the Chamber and Canadian business community;

Taking an active role in deciding what policy issues the Chamber should be active on and assisting in investigating, collecting and documenting views, and working with the Executive Director and Chairman of the Board to decide on the best course to action these items, among others.

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China Business Committee

Chair - Henri Arslanian - Lawyer, Timothy Loh
Solicitors

The mandate of the China Business Committee is to act as a resource for members interested in doing business in China as well as providing them with networking opportunities to meet and get to know other members active on the China mainland.Its members range from representative of large multinationals to entrepreneurs and professionals. In addition to regular briefings on relevant developments in PRC business and related topics, the Committee frequently hosts guest speakers to give insights into their respective China business experience.

Community Relations & Social Committee Committee

Chair - David Sarju - Partner, Gladstone Morgan

The aim of this committee is to provide networking opportunities for the member and
friends of the chambers. The committee and staff coordinate a number of social functions
through out the year including the Chamber's annual signature events such as the Canadian
Community Ball, Festival Canada, Canada D'eh and Golf tournament etc. This committee also
undertakes special educational, civic and social service projects in conjunction with other
committees to demonstrate chamber′s overall commitment to the betterment of the Hong
Kong community.

Education Committee

Co-Chairs: Linda Adamson Gross, CEO and Founder, Linda Gross Training and Educational Services and Jack Saddler, Deputy Principal, Secondary School, Delia School of Canada

The mission of the Education Committee is to be the authoritative voice of the Chamber in the education sector, coordinating initiatives which serve the needs of existing and prospective members. While the Committee will focus on initiatives inside the Hong Kong SAR, it will explore opportunities where feasible and desirable to expand activities into Macao and mainland China (the Pearl River Delta region in particular) through cooperation with local partners. Its objectives fall under four broad themes: 1) Business Development 2) Marketing and Student Recruitment 3) Government Policy 4) Networking and Professional Development

Entrepreneur and Small Business Committee

Chair:Anthony Behan, Managing Director, The Communication Group. Co-chair: Madeleine Behan, Director, The Communication Group

Hong Kong's position as a prosperous international business and financial centre has been built upon the entrepreneurial spirit of its people. Through the years, Canadian entrepreneurs have made an important contribution to that success. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur Committee was founded in 2004 to develop and foster an entrepreneurial spirit within the Chamber, among its members and in the community at large.

The Committee organizes a variety of events that allow past, present and future entrepreneurs to exchange experiences, seek mentors, and educate themselves about the challenges they face establishing and operating a business in Hong Kong.

Information Technology and Telecommunications Committee

Kathleen Phillips, Director, BizTech Connect
Co-Chair: Peter Beaudoin, Head of Strategic Projects and Transformation, BT Hong Kong Limited

The Canadian Chamber′s IT Committee has two main goals. The first is to provide Chamber companies with seminars and practical advice enabling them to take advantage of the latest trends in technology. The second is to help members develop business opportunities for their organizations within Hong Kong and China. The committee also works with Canadian IT companies and trade missions to help them penetrate these Asian markets.

For more information please see their website at:
sites.google.com/a/cancham.org/technologycommittee/home

Property Committee

Co-Chair - Darren Yates - Senior Associate Director, Colliers International Asia Pacific // Julie Kerr - Business Development Manager, Connected Group

The property committee was formed (a) To discuss property (real estate) issues pertaining to Hong Kong, the Pearl River Delta, and Canada. (b) To invite and arrange leaders from the industry to present property issues that would be of interest to members of the Chamber at events. Besides being educational, this committee would aim to generate revenue, gain positive media exposure, and become a platform to recruit new Cancham members. (c) To draft position papers in regards to real estate issues that may affect Cancham members.

Sustainable Development Committee

Hendrik Rosenthal, Sustainability Manager, ASrIA (Association for Sustainable and Responsible Investment in Asia)

Vice Chair:Fergus O′Rorke, Mode2 Asia

Chamber Sustainable Development Committee (SDC)

Mission

The mission of the SDC is to promote Hong Kong′s sustainable development as a healthy and prosperous community.

Objectives

1. Build awareness of sustainable development among Chamber members and the Hong Kong community.
2. Promote and put forward the Chamber′s position on the importance of furthering sustainable development and engaging the community to achieve it in Hong Kong.
3. Partner with business, the HKSAR government, NGOs and the community to further sustainable development.

Meetings

SDC meetings are held monthly at the Canadian Chamber boardroom at Suite 1301, Kinwick Center, 32 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong. Central, Hong Kong

SDC Chair

Hendrik Rosenthal, Sustainability Manager, ASrIA (Association for Sustainable and Responsible Investment in Asia)

Hendrik has a wealth of experience in sustainability consulting and environmental policy through research, international consulting projects and various Canadian government positions. As Sustainability Manager at ASrIA in Hong Kong he is responsible for research and analysis of sustainability issues relevant to the investment community, with a special focus on the property and construction industry in East Asia. Hendrik has over ten years experience in project delivery in
Sustainability Assessment, Water Management, and Sustainable Cities. He is the current chair of the Canadian Chamber Sustainable Development Committee in Hong Kong, a Member of the Institute of Green Professionals (MIGP), has a Bachelor of Social Science (University of Ottawa) and a Masters in Environmental Studies (MES) from the University of Waterloo in Canada.

SDC Vice-Chair
Fergus O′Rorke, Mode2 Asia

Fergus co-founded Mode2 as a vehicle for providing communication consulting services to clients who wish to align their brand with best practices in sustainable development. He brings to this role more than 25 years experience in the media and communications consulting business. Fergus is an active member of the Sustainable Development Committee since 2007. He has been instrumental in organizing business-to-business sustainability forums, supporting the Hong Kong
Sustainable Development Index and, most recently, project managing the 2nd edition of CSR-at-a-Glance. A long-term Hong Kong resident, Fergus has a broad range of experience in advising clients in industries spanning technology, financial services and engineering.

Recent and Upcoming SDC Events and Activities

Sustainable Building Master Class
The Sustainable Buildings Master Class attracts a high-level audience of well-connected decision makers from Hong Kong′s local and international community. It is an opportunity for companies, individuals and organizations to gain a deeper understanding of Hong Kong′s built environment while raising awareness of the energy intensity that buildings entail.

CSR at a Glance - Raising the CSR Agenda
While the global economy was taking its worst battering in a generation, many working toward corporate social responsibility (CSR) feared that efforts would be reversed. That hasn't happened. CSR is becoming a wider corporate trend with many more companies now reporting on their sustainability efforts.

Against this backdrop The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong published the 2nd edition of Corporate Social Responsibility at a Glance | A Guide for Busy Managers and is holding a series of events to address the ′Why?′ and ′How?′ of CSR.



About the CanCham SDC
The Canadian Chamber's Sustainable Development Committee has been actively promoting sustainable social, environmental and economic development in the Hong Kong community since 1997. The committees′ efforts focus on raising the awareness of key local issues while engaging Chamber members and the Hong Kong community. Committee activities range from eco-tour outings, research, publishing, and speaker events to working with the Hong Kong Government and
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Young Professionals Committee

Chair - Victor Chan - Showroom Manager, Hong Kong, Lululemon Athletica

The mission of the Young Professionals (YP) Committee is to provide a platform for fledgling business people to enhance their professional development, connect with the business community, foster new networks with peers and senior members, as well as promote their areas of interest. This committee also serves to provide guidance and help with the careers of its members. The committee is comprised of professionals under 28 years old. Past events and programs include InterCham YP functions, junk trips, networking dinners, career-guidance workshops and interactive learning sessions with senior business leaders.