Greater Vancouver Board of Trade

Our purpose is to lead, unite and champion business to ensure Greater Vancouver is thriving and our region is the best place to live and work.

Today, at our 137th Annual General Meeting, Walter Pela, FCPA, FCA assumed the role of Chair of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. Walter serves as KPMG Canada's Regional Managing Partner, leading B.C.'s largest and oldest professional services firm, which has over 1,800 team members in 12 offices across the Province.

Following our 137th Annual General Meeting, we are proud to introduce your 2024-25 Board of Directors. See a full list of directors here: https://bit.ly/47n5efj Board of Directors EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chair - Walter Pela, FCPA, FCA, Regional Managing Partner, KPMG Canada Senior Vice-Chair - Stuart Louie, Co-President, London Drugs Group Vice-Chair and Finance and Audit Committee Chair - Diana Vuong, CPA, CA, Corporate Director Vice-Chair - Martin Thibodeau, Regional President of BC, RBC Royal Bank Secretary-Treasurer - Jodi Evans, Managing Partner, Deloitte BC Policy Council Committee Chair - Brad Eshleman, Corporate Director Member at Large - Jennifer Foster, SVP, Human Resources & Corporate Affairs, Western Forest Products Member at Large - Susannah L. Pierce, President and Country Chair, GM Emerging Energy Solutions, Shell Member at Large - Mindy Wight, CPA, CA, CAFM, ICD.D, CEO, Nch’ḵaỷ Development Corporation Immediate Past Chair - Juggy Sihota-Chahil, Senior Vice President, TELUS Healthcare Excellence President and CEO - Bridgitte Anderson, ICD.D, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade   BOARD OF DIRECTORS Katherine Angus, Joey's Restaurants Roberto Aquilini, Aquilini Group Christine Bergeron, Concert Properties Colin Bosa, Bosa Properties Christian Chia, OpenRoad Auto Group Roger Dall'Antonia, FortisBC Edoardo De Martin, Industrio AI Peter Dhillon, Richberry Group of Companies Richard Eppich, Ebco Group of Companies Terry Hui, Concord Pacific Developments Ltd. Miranda Lam, KC, Acuitas Therapeutics Inc. Stephen Lee, Musqueam Capital Corp. Michele Matthews, cphr, shrm-scp,cec, AG Hair Jennifer Twiner McCarron, Atomic Cartoons and Thunderbird Entertainment Dr. Gail Murphy, The University of British Columbia James Prescott, Canadian Tire Tracy Redies, ICD.D, Science World Mike Rusch, Jim Pattison Group Lorne Richard Segal, O.B.C., Kingswood Properties Ltd. Anna Stukas, Carbon Engineering Ltd. Kay Wong-Alafriz, Kabam Inc. Peter Xotta, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority Kathryn Young, Boyden Executive Search Dr. Jeff Zabudsky, BCIT

As Juggy Sihota-Chahil passes on the gavel, we thank her for her unwavering dedication, visionary leadership, and countless contributions in her year as Chair. Read our annual report to learn more about what GVBOT did during her tenure. https://lnkd.in/gu4qY9YW

Last week, mentors from our Leaders of Tomorrow program came together for an evening filled with enriching conversations, meaningful connections, and boundless inspiration. This mixer offered a platform for mentors to exchange invaluable insights, share their triumphs and challenges, and explore the profound impact of mentorship.

The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade has re-launched its Port Shutdown Calculator to highlight the severe impact of ongoing labour disruptions at Canada’s West Coast ports. The shutdown disrupts $800 million worth of goods daily, affecting consumers, businesses, and small retailers awaiting holiday shipments. Given the growing economic toll on Canada's trade and reputation, we urge the federal government to intervene and call for good-faith negotiations by the ILWU 514 leadership. Find the Port Shutdown Calculator tool here: https://lnkd.in/gjCqBY5y

As part of our Community Spotlight Series, we are recognizing a Vancouver-based non-profit that offers essential programs and services to support the well-being of our community’s most vulnerable members. This quarter, we’re proud to feature Canuck Place Children's Hospice. Canuck Place is a pioneering children’s hospice that provides exceptional care for children aged 0 to 19 with life-threatening conditions. Their mission is to offer comprehensive clinical care both at their hospices and within the community, supporting families across BC and the Yukon. Through respite care, pain management, end-of-life care, and grief counselling, Canuck Place extends compassionate, holistic support to families navigating pediatric palliative care. Committed to improving pediatric care on regional, national, and international levels, Canuck Place leads innovation and education, ensuring that every child and family they serve receives the highest quality of care and compassion. Learn more on their website here: https://lnkd.in/geeTis6X

Last week, Vancouver Airport Authority President and CEO Tamara Vrooman delivered a future-focused keynote address to the Greater Vancouver business community. Tamara discussed YVR's leadership and multiple collaborations across key areas of innovation, sustainability, and transportation. It was truly a first-class presentation. #YVR #GVBOT Take a look at the full album here: https://bit.ly/3YRETVg Juggy Sihota-Chahil Monette Pasher

Curious about how to responsibly govern and operationalize generative AI? Our AI Adoption Program provides you with the frameworks and tools to do just that, ensuring you can implement AI solutions that are ethical, sustainable, and scalable. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gHPHhTSj KPMG Canada Marc Low

The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade President and CEO Bridgitte Anderson, ICD.D, has issued the following statement: “We are dismayed by the decision of the ILWU 514 leadership to issue a 72-hour strike notice to all BCMEA member companies. We are extremely concerned that this strike could cascade quickly to shutting down the entire west coast port system. This strike notice clearly puts at risk $800 million a day in trade that flows through west coast ports. If another strike occurs it will again mean higher prices for Canadians at a time when the economy is struggling. To be clear, the best deals for workers, families, and businesses are those made at the bargaining table. The actions of ILWU 514 leadership over the past two years of bargaining have been concerning. Consistently, the Canada Industrial Relations Board has found that the Local 514 leadership has bargained in bad faith on multiple occasions. As Canada’s largest gateway, west coast ports are critical for Canada’s economy. Supply chain instability in recent years has been a major hurdle for Canadian businesses, which was only just beginning to improve prior to the start of this labour disruption. The ongoing disruptions not only jeopardize Canada’s international reputation as a reliable trade partner but also threaten long-lasting damage for years to come. We are calling for immediate action by the federal government to intervene and for the ILWU 514 leadership to bargain in good faith.” Read the full statement: https://lnkd.in/gqVQEzft