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.

This week, we were thrilled to partner with Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia for an inspiring conversation on navigating career growth in a fast-changing world. Our speaker, Richard Wong, CPA, shared his remarkable journey from global firms to entrepreneurship and academia, showing that there’s no single path to success. Thanks to everyone who joined us! Stay tuned for more events that empower tomorrow’s leaders. #GVBOT #Leadership #CareerGrowth #CPABC #Networking Photos by Eyes Multimedia Alvin Chan, Ana Cristina de Moura Carvalho, Angelica Dolor, Arjan Atwal, Chetan Sarda, Dhaara Thakkar, Alana M., Edelmira Brindis Marquina, June Cho, CCDP, Fariba Ranjgari, Fatima Alharazi, Foroozan Firoozan, MAS, B.Sc, Erika Murato, gurmann pandher, Gursimrat Gill, Hajar F., Jasleen Kaur, Jessica Berenice García López, Junhua Qu, Laura S., LOKESH BONTHU, Nazik Zhumashalieva, Saba Sorayaei, Sam Thiara MA, Saskia Guizado, Sheila Cheung, BA, RISIA (she/her) Simran Minhas, Tom Han Tony Fulo Enosh Umakanthan Shamir Ladhani,P.Eng.,M.Eng

The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade’s Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council held its last meeting of the 2024-2025 advisory committee year at the Chinese Canadian Museum. Huge thanks to Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee, CEO of the museum, for a bonus, exclusive behind-the-scenes tour, where members had a chance to learn about the history, contributions and heritage of Chinese Canadians. Synthia Kloot, Ruby Ng, Giselle Blackman, MBA, CPHR, SHRM-SCP, CHRL, Stephanie R., Erin Barnes, Doramy Ehling, Peter Guo, Feezah Jaffer, Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee, Yat Li, Carson Loh, Mary Martin (she/her), CCIP, Chris May, Michelle Renee, Ramin Shadmehr - Ph.D., Natasha Westover, Kristin Wilkes, Rosine H.

AI could save workers up to 125 hours a year and boost productivity by 8% 📈, but 73% of Canadian SMEs still haven’t adopted it. It’s time to raise awareness and provide the support these businesses need to thrive.    Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to drive a $180 billion productivity boost across Canada, and B.C. must act now to secure its share. This report is part of our Agenda for Economic Growth - The 3% Challenge, and we’re calling on government and industry to work together to ensure small and medium businesses aren’t left behind.    Discover how B.C. can lead the way: from smart regulations to workforce training to harnessing public data. Read the full report: https://bit.ly/4jhSyvZ    #AI #BC #EconomicGrowth #GVBOT #AIAdoption 

"Government’s role is to create the environment for businesses to thrive." That’s the foundation of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade’s agenda for economic growth, and our message behind our latest report on advancing B.C.’s AI sector. As our President and CEO Bridgitte Anderson, ICD.D told BIV News, B.C. needs to invest in digital skills, support AI adoption, and create incentives that help small and medium-sized businesses scale. These are actionable steps that can power innovation and long-term economic prosperity. Read more in BIV: https://bit.ly/43GCHlP #GVBOT #EconomicGrowth #BCTech #AI #FutureOfWork #Policy #Business 

This morning, the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade hosted its third annual Regional Councillors Roundtable, convening select municipal leaders for an open and solutions-focused dialogue on the issues shaping our region.   Councillors Lisa Dominato (Vancouver), Trish Masenda Mandewo (Coquitlam), Richard T Lee (Burnaby), and Peter Lambur (West Vancouver) joined members of our Regional and Civic Affairs and Economic Development and Fiscal Affairs Committees to discuss some of Metro Vancouver’s most pressing priorities, from housing and public safety to downtown revitalization, emergency preparedness, and economic development.   One key takeaway: the challenges facing our communities are increasingly interconnected — and so are the solutions. Stronger regional collaboration is essential to building resilient cities, responding to public safety concerns, and driving inclusive economic growth.   A big thank you to Andrew Ramlo for chairing the discussion, and to Erin Seeley (she/her) and Karen Soyka, Co-Chairs of our Regional and Civic Affairs Committee, for their leadership in shaping this important conversation. Aaron Demes, Alysia Ker, Charlotte Mitchell, Joe Carreira AACI, P.App., Trevor Boudreau, Elizabeth Model, Evi Mustel, Kara Kingston, Reza Norozy, Winki T., Wayne Leslie, Annie Law, Lindsay Fernandes, David van Hemmen, Matt MacInnis #GVBOT #MetroVancouver #Housing #PublicSafety #EconomicDevelopment

"Canada's risk premium in the board room has gone up over the past few years. (...) Our actions - providing certainty, timeliness of permitting - will make the difference to investment coming back to Canada." "Canada has some of the best potential in the world: lowest cost of natural gas supply, solid environmental performance and rule of law, growing indigenous partnership, creativity and talent." Says Mark Fitzgerald CEO of PETRONAS Canada at joint Greater Vancouver Board of Trade and Calgary Chamber of Commerce event on the future of #NaturalGas. "We need a clear vision and strategy for natural gas and LNG in Canada" #energy4people #energysecurity #leadership

Happening Now - our 'Advancing a Vision for Canadian Natural Gas' event! Today’s event with the Calgary Chamber of Commerce is a reminder that when B.C. and Alberta collaborate, we unlock more than just energy — we unlock economic growth. With global demand for LNG rising, Western Canada is uniquely positioned to lead, but we can’t do it alone. Strategic partnerships across provinces can strengthen supply chains, accelerate investment, and grow B.C.’s GDP. At the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, our Agenda for Economic Growth emphasizes exactly this: working across regions and sectors to build a more inclusive, resilient economy — and ensuring diverse businesses are part of that growth story. Remarks: François Poirier, President & CEO, TC Energy Discussion: Mark Fitzgerald, President & CEO, PETRONAS Canada Moderator: Deborah Yedlin, President & CEO, Calgary Chamber of Commerce #GVBOT #AgendaForGrowth #NaturalGas #LNG #CanadianEconomy

As part of our Community Spotlight Series, we are highlighting an inspiring Vancouver-based non-profit making a significant impact in supporting our community’s most vulnerable members. This quarter, we’re honoured to feature Heart & Stroke. For over 70 years, Heart & Stroke has been at the forefront of tackling pressing issues related to heart disease, stroke and vascular cognitive impairment.     Heart & Stroke drives life-saving medical breakthroughs and acts as a catalyst to bring together the brightest minds to improve diagnosis, care and support. Learn more about their vital work here: www.heartandstroke.ca/   #CommunitySpotlight #Heart&Stroke #GreaterVancouver

Last week I attended the B7 Summit in Ottawa, a meeting of over 500 business leaders and policymakers from G7 countries ahead of the leaders’ summit next month. While tariffs overshadowed much of the event, discussions focused on economic security and resiliency, global trade, critical minerals and role of AI. New U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra delivered a message that Canada and other countries should not give up on doing business with the U.S., while former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley characterized things as “messy right now”. The B7 Summit came a day after Prime Minster Carney announced his new Cabinet. We’ve been clear that British Columbia needs a plan for growth, and the same holds true for the country. While the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade’s Agenda for Economic Growth is focused on provincial action, there’s no path to a stronger economy without federal leadership on trade, infrastructure, investment, and innovation. I had the chance to meet and hear from several new and returning Cabinet Ministers, and shared the need for urgent action to address uncertainty and support economic growth in B.C.