"The Canadian Council for the Americas British Columbia is the leading not-for-profit organisation that facilitates business and trade between B.C. and the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean."
André Nudelman – Chair & President
Mr. Nudelman is the President of LACES – Canadian Education Services Latin America Ltd, President of Addexo Consulting and Formula Trade; Advisory Board Member at McRae Institute for International Management at Capilano College; Advisory Board Member at Wireless 2000; Member of VANTEC – Vancouver Angel Network on Technology at SFU; Member of BC Director’s Club; voted Brazilian Franchising National Leader in 2002 and 2003 and in Education in 2004 and 2006.
Dr. Eric Kirschner, MD - CMO
Dr. Kirschner is the VP & COO of Icelltherapeutics and has more than 20 years experience in health care and corporate management. As a cardiac surgeon and researcher he has extensive knowledge in bridging academic research with general practice. For the last ten years, Dr. Kirschner has focused his efforts in establishing a number of Life Science start-up companies. He has served as Chief Operating Officer, ProBed Medical Technologies and Clinical Affairs of MIV Therapeutics.
Kate Pattison
Kate Pattison has her Master's Degree in Latin American Literature and works in various specialized services such as interpreting, translating and teaching Spanish. Presently, Kate is pursuing her certificate in Business Writing, Public Relations and Marketing Communication at SFU. In her spare time Kate dances Flamenco and works as a co-host on Sabor Latino, a Latin cultural show featuring events, music and dance in the Latin community in Vancouver.
Mark Cogan
Mark Cogan recently retired from the BC Government's Business Immigration Office, where he worked for 17 years looking after business immigrants and corporate investment from all parts of the world. He had direct responsibility in the design and implementation of specific immigration programs for business people. He now continues working as an independent certified immigration consultant. He is originally from Chile, where he got an industrial engineering degree. In Vancouver, he later got a MBA degree. Before joining the government, he worked for major international corporations and later operated his own import-export company. He speaks several languages.
Primo Cajiao
Primo Cajiao, P. Eng is currently Principal of Buildings and Infrastructure at Sandwell Engineering Inc. As civil engineer and seismic and structural specialist he has been the engineer of record of numerous projects worldwide including seismic retrofit, buildings, bridges, and ports and marine. In addition, he is regular lecturer in the seismic strengthening of existing structures for the certificate program in structural engineering of University of British Columbia and the Vancouver Structural Engineers Group Society
Salvador Miranda - Secretary
Salvador Miranda is the President of InterAmerica Consulting & Development Inc., a company aimed at facilitating business ventures between Canada and the Spanish-speaking world. Salvador is a Civil Engineer with a Master's degree in Project Management from MIT. Born and raised in Mexico, where he maintains contact with high-level business and government leaders, he arrived in Canada over 15 years ago and has been active in several sectors, particularly in systems development, mining and venture capital. He developed considerable experience in the administration of junior public companies in Canada, where he serves as Director, Officer or consultant to these types of companies.
Salvador has been a member of the CCA for over five years, and during 2001 he was the President of the Mexican Business Association of Canada, an affiliate organization of the CCA specializing in business relationships with Mexico.
Stephen Nairne
Stephen Nairne was Deputy Director at Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada's Pacific Regional Office. Stephen Nairne is currently Managing Director of Lundin for Africa, a private philanthropic foundation dedicated to building sustainable communities across Africa. In addition, Mr. Nairne teaches emerging markets analysis at the University of British Columbia.
Tom Sadler
After attending the University of Western Ontario, Mr. Sadler assumed roles ranging from consultant, member of advisory boards, and operational executive positions. Over the past 20 years his company has been very successful in assisting businesses by raising millions of dollars in government export grants, loans and venture capital for his clients. Mr. Sadler develops joint ventures and partnerships between both national and international companies. While he has dealt within numerous business and technology sectors, he has a special interest with renewable technologies.
He has developed key relationships with private and public entities throughout the Canadian, Caribbean, Central and South American markets and operates a wholly owned subsidiary corporation in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Wendy B. McDonald – Honorary Chair
Wendy B. McDonald, L.L.D., Chairman of The BC Bearing Group founded the company in 1944 and has been at the helm full-time since 1950. The BC Bearing Group is an industrial distributor of bearings and power transmission components and ISO 9002-94 certified at all locations. With consolidated sales in excess of CDN $140 million—and nearly 60 locations in Canada, Mexico, Chile and the U.S.—it services customers in such markets as forestry, mining, food processing, agriculture, petrochemicals, high technology, and many others. Ms. McDonald is a founding member of CCA-BC and is a Lifetime Honorary Chair of the association.