The USMCA, the modernized version of NAFTA, goes into effect July 1, promising to boost business as the economy seeks to bounce back from the COVID crisis. Join the Consul General of Canada, Zaib Shaikh and Stephen Armstrong, co-founder and president, and Robert Kelle, co-founder and chairman of the MAPLE Business Council (MAPLE) as they discuss:
· How USMCA will improve the livelihoods of Southern Californians
· What sectors will benefit the most from USMCA’s new provisions
· The Canadian companies in Southern California aiding with the economic reopening
· Why North American supply chains and tariff-free trade are key to post-COVID recovery
· The work of MAPLE to further Canadian investment in Southern California
· What’s next for Southern California and Canada
You may submit questions in advance of the program by emailing beril.unver@international.gc.ca and during the program utilizing Zoom’s Q&A tool. We look forward to you joining us!
Speakers
Zaib Shaikh
Head of Mission, Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles
Zaib Shaikh began his mandate as Consul General of Canada in Los Angeles in December 2018. He is the Government of Canada’s senior representative in Southern California, Arizona and Nevada. He comes to the posting after an extensive career in the media and entertainment industries having worked as an actor and producer in theatre, film and television. From 2014 until his appointment in 2018, Mr. Shaikh was the Film Commissioner and Director of Entertainment Industries for the City of Toronto. Mr. Shaikh has served as a board member for the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, and most recently, on the board of AFC (formerly the Actors Fund of Canada). He has served on juries and committees for the Gemini Awards, ACTRA Awards, Ontario Arts Council, and Theatre Ontario Youth Program as well as an ambassador for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and for Amnesty International Canada.
Stephen Armstrong
Co-founder and President, MAPLE Business Council
Stephen Armstrong is the co-founder & president of MAPLE Business Council (MAPLE) – a California-based networking organization that promotes bilateral investment, trade & entrepreneurship between Canada & Southern California. A native of Ontario, Canada, Mr. Armstrong is the principal of The 360 Marketer, a marketing consultancy. A career marketer, Mr. Armstrong has worked in senior roles in Canada, the U.S. & Mexico in grocery retail (Loblaws), consumer packaged goods (Pillsbury), and restaurants (PepsiCo/Yum! Brands). Mr. Armstrong has called Southern California home since 2000 where he was a founding executive of a healthcare IT company & has led marketing for technology companies. He is a co-founder of Canadians in Orange County and is president of MAPLE Business Advisors, a recently launched cross-border growth advisory services firm, he co-founded with Mr. Kelle. He is a graduate of the HBA program at Ivey Business School at Western University in London, Canada.
Robert Kelle
Co-founder and Chairman, MAPLE Business Council
Robert Kelle is the co-founder & chairman of MAPLE, launched in 2015 on the strength of Canadians in Orange County, a social networking community that he & fellow Canadian expats formed. A senior technology executive, Mr. Kelle has held leading roles in global consulting & corporate IT organizations in real estate, financial services, automotive, telecommunications & healthcare. He is a native of Ontario, Canada and has called Southern California home since 1992. While at Ernst & Young, he led transformation initiatives for clients across verticals. He later served as CIO for Fortune 500 home builder, Cal Atlantic Homes. Mr. Kelle founded Trullium, a consulting firm helping companies to identify & prioritize improvement opportunities. He now serves as Sr. Director, Product Strategy at Oracle Health Sciences where he leads a consortium of global pharma companies focused on drug safety. Mr. Kelle has an honors degree in urban development from Western University in London, Canada.