We are looking forward to welcoming members and guests to our Southern California Winter Reception for great networking and content-sharing. Our presenting member organizations will be Livingston International, Canada’s largest customs broker, and Sterling Capital Brokers, Canada’s largest independent benefit consulting firm.

This will be a hybrid event with the option for in-person or virtual networking followed by an update on the work of MAPLE Business Council and the growth of our community and then our featured presentations which will be delivered virtually.

We are excited to welcome our in-person guests to the new campus of member organization and accounting, tax and consulting firm to the middle market, RSM, in Irvine, California.

We have two very special presentations for our Winter Reception. Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and profit from great networking with our cross-border community.

Livingston International 

Joining us from Canada's largest customs broker will be Jill Hurley, Director of Global Trade Consulting who will be presenting: Focus on Forced Labor: How Increased Customs Scrutiny is Impacting the Supply Chain

While the U.S. has historically blocked goods produced through forced labor from entering the United States, 2021 experienced unprecedented broadening of the U.S. forced labor provisions. This resulted in the detainment of hundreds of shipments, containing a much wider range of products, worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Livingston International’s update will focus on the 2021 regulatory changes, how those changes affected the supply chain, including U.S. direct importers, Non-Resident Canadian importers into the U.S., and shippers who route imports through Canadian ports for ultimate destinations located in the U.S. Ms. Hurley will also address how the requirements of shippers to complete due diligence to keep the products of Forced Labor out of their supply chains affects their participation in Trusted Trader & Supply Chain Security Programs. 

Sterling Capital Brokers
And we are also honoured to welcome to the MAPLE virtual podium,  Mr. John Griffin, President of Canada's largest independent benefits consulting firm, Sterling Capital Brokers (SCB).

SCB has been working with businesses on both sides of the border since inception and is the Canadian leader in developing benefits plans that work both in the U.S. and Canada while ensuring that a company's approach to benefits, HR and culture come through loud and clear to employees.  In this discussion, Mr. Griffin will show how to interpret benchmarking reports to make better decisions about how to deploy benefits and will review the different plan structures that can help people move seamlessly across the border. He will also share a full review of what risk is in today's insurance landscape, and how to implement a risk-management strategy that protects your employees and your business. 

Report on MAPLE

MAPLE co-founders Stephen Armstrong and Robert Kelle will share an update on the work of the Council and the growth of our community since our Fall Quarter reception.