VANCOUVER, BC – October 30, 2023 – The Board of Directors of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada) is pleased to welcome two new Board-appointed members, The Honourable Baljit Singh Chadha and Suromitra Sanatani.
The Hon. Baljit S. Chadha, P.C., is President and Founder of Balcorp Limited, an international trade and marketing firm headquartered in Montreal with offices in New Delhi and Mumbai. A successful Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist with a depth of knowledge and expertise in international trade, especially with India, and strategic planning, in 2003, Mr. Chadha was named to Canada’s Security Intelligence Review Committee with a concurrent appointment to the Queen’s Privy Council of Canada.
Suromitra Sanatani, LL.B., is an independent director and currently Board Chair of Canada Post, Chair of the Royal Bank Global Asset Management Independent Review Committee, and a director of Purolator Holdings. Ms. Sanatani began her career in litigation before transitioning to senior corporate positions in the non-profit, public, and private sectors. Previously, she served on various boards, including as director of Travel Alberta, Edmonton International Airport, Canadian Blood Services, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, and Victoria International Airport, and as a member of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and Chair of the Royal British Columbia Museum.
“We welcome Suromitra and Baljit to our Board of Directors,” said The Honourable Pierre Pettigrew, Chair of the Board of the Asia Pacific Foundation. “I know their considerable business acumen, strategic approaches to governance, and proven track record in high-calibre boardrooms across the private and public sectors will only strengthen APF Canada’s Board of Directors at this pivotal time in Canada-Asia relations as we look to solidify our presence and purpose in the Indo-Pacific.”
Added APF Canada President and CEO Jeff Nankivell: “As we look to expand our network of Asia-connected Canadians and deepen our engagement in Canada and across the dynamic economies of the Asia Pacific, I look forward to the strategic vision and senior leadership I know Suromitra and Baljit will bring to our Foundation’s governing Board.”
Mr. Chadha’s business interests through Balcorp include agricultural food products, processed foods, and forestry products. His directorships and memberships extend across many communities in Canada and internationally. Past and current involvement includes: Governor, Montreal Economic Institute; Patron, Historica-Dominion Institute, Toronto; Director, International Tree Nut Congress, Spain; Advisor on Indo-Canadian Affairs to the Office of Montreal Mayor Pierre Bourque; Member, Advisory Board of the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce, Toronto; and, Director, Association des Maisons de Commerce Extérieures du Québec, Montreal. Based in Montreal, Mr. Chadha is a former Distinguished Fellow of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, and Governor Emeritus, Concordia University, Montreal. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Bombay and a Master of Business Administration from Concordia University.
Ms. Sanatani is the former BC and Yukon Vice-President of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, where she represented the interests of small- and medium-sized businesses in British Columbia and Yukon. She was pivotal in establishing Partnerships BC (now Infrastructure BC), a Crown corporation specializing in public-private partnerships, where she was Vice-President, Corporate and Government Relations. Ms. Sanatani’s previous consultancy work includes leading First Nations consultations across British Columbia and providing strategic advice to senior executives in the financial, utilities, and transportation sectors. Based in Vancouver, she holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Victoria and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Ottawa.
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Media:
Michael Roberts, Communications Director,
Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada
michael.roberts@asiapacific.ca
About the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada:
The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada is dedicated to strengthening ties between Canada and Asia with a focus on expanding economic relations through trade, investment and innovation; promoting Canada’s expertise in offering solutions to Asia’s climate change, energy, food security and natural resource management challenges; building Asia skills and competencies among Canadians, including young Canadians; and improving Canadians’ general understanding of Asia and its growing global influence.
Visit APF Canada at www.asiapacific.ca
