Strengthening Our Leadership: New Appointments and Strategic Promotions

January 30, 2025 – In celebration of Lunar New Years, the Canada China Forum (CCF) is proud to announce key leadership appointments as part of its strategic initiative to enhance its impact and broaden its reach across Canada. These appointments underscore the Forum’s dedication to cultivating a pan-Canadian community of ‘China watchers’—a vibrant network of professionals, academics, and students committed to understanding China’s evolving role on the global stage.

Through the empowerment of emerging thought leaders, policy experts, and business professionals, the Forum seeks to equip individuals with the insights and skills necessary to navigate the complexities of Canada-China relations and contribute effectively to advancing Canada’s national interests.

Joining the leadership team are four accomplished individuals:

• Daniel Lincoln, Chief Financial Officer: Bringing extensive financial expertise, Daniel will oversee the Forum’s financial strategy, ensuring sustainable growth and effective resource management to support the Forum expanding initiatives and presence.
• Xiang Xiao and Émile Laplante, Co-Lead of Francophone Affairs: In their new roles, they will focus on enhancing engagement and initiatives that serve the Forum’s francophone members and support the establishment of a Montreal chapter as part of CCF’s growth strategy and collaborating with the Director of Programming to deliver high-quality programming in French.
• Alex Nanoff, Co-Chapter Lead of the Toronto Chapter: With Toronto being a vibrant city with immense growth potential, Alex will play a pivotal role with Co-Chapter Lead Aeriel Benjamin-Kent in driving the expansion and strengthening of the Toronto chapter, fostering greater community involvement, collaboration, and programming.

In addition to these new appointments, the Forum is pleased to announce that Johnsen Romero, former Membership Director, has been promoted to Vice President of External Affairs. In this capacity, Johnsen will support the President and CEO in building strategic external partnerships to further enhance the Forum’s impact and engagement with key stakeholders, the Advisory Board, and members-at-large. 

“The expansion of our leadership team is a significant milestone for the Canada China Forum” said Founder and CEO Darren Touch. “These new appointments bring fresh perspectives and expertise that will help us achieve our strategic objectives, strengthen our outreach, and provide more opportunities for meaningful engagement with our partners and members.” 

The Canada China Forum remains committed to fostering a collaborative environment that supports knowledge exchange to ensure the next generation of Canadian leaders is prepared to engage with China in service of our national interest. With these leadership changes, the Forum is poised to advance its mission and deliver impactful initiatives across the country.