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Development/Construction
Amritpreet Kaur Dhindsa has joined the civil engineering team at van der Zalm + associates. As part of the firm’s ongoing expansion into the civil market, Kaur Dhindsa joins an established team of engineers and technicians supporting its parks design group. Her work includes projects across the region and specific support to both the Vancouver and Fort Langley design studios.
Education
Jennifer Figner has been appointed associate vice-president, implementation and integration, at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), effective January 2, 2019. In this newly created role, Figner will oversee and accelerate academic initiatives and the implementation of the 2019-21 education plan. Figner joined BCIT in 2005 after more than a decade working in the public accounting sector in both financial and human resource management roles. After teaching in the BCIT School of Business for 12 years, she took on the position of associate dean for the accounting, finance, financial planning and general insurance and risk management programs. In 2015, she was awarded a BCIT Leadership Award for her role in the School of Business receiving accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.
Finance
Financial Executives International (FEI) Vancouver chapter – part of FEI Canada, a network organization for CFOs and other senior finance and accounting professionals – has elected its 2018-19 board of directors. The executive board consists of Anne Yu (president), American Hotel Income Properties REIT; Oliver Piekaar (vice-president), Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers; Roger Bissoondatt (past president), BC Liquor Distribution Branch (BCLDB); Jessica Jang (treasurer), Amacon; and Carie Schnablegger (secretary), Serracan Properties. Directors at large include David Andru, senior consultant; Gail Davidson, senior consultant; Christina Cheung, Procon Group of Companies; Danley Yip, Robert Half Management Resources; Brad Cruickshank, Transcan Leasing Corp.; Timm Kukler, Modern Green Canada; Alex Shulga, Lithium Americas Corp.; Jeff Shickele, Amacon; Doug King, Westbank Projects; Hugh Lindsay, Financial Mentors Group; Marietjie Bower, BCLDB; Peter Ballachey, CRC Rail Management Services; and Aleia Nimmo, ContainerWorld Forwarding Services.
Legal
Ryan Morasiewicz has joined MLT Aikins LLP’s Vancouver office as senior counsel. Morasiewicz’s practice focuses on general commercial litigation, with experience in health law, contractual disputes, environmental law, administrative law and complex commercial disputes.
Non-profit
The Salvation Army recently hired three new giving officers: Lisa Hamilton, major gifts officer; Roger Kayo, planned giving officer; and Jazmin Rodriguez, annual giving officer.
Carla Niemi has been appointed director of operations and facilities at SOS Children’s Village BC. For the past 18 years, Niemi has served primarily in the not-for-profit sector following positions at multinational corporations and a university. She has served as interim executive director at an international non-governmental organization and served on the board of Childcare International for five years, and as board chair for one year. Niemi currently volunteers on two committees working to advocate, educate and participate in reconciliation initiatives in the Lower Mainland.
Technology
Aman Thindal has resigned from Reliq Health Technologies Inc.’s board of directors, as well as from his position as chief financial officer at the company, to pursue other opportunities. The company will appoint an interim CFO while it conducts a search for a permanent CFO in the Greater Toronto Area, in line with the company’s stated intent to consolidate operations to the Toronto area. Reliq develops mobile health and telemedicine solutions for the community-based health-care market.
Bal Bhullar has been appointed CFO at Electra Meccanica, succeeding Kulwant Sandher, who will continue as a consultant to ensure a smooth transition. Bhullar has more than 25 years of diversified business, financial and risk management experience, including prior CFO experience at both public and private companies across various sectors, including technology, natural resources and transportation. Bhullar most recently served as CEO of BKB Management Ltd., a firm she founded in 2005 to provide CFO and corporate governance services to public and private companies.
Jack Austin has been appointed to the board of directors at Electra Meccanica. Austin’s career, spanning 50 years, includes the teaching and practice of business law, experience as a corporate executive and extensive experience in public policy. He served as a deputy minister, as principal secretary to prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, as a senator representing B.C. and as cabinet minister in the governments of Trudeau and prime minister Paul Martin. Austin served as president of the Canada China Business Council from 1993 to 2000, and for the following three years as vice-chairman. Austin retired from the Canadian Senate in 2007 and resumed his activity in the private sector, during which time he served on the advisory council of several leading academic institutions, including the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University.
COMPANIES ON THE MOVE
Name change
Software company Two Tall Totems has announced a name and branding change following the move and expansion of its headquarters last month. TTT Studios is redefining itself as a digital innovation studio, reflecting the studio’s work with augmented and virtual reality, internet of things, security and encryption, artificial intelligence and blockchain development.
HATS OFF
Business in Vancouver welcomes submissions from local small businesses and large corporations alike that demonstrate examples of corporate philanthropy and community involvement in the Vancouver area. High-resolution images are also welcome.
The Surrey Board of Trade recently presented the fifth Surrey Innovation Award to Clayton Glass. The Surrey Innovation Awards aim to celebrate, educate and connect innovators across all industries in Surrey. Janaka Rathnayaka, owner and director of Clayton Glass, is an engineer by trade and developed PHSYIS, an intelligent system for optimal daylight and ventilation that can be applied to any building opening. The invention has five key components: a louver blade system, a waterproof electric motor, an Arduino-controlled solar tracker, an Arduino-controlled rain sensor and I-section aluminum frames. These components work in unison without requiring a human to constantly monitor and make manual adjustments.
TD Bank donated $15,000 to support Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver’s (BBGV) In-School Mentoring program, one of the most in-demand programs that BBGV offers, serving 129 children and youths in 2017.
Several donations have recently been made to SOS Children’s Village BC: ALS Environmental, $1,200; CIBC Children’s Foundation (CIBC Wood Gundy), $2,500, proceeds from CIBC Miracle Day; Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce, $2,000 raised from the Clovies Awards Night; Ecclesiastical Insurance and Malabar Investments, sponsorships of $2,500 and $8,800, respectively, of the SOS Children’s Village BC fundraiser; Envision Financial Community Endowment, $9,900 grant of infrastructure support; Knights of Columbus, Council No. 4767 North Surrey, $2,700 to the Transition to Adulthood program; Kwela Leadership and Talent Management, $4,600; PPI Global, $5,000; Rebekah Assembly of BC, $1,500; Royal Canadian Legion Branch 229, Whalley, $1,000; Sasamat Foundation, $25,000; Softlanding Solutions and Surrey Fire Fighters Charitable Society, $2,000 and $5,000, respectively, to the Backpack SOS campaign; and students from Vancouver Westside German School raised $1,000.
The City of Burnaby awarded $5,000 to Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland. These funds will help the organization match at-risk girls with a supportive mentor through its one-to-one mentoring program.
Coast Capital Savings recently gave each of its 1,864 employees $25 to donate to a Canadian charitable organization of their choice – a total of $46,500. The credit union also launched its Help Heroes employee volunteer program earlier this year: employees may volunteer during work hours up to 7.5 paid hours with one or more organizations of their choice. The program also rewards participants with $10 per hour of volunteer time (up to $1,000 annually) to allocate to a charity of their choice.•
