CCCT Board of Directors
Chairman of the Board
Brandon Thompson
A professional musician, actor and well-known member of the arts community in Taiwan, Brandon has assisted the CCCT for years with its events, selflessly giving his time and energy into arranging live musical acts for its two signature events, Canada Day, and the Maple Ball.
Brandon is a dedicated and energetic leader with over a decade of experience in acting and performing both on the stage and television. He is an accomplished singer and MC (Master of Ceremonies) and has hosting several shows in Taiwan. Brandon has a great sense of timing and humour and is always ready to perform.
Vice Chairman
Ping Chu
Li Ping Chu (Ping) is the General Manager of Apex Language Consulting and co-founder of Apex Language Consulting and Training. Founded in 2016, Apex provides its clients, who range from the world’s largest firms to individuals with highly specialized needs, with the highest quality and most professional language training on the island.
Previous to moving to Taiwan and founding Apex, Ping was a software developer with 15 years of working experience ranging from five-person startups to consulting for major financial firms like Charles Schwab, and major e-tailers like The Gap and Williams-Sonoma.
Director
Jessie Chou
Jessie Chou is the co-founder and CEO of Musa Trademark, a trademark agent specializing in Taiwan and China trademarks, and a proud corporate member of the CCCT as well as sponsor and co-organizer of the Canadian Chamber’s Dragons’ Chamber pitch event for foreign entrepreneurs.
Jessie is a listed trademark agent of the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) and has been in the field for over 15 years after graduating from the law school and completing the professional training programs from Taiwan Intellectual Property Training Academy and China Intellectual Property Society.
She works passionately to help managers and founders understand the importance of trademark protection and help companies to grow steady and strong with a customized trademark strategy.
周孟瑜
沐智國際智財顧問有限公司共同創辦人及現任CEO, 加拿大商會會員及理事. 國立高雄大學法律系畢業,經濟部智慧產培訓學院結業, 並經台灣智慧財產局的商標代理人登錄在冊。
從事商標相關工作將近15年, 專業領域為商標註冊保護及協助企業規劃商標策略. 現致力於商標保護知識的推廣普及, 曾任法國工商會及加拿大商會商標保護工作坊講師, Future Ward 共同工作空間商標工作坊講師, Taipei Marketing Talks聚會講師,以及創業競賽-Dragons’ Chamber Taiwan協辦人.
Director
Francisco Lopez
Francisco Lopez is a Procurement, Supply Chain and localization expert from Canada with over 35 years’ experience in the Wind and Renewables energies, Railway, Automotive and Aerospace industries. Francisco has worked in USA, Mexico, China, Germany, Spain, India, South Africa and now based in Taipei since 2019.
Francisco currently works at Vena Energy Taiwan since July 2023 and is responsible for Regional Procurement APAC for Offshore Wind division. He previously worked for Northland Power on the Hailong projects and R3 as GM procurement. Before that in China with Nordex as Global Homologation director. He also worked in various roles for Bombardier, Alstom Energy and Novabus.
Francisco is fluent in English, French, Spanish and conversational Mandarin. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Hautes Etudes Commerciales, Montreal University.
Director
Toi Windham
Dallas-native Toi Windham is an educator and event organizer for events centered around social, cultural, and educational experiences. She has recently started her business, 啼聲 Elevate LLC, to continue promoting social engagement, increase cultural awareness, and curate community events in Taiwan. Toi’s goal for 啼聲 Elevate LLC is to bring more awareness to Taiwan about social and cultural understanding and diversity.
Toi was an organizer of Taiwan Black Lives Matter rally and the Magic Unicorn float in Taiwan Pride Parade in 2020. She has continued to increase social and cultural awareness through the Community Convos series, creating a safe space for meaningful and difficult discussions about race and gender issues, indigenous peoples rights, and mental & physical health.
Toi came to Taiwan in 2016 to pursue an M.B.A. in International Human Resources Development at National Taiwan Normal University. She has also completed a B.A. in Linguistics and a B.A. in Chinese and also has a myriad of athletic experiences, which includes competing in Track & Field for 10 years and training and coaching young athletes for 10+ years.
Director
Sean Kelly
Arriving in Taiwan in 2004, Sean immediately fell in love with Taiwan. Discovering how amazing this
country is, he knew he never wanted to leave. In 2016, he and his South African business partner
decided to get into the import and distribution of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in Taiwan. With the
ongoing success of Sark Co, Ltd., and with the encouragement from the Chairman, Sean decided to join the CCCT board of directors.
Sean brings a wealth of business experience to the board. He welcomes the opportunity to help the chamber in any way he can. In his free time, Sean enjoys cycling the riverside trails of Taipei, attending live comedy shows, and playing disc golf.
Director
Grant Sundal
Grant Sundal is the principal at TCS Experimental Education in Taiwan, the first and only Canadian accredited high school program in the country. With over four years in Taiwan, Grant has leveraged his extensive international education experience to develop and lead this innovative BC certified offshore program. His background includes significant tenures in mainland China at prestigious institutions such as Tsinghua International School, Maple Leaf International School Chongqing, and as the founding principal of Harbin Zhongshi International School. Grant's career also spans roles as an administrator and educator in South America and Canada, where he initially trained in Ontario.
In addition to his administrative and teaching roles, Grant has been an avid educational researcher and writer, focusing on issues related to education and social justice. His past work often explored the intersections of educational practices and societal impacts, aiming to foster more equitable and inclusive learning environments. His commitment to academic excellence and community engagement has been a driving force behind the success of TCS Experimental Education, ensuring that the program not only meets but exceeds the rigorous standards of the BC Graduation Program.
Director
Anthony van Dyck
Anthony van Dyck is the Head of Taiwan Operations for Boston Energy, a provider of technical services to the global wind energy industry. A longtime resident of Taiwan, Anthony has extensive experience in operational planning and has worked on some of Taiwan’s largest infrastructure projects. Anthony van Dyck has served as a director on the board of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan since 2004.
Director
Derry McDonell
Derry McDonell is the Deputy Director, Trade & Investment for the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei. In his capacity as a director for the CCCT he helps coordinate and align the efforts of the CTOT and the CCCT.
Supervisor
Josh Yang
Mr. Josh Yang has served on the board as a director since 2016, and has served on the Dragons’ Chamber committee , Small Business Committee, Membership Committee, and as the Vice-Chair twice.
Josh holds a B.Tech degree from British Columbia Institute of Technology, and a MBA from the University of Southern Queensland. He is the founder of Able-Intl Inc, an importer and distributor of quality Canadian pet supplies for the Asia-Pacific region.
Josh has extensive experience in technology, operations, sales & channel management. When Josh is not working, he enjoys photography, especially portrait and event photography, and spending time with his family.
Supervisor
Leo Seewald
Originally from Canada, Leo Seewald began his career in Asia as a solicitor in Hong Kong in 2000
and later moved into the financial industry when he joined Manulife as head of legal and
compliance for Asia. In 2009, Mr. Seewald moved to Taiwan as Chairman of Manulife’s Taiwan asset management company and later joined BlackRock as Chairman and Country Head of BlackRock’s Taiwan operations from 2013-2019. He also served as the Chairman and later President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan.
Having fallen in love with Taiwan, Mr. Seewald decided he wanted to promote Taiwan from more than only a financial perspective. He had a dream to travel to all of Taiwan’s 230+ fishing harbours and share his journey with the world.
In 2020, he took his Taiwanese commercial fisherman’s exam and became a licensed commercial fisherman. The stage was then set for a new chapter of Mr. Seewald’s life: he is now known as the “Happy Fisherman” for his award-winning multi-season documentary on Taiwan’s fishing harbours.
Supervisor
Jean-Christophe Guedon
Jean-Christophe was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Canada;s second largest city, which allowed him to grow up and study in a bilingual environment.
After obtaining his university degree from Concordia University, he worked in the municipal government for two years before looking overseas. In 2002, he decided to travel to Taiwan for a work opportunity. In 2009, he was made the director of the Human Resources Department for Hess International Educational Group, the largest private education company in Taiwan. In 2023, Jean-Christophe became the COO of LRDG Taiwan, a Canadian company that has a standing offer to be the sole provider of language classes for the Canadian federal government. LRDG has expanded to Taiwan to assist the with 2030 Bilingual Project.
An active member of Taiwan’s foreign community, Jean-Christophe works to promote a strong cultural link between Taiwan and the west to build even stronger relationships around the world.
Jean-Christophe joined the CCCT’s Board of Directors in 2014. He has chaired the Maple Ball Committee since its start in 2014 and has helped raise at least NT$3,000,000 for the Mackay Memorial Hospital. JC also serves on several other committees with the CCCT.
Alternate Director
Mark Blank
Managing Director
Emma Chen