Greetings! Originally from Burnaby, British Columbia, I have lived and worked in Japan since 2008. My current role as senior commercial officer for the British Columbia Trade and Investment Office – Japan has allowed me to get back to my roots and help B.C. residents explore the wealth of opportunities available in Japan. I look forward to meeting other members of the CCCJ, and welcome the chance to speak with anyone interested in furthering the Japan connection.

I have more than 30 years of experience working in and with Japan, most recently as chairman of the Japan America Society of Southern California, a 112-year-old NPO located in Los Angeles, California. During my time as chairman, I founded and produced a Japanese film festival, Japan Connects Hollywood. For assisting in the promotion of Japanese content around the world, I was given the Cool Japan Award by this nation’s Cool Japan Association. I worked for Warner Bros. for more than 15 years. I am currently the founder and CEO of Global Connects Media a global consulting firm dedicated to bringing the world closer together through story.

I am so thrilled to be a member of the CCCJ, and am looking forward to being a part of this community. Originally from Québec, I lived in British Columbia for several years before settling in Japan more than 15 years ago. Over the course of my time here, I have started a furniture and interior design company, as well as a café and wine bar (with a showroom). I look forward to sharing resources and connecting with other Canadians!

My family has lived in Japan since 1969 and I am French and German. In 2009 I completed an MBA at McGill University (in Tokyo and Montréal). I have 27 years of entrepreneurial experience and I have been a director of Guki Cellars Japan K.K. since 2012. In 2020, I joined the Alpha Group, which offers monthly peer-to-peer advisory boards for small and medium-sized enterprise owners. I have become a CCCJ member since I greatly enjoyed the time I spent in Canada.

I am a student and research assistant at the University of Toronto, studying public policy, sociology and interna­tional development. I am keenly interested in the areas of diversity and social development in Japan, and how the Canadian approach to multiculturalism might be adapted in a Japanese context. I am absolutely thrilled to be working in the field this summer with enjoi Diversity & Innovation Consulting’s CEO Dr. Jackie F. Steele! I look forward to connecting with members who share my profound interest in the Japan–Canada relationship.

I began my career as principal tuba of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Indiana, in 1955. After graduating from Indiana University, I performed with the Montréal Symphony, taught at McGill University and gave it all up in 1973 for doctoral studies and a new career as a conductor. I arrived in Japan in 1981. Over the years, I have filled posts as music director, music advisor or principal guest conductor for some 20 orchestras and opera companies. I have founded orchestras in Canada, India and Japan, and appeared with more than 50 orchestras in 20 nations. I have conducted more than 200 performances with the Tokyo Sinfonia.