Board of Directors
Rory Morgan
KSW Lawyers
From Our 57th Board Chair – Chief Governance Officer
Indigenous Acknowledgement: I acknowledge that we are in the traditional territory of the Coast Salish people, specifically the Kwantlen, Katzie, Kwikwetlem, Qayqayt, Semiahmoo and the Tsawwassen First Nations. As well, I acknowledge the Inuit and Metis Nations peoples who live and work on these territories.
I am incredibly grateful to be inducted as the 57th Chair of the Surrey Board of Trade, as well as this organization’s Chief Governance Officer. I first joined SBOT as a volunteer with the encouragement of a SBOT Governor, Jamie Stewart, who emphasized the importance of service to the community and this City through this organization. I became a member of the Social Policy Team under the tutelage of SBOT’s newest Governor, Doug Tennant, before becoming a Director and having the privilege of working with our most recent Chair Baljit Dhaliwal. Both Doug and Baljit, along with SBOT’s most recent Governors Dr. Greg Thomas and Stephen Dooley, taught me many valuable lessons in leadership, most notably the importance of empathy, understanding, and inclusionary thinking. I can see further because I am standing on the shoulders of giants.
We have now moved out of the pandemic, and our world has changed. Concepts – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), as well Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) have entered our language and now must frame our thinking as businesspeople and citizens. Other important concepts – such as Indigenous Reconciliation as outlined by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the 94 Calls to Action, require us as a society to be far more thoughtful in our policies and approaches to how we conduct business and indeed in how we interact and treat each other. It is no longer “business as usual”, which means great opportunities lie in front of us if we are bold enough to seize them in courageous and intentional manners.
I am proud of the work of talent identification and intentional recruitment undertaken by your Board of Directors to ensure your Board better reflects the diversity of this incredible city and you, the owners of the Surrey Board of Trade. The SBOT Directors are volunteers committed to service whose roles include engaging with you, our owners, to be visionary and forward-thinking in addressing the opportunities in front of us. I encourage us all, including our new and returning Directors, to strive to be better versions of ourselves. As we do that, both individually and collectively through the Surrey Board of Trade, we will continue to make Surrey a leader in this province as the premier place to live, work and play. Thank you for this honour, and I am excited for the year ahead.
BOARD DIVERSITY STATEMENT
The Board of Directors at the Surrey Board of Trade, believe that fostering diversity, equity and inclusion enables a business climate conducive to success, supporting us to better achieve our ENDS. We understand that a diverse board is critical for making well-informed decisions. We are committed to a Board membership that reflects the communities we serve, ensuring representation, inclusion and perspectives of people from different backgrounds, knowledge and experiences, while taking into account the breadth of diversity dimensions to make well informed decisions.
SURREY BOARD OF TRADE GLOBAL ENDS
(MISSION)
The Surrey Board of Trade exists so that its members and the greater business community have a business climate conducive to their success which validates the use of membership fees.
(VISION)
1.1. Businesses in and associated with Surrey have opportunities and supports to succeed
1.1.1. Businesses have the tools, connections, and resources they need domestically and internationally.
1.1.2. Businesses outside of Surrey are aware of business opportunities in Surrey
1.1.3. Surrey supports innovation
1.1.4. Business to business connections thrive in Surrey
1.1.5. Surrey supports a thriving regional and international business climate.
1.2. Government decision-makers have information on current and emerging issues and how their decisions impact business
1.2.1. Business has a definitive voice in Surrey
1.3. Surrey is attractive to business
1.3.1. Businesses, community organizations, and government have the opportunity to collaborate to make Surrey safe, inclusive, and affordable
1.3.2. Businesses have access to a diverse workforce with relevant skills
Ania Cox
Coast Capital Savings
Vice Chair
Baljit Dhaliwal
TJ’s Education & Safety Training Corp.
Immediate Past Chair
David Bennett
FortisBC
Amrita Bhogal
Sunrise Kitchens Ltd.
Nicky Dhaliwal
Blueprint at UBC
Richard Fung
Shoppers Drug Mart
Rick Mann
Isle of Mann Property Group
John Michener
Port of Bellingham
Sasha Ramnarine
Remedios and Company
Rowena Rizzotti
Health & Technology District at Lark Group
Mike Spiess
Ashdown Capital
