TORONTO: Vijay Thomas is the 32nd President of the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce.
Thomas was elected the 32nd President of the 43-year-old institution serving the business community at the meeting of the new board of directors of the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC).
As per the stipulation of the Chamber’s bylaws, the election was supervised by the Nominations Committee and the Returning Officer.
The independent Nomination Committee comprises Hari Panday, the Past President of the Chamber, and Vinod Munshi, a veteran member of the Chamber. Ashwani Tangri, a well-known community leader, was the Returning Officer.
“The new board will aim to bring back the halcyon era of the Chamber by focusing on enhancing membership and bring back sponsors who have left us,” Vijay said.
“We have always been a members-oriented organization, our board is committed to good governance, accountability and fiduciary responsibility. We will bring back the pride and the glory that members felt at their association with the Chamber,” he added.
The new board will soon be inviting members, especially women members, to take leadership positions in the Chamber, and fill an obvious lacuna in the leadership structure.
“We are keen to adopt the 50 – 30 Challenge that Minister Navdeep Bains has announced to promote diversity on boards,” Surinder Sharma, veteran community leader and member of the new board said.
Surinder looks to forge a strong networking of Indian professionals from IITs, IIMs, Medical Professional and Accountants from India under the umbrella of ICCC.
The President and the new board will be consulting senior members of the Chamber to seek guidance and representation regarding the task of rebuilding the Chamber, connecting with the community and increasing trade with India.