Dr. Arvind Gupta, Honorable President
Dr. Arvind Gupta has served as 13th President and Vice-Chancellor of University of British Columbia, as the CEO and Scientific Director of Mitacs Inc., and as CEO of Palette Skills Inc. He is Professor at the University of Toronto with extensive publications on theoretical computer science, computational genomics and national innovation strategies.
Arvind has a record of accomplishment for initiatives that improve Canada’s productivity and competitiveness by successfully enhancing workforce skills through industry-academic partnerships. As the founder of Mitacs, he achieved success in interweaving graduate education with socio-economic needs by bringing together 60 universities and over 1,000 civil society partners. Significant service includes acting as an Innovation leader for the Federal Innovation Agenda, serving on the Federal Government’s blue-ribbon innovation panel (Jenkins panel), serving on the national Science, Technology, and Innovation Council (STIC), and serving on the BC’s Food Security Task Force.
Arvind was instrumental in creating the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS), the Banff International Research Station (BIRS), and Palette Skills Inc. He is a Senior Fellow of the Brookfield Institute and of Massey College. He serves on the Boards of the India-Canada Research Centre of Excellence (IC-IMPACTS), BIRS, and Digital Health Circle. Past service includes serving on the Boards of the Fields Institute (as Chair), the Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute (as Chair), Great Northern Way Trust, Canadian Mining Innovation Council, Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute, PIMS, Mitacs, the Grand-NCE (International Scientific Advisory Council), and the campaign cabinet for United Way.
Dr. John Yang, President
Dr. John Yang is a Registered Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine in BC. He is a TCM educator, from 2003 – 2014, he was the Dean and Clinic Director at the PCU College of Holistic Medicine (private). Presently, he is a full faculty member and the Chair of Traditional Chinese Medicine Department at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU, public). As a TCM expert in the field, Dr. Yang has given many national and international presentations and lectures on TCM. Dr. Yang is a Visiting Professor at the Chengdu University of Chinese Medicine and Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, China.
Dr. Yang is the current President of the Federation of Traditional Chinese Medicine Colleges of Canada (FTCMCC) and the former President at the Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture of British Columbia (ATCMA, formally the QATCMA).
Dr. Yang graduated from Hainan University Medical School in Haikou, China, received his TCM training at Hainan Provincial Hospital of TCM, and earned his PhD from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. Dr. Yang has over 30 years of clinical experience and practices at the TCM Vancouver Clinic. On his daily practice he uses advanced acupuncture technique and classic herbal formula to treat patients with chronic pain, emotional disorders, hormonal imbalances, infertility, gynecological issues, and more.
Dr. Jennifer Jing Zhao, Vice President
Dr. Jennifer Jing Zhao’s broad research interest lies in various aspects of health education including health literacy, nutrition literacy and food literacy, with the focus on health education in higher education, K-12 schools and a variety of other populations with fused research methodologies and methods.
With interdisciplinary approaches, Dr. Jennifer Jing Zhao conducts health knowledge dissemination by building valuable links between the research and practice communities, specifically, focuses on strategies for transforming health education research, and maximizing the impact of health knowledge dissemination to the broad public. More info (https://vlclabs.ca)
As the President of Canada-China Comparative Education and Cultural Society, Dr. Jennifer Jing Zhao facilitates research exchange and partnership, dedicated to make educational and cultural research more accessible and useful to society, facilitates cooperation among universities and governments in Canada and China, and further supports educational and social innovation in Canada and China.
Dr. Kwang Yang, MD, CCFP, FCFP, LM, Board Director
Dr. Kwang Yang is a retired family doctor, who is the first to use Acupuncture treatments in his family practice in both Saint John, New Brunswick and Surrey, British Columbia.
Besides his busy schedule, he also devoted time to teach students and residents from UBC medical School and advocated better health services for British Columbians. His dedication and devotion in his work that earned him standing ovation from Legislative Assembly of BC and the Ottawa Parliament and many awards, eg. Dr. F. Banting’s award, Therese Casgrain Award and Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal etc.
No matter where or whenever, he is always a man with immense strength and ability to change for the better.
Susanna Yang-Gu, Chief Financial Officer
Ms. Susanna Yang-Gu is a senior top-performing Financial and Insurance Expert Leader with over 10 years of experience in the financial services and insurance industry. Currently, she is the MDRT Top of the Table (TOT) member and consistent elite performer. Susanna also successfully leads and mentors a high-performing professional team, driving sustainable growth, ethical excellence, and long-term client value. She has a unique professional background combining healthcare experience and finance expertise. Susanna is a former medical professional with a strong commitment to community service and social responsibility. She brings a disciplined, ethical, and service-oriented mindset to financial analysis, planning, and decision-making.
She is passionate about using financial expertise to support organizations, individuals, and society in a meaningful and sustainable way.