Ching Tien is a Chinese Canadian social impact leader and internationally celebrated advocate for gender equality and women’s empowerment. Born in Beijing, Tien attended a prestigious girls’ school alongside the daughters of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, until her studies were disrupted by the Cultural Revolution. Sent to remote Gansu Province, she spent eight years working in a factory, witnessing firsthand the poverty and discrimination faced by rural women and girls. This experience would inspire her lifelong commitment to advancing education for women from underprivileged backgrounds.

In 1983, Tien immigrated to Vancouver, Canada where she raised two children as a single mother. Despite arriving with limited English and few resources, she built a successful career as the owner of an art gallery and active contributor to the city’s arts community. Motivated by the opportunities her children had access to in Canada, she founded Educating Girls of Rural China (EGRC) in 2005, guided by the belief that “educated women have educated children”.

Over 18 years, EGRC provided access to education and support for more than 2,000 young women from rural China, helping them to complete high school and university and achieving a graduation rate of over 99%. Every graduate from the program went on to secure employment and lift their families out of poverty, with many giving back to EGRC as donors and volunteers. Building on EGRC’s success, Tien founded the Ching Tien Foundation for Women in 2023 to extend this mission beyond China and advance gender equality across Asia.

Ching is a sought-after thought leader who has been invited to speak at numerous events including: EVE Program Phuket (2023) and Singapore (2019); Alibaba’s Global Women Entrepreneurship Conference (2017); TEDxBeijing (2016); and the Asia Society Hong Kong (2015). Her achievements in advancing equality and women’s education have been recognized with numerous awards including: the Canadian Governor General’s Meritorious Service Decoration, Civil Division (2025); the Canada China Business Council’s 5 and 50 Award (2020); the RBC Women of Influence Award Finalize (2018); and the Canadian Governor General’s Visit Medallion (2017).

Don Kayne, Co-Chair
Former President and CEO, Canfor Corporation

Don Kayne has been Chief Executive Officer of Canfor Corporation since May 2011 and is a Director on Canfor Corporation and Canfor Pulp’s Board. Don has spent his entire career at Canfor, starting out as a regional sales representative in 1979. Don was one of the lead architects of the market for British Columbia lumber in China, and his work growing markets for Canfor products around the world has provided him with deep connections to markets and customers in every region Canfor serves. Don is a Director and past Chair of the Forest Products Association of Canada, and Director of BC Lumber Trade Council and Council of Forest Industries. In 2014, he was appointed to the bi-national Softwood Lumber Council and currently serves as the Chair Emeritus of the Softwood Lumber Board.

Ying Du, Co-Chair
China Chief Representative, Mackenzie Investments

Ying joined Mackenzie Investments in November 2017 as China Chief Representative and was promoted to Head of China in December 2019. She is responsible for Mackenzie’s strategic development in China and throughout Asia region. Prior to Mackenzie Investments, Ying spent 19 years at AXA Investment Managers working in Paris, Singapore, Hong Kong and Beijing where she held a variety of investment management, Sales & Client Services and other senior management roles.

Travis Joern, Member
Director of Asian Market Communications, BC Forestry Innovation Investment (FII)

In his role at BC FII, Travis supports the market analysis and operations reporting in China, India and Vietnam. Prior to this role, Travis served as the Managing Partner at Traverse Global Consulting and as the Managing Director for the Canada China Business Council. Over his career, Travis has coordinated high-level programs for government officials of key federal, provincial and sectoral trade missions, working with hundreds of companies on trade policies, regulations and market development strategies. He has served as the Vice-Chair of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, as a special advisor to the Canadian Chamber in the PRD, and a member the Canadian Creative Industries Advisory Group.

Ashleigh Au, Executive Director

A career communications strategist, Ashleigh launched her career spending over a decade living and working in China, most notably leading international public relations for property developer SOHO China. After relocating to Toronto, Canada in 2017, she founded Ou & Company Ltd., a communications consultancy specialized in supporting China-North America and cross-cultural business. Ashleigh had the privilege of serving as Educating Girls of Rural China’s Executive Director, Eastern Canada from 2018 to 2023, and is thrilled to continue to build on EGRC’s legacy at the Ching Tien Foundation.

Amanda Chui, Office Manager

Amanda joined the Foundation in November 2020. She serves as the Foundation’s Office Manager and part-time administrative assistant to the Founder.

Lucie Derquenne, Development Director – Hong Kong

Lucie is a dedicated advocate for women’s education and empowerment, focused on increasing the Foundation’s visibility and identifying fundraising opportunities across Asia. A graduate of McGill University, Lucie spent nine years in the corporate sector, specializing in digital marketing at L’Oréal. Her professional journey is complemented by a lifelong commitment to volunteering. She has a supported a wide range of organizations across France, Cambodia, and Singapore, uplifting disabled adults, children, homeless individuals, and young women through education and skill-building initiatives.

Miao Lu, Development Director – US

Miao first built her career as a leader in the arts and luxury goods sector, developing expertise in branding, marketing, and general management before making a life‑changing decision to enter the nonprofit sector. She has served as a committee member, program developer, and regional chair for several internationally recognized organizations dedicated to empowering young women and has launched partnerships between corporations and nonprofits to design award‑winning STEM initiatives that connect girls to innovation, leadership, and future‑focused careers. Now a Master of Science candidate in Nonprofit Management at Columbia University, Miao is passionate about connecting global partners to meaningful opportunities that advance girls’ education and leadership across Asia.

Laura Mitchelson, Executive Coach, Facilitator & Trainer

Laura is a seasoned learning and development professional with over 20 years of experience in organizational design, professional learning, and global team dynamics. A catalyst for positive change through individual and team growth, she is a trusted advisor to boards and senior leaders across manufacturing, FMCG, retail, financial services, automotive, and education sectors. As a facilitator, Laura has designed and delivered over 200 programs spanning intercultural leadership, global leadership, management development, and cross-cultural communication, working fluently in English and Chinese. As a coach, she brings an open-minded, ambitious, and creative approach, delivering energizing and insightful coaching that builds quiet confidence and supports strategic planning, change management, performance, and organizational resilience.

Fang Bourne, Legal Representative for Ching Tien Foundation HK, Former COO, BMO Asia

Sylvia Sun, Business Development Manager, Asia Pacific Group, Lawson Lundell LLP

Sylvia Sun is a business development leader specializing in cross-border investment, international trade, and client growth strategies. She has extensive experience supporting Chinese and international companies in expanding into Canadian markets, with a proven track record in business case development, location branding, and strategic client management. Sylvia holds an MBA from Fudan University and the BI Norwegian School of Management.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans Georg Engel, Chairman of Engel Wings Business Consulting (Beijing) Co., Ltd., former Senior Executive Vice President, Mercedes-Benz Greater China)

Hans Georg Engel retired from Mercedes-Benz in December 2024 and now works as a Senior Advisor and Business Consultant through his own firm. As Senior Executive Vice President at Mercedes-Benz Greater China, he oversaw project steering, product strategy, industrialization, and cooperation management, and was a member of the Mercedes-Benz China Board and the global R&D ExCom. Appointed to China in 2015, he led R&D, procurement, and project steering, transforming the local operation from a testing hub into a full-scale R&D and procurement organization serving China and global markets. Over a 29-year career with Mercedes-Benz, Hans held multiple senior R&D roles in Germany, including Vice President, Chief Engineer, and Program Director for Compact Cars, and led chassis, brake, and control systems development. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and is an Honorary Professor in Germany, Guest Professor at Tongji University, and Visiting Professor at Tsinghua University.

Canadian Partners

Global Partners