Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) organized its first Open House for 2014 on April 22 at TD Towers in downtown Toronto. The main component of the evening’s program that saw enthusiastic participation of nearly 150 people was a panel discussion jointly organized by Ascend Canada and ICCC on the issue of diversity in the work place. The Open House turned out to be a different event from the ones that the ICCC usually organizes because it attracted a different set of demographics – professionals from the 25-40 age groups.  

The theme of the panel discussion was Diversity is not a nicety, it’s a necessity. Kelvin Tran, CFO, TD Securities; Sanjay Nakra, MD & Head of Diversified Group, TD Securities; and Sohana Inderlall, assurance partner at Ernst & Young were the key participants in the panel discussion which Ruby Dhillon, ICCC’s Director for Membership moderated.

The program was co-sponsored by Ascend Canada, a national not-for-profit Pan-Asian Membership organization with the mission to enhance the presence, visibility and influence of Pan-Asian leaders. Ascend Canada was launched in Toronto to address the shortage of Asian leaders in Corporate America.

As Kelvin explained, “It was formed to address basic lacunae that many young Canadians of Asian origin faced of rising up the corporate ladder despite having all the requirements. We develop programs to help create different types of skill sets that would enable them to progress rapidly in their career.”

The discussion focussed on the need for both organizations and individuals to work towards changing the mindset that look at employment and promotional opportunities of the visible minorities with a deep sense of prejudice, and all the participants in the panel discussion emphasized that in addition to lobbying with organizations, it was equally important for individuals to develop the right attitude towards succeeding.

“It’s drive, tenacity, looking for constant change, willingness to adapt,” Sanjay said. Co-panelist Suhana agreed and said, “It is necessary to set a goal and work around obstacles to succeed.”

Naval Bajaj, President, ICCC, lauded the efforts of the Membership Committee in mounting such an important and well-attended program. He said one of the key factors for the Chamber’s success is to stay focussed on the needs of the younger demographics.