BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//132.216.98.100//NONSGML kigkonsult.se iCalcreator 2.20.4// BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20260513T225553EDT-5755hoZxg8@132.216.98.100 DTSTAMP:20260514T025553Z DESCRIPTION:Canada has announced policies and plans to encourage diversific ation of trade and investment into nontraditional markets such as Asia and Africa. This is in large part so as to not have reliance on uncertain tra ditional markets like the United States as a result of new tariff impositi on.\n\nHowever\, are Canadian businesses ready for this expansion into new markets? For example\, Canada’s anticorruption laws are among the stricte st in the world. How will Canadian companies deal with the compliance chal lenges that will arise when dealing with these new markets which have poor rankings on the Transparency International index? How about the challenge s in transacting in new digital currencies like the stable coins\, which i s popular in developing countries where there is sometimes scarcity of for ex for payments and remittances of profits?\n\nAnd what happens when there is a dispute-such as for nonpayment for goods and services exported? Are Canadian companies well versed in effective dispute resolution mechanisms available internationally? This event will explore the challenges Canadian companies will face and explore practical strategies to help them address these challenges.\n\nDate: February 27\, 2026\n Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p. m. EST\n Location: Armstrong building\, Room 370\n\nRegister by February 25 th Agenda Panelists\n\n\nObjectives\n\n\n Explain Canada’s trade diversific ation strategy and opportunities.\n Clarify anticorruption compliance requi rements for Canadian businesses.\n Identify key risks in high-corruption ma rkets and how to mitigate them.\n Share practical compliance solutions and best practices for market entry.\n Explore compliance as a competitive adva ntage in global trade.\n\n\nSpeakers\n\n\n Manuel Balán\, Associate Profess or in Political Science and International Development Studies (ISID)\, McG ill University.\n Alessandro Caruso\, CEO of the International Division at La Vie en Rose\n Sue Steffen\, Director General\, West Africa and the Maghr eb\, Global Affairs Canada\n Karl Boustany\, Founder and CEO of Kiamin\n\n \nModerator\n\n\n Franca Ciambella\, Executive in Residence\, Laidley Centr e for Business Ethics and Equity\n\n\nAgenda\n\n11:30 a.m. - 11:50 a.m. | Check-in\, networking\, and lunch\n\n11:50 a.m. -1:10 p.m. | Panel discuss ion\n\n1:10 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Audience Q&A\n\n1:30 p.m. and onward (optio nal) | Additional networking\n\n\nAbout the Panelists\n\nManuel Balán\n\nM anuel Balán is Associate Dean Academic and Faculty Affairs in the Faculty of Arts and Associate Professor of Political Science and International Dev elopment at McGill University. His research focuses on comparative politic s in Latin America\, with emphasis on corruption\, governance\, and democr acy.\n\nDr. Balán holds a PhD in Government from the University of Texas a t Austin and a law degree from Argentina. An award-winning educator\, he r eceived McGill’s Principal’s Prize for Excellence in Teaching in 2019. He has also consulted with the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank\, bridging academic research with policy practice in governance and d evelopment.\n\nAlessandro Caruso\n\nAlessandro Caruso is CEO of the Intern ational Division at La Vie en Rose\, a Canada-based lingerie\, sleepwear\, and swimwear retailer with over 400 stores and global franchise partnersh ips across the Middle East\, North Africa\, Asia\, and other international markets. He leads international expansion with full P&L accountability\, overseeing market entry\, operations\, sourcing\, and brand continuity. He works closely with local partners to balance growth targets\, unit econom ics\, operational discipline\, and brand compliance. His experience is gro unded in launching and scaling businesses internationally\, structuring cr oss-border supply chains\, and making commercial decisions in markets with uneven regulatory and governance conditions.\n\nSue Steffen\n\nSusan Stef fen is the Director General\, West Africa and the Maghreb\, at Global Affa irs Canada. She was most recently the Director General\, Pan-African Affai rs\, covering foreign relations\, development and trade portfolios from a continental perspective.\n\nSusan’s 25-year career – focused mainly on Sub -Saharan Africa – has spanned policy and operations\, field and headquarte rs work\, as well as positions in NGOs and with the UN. She served for Can ada overseas in Tanzania and in Rwanda for the United Nations.\n\nSusan ho lds a Bachelors of Arts (Economics) from Queen’s University\, Canada and B achelors of Laws (Civil and Common Law) from McGill University\, Canada.\n \nFranca Ciambella\n\nFranca Ciambella is the Laidley Centre Executive in Residence. She has a degree in business from McGill University\, and law d egrees from New York University\, National University of Singapore and Uni versite d’Ottawa. She has practiced law for over 30 years in international business\, corporate compliance\, M & A\, contracts\, and dispute resolut ion. Since 2016\, her practice includes fintech and blockchain (cryptocurr ency). Based in Lagos\, Nigeria\, Franca currently works as a Senior Consu lting Counsel at Dentons Law Office and as an Independent Business Advisor & Consultant. She is an Executive in Residence at the Lagos Business Scho ol\, where she teaches MBA students\, and participates in training project s. She is currently a Board Director at the Nigerian-Canadian Business Ass ociation\, and is the Head of its Trade & Investment Committee.\n\nKarl Bo ustany\n\nKarl Boustany is a Canadian entrepreneur\, investor\, and strate gic advisor recognized for building cross-border platforms that expand Can adian expertise and technology into global markets\, with a strong focus o n the Middle East and the critical minerals ecosystem. Karl also serves as Special Advisor to the Canadian Saudi Business Council\, supporting bilat eral trade\, investment flows\, and strategic collaboration between Canadi an enterprises and Saudi institutions\, particularly within the mining\, i ndustrial\, and technology sectors. Beyond mining\, Karl has deep roots in Canada’s industrial packaging and sustainability sectors. He is actively scaling North Water\, a premium Canadian aluminum-bottled water brand buil t around circular economy principles\, while advising manufacturing and pa ckaging groups on sustainable materials\, digital production\, and interna tional expansion. His work consistently aligns Canadian environmental inno vation with global sustainability mandates. He also serves on the Board of Directors of AluQuébec\, Canada’s aluminum industrial cluster\, where he contributes to strategic development\, talent initiatives\, and the intern ational positioning of Quebec’s advanced manufacturing ecosystem.\n\n\nWe are proud to announce that our event has been awarded a Gold Sustainable E vent certification by the McGill Sustainable Events program run by the McG ill Office of Sustainability. \n DTSTART:20260227T163000Z DTEND:20260227T183000Z LOCATION:Room 370\, Donald E. Armstrong Building\, CA\, QC\, Montreal\, H3A 3L1\, 3420 rue McTavish SUMMARY:The Diversification of Canada’s Trading Partners: How do we expand into new markets while complying? URL:https://www.mcgill.ca/desautels/channels/event/diversification-canadas- trading-partners-how-do-we-expand-new-markets-while-complying-370521 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR