Nomination Papers, Candidate Bio and Q&A

About

Christine was born and raised in a small town in southeastern China during a time when the country was still in the early stages of economic development. At 17, as a STEM high school graduate, she left home to pursue higher education in northern China. She was admitted to the Science and Technology English program at Changchun University of Science and Technology, a highly selective program that accepted only one student per province. Christine graduated with honours.

After earning her bachelor’s degree, she moved to southern China and established a production and quality control office in Shenzhen. There, she and her team oversaw the manufacturing and inspection of children books, toys, and electronic products for North American and European clients. She also collaborated with Tormont Publications, a Canadian publisher that produced books in over 30 languages, to publish Chinese-language books in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Malaysia, an experience that led her into the publishing industry.

After living in Shenzhen and Hong Kong for six years, Christine immigrated to Canada with her young family in 1999 and was admitted to the MBA program at McGill University. As the only woman in the program with two young children under the age of four, she demonstrated resilience and determination. During her MBA, she also participated in exchange programs in Japan and Brazil.

In 2003, after her husband completed his EMBA at the Wharton School of Business, they co-founded Simple Dream Publishing, a boutique publishing company inspired by the ethos of “Zen Capitalism.” The family relocated to Victoria the following year to embrace this lifestyle. The company specializes in journals, notebooks and gift items featuring fine art, including Indigenous art, and distributes its products across North America and Europe.

Christine is a lifelong learner, fluent in Chinese, English, and French. Over the past two decades, she has balanced raising her children, caring for her aging parents, managing a successful business, and actively volunteering in her children’s schools.

What is your connection to SMUS?

Our three children attended SMUS from Grade 6 through Grade 12, with our youngest graduating just last year. Over the combined 21 school years, SMUS has become an integral part of our family’s life. These years have been among the happiest and most formative for our children, providing not just academic excellence but also a strong sense of community and personal growth.

Throughout our time at SMUS, my husband and I have been actively involved in the school community. We’ve contributed in various ways, including making classroom presentations, assisting teachers with special projects, and volunteering with the Parents’ Auxiliary. I served as the Senior School Liaison and pizza coordinator for the PA, while my husband served on the SMUS Board of Governors and various school committees. Last year, our daughter and we helped facilitate a collaboration between SMUS and the Victoria Hand Project.

We’ve seen firsthand how SMUS has shaped our children’s paths. Our two sons, who graduated several years ago, have built on the strong foundation they received at SMUS and are now thriving in their careers in London, UK. Our daughter has just completed her first year studying Pharmaceutical Sciences at UBC. The education, values, and experiences they gained at SMUS played a pivotal role in preparing them for success. We feel proud and grateful to be part of the SMUS community. It has given us a deep sense of belonging and many lasting friendships, connections we continue to cherish today.

Why do you want to be on the Board of Governors for SMUS?

To be honest, I had never considered joining the SMUS Board of Governors until a few months ago. However, upon reflection, I recognized both a need and an opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way.

SMUS is a richly diverse community, with students and families from a wide range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds, particularly within the boarding program. Despite this, I’ve observed a lack of representation on the Board from families whose first language is not English and those from non-Western backgrounds. While the Nominations Committee has emphasized the importance of diversity, focusing on male and female gender balance, alumni status, and parent representation, there has been little mention of cultural diversity, which brings invaluable perspectives and ideas. I would like to join the Board to help fill this gap and to represent voices that have traditionally gone unheard.

Additionally, a recent personal experience in interacting with the Board made me realize that there is an urgent need for change and improvement, particularly in the areas of transparency and accountability. This experience gave me deeper insight into the Board’s responsibilities and strengthened my resolve to contribute to enhancing its effectiveness and culture.

On a personal note, I now have the time and capacity to fully commit to this role. For the past decade, I have been fully engaged in raising children, volunteering at children’s school, managing a business, and caring for two elderly parents with significant health needs. In the past year, my mother sadly passed away, my last child left for university, and my father returned to his home country. With these major life transitions, I now have the time and energy to take on the responsibilities of Board service.

Serving on the SMUS Board aligns with our family’s values of giving back to the community. I believe I can offer a unique perspective and make a positive contribution to support SMUS in remaining a leading school, one that continues to grow, evolve, and reflect the diversity of its community.

What personal and professional experience would you bring to the Board if selected?

I bring a diverse range of personal and professional experiences that align well with the values and needs of the SMUS Board of Governors.

First and foremost, I have a long-standing commitment to volunteerism. Over the years, I’ve consistently demonstrated my dedication and follow-through, whether it was teaching English to factory workers from rural China with limited education, volunteering at the Refugee and Immigration Centre in Montreal, or being actively involved in my children’s schools over the past two decades.

My international background gives me a unique global perspective. Growing up in Asia, studying and working in both Asia and North America, and engaging with people from around the world through work and extensive travel have helped me develop a strong cross-cultural understanding. As SMUS is an international school with students from all over the world, my personal experience enables me to connect meaningfully with these diverse community members and effectively represent their perspectives.

My early career involved overseeing production and quality control for a wide range of consumer products in Asia, which instilled in me a commitment to excellence, efficiency, and continuous improvement. Later, my MBA studies at McGill University, coupled with over three decades of business management experience in both Asia and Canada, gave me a strong foundation in organizational leadership, strategic planning, and teamwork.

Fluent in Chinese, English and French, I am able to communicate and collaborate across languages and cultures with ease. My open-mindedness, global exposure, and proven track record in leadership, volunteerism, and cross-cultural engagement would allow me to bring thoughtful and inclusive perspectives to the Board’s work.

Do you understand and agree to the principles of good governance as outlined on the Society Webpage?

** Please see editorial note from the Nominations Committee below.

Yes, I fully understand and support the principles of Good Governance, and I am committed to upholding them in both spirit and action.

As outlined on the Society’s website, it is the Board’s responsibility to contribute positively to the development of the school. This includes helping SMUS meet new challenges while staying rooted in its core values and community culture. At a minimum, this requires adherence to the Society Act and SMUS bylaws, which are foundational to fair and ethical Governance.

My personal experience with the Board last year raised serious concerns about how Good Governance principles were being applied in practice. I was particularly troubled by the use of an opaque, confidential survey, conducted with a very small group of participants, to justify the exclusion of a committed Board member who had been advocating for greater transparency and accountability from the Board slate seeking renewal. To my knowledge, this approach had never been used before. Moreover, the fact that the survey was conducted by a company associated with both a current Board member and a candidate created the appearance of a conflict of interest, which significantly undermined the credibility of the process. Furthermore, many Society members expressed concern about the subsequent election, which appeared to be unfair to the independent candidate who was not included on the official Board slate.

I believe strongly that good governance requires accountability. Members who fail to follow bylaws or act improperly should be held responsible for their actions. Governance must be based on transparency, integrity, strategic foresight, and a willingness to ask difficult but necessary questions. It also requires respect for diverse perspectives, a commitment to inclusive dialogue, and openness to continuous learning and improvement.

If elected, I will be dedicated to ensuring these principles are not only acknowledged but actively practiced. I will work to promote a governance culture that reflects fairness, inclusiveness, and a shared commitment to the long-term well-being of SMUS.

Do you understand and support the Strategic Plan, Floreat, for SMUS?

Yes, I fully understand and support Floreat, the strategic plan developed through a thorough and inclusive consultation process with members of the SMUS community.

Floreat is grounded in a strong foundation:

• Our Vision: To learn, to lead, to serve
• Our Mission: To seek excellence in all of us, with passion and compassion. We are a community shaped by the pursuit of truth and goodness, providing outstanding preparation for life.
• Our Values: Respect, Courage, Honesty, Service
• Our Strategic Priorities: Foundation, Preparation for Life, Sustainability, Community

These elements collectively provide clear direction and purpose for the school. However, a strategic plan is only as meaningful as its implementation. As Board members, we must not only support the plan in principle but also model its values and actively engage in guiding its execution. We are responsible for ensuring that the School’s actions align with its stated mission and priorities—and for holding ourselves to a higher standard as stewards of the school’s future.

It’s also essential to recognize that strategic plans are living documents. As conditions evolve and new challenges arise, Floreat must be revisited, refined, and sometimes revised through open dialogue with the broader community. Active engagement and thoughtful oversight are key to keeping the plan relevant and impactful.

I am fully committed to Floreat and will contribute to its ongoing success by championing its vision, supporting its priorities, and helping ensure that it continues to guide SMUS toward excellence in an ever-changing world.

Do you understand and support the need for a culture of philanthropy at SMUS, both amongst the Society Members and the Board itself? If elected to the Board, please confirm that you plan to contribute to both the Annual Fund and the Journey for Life Campaign for each year that you are on the Board?

Yes, I fully understand and support the importance of fostering a strong culture of philanthropy at SMUS. My family and I deeply believe in the value of giving back, and we have consistently supported philanthropic initiatives—both within the SMUS community and beyond.

If elected to the Board, I am fully committed to contributing to both the Annual Fund and the Journey for Life Campaign each year of my term. I recognize that these contributions are essential to providing the exceptional opportunities that SMUS students benefit from, and to advancing the school’s mission through ongoing improvements, innovation, and growth.

SMUS is fortunate to have the support of a dedicated and generous community. I believe that by fostering greater transparency, offering meaningful opportunities for engagement, and ensuring responsible stewardship of resources, we can build trust and encourage even wider participation. A strong culture of philanthropy is essential to ensuring that SMUS remains an exceptional institution for generations to come.

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**The candidate's information is published in the candidate’s own words. Portions of the statement, including references to past election-related matters, reflect the candidate's personal opinions and interpretations.

The referenced prior year election process was conducted fully in accordance with the Society Bylaws and the Societies Act. The survey referenced was a standard evaluation tool for governors being considered for an additional term, with every member of the Board given the same survey to complete. The online survey was set up by an external firm that at times has provided pro bono services to the Board. This firm's role was limited to setting up the online survey and did not include reviewing or interpreting results. At the time the survey was conducted, the Board member associated with the firm was not a candidate and all appropriate confidentiality and conflict of interest disclosures and firewalls were in place throughout the process. The Nominations Committee annually reviews the forward looking needs and skills required on the Board when considering candidates for nomination, whether returning governors or new nominees. It maintains high standards of fairness and process in all aspects of Board composition and election procedures.

If you have any questions on elections or nominations, please do review the nomination and election information and reach out to [email protected] if you would like to talk and learn more.

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