Strengthening Poland–Canada ties through leadership, dialogue and collaboration_October 21

The Polish Canadian Chamber of Commerce was pleased to actively support the Polish-Canadian Leaders Forum 2026 (Forum Liderów Polonii Kanadyjskiej) — an initiative funded by Ministerstwo Spraw Zagranicznych under the Polonia and Poles Abroad 2026 programme.

Organised by the Fundacja Bliżej Polski, in partnership with the Canada-Poland Chamber of Commerce and other partner organisations, the Forum brings together leaders from across Canada’s Polish diaspora to develop leadership skills, exchange experiences and build a lasting, nationwide network connecting Polish-Canadian communities with modern, dynamic Poland.

As part of the programme, a delegation of approximately 25 representatives from Ontario, primarily business leaders alongside people active in other areas of Polish diaspora life, visited Warsaw for a series of meetings, workshops and networking opportunities.

We were delighted to welcome the delegation to the Embassy of Canada | Ambassade du Canada of Canada in Poland, where, together with our partners, we co-hosted a networking reception bringing together business leaders, representatives of the Polish-Canadian community and public institutions.

The event opened with welcome remarks by H.E. Emmanuelle Lamoureux, Ambassador of Canada to Poland, Adam Bodnar, Radosław Fogiel, Polish parlamentarians and Bernhard Otterstein, President of Polish Canadian Chamber of Commerce. The meeting was moderated by Michael Miasek, President of the Canada-Poland Chamber of Commerce.

We are particularly proud of the engagement of PCCC Board members and PCCC Patron Members in this initiative. Their involvement reflects our shared commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, fostering meaningful connections and creating new opportunities for business and institutional cooperation.

Beyond the reception, the leadership teams of both Chambers held in-depth discussions on further joint initiatives already in the pipeline — with more opportunities for collaboration to come in the near future.

Thank you to the Embassy of Canada | Ambassade du Canada team, Maxim Berdichevsky, CITP and James Allan and all our partners for making this valuable meeting possible. We look forward to the next steps!

🔗 Learn more about the Forum: https://lnkd.in/dpu2fdzG

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Bernhard Otterstein was born and educated in Vancouver, Canada, where he graduated with honours from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. He has worked with numerous corporate, governmental, and institutional entities in North America, Europe and Asia in the areas of economic analysis, strategic project and investment planning, new market development, as well as cross-cultural communications. He has been directly involved in projects in the fields of real estate, engineering, energy, biotechnology and IT/telecommunications.

Over the past 15 years, Mr. Otterstein has gained first-hand experience in identifying and promoting innovative, emerging technologies and related business opportunities, taking them from early stage to market via private equity investment and the active co-management of several start-up ventures.