I am thrilled to be featured on the front page of Canadian Immigrant (May edition). The article tiled Diversity at Work focuses not only on diversity in the corporate world but writer Noa Glouberman starts off by focusing on my personal life. Well done, thank you!

And recently I gave a TEDx talk on Diversity: Think the Unthinkable, which is now available on YouTube under my name. The article and TEDx speech basically focus on similar key points: cultures, businesses, markets, etc.

In all of this adaptability is key for any organization that wants to survive and thrive in the 21st century.

First, cultures at home and abroad are changing. More people now than any other time around the world are relocating. For example, Canada is becoming much more multicultural now than twenty years ago. These changes will continue to evolve even more significantly in the decades to come.

According to Statistics Canada by 2031, one in three Canadians will belong to a visible minority group. The term visible minority refers to one who is not white or from a Caucasian background.In Vancouver 59 per cent of the population will be visible minorities and in Toronto 62 per cent of the population will be visible minorities.

In the workplace, due to baby boomers beginning to retire and low birth rates, 33 percent of the job vacancies will have to be filled by immigrants. This means small and large businesses must take Diversity much more serious than simply window dressing.

The changes in the makeup of the Canadian population mean buying trends will also shift dramatically from grocery items to types of clothing. Astute business leaders of some organizations are beginning to pay attention and making the necessary changes but others are not so proactive.

Looking ahead onto the world stage, the economic power will shift away from the USA. In the coming years three of the largest economies will be nestled in Asia: China, India and Japan. In the 21st century, China, India, Brazil and Russia will have a greater on the world stage.

Whether we like it or not changes in cultures, workplaces, businesses and markets are happening much more rapidly than many anticipated? The markets at home and abroad are becoming smaller and more competitive. We must all learn to adapt to the new and exciting times ahead.