PEOPLE

MASTER BLENDERS

To the tea masters, blending is passion in its purest form, strong and intense yet natural and relentless. To blend tea,one must start from basic principles - to have a deep sense of purpose through the connection with the raw ingredients of tea. Blenders have a deep understanding and appreciation of the origin, culture, intricacies and nuances of each varietal. This is not unlike a conductor of a symphony who understands how the different instruments play in harmony to create one enchanting piece. The essence of tea is found in the studied and deliberate moments found in the entirety of the blending process. Born in the early 1900's, the tea business was an inherent part of our first tea master's family and cultural traditions. As a young boy, his family moved from one corner of the world to the other. The intrinsic meaning of life that tea held in different cultures fascinated the tea master. Thus began his passion for the tea arts.

His passions were enduring and drove him to find inspirations from around the world for his blends. His pursuit of perfection led him to avoid consistency and reach for creating the finest tea varietals of each year. He looks for complexity, depth and balance in each cup, appreciating the nuances and delights each harvest has to offer.

Today, our team of tea masters create unique blends that instantly stand out from traditional blends - centuries old. Some describe our blenders as eccentric; others describe them as uncompromising visionaries. Their blending philosophy is simple - allow the radiance and purity of each element to shine and intertwine in anarchic harmony. The philosophy of tea is slow and intentional: do not seek but be open to inspiration from art and beauty in everyday life.

LANA SUTHERLAND | CEO

Lana sets the Vision for T and is one of the original 7 founders. A banker by trade, Lana is a graduate of Crofton House School and holds a B.Sc. from UBC in Biology. An entrepreneur at heart, she established the core strategies and the Quality Standards that are now the hallmarks of T. Respected for her commitment to perfection, Lana is the driving force for the international expansion strategy and its ancillary extensions. Lana finds inspiration in the journey of building a brand and implementing methodical processes that are responsible for T being recognized as one of the foremost blenders in the world. When not travelling around the world visiting clients, Lana is active on Non-Profit boards and mentorship activities.

Favourite tea: Organic Vanilla Rooibos - with 0.5g of organic peppermint - steeped for 200 seconds with 200F water, slightly cooler than recommended

PETRA BLACKMORE | PRINCIPAL

Petra has been with T since its inception in 1994 and runs overall operational flow. Influenced by her Teutonic heritage (manifested in her fondness for good bread and Bordeaux wines), she is particularly tenacious with Process Management and Total Quality Management. For 5 years after high school, Petra indulged her love of music through hosting her own punk rock radio show (Snapcase, Minor Threat) on CITR (UBC) and working at House of Blues Concerts.

Favourite tea: Energy Jetlag AM to keep her energy level high between work and family life - while listening to Bob Marley and sporadic doses of Bad Brains.

CHRISTINE MOULSON | CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Christine designs packaging and intellectual materials. While finishing studies in Film & Animation at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, Christine joined T with the challenge of executing a coherent art direction. Since then, the face of T has evolved to incorporate global tea culture, interpreted by its outward interpretation of art and blending. Finding inspiration in universal tea culture and her travels, Christine's approach to design is non- traditional, with the experience of the individual in mind rather than commerce. Her background in film is apparent in the story-telling quality of her work, each image a moment frozen in time. "Every package tells a story, with the suggestion of experience. It is my hope that these suggestions put people in touch with their own experiences or open the door to a world of experiences," she says. When not immersed in creative direction, Christine can be found pursuing independent film or enjoying the Pacific Northwest.

Favourite tea: a light and fruity Keemun or Darjeeling, or for breakfast a strong and malty Assam with a touch of organic 2% milk.

DAVID GRIFFITHS | HEALTH & WELL BEING GURU

David acts as our health conscience and well-being advocate. He lectures frequently on health and organic food lifestyles. One of the founders, David was first attracted to the cultural nuances of tea and the contextual tradition behind Japanese and English tea ceremonies. Instrumental in the formative years of the brand, David is devoted to peace and tranquility. An avid student of ashtanga yoga, green algae and energy work, David is a graduate of Bishops College before studying Arts at UBC.

Favourite tea: Jade Leaf Green tea, brewed with melting glacier water, amidst the rich diversity of the rainforest.

ANTHONY GRIFFITHS | BUSINESS ADVISOR

Tony has helped gently guide the company's business operations since inception and has been instrumental in global development and our bootstrapping ethos. One of the most respected Directors in North America, Tony has served as CEO, Chairman or Director of numerous public companies (Mitel, Alliance Atlantis, Fairfax Financial Holdings, QLT, Canadian Tire etc) over the past four decades. Tony holds a B.A. from McGill University and a MBA from Harvard University.

VINCENT CHOW | HUMAN RESOURCES

Vincent is a Director of HR Compensation & Benefits at one of the largest Canadian construction companies and is responsible for managing the company's global compensation programs across North America, Europe and Asia. Prior to this, he was a Senior HR consultant at Watson Wyatt and responsible for developing CRM, delivering and promoting consultancies, and managing team resources. Vincent holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science & Information Engineering from National Chiao Tung University, finishing his graduate work with a M.Sc. (Human Resource Management) from Rutgers University.

Favourite tea: Floral Jasmine steeped just less than 50 seconds.

RUBY FUNG | SENIOR ASSOCIATE NORTH AMERICA

Ruby holds a B.BA. (Marketing) from SFU. Her areas of expertise span international logistics, sales and tea lecturing. Her most recent projects include setting up our distribution center in the UK and China, and spearheading the social network strategy (Facebook and Twitter). Gifted as to implementation, Ruby has often led major strategic projects ranging from regulatory compliance to ISO to HAACP. Ruby is heavily involved with global sourcing for low-cost inputs, with an eye to environmental impact and just-in-time fulfillment.

Favourite tea: Vanilla Earl Grey with a splash of vodka.

ANNAMARIA KARDOS | ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE NORTH AMERICA

Annamaria is our Accounts Executive for the North American Division and our International Supply Chain logistics manager. Annamaria's latest project involved setting up our warehouse in London, UK to supply our European and Middle Eastern clients. Annamaria is an honours graduate of Fine Arts from the University of Lethbridge, AB. Her concentration was in Sculpture and Printmaking studios. After graduating she did the "Grand Tour of Europe" which eventually lead her to teaching children and adult art classes in BC . Favourite artists include Anselm Kiefer, Michelangelo, Vincent Van Gogh, Nancy Graves and Niki de Saint Phalle.

Favourite tea: Ti Kuan Yin Iron Goddess of Mercy.

CHERYL WHITE | LECTURER

Cheryl joined T in 1997 as manager of T's flagship store in Vancouver, BC. Upon graduation from UBC with a B.A. in Speech Science in 2001 and her graduate M.A. from University of Toronto, Cheryl embraced the role of Wholesale Consultant, providing training and support to clients in Canada's East Coast. She continues to be guided by the founding philosophies of T and finds inspiration in collaboration, innovation and in gently furled tea leaves.

Favourite tea: China Keemun; brewed in water brought to a rambunctious boil, steeped for as long time allows in the morning...milk in first a must, tea poured from a great height in order to create tiny bubbles on the surface.

JODY YAU | SUPPLY CHAIN LOGISTICS & ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE

Jody controls the North American Supply Chain Logistics as well as AR. She is a graduate of UBC with a B. Sc. (Food, Nutrition & Health). She has a background in Management Operations and Dynamics. Jody is instrumental in operational efficiency: streamlining administrative processes and integrating logistics through centralized purchasing. She is an avid runner, kick-boxer and a seasoned snowboarder (dude!). She also loves Microsoft Great Plains (sometimes).

Favourite tea: Golden Tippy Assam 2nd flush.

JASPER CHAN | BRAND

Jasper advises on brand development. His special interest is in the advertising space, building on his background with BBDO, Cossette and Ammirati Puris. Jasper holds a B.Comm. (Marketing) from UBC and finished his graduate work with a MBA(Finance) at University of Western Ontario - Ivey School of Business. Jasper is now a Business Development Manager at CISCO San Francisco, after spending time as Senior Consultant with Deloitte & Touche.

Favourite tea: Tencha Matcha with maximum caffeine.

CHRISTINE YEN | INTERNATIONAL SUPPLY CHAIN

Christine handles international shipping logistics and supply chain. After completing the Financial Management Program at BCIT, Christine decided to follow her passion and enroll in the Pastry Program at Dubrulle Culinary School in Vancouver, graduating first in her class. Her first job out of pastry school was Assistant Pastry Chef at the Relais & Chateaux Wedgewood Hotel. Wanting to refine her skills, Christine then attended Culinary School at Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver, again graduating first in her class.

Favourite tea: Lavender Earl Grey with a splash of 1% milk.

WILSON IP | BUSINESS ANALYST CONSULTANT

Wil acts as Business Systems consultant for technology integration platforms that tie-in analysis with software solutions. Will holds a B.A. (Geography, Psychology) from UBC and a Post Graduate Diploma of Applied Information Technology. He specializes in UML, Rational Unified Process Development, MS Development Platform, n-Tier Object Oriented Programming and Database Design.

Favourite tea: For drinking - Genmai Cha with uber long infusion (past 8 minutes); For eating - Mountain Berry (don't ask).

VINCENT TING | TECHNOLOGY NETWORKS

Vincent is responsible for the information technology infrastructure and implementation. As a Software Developer, his specialty is in low level API design and interface architecture with experience in a variety of languages and platforms. He is an active rock climber and badminton player in his spare time. He runs the extensive technology strategy - Microsoft platform Dynamics, Exchange Server | Force.com | SFDC CRM | file server and increasingly, mobile OS apps. Current projects include development of a CRM integrated to WMS with full Lot # traceability for facilities in Vancouver, Seattle, London and Shanghai. Vincent holds a B.Sc. in Physiology from UBC and finished his graduate work with a M.Sc. in Neurology from McGill University and is currently a member of the IEEE.

Favourite tea: 2nd flush high mountain oolongs steeped at 205F for 3 infusions.

DAN DANESHRAD | INTERACTIVE DEVELOPER

Dan heads up the technology division for T's website, e-commerce cyberstore and is a devotee of Continuous Improvement to pro-actively innovate. Dan's latest project involved integration of our website with our back office accounting system, CRM modules and SQL Server. Dan holds a B.Sc. in Biology from UBC and switched to programming for his post-graduate studies. He is an expert in C, C++, VB, ASP, t-SQL, Oracle DB, JavaScript, and is a Microsoft based developer of .Net technology, ASP, XML-based applications and SQL Server.

Favourite tea: Darjeeling and Persian influenced black teas, with sugar and whole milk.

VICKY TANG | PHOTO-BASED ARTIST

Vicky Tang subscribes to an aesthetic philosophy that blurs the boundary between 'commercial photography' *-* 'photo based art'. She delivers this communication through the visual form precisely, so as to provoke the viewers to investigate this dichotomy. Vicky's work has been published in Western Living Magazine, Ming Pao among others and has photographed Gail Anderson Dargatz ("The Cure for Death by Lightning"), poet Susan Musgrave and the late poet Al Purdy ("A Splinter in the Heart"). Vicky was born in Shanghai and counts numerous influences, especially music as being a guiding force in her work. She studied oil painting and classical animation in Shanghai and graduated from Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. Vicky works and splits her time between Vancouver and Shanghai.

Favourite tea: Eros with a splash of soymilk - for inspiration.

DALE DARLINGTON | MEDIA DIRECTOR

A founder of The Water Walk band, Dale Darlington (vocals and guitar) is our resident expert on Media - covering technical aspects of website coding, video, Flash, musicology and documentary work. Dale is an expert on CS5, cinematography and an accomplished photographer.

Favourite tea: antioxidant green teas low in vegetal character.

CHUN MA | PROCESS FLOW CONSULTANT

Chun is a member of the RCMP's Commercial Crime Section. With his extensive experience in operations and management, Chun advises on business cycle and standards in our retail channel.

Favourite tea: Pu-Erh, brewed Cantonese style.

LINCOLN CRICHLOW | ANALYSIS

Lincoln received his B.Sc.(Biology) from UBC and has an extensive pedigree in pharmaceuticals and enterprise managementsoftware (SAP) . He leads the Technology Analytics department, which focuses on data mining to establish a tactical framework for building our operational process flows. He is a tireless champion of integration between accounting *-* CRM *-* operational processes *-* client interface*-*ERP between the company's fragmentation channels.

Favourite tea: Duchess of Bedford and Lung Ching.

STACI HAYASHI | SENIOR ACCOUNTANT

Staci oversees the accounting team and coordinates with KPMG for all financial reporting. Staci comes to us with an extensive corporate accounting background from HSBC.

Favourite tea: Gyokuro Asahi at 155F in short periodic steeps.

GARRET CHAN | STRATEGY

Garret received his B.Sc. (Biochemistry & Genetics) and J.D. law degree from UBC. He finished his graduate studies with a LL.M. law degree from NYU School of Law and subsequently served as Adjunct Professor of Law at UBC Law School, teaching Mergers & Acquisitions and Advanced Corporate Securities from 1996 to 2000. He is a member of the NY State Bar and a Director of UBC Law Alumni.

Favourite tea: a light liquoring Ceylon blended with a touch of Jasmine Green tea and a medium bodied oolong, high-elevation; quick flush followed by a short, 30 second steep

CHRIS LEE | EXTERNAL LEGAL COUNSEL: CORPORATE COMMERICAL LAWYER

Chris advises on corporate commercial legal issues and has been instrumental in T's corporate governance program. As well, as a creative, Chris helps with packaging, focus groups and marketing. Chris holds a B.A. from Huron College, University of Western Ontario and his J.D. law degree from UBC. Chris is admitted to practice in British Columbia and Taiwan.

Favourite tea: Imperial Earl Grey, straight up, without accoutrements.

OTTO CHANG | EXTERNAL LEGAL COUNSEL: ASIA

Ya-Chiao handles intellectual property issues worldwide for T and advises on corporate issues in Asia. He holds a B.Sc. (Electrical Engineering) from the prestigious Cooper Union in NY and his J.D. law degree from University of California, Hastings College of the Law. He is admitted: 1995, New Jersey; 1996, New York; registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Favourite tea: Certified Organic Peppermint.

STEPHANIE CHONG | EXTERNAL COUNSEL: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Stephanie Chong practices exclusively in IP, with a focus on trademark prosecution and IP litigation. She is a frequent writer and speaker on IP related topics and has published in numerous legal journals. She holds a Honours B.Sc. (Microbiology) from University of Toronto, a J.D. law degree from UBC and a graduate law LL.M. degree from Osgoode Hall Law School.

TROY BLACKMORE | CHIEF WEB DESIGNER

Troy's experience in creative direction and graphic design has been a critical asset in creating the conception of continuity within our online and printed collateral. After studying at Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, he spent his formative years in the extreme sport, skateboard and snowboard magazine space including print design, pre-press and print management, photo and type editing as well as website design and project management. Troy loves his cup of coconut black (with organic soymilk) while navigating the wonders of Adobe CS5.5 and FinalCut. He is especially intrigued by the relative deployment of white space in minimalistic web pages.

Favourite tea: Coconut Black with soymilk.

JENIA SEMENOVA | SUPPLY CHAIN LOGISTICS & E-COMMERCE

Jenia assists with North American supply chain logistics and leads the e-commerce department. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in marketing and international business from UBC. She is inspired by music, design, and food, and spends her free time training for marathons and travelling. Jenia's focus is on analysis and implementation of data from Google Analytics and other software to identify opportunities, target potential customers, maximize online sales, and measure marketing efforts with an end goal of continuous improvement and growth.

Favourite tea: Imperial Oolong steeped for 2 minutes.

EVA RYAN | WEB TECHNOLOGIST

Eva completed her B.Sc. in Multimedia at Dublin City University and it was here she discovered her love for all things graphic (think typographer Bodoni) and the creative process driven by producers of form. Whether it's crafting brand identification, Flash animation or building a website from scratch - Eva knows Adobe CS5.5 and Dreamweaver like the back of her hand. She further honed her creative and technical skills while studying for her M.A. in E-Learning Design and Development at the University of Limerick, Ireland. She has a passion for travel (TO BE the Irish version of Billy Connolly!) and photography and hopes to snapshot the four corners of the world.

Favourite tea: English Breakfast with a spoon of sugar, a splash of milk and a chocolate biscuit on the side.