Bilal Cheema holds a Business Administration degree from Simon Fraser University and spent nearly 20 years in government at both the political and public service levels. He later founded a government relations and business development firm. A former treaty negotiator, Cheema also served as Senior BC Advisor to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. He is Chair of the South Asian Community Hub, has served on the board of the Surrey Hospice Society and served on the Surrey Police Board until December 2025. In 2025, he received the King Charles III Coronation Medal for community service. Cheema and his family have called Surrey home for nearly 40 years.