New AmCham Chairman Upbeat on Hong Kong Remaining a "World City"
Michael S. Brown, the incoming 2010 AmCham Chairman, today emphasized the Chamber’s continuing commitment to help Hong Kong evolve and take advantage of new opportunities to ensure its ongoing status as Asia’s World City.
Brown - Managing Director, Asia Pacific Corporate Banking Head, at JP Morgan Chase Bank – praised Hong Kong’s unrivaled ability to adjust and reinvent itself to adapt to new circumstances. Among the current challenges, Brown said, are how Hong Kong can best “respond to the expansion of Shanghai as a financial center, to the competitiveness of new ports in the Pearl River delta, to the relatively high cost of land, to growing population density, and to air pollution and other environmental matters.”
Referring to AmCham’s 40-year history in Hong Kong, Brown also emphasized that the Chamber and its members have a rich legacy of working closely with the government and the community to build business competitiveness and encourage the expansion of the SAR’s core competencies.
In 2010, Brown said that AmCham would especially focus on four priority areas that would better serve its members and enhance Hong Kong’s world city status by:
vSupporting near and long-term business needs of entrepreneurs and SMEs.
vExpanding its China agenda, leveraging Hong Kong’s world-class professional services to make Hong Kong the investment gateway of choice for Chinese companies wanting to go global.
vContinuing to address environmental and related infrastructure issues, with special emphasis on roadside air pollution.
vUrging Hong Kong to become a global education & talent center, reaching out to students and institutions around the world to study or set up operations in Hong Kong.
Brown urged Hong Kong to be bold when addressing challenges, and stressed that the Chamber would do the same. He succeeds David L. Cunningham, President, Asia/Pacific Division, FedEx Express, in leading Hong Kong’s largest foreign chamber of commerce.
A copy of the Chairman’s Inaugural Address and photos of Chairman Michael Brown and President Richard Vuylsteke taken at this afternoon’s press conference are available at:
Spotlights on Women Visionaries and Leaders at the Women of Influence Awards Ceremony
November 6, 2009, Hong Kong – Three outstanding businesswomen and an international company well regarded for its support for women in the workforce received joyous support and applause for earning the “Women of Influence” Awards this year.Organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong (AmCham) in association with the South China Morning Post, the awards seek to recognize and honor the accomplishments and success of these leaders in our community as they provide great inspiration for many other women to excel in their professions and for companies to support women in work life balance.
“Each year we recognize individual achievement as well as working women the opportunity to meet role models. Here are some women who are living big, widely successful lives.And that inspires us to live big lives too," said Ms. Maura Fallon, who chairs the AmCham Women of Influence Committee."All in all, this day is uplifting and energizing.
At a formal awards ceremony today, the following outstanding women for the three award categories were announced:
Ms. Eva Ip, Managing Director, Transaction Advisory Services of Ernst & Young Transactions Ltd., a professional who is under 40 and has achieved inspirational business success, received the Young Achiever of the Year award;
Ms. Esther Ma, CEO and Founder of Prestique Limited, who demonstrated outstanding success in running her own business, received the Entrepreneur of the Year award;
Ms. Vivian Lau, CEO of Junior Achievement Hong Kong & HK Petrochemical Co. Limited, who has successfully become an influential and leading practitioner in her chosen professional field, received the Professional of the Year award.
“The judges had a very difficult job this year as quality of the some 50 nominations received for the 4 award categories was exceptional," remarked Mrs. Sheila Chuang, Senior VP of ExxonMobil China Petroleum & Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Vice Chair of the Amcham WOI Committee and Chair of the judging committee for the WOI Awards."We couldn't help but marvel at the amazing accomplishments in so many different aspects by so many women in Hong Kong.Many judges indicated that it was a truly humbling while at the same time inspiring experience."Mrs. Chuang said.
The Best Company for Women Award went to Cisco Systems (HK) Limited, for having exhibited exceptional achievements in supporting the development of women in business and in providing work life balance programs aimed at empowering women to pursue business careers and personal development.
This is the fourth year that AmCham has partnered with the South China Morning Post to identify and spotlight Hong Kong’s Women of Influence and is the sixth year since AmCham founded and spearheaded this much-anticipated annual event.
This year’s WOI Conference & Awards are generously sponsored by Morgan Stanley, Citi, Tiffany & Co., Coca-Cola Pacific, FedEx Express, Goldman Sachs, Kellogg-HKUST Business School, Marriott International Inc., and Walmart Asia.
"We believe it is important to develop and recognize female role models," remarked Mr. Eddie Ahmed, Managing Director and Head of Human Resources, Asia for Morgan Stanley who also oversees the Firm's Talent Management Committee for the region. "This is why we find this program so attractive and have supported it since its inception. Through our support, we want to help showcase best practices for companies and help women make an even greater impact in their organizations and in their communities."
Nominations to the awards were received from June to September this year. More than 50 entries were submitted for the Awards. A panel of 12 judges reviewed this year’s nominations; they include:
Ms. Ingrun Alsleben, Chief Financial Officer,Bayer Group Companies in HK, Bayer
Ms. Jenny Bowen, Founder & Executive Director, Half the Sky Foundation
Ms. Janet De Silva, Director, Retail Asia Ltd.
Ms. ChristinaEllerker, VP, Regulatory Affairs, AP (ex-Japan), Moody’s Asia Pacific Ltd.
Ms. Michele Felder, Senior Director of Marketing, AP, Juniper Networks
(Winners of 2009 Women of Influence awards from the right: Ms Eva Ip, Ms. Esther Ma, Ms. Vivian Lau, and Ms. Sabrina Lin representing Cisco Systems HK Limited.)
Biography of winners for the three individual categories can be found at:
For inquiries, please contact Mr. Mark Wong, Public Affairs Manager, on 2530-6917 or
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
.
About the Women of Influence Awards
Organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong in association with the South China Morning Post, the awards seek to recognize and honor the best that Hong Kong has produced and to provide inspiration to other women.Past winners of individual categories awards in 2008 and 2007 include Ms. Uhi MC Hui, Ms. Elizabeth L. Thomson, Ms. Julia Charlton, Ms. Barbara Wong, Ms. Jenny Bowen, and Ms. Miriam Lau. More details about the past WOI Awards recipients can be found at:http://www.amcham.org.hk/content/view/5789/554/
All individuals connected with AmCham, South China Morning Post, Women of Influence Committee, as well as all sponsoring companies of the event and the employees of those companies, were not eligible for entry to the Awards.
About The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong
AmCham Hong Kong is the largest and most active international business association in the Special Administrative Region with about 1,800 members representing almost 700 American, Hong Kong, Chinese and other international companies from over 30 different nationalities. The SAR represents the regional headquarters for about 290 U.S. companies. For more information about AmCham Hong Kong, please visit www.amcham.org.hk
About TheSouth China Morning Post
First published in 1903, The South China Morning Post is the flagship publication of the SCMP Group Limited, a leading newspaper and magazine publisher listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (SEHK: 583). The paper has the city’s most affluent and influential readership. Striving to maintain the highest standards among the world’s quality newspapers, the South China Morning Post receives constant international recognition. It has won 32 awards in 2006 for excellence in editorial, marketing and technical capability.
AmCham Raises Tax & Competitiveness Issues with High-level U.S. Officials
Attn: News / Business Editors
AmCham Raises Tax & Competitiveness Issues
with High-level U.S. Officials
A delegation of seven senior AmCham executives has just completed a five-day schedule of 30 meetings with senior U.S. government officials, Members of Congress, Capitol Hill committee staffers, business organizations, and think tanks in Washington D.C. during the Chamber’s 2009 Doorknock advocacy trip.
The group met with Demetrios Marantis, the Deputy U.S. Trade Representative; Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State-designate for Asia & Pacific; Bud Philbrook, Deputy Under Secretary for Farm & Foreign Agriculture Services; and Michelle O'Neillm Acting Under Secretary of the International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce. The delegation had discussions as well with other Commerce, State, Agriculture, and Trade officials.
"I was impressed with the willingness of senior officials to take time to meet with us for in-depth conversations on our issues," says AmCham Chairman David Cunningham, the delegation's leader. "I believe we have helped keep Hong Kong on the map in Washington, and certainly we have given increased visibility to our member's business and economic concerns."
AmCham's priority issues in Washington focused on competitiveness and tax issues -- including concerns that the double taxation of Americans overseas was proving detrimental for U.S. competitiveness abroad, and worries that Hong Kong might be designated a "tax haven" by the U.S. Congress, an action that would have severe investment and related business repercussions.
Tax, competitiveness, and overall trade issues were raised in nearly every meeting, including those with senior staff in the Senate Finance Committee, the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate and House Foreign Relations Committees, at the Congressional Research Service, and during Roundtables with scholars at the Brookings and Heritage Foundations.
On Capitol Hill, delegation members participated in a U.S.-China Business Council session with Congressmen Rick Larsen and Mark Kirk, who serve as co-chairs of the U.S.-China Working Group in the House of Representatives. They had just returned from an intensive China trip that included an AmCham Hong Kong business briefing.
The delegation, led by AmCham Chairman David Cunningham (FedEx Express), included Vice Chairman Michael Brown (JP Morgan Chase), Mark Michelson (APCO Worldwide), Hugh Stephens (Time Warner), Alan Turley (FedEx Express), Frank Lavin (Edelman Asia Pacific) and AmCham President Richard Vuylsteke.
The annual Doorknock is an essential part of AmCham’s continuing mission to advocate and seek action on important issues facing its members. The topics highlighted in Washington (see below) are part of continuing meetings held year-round in Hong Kong with local and visiting government officials.
vArguing against the ‘Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act’, which lists Hong Kong as an offshore tax haven;
vReducing the double-taxation burden on Americans living aboard (the Section 911 issue);
vUrging increased funding for the US Commercial and Agricultural Services in order to promote more US exports, which in turn creates jobs.
vAddressing the complications and implications of the new US consumer product safety reforms on businesses based in Hong Kong.
"Advocacy on behalf of our members is the backbone of our many activities and programs during the year," says AmCham President Richard Vuylsteke. "The annual Doorknock is a signature event that alerts our government interlocutors in Hong Kong and the United States about some of our most pressing issues."
代表團由美國商會主席David Cunningham(FedEx Express)帶領，成員包括副主席Michael Brown(JP Morgan Chase), Mark Michelson（APCO Worldwide）, Hugh Stephens(Time Warner), Alan Turley(FedEx Express), Frank Lavin（Edelman Asia Pacific）和美國商會會長Richard Vuylsteke.
電話：2530-6917電郵：
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
2008 Business Outlook Survey: Results & Analysis
Attn: News / Business Editors
January 16, 2009 – At a press conference today, the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong released the results of the 2008 Business Outlook Survey, conducted by The Nielsen Company on behalf of AmCham, between November 27 and December 19, 2008.
AmCham Chairman Mr. David L. Cunningham and President Mr. Richard R. Vuylsteke was joined by Mr. Justin Garrett, Director of The Nielsen Company, in highlighting some of the key findings on Hong Kong and Mainland China’s economic and business environment outlook, and more importantly how the global financial crisis affected member companies’ operations and investment forecast for the near term future.
In the forecast for 2009, a significant majority (74%) of AmCham member companies expect to experience a sharp adverse effect on their businesses because of the global financial crisis.
“The current financial crisis far outweighs any of those previously hitting the territory.It’s clear we are heading into unchartered waters,” said Mr. Garrett.“As expected, the 2008 forecasts paint a rather bleak outlook – it appears this economic crisis is expected to hit harder than we have seen before,” he added.
In response to the current business environment, AmCham Chairman Cunningham encouraged the business community and the government to take advantage of Hong Kong’s unique gateway role.
“It is time that we change our mindsets and go beyond focusing on Hong Kong’s pillar industries.The results also show that the business forecast for Mainland China remains relatively strong and Hong Kong should seize those opportunities.”
“Looking ahead, strengthening the SAR’s gateway is becoming increasingly important and the Chamber looks forward to working with our members and the government in taking concrete steps to better link China with international markets,” said Mr. Cunningham.
For inquiries, please contact AmCham’s Public Affairs Manager, Mr Mark Wong, on 2530-6917, or by email:
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
.
The full report and the charts used at the press conference is available at:
Press Releases 
