AmCham Vietnam Weekly eNewsletter - 2nd Week of 2022

Weekly eNewsletter

2nd Week of 2022 - January 10, 2022

AmCham Vietnam’s Vision:

The most influential, strategic, and dynamic business association in Vietnam, that drives innovation and sustainable growth, and helps our members succeed. AmCham is a diverse and inclusive business association. We welcome American, Vietnamese, and international companies that share our interest in enabling a fair, transparent, predictable, and efficient regulatory environment that values innovation. A community you want to join!

www.amchamvietnam.com

Dear ,

We regret the delay in this week’s weekly newsletter due to some tech issues, but may change to a Monday schedule to be a bit more friendly for work-life balance for our team. What do you think?

While my quarantine hotel had a nice balcony, I was happy to get home - and back to enjoying my neighbor’s fragrant orchids. And it was wonderful to finally see our team again in person today after nearly a month out of the office, between working from home to minimize contact before travel and quarantining on return.

We are delighted to announce that Winnie Wong, Country Manager for Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, Mastercard, has been elected as the new Chair of the Board of Governors in HCMC for 2022. The election took place at the January 6th Board meeting, held virtually and in-person at the New World Hotel Saigon.

Winnie Wong is responsible for growing Mastercard’s business in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. With her experience in consumer and corporate payments and banking, she brings a fresh perspective on digital payments and other ways to promote growth of the digital economy in Vietnam. Prior to her current role, Winnie was based in Singapore as Mastercard’s Asia-Pacific Commercial B2B Sales Head. She worked with governments, banks, and corporations throughout the region to promote secure, transparent, and efficient trade digitization policies, especially for cross-border trade.

Winnie said, “I am honored to be elected as the 2022 Chair and greatly appreciate the support and trust from my Board of Governor colleagues in HCMC, who represent leading U.S. investors and employers in Vietnam. I look forward to working closely with the Chairs of AmCham Hanoi and AmCham Da Nang and our U.S. and Vietnamese government partners to strengthen U.S.-Vietnam trade and investment ties. Our members look forward to partnering to promote a resilient recovery and drive innovation and sustainable growth in Vietnam.”

In the January 6 meeting, where outgoing Chair and Mekong Capital Partner Chad Ovel officially transferred the leadership gavel, the AmCham Vietnam Board also elected Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam Jahanzeb Khan and Baker McKenzie Partner Hang Nguyen as Vice Chairs; American Indochina Management (AIM) Founder, Chairman, and Managing Director Mark Gillin as Secretary; and Procter & Gamble Vietnam General Director Sai Ponugoti as Treasurer.

We look forward to working with the 2022 Board of Governors’ leadership team in HCMC. We thank outgoing officers; Chair Chad Ovel; Vice-Chair and Intel Vietnam and Malaysia Director of Public Affairs Uyen Ho; and Secretary and EY Law Managing Partner Michael Beckman for their tremendous leadership and service during a very challenging 2021 and look forward to their continued contributions on our Board of Governors.

We are also delighted to announce that Chris Vanloon, General Director of Riverside Commercial Tower, has been re-elected as the new Chair of the Board of Governors of AmCham Da Nang for 2022. The election took place at the January 7th virtual Board meeting. The AmCham Da Nang Board also elected Dr. Kasia Weina, Director and Co-founder of Evergreen Labs and Vu Nguyen, COO of Lovepop as Vice Chairs; Craig Meadows, Director of DDP Projects, as Secretary; and Luke Treloar, Partner, Head of Strategy Group. and National Head of Healthcare and Life Sciences of KPMG Vietnam as Treasurer.

We look forward to working with the AmCham Da Nang Board of Governors’ new leadership team and thank the officers and entire Board for their tremendous leadership and service during a very challenging 2021.

Upcoming Events, Committee Leadership Opportunities, and Meetings.

Committee Meetings. Members are invited to join our Legal & VBF Liaison Committee Meeting on Wednesday, January 12 at 5PM; and Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) on Thursday, January 13 at 4PM.

Leadership Opportunities. Many committees are now soliciting interest from potential candidates interested in serving in leadership positions. Elections for most committees will take place in January or February. If you are interested in serving in a leadership role, please contact existing Committee leaders, Board Liaisons, or Events and Committees Manager Lily Nguyen at lily.nguyen@amchamvietnam.com. While several committees have canceled early January meetings for the holidays, Committee meetings that take place are now open to both in-person (for fully-vaxed) and virtual participation. Please register in advance. All AmCham Vietnam members are welcome to join.

AmCham Membership Renewal. For many of you, it's time to renew your membership for 2022 and continue your involvement in AmCham, with opportunities for professional networking, business intelligence, advocacy to improve the business environment, and promotion of your business. We have been sending out 2022 Membership Renewal notices via email. We hope you all will renew promptly and that many will consider upgrading to become Premium Members! If you haven’t yet received your renewal notice, please contact Membership Manager Sam Hoang!

MSD Vietnam a New Premium Corporate Member: We are delighted to welcome MSD Vietnam (Merck Sharp & Dohme) as a Premium Member at the Diamond-level and value its support. AmCham Premium membership offers the opportunity for qualified companies to highlight your status as business leaders and your strategic support for AmCham Vietnam’s mission and programs. Premium Membership offers a range of benefits, and exclusive VIP access. Customized packages are available. To learn more, see LINK or contact Office Manager Cindy Tran.

We welcome your feedback at team@amchamvietnam.com to let us know how we can serve you better. We wish you a safe and healthy week ahead! Mary

Hope everyone enjoyed the New Year and is looking forward to Tet which is coming soon! While it’s traditionally a quiet time of the year in between holidays, I am happy to report that we will hold our next AmCham Da Nang Connect & Cocktail on Thursday, January 13th at Olivia’s Prime Steakhouse from 6-830PM. Free flow of great wines from Red Apron and imported beers, with free delicious tray-passed canapés, and great company! Register now online! This event is free to members, non-members welcome with a 200,000 VND fee. Register now! Look forward to seeing you all there once more before the Tet holiday!

COVID-19 Update from Healthcare Provider Subcommittee Chair

Dr. Mason Cobb and Andrew Meadows

Whither Tet?

For more information, LINK (to COVID page).

Advocacy

AmCham, together with other business associations, is supporting a Tourism Advisory Board letter to be sent to the Prime Minister requesting more clarity on a plan and date for reopening to tourism. The annual Vietnam Business Forum (VBF) has now been postponed from to January 17th-18th in Hanoi, with technical meetings Monday afternoon and a plenary session on Tuesday morning. See links for current agendas (Jan 17 and Jan 18) and AmCham’s position paper LINK. For those who won’t be able to join in-person or virtually, we will seek to arrange a VBF 2021 Briefing and 2022 Outlook session before the Tet holidays – stay tuned for more details.

We are also arranging details for a meeting with Binh Duong provincial authorities - date may be changed from January 18th to new VBF schedule.

This report and prior Advocacy Reports are available on AmCham’s Advocacy page. LINK. Please send your feedback on what is working, what issues remain, and recommended solutions to relevant Committee Chairs, advocacyaction@amchamvietnam.com, and our Manufacturing and Supply Chain Task Force, at MFGTF@amch amvietnam.com

Committee Meetings & Activities (For AmCham Members only)

Stay informed about key developments affecting your business by checking frequently – updated regularly on weekdays. On weekends, stay informed and connected through AmCham’s Facebook, Linked IN, and Instagram. LINK to our Key Media Updates.