Harrison White
The American Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia (AmCham) has spoken about its strategic direction for 2023, following a successful few years which saw the chamber double its membership and increase revenue by 122% to $300,000 last year, with AmCham hosting a members function to introduce the new board and discuss its vision for the future.
Read more: Devin Barta elected as new President of AmCham Cambodia
Mr. Devin Barta, the newly elected president of AmCham, told Cambodia Investment Review that his leadership style will prioritize leveraging the expertise of the talented professionals representing the membership. Adding, he plans to defer to those with expertise in a given domain and emphasized the need to trust and support the excellent administrative team to execute their roles effectively.
Being true to the AmCham mission statement
In terms of the board’s focus, Mr. Barta stated that there is a need to undertake foundational work to support the tremendous growth in membership and activities over the last two years. “We will be reviewing the charter to represent the will of the membership, making operational changes to remain nimble to the needs of the market, and ensuring the chamber is charting a course true to the intent of AmCham’s mission statement,” he said.
Additionally, there is a desire to work more closely with the US embassy and engage more businesses to invest in Cambodia, which could benefit the members.
He also outlined the chamber’s plan to focus on providing value for its members. “We will use the upcoming member survey to understand what members value and direct many efforts from there. The committees are also member and market-driven, allowing members and the greater business community to actively participate,” he said.
The chamber will also maintain its financial stability, with Mr. Barta expressing confidence that the systems put in place over the last few years will help to ensure it.
AmCham Cambodia has five main objectives:
- To promote the development of trade, commerce and investment between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Cambodia
- To provide a forum in which AmCham members can identify and discuss common issues regarding their commercial interests in Cambodia.
- To coordinate and facilitate interaction among Members, American business persons, persons engaged in business with U.S. businesses and other Americans interested in Cambodian business issues.
- To provide information on how prospective U.S. or Cambodian legislation, regulations and other policies would affect business in Cambodia and with U.S. business entities.
- To maintain relations with the United States Chamber of Commerce, AmChams of Asia-Pacific (AAP), and other chambers of commerce and other relevant bodies.
Continuing its growth and success
The outgoing President of AmCham, Anthony Galliano, praised Cambodia as the “Kingdom of Opportunity” for the foreign community, many of whom have settled and started businesses in the country. Galliano outlined the achievements of AmCham, including representing Cambodia in dialogue with the Executive and Legislative branches of the United States government.
Read more: AmCham Announces New Board and Discloses Financial Position at 2023 AGM
The 2023 strategic direction of AmCham is focused on providing value for its members while maintaining financial stability. With a talented and professional board of governors led by Mr. Devin Barta, the chamber looks forward to continuing its growth and success in Cambodia as the “Kingdom of Opportunity” for the foreign community.
Founded in 1996, the American Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia (AmCham Cambodia) is an independent non-profit membership organization comprised of both American and Cambodian companies who share a connection to American commerce. Their role is supporting its Members’ growth and success.
