Community   

In the summer of 2004, five senior executives from five leading New England companies gathered at RSM McGladrey’s Burlington office to solve a pressing issue. Business in and with Asia is growing rapidly, as are the challenges. Time exerts tremendous pressure on dealing with such challenges effectively. Finding practical and proven solutions requires a significant investment of energy, time and financial resources. Getting answers in a narrow domain is easy. Getting timely, comprehensive solutions to a complex challenge is almost impossible. Issues in Asia are so intertwined that we require insights from the “trenches” and practical solutions that are timely and reliable. Wouldn’t it be helpful if we could create a community of our peers who have dealt with such challenges and have succeeded, where we can meet, share experiences, exchange ideas and advice, and increase our understanding of the issues and solutions? The Asia-America Chamber of Commerce is born.

The Asia-America Chamber of Commerce is a community of C-Level executives of New England companies doing business in and with Asia. It is organized by C-Level executives and for such executives. We typically lead privately owned companies with $5-$500 million in revenue. We are also senior management at divisions of larger private or public companies. The companies we lead sell and manufacture products, and provide related services, in and with Asia.

We meet monthly over breakfast. We also meet and talk more frequently on a one-on-one basis. We share our issues and experiences, seek advice, and provide resources to each other. We form friendships and consult with each other on critical issues.

The Asia-America Chamber of Commerce also partners with other major area organizations and speaks on subjects of importance to our business community. We have partnered with organizations such as Financial Executives International, the Association for Corporate Growth, the French American Chamber of Commerce, Harvard Business School Executive Education, and Shanghai Zhangjiang Industrial Park.