Members of AmCham Germany convened to (re-)elect officers for their Executive Committee and Board of Directors. The Annual Membership Meeting was presided over by Simone Menne, who has led the Chamber as President for the past three years and has been re-elected to continue in this role.
Other election results of the membership meeting (pending final confirmation) include:
The election of Andreas Schwaiger (Managing Director, Texas Instruments), as Executive Vice President as well as following individuals as Vice Presidents of the Executive Committee: Mario Federico (President & Managing Director, McDonald’s Germany LLC), Philipp Justus (Country Manager Germany and Vice President Central Europe, Google Germany GmbH) and Astrid Teckentrup (Senior Vice President, Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH).
As per tradition, a business conference involving high-ranking stakeholders in politics and transatlantic business took place. The theme of the conference centeredon building resilience and strengthening competitiveness among the transatlantic economies in the context of changing political landscapes.
The conference showcased a series of insightful keynotes, presentations, and breakout sessions that highlighted the importance of transatlantic cooperation and innovation in today's dynamic business environment. The event began with welcoming remarks from Glenn Schmidt, Vice President Government and External Affairs, BMW Group, followed by compelling keynote addresses by U.S. Consul General Timothy Liston and Dr. Florian Herrmann, Head of the State Chancellery and State Minister for Federal and Media Affairs. All speakers provided valuable perspectives on strengthening transatlantic ties and navigating current geopolitical challenges.
Following the keynotes, a bilateral exchange with the organization’s president, Simone Menne, delved deeper into the themes presented, fostering a dialogue on shared values and strategic collaboration – from a state to federal level, and across the Atlantic.
The exchanges underscored the importance of continuing to invest in Standort Deutschland and the continuous learnings between the U.S and Germany – i.e. highlighting how Germany's education system, specifically the dual vocational training system, has proven to be both useful and innovative abroad. Additionally, discussions emphasized bold steps in clean technology and growth opportunities on both sides of the Atlantic to address the climate crisis.
Furthermore, the significance of people-to-people relationships in education, knowledge, and cultural exchanges was highlighted as essential for effective diplomacy. The exchange with State Minister Dr. Florian Herrmann focused on the importance of supply chain resilience and frameworks that are friendly to business ventures - and the crucial role of private-public partnerships in achieving this goal.
For the first time on the occasion of the AMM, AmCham Germany presented the results of the annual Transatlantic Business Barometer survey, which is conducted in cooperation with Roland Berger. The survey offers critical insights into the investment and location conditions in both Germany and the U.S., providing a comprehensive overview of the current business landscape on both sides of the Atlantic. More details on the findings of the Transatlantic Business Barometer can be accessed here.
Following speakers comprised the panel for the session and provided their insights:
- Marcus Berret, Global Managing Director, Roland Berger
- Klaus Bürg, Managing Director & Vice President EMEA, Palo Alto Networks
- Agnes Heftberger, Corporate Vice, President Microsoft Germany
- Lukas Köhler, Member of the German Bundestag, Free Democratic Party
- Catherine Hunt Ryan, President, Manufacturing & Technology, Bechtel
Daniel Andrich, General Manager of AmCham Germany moderated the panel.
As the transatlantic business community ventures towards a new period in the context of electoral changes on both sides of the Atlantic, the participants recalled the positive dynamics of the past few years and stressed the need to maintain the aim of strengthening transatlantic ties. The joint responsibility of providing forward solutions, products, and technology to customers and society must be approached from a transatlantic community perspective.
Moreover, referring to Germany, the panelists urged to expedite the implementation of strategies and work towards creating a conducive framework for investment and innovation in new technologies. The potential of complementary factors between transatlantic partners should be fully utilized to achieve these goals.
The afternoon featured two dynamic breakout sessions by the platinum sponsors. Amazon Web Services led a session titled "Building Digital Resilience in an Unstable World," exploring strategies for enhancing digital infrastructure and security among the complexities of the global political landscape. KPMG hosted a session on "Transforming Your Business with GenAI: Innovation, Efficiency, and Strategy," which examined the transformative potential of generative AI in driving business innovation and efficiency.
We wish to thank our event partners for this year’s AMM:A special thank you goes to our host, the BMW Group, our supporter Allianz SE, our cooperation partners Bechtel and Palo Alto Networks, our platinum sponsors Amazon Web Services, KPMG, and Microsoft, our mobility partner Uber, our gold sponsors Pfizer and Texas Instruments, andtoour silver sponsors Coca Cola Germany, GE Healthcare, and Lilly.
We congratulate our members of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors who were elected and re-elected and thank our complete membership for their support in driving this organization forward!
