John Goyer joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in January 2012 as Executive Director. Goyer concentrates on developing and implementing the Chamber’s ASEAN regional projects, as well as its bilateral programs with individual countries in the region. In addition, he is responsible for developing the Chamber’s Australia Working Group, its Myanmar outreach, and other initiatives.

Before joining the Chamber, Goyer served as vice president of the Coalition of Service Industries (CSI), a U.S.-based membership association that promotes the liberalization of international trade and investment in services. He worked with the coalition’s member companies and with U.S. trade negotiators to ensure that U.S. service industry international trade objectives were reflected in bilateral, regional, and multilateral trade agreements. He coordinated the Global Services Network, managed CSI’s annual Global Services summits, and was a member of the U.S. Government Industry Trade Advisory Committee (ITAC), advising the U.S. government on information technology, electronic commerce, and telecommunications issues in U.S. trade agreements.

Earlier in his career, Goyer was senior director of the US-ASEAN Business Council, where he monitored and reported on major trade policy and political developments and trends impacting commercial interests in Southeast Asia, with a particular focus on ASEAN economic integration. He has organized numerous trade and investment promotion missions to Southeast Asia and other events highlighting opportunities in the region.

Goyer holds a master’s degree at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. He has lived and studied in Thailand and Japan. He and his wife, Laura, have three children.

Mr. Robert Schiffer

Robert L. Schiffer has distinguished credentials that range from Wall Street to appointments under two White House Administrations and a New York Governor. He is renowned for his broad experience in financial markets, diplomacy, crisis management, negotiations, and trade policy.

Bob has served since 2015 as an advisor to the Fulbright University Vietnam the first non-profit University in Vietnam. Fulbright University Vietnam (FUV) is a private nonprofit university in Saigon Hi-Tech Park in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It is Vietnam’s first private, nonprofit institution of higher education. Since 2014, the university’s development has been coordinated by the Cambridge-headquartered Trust for University Innovation and the U.S. Department of State,  initial federal funding of close to $40 million and private donations expected to reach above $100 million. It is founded on the principles of accountability, meritocracy, transparency, self-governance, mutual respect, and open inquiry. President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry launched the FUV in the President’s trip to Vietnam in May, 2016.

Mr. Schiffer since January, 2016 also serves as an Investment and Policy Advisor of Mekong Brahmaputra Clean Development Fund II, a private equity fund with diverse mandate on renewable energy, clean water, solid waste and energy efficiency. Its first clean development fund has made six investments in renewable energy that includes solar and hydro, clean water, solid waste, and energy efficiency in six countries in South and Southeast Asia. Dragon Capital Group is an integrated investment company based in Vietnam. Dragon Capital Group and its affiliates manage some US$1.6bn in assets spanning public equity, private equity, fixed income and property.

Mr. Schiffer was a Managing Director of Mekong Renewable Resources Fund of Indochina Capital from 2012-2016. He is also a former CEO and Executive Director of the US Vietnam Trade Council, in which he initiated a climate change program in Vietnam beginning in 2008 and has partnered with the Environmental Defense Fund, the GE Foundation Business for Social Responsibility, the Ford Foundation, in support of the US Vietnam Trade Council Climate Change Program.

Mr. Schiffer is also noted as one of Washington’s leading experts on Vietnam commercial and political issues. His long involvement in Vietnam included an appointment from 1998 to 2001 as Senior Advisor to the US Ambassador to Vietnam, Pete Peterson. As the Ambassador’s top political envoy on business matters, he developed new strategies to promote US-Vietnam business and finance, labor standards, and international trade. He is credited for his pivotal role in the successful negotiations of the US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement and the OPIC-Vietnam Bilateral Investment Agreement.

Before his service in Vietnam, Mr. Schiffer was Vice President for Investment Development at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). During his tenure, he managed the agency’s product development, business and market development, and public affairs strategies. He led efforts to open business investment in Eastern and Central Europe, South Korea and Vietnam and was a key strategist with Congress, business and the labor community on OPIC’s congressional reauthorization. Mr. Schiffer also helped in developing new initiatives to expand lending to small businesses.

During late 1970’s (1975-1981) Mr. Schiffer held high positions in the Administration of New York State Governor Hugh Carey. He served as the Deputy Budget Director where he was the Governor’s manager in the development of the first capital program for public transportation, water and the State’s reentry in housing and hospital financing.  Mr. Schiffer also served as Deputy Secretary for Health and Human Services and as First Deputy Director of Personnel and Appointments.

Mr. Schiffer received his BA at the University of Tennessee and attended the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government Program for Senior Managers in Government. He presently resides in Chevy Chase, Maryland and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam with his wife MaryAnn Holohean and their daughter Anna.