AmCham Vietnam Board of Governors in HCMC

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2021 AmCham Vietnam Board of Governors in HCMC

Chad Ovel

CHAIRMAN, Partner, Mekong Capital

Chad Ovel has lived and worked in Vietnam continuously since 1996. He is a Partner at Mekong Capital, a Vietnam-focused Private Equity firm, specializing in consumer driven businesses. Established in 2001, Mekong Capital has the most extensive private equity track record in Vietnam having completed 35 private equity investments, of which 26 have been fully exited. Chad has led Mekong Capital’s successful investments in various sectors including pharmaceuticals, real estate, logistics, casual dining, and retail.

Before joining Mekong Capital, Chad had a successful track record as a CEO leading the rapid growth of ScanCom Vietnam, a foreign-owned furniture export manufacturing business, and AA Corporation, a local company operating in the sectors of construction, retail and manufacturing.

Chad is originally from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He holds a BA from Carleton College and an MBA from University of Chicago.

Uyen Ho

VICE CHAIR, Director of Public Affairs, Intel Vietnam and Malaysia

Uyen Ho leads a regional Public Affairs team for Intel Vietnam and Intel Malaysia. She is the first local senior manager sitting on the Site Steering Committee for Intel Vietnam. Her priorities are to ensure licenses to operate for Intel Malaysia and Vietnam sites with public policy advocacy from local to central government levels, support Intel business growth, and drive Intel reputation with communities to promote Intel RISE2030 goals for Corporate Social Responsibility. Uyen has been with Intel since 2006 as one of the pioneers involved in the setup of the $1B Assembly and Test factory of Intel investment in Vietnam. Intel is the largest high-tech US investor and the first mover of this industry into Vietnam. Prior to joining Intel, Uyen worked for Nike Inc Vietnam in its early establishment for over 10 years as the Director of External Relations.

Uyen has a strong passion to support female leadership and female engineering students to promote a diverse and inclusive skill-based talent pool for Intel and Vietnam. Under her leadership, the Public Affairs team has worked with academic partners to launch programs that fill these goals; Higher Engineering Education Alliance (HEEAP), Intel Vietnam Study Abroad program (IVSA), AmCham Women Engineering Scholarship (AWES), and Dariu Foundation Scholarship (awarded over a thousand young students to study in Vietnam, USA and Australia). Uyen has been a key contributor to various prestigious recognitions, including the Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE) by the US Secretary of State and the Intel Achievement Award for her efforts to transform the diverse workforce for Intel Vietnam factory.

Uyen holds a general MBA from the Columbia Southern University (CSU) and a BA in English from the HCMC Teaching University.

Jahanzeb Qayum Khan

VICE CHAIR, CEO & General Director, Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam Beverage

Jahanzeb Qayum Khan is the CEO and General Director of Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam Beverage Company (a strategic alliance between PepsiCo Inc and Suntory Holdings Limited). After over twenty five years, SPVB has become one of the leading beverage companies in Vietnam, with five manufacturing facilities, five sales offices and a head office. They provide direct employment for more than 2,800 employees and indirect employment for thousands more. It has thirteen brands, in seven different categories, which are backed with a strong Go To Market strategy.

SPVB has almost 400 distributor partners and over 1,900 salesmen who work to ensure our products reach our 400,000 outlets through direct service and 700,000 outlets through wholesalers. As part of our Sustainable Development agenda, we believe in being responsible towards the community we operate in by supporting clean water and education. This is living our company value of ‘giving back to society.’ SPVB is one of the top employers in Vietnam and has recently been awarded 1st place in the Top 10 Most Trustworthy Beverage Companies in Vietnam (non-alcohol sector).

Jahanzeb has almost thirty years of work experience in multinational companies. His last nineteen years with PepsiCo saw him working in Pakistan, South Africa, Nigeria, Iran and Thailand. Prior to joining SPVB, he was based in Bangkok as the Vice President, Business Development and Transformation, Asia Pacific. Before that, he was the General Director for Pakistan and Afghanistan, leading both Snack and Beverage portfolios. He became the CEO General Director of SPVB in July 2019.

Jahanzeb is a graduate in Electrical Engineering with a degree from the University of Maryland, USA. Jahanzeb enjoys playing golf, hunting, and reading books. He also likes spending time with his wife and children and strives to achieve a good work life balance.

Michael Beckman

SECRETARY, Managing Partner, EY Law Vietnam

Michael Beckman currently leads the newly launched law firm EY Indochina, a fast growing team of fifteen corporate lawyers based in Ho Chi Minh City. EY Law Global has over 4,000 lawyers in eighty five offices around the world, with intentions to expand quickly throughout ASEAN. Michael will head this expansion process in Indochina.

Michael has over twenty years of experience in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate law. Prior to joining EY, Michael worked as a corporate attorney at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York, London, and Los Angeles, as well as Debevoise & Plimpton in New York. He focused on international corporate bankruptcy, securities, and M&A work. He is a member of the bar of New York and California and is a licensed foreign lawyer in Vietnam.

Outside of law, Michael worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company in their pharmaceutical practice group and managed his own hedge funds for a decade.

Michael graduated magna cum laude from Cornell University, received his M.A. from Princeton University and his J.D. from Yale Law School. He also studied at both Cambridge University in the UK and Georg-August University in Germany.

Sai Ramana Ponugoti

TREASURER, General Director, P&G Vietnam

Sai Ramana Ponugoti has led P&G’s Vietnam operations since 2019, serving Vietnamese consumers through leadership brands across all P&G categories: Baby Care, Hair Care, Fabric & Home Care, Skin & Personal Care, Feminine Care, and Oral Care. He works with distributors and retail partners to create value for consumers through defining Commercial strategies, leading Business Operations, and building market strategies—to ensure joint category growth.

Sai joined P&G in 2001 as an Account Executive in India. In his various leadership roles, he gained extensive experience leading diverse businesses across trade channels spanning different consumer goods categories. He has demonstrated expertise on developing markets, having worked in markets across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa, and by leading P&G’s Global Innovation center for low-income-markets. He also has extensive experience on ‘Shopper-centric retail innovation’ and partnering with retailers to create category value.

Sai is passionate about making a difference to the lives of consumers in developing markets through P&G brands. A strong advocate for talent development, Sai has worked across diverse cultures through his P&G career. He has lived in India, Singapore and Switzerland. Before being appointed as the General Director for P&G Vietnam, Sai was the Sales Head of India, the Middle East, and Africa for Baby Care. He was also a key member of the Regional Business Unit leadership team based in Geneva, Switzerland from 2016-2019.

Sai graduated with a Bachelor of Technology degree in Mechanical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Calicut, and holds an MBA degree in Marketing & Operations from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Lucknow. He is married to his spouse Swetha and has 2 children: Anshul, 11 years old and Aditi, 7 years old.

Leonardo Garcia

General Manager, Vietnam & Cambodia, The Coca-Cola Company

Leonardo Garcia currently serves as the General Manager of Coca-Cola Southeast Asia, Inc. in Vietnam and Cambodia. Leonard recently moved to Vietnam, bringing with him over twenty years of experience (eighteen with The Coca-Cola Company). He has an impressive history of winning customers and building great teams. Prior to his current role, Leonardo led the Taiwan team through accelerated growth and success in the market. He pleased customers and built on the company’s people agenda to create a more sustainable business, in line with the company’s purpose ‘Refresh the world. Make a difference.’

In the Chinese Market, Leonardo was Senior Operations Director of The Coca-Cola Company, where he was responsible for business operations in Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Zhejiang, accounting for fifteen percent of the company’s volume in mainland China. He managed complex customer/bottler relations with two bottling partners with great success, using his extensive experience in strategic planning, customer and partner relationship management, and financial planning.

Since joining The Coca-Cola Company in 2002, Leonardo has held a variety of operational roles with increasing responsibility across mainland China and Brazil. Such roles included Shopper and Trade Director of The Coca-Cola Company in mainland China and multiple commercial, market development, and product analysis roles in Brazil. In Brazil, he managed the McDonald’s business and led market development for different franchises across ten states in.

Leonardo graduated from Universidade de Brasília with a degree in business management in 1999, and in 2003 he earned an MBA in Marketing from Fundação Getúlio Vargas – FGV.

Mark Gillin

Founder, Chairman and Managing Director, AIM – American Indochina Management

Mark Gillin has been identifying, developing, and investing in business opportunities in Indochina since 1993. He is a founder, Chairman, and Managing Director of America Indochina Management Ltd. (AIM), a diversified Holding Company with operations throughout Vietnam and Cambodia. Since its founding in 1996, AIM has established market leadership in a variety of product categories covering a diverse range of industries, including Construction Materials, Specialty Furniture, Consumer Products, and Industrial Consumables.

Mark is a founder and Chairman of AIM Capital Management Ltd, an investment management company that provides expansion capital and strategic and operational support to small and medium sized companies throughout Indochina. AIM Capital Management has invested in Healthcare, Media, Technology, Furniture, Hospitality, and Consumer Products.

Mark has successfully managed businesses in a number of different markets at various stages of development, specifically locations in: Japan, Hong Kong, Guam, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Prior to coming to Vietnam in 1993, he spent five years with Getz Bros., the oldest and largest US non-commodities trading company. There he worked closely on marketing and distribution issues with leading MNCs including Nestlé, Mobile Chemical, Kimberly-Clark, Abbott Labs, Colgate-Palmolive, Heineken, and others.

Mark has served as a non-executive board member of Navigos, AA Corporation, Japan Vietnam Medical Corporation, and Indochina Assets Limited. During his previous six years of service as a member of Board of Governors (2010-2015), he was Chairman in 2013 and Vice Chairman in 2012 and 2014.

Jacky Kang

President & Country Leader, 3M Vietnam

Jeounghoon (Jacky) Kang, President and Country Leader of 3M Vietnam, has more than twenty three years of experience in 3M. He was appointed to the position of President and Country Leader on March 1st, 2020. His current responsibilities include: legal representation, leading the Corporate Affairs organization, executing corporate-wide priorities across all business groups and functions, enhancing employee engagement activities, championing ethics and compliance, chairing the country leadership team, driving global sustainability efforts, cultivating D&I culture, and promoting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.

As a leader of SEA KOEM Business, Jacky is responsible for developing major Korean OEM business across the SEA region. His career in 3M started in 1997 as a marketer of the Electrical Material Division in Korea. Since then, he has held various roles with increasing responsibilities spanning various businesses and geographies, including Sales manager, Division head, Global Key Account manager, and Business Group leader. Prior to his current role, he was the Country Business Leader for the Energy and Electronics Business Group and the Transportation and Electronics Business Group in 3M Vietnam. In this role, he worked with customers to understand Vietnamese markets and build a ʻCustomer Firstʼ mindset that provides customized solutions to customer needs. This resulted in a 20% growth.

Before relocating to Vietnam, Jacky served as the Global Key Account manager. Primary responsibilities surrounded mobile markets. Vietnam plays a vital role in supporting the global mobile device supply. Jacky is a strong believer in the power of a diversified and inclusive workforce and focuses on elevating and prioritizing actions. He works to build a more inclusive team that fosters innovation and creates a more positive impact on the organization.

Jacky holds a bachelorʼs degree in Material Science & Metal Engineering from Hongik University in Korea. He is a member of KOCHAM Vietnam.

Christy Le

CFO and President of Vietnam Operations, Arevo

Christy is CFO and President of Vietnam Operations for Arevo, an advanced composites additive manufacturing technology company. She is also President of Vietnam Operations of Harrison.ai, a software technology company that automatically analyzes medical images and provides medical professionals with real time decision support. She is the co-founder of Alabaster, a group that invests in early stage deeptech companies (they have over thirty investments in new materials, biotech, and semiconductors).

Previously, Christy filled several executive roles at technology companies including Vietnam Country Director at Facebook. Before that, she was the Fossil Vietnam MD and VP of Operations for Fossil Group (acquired Misfit for $260M in 2015). At Misfit, a wearable technology company, she was the founding CFO and COO. Before Misfit, Christy was a consultant at McKinsey & Company and an investment banker at HSBC.

Christy graduated Double First in Economics at Oxford and as Valedictorian and a Legatum Fellow at MIT Sloan (MBA).

Colin McCandless

Area General Manager, IHG Vietnam & Laos

Colin McCandless is the Area General Manager for IHG, Vietnam and Laos, based at the InterContinental Saigon Hotel and Residences. IHG is one of the world’s leading hotel companies, whose purpose is to provide True Hospitality for everyone. IHG Vietnam is an accredited AON Best Employer which operates nine Hotels in Indochina and has a strong pipeline of pre-opened Hotels.

Colin has extensive experience working with institutional investors in the Asia Pacific region, particularly in key gateway cities where he has spent over the last 16 years with IHG. The last seven years he has been in Vietnam with his wife Stacy and two young children. Prior to his work in the hospitality field, Colin was a fully qualified Commercial Pilot. He still enjoys flying for relaxation when time and weather permit.

Colin is extremely passionate about development both for himself and for his teams. Most recently, he worked with numerous stakeholders to set up a “Mentor, Best Practice and Exposure Program” for Indochina.

Born in Germany, Colin has a diploma in Science from the University of South Australia.

Kevin Moore

Managing Director, Vietnam Waste Solutions

Kevin Moore has been the Managing Director for Vietnam Waste Solutions (VWS) since 2006. Prior to that he worked as a private consultant for Veolia Environmental Services/Onyx in Hong Kong for six years. In the twelve years preceding that, Kevin worked at Waste Management Inc., in California. Previous employment included seven years at PSE&G in New Jersey. Kevin has previously served on the AmCham Vietnam Board of Governors.

VWS is a subsidiary of California Waste Solutions, a private firm with recycling operations in Oakland and San Jose, California. His position here in HCMC requires direct interaction with HCMC leaders and Departments as well as various Ministries in Hanoi. VWS represents the first privatization of a public service enterprise and one of the larger environmental service investments into Vietnam. This investment project is valued at over USD $150 million and is on a fifty year contract with the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, aiming to effectively manage waste delivered by the City to the Da Phuoc Waste Management Facility. VWS is expanding their services with a new project in Long An province that will move beyond landfilling to waste transformation, developing “waste to energy” and “waste to feedstock” solutions.

Jonathan Moreno

General Director, Diversatek Vietnam

Jonathan Moreno is the General Director of Diversatek Vietnam (formerly Sandhill Scientific and Medovations), a member of the Diversatek group of medical technology companies. Diversatek opened it’s Vietnam manufacturing operation in Binh Duong, December 2010, representing a US high-technology investment, and continues to expand.

In 2012, Jonathan helped form AmCham’s first Manufacturing Committee. The committee was established to increase value for AmCham’s manufacturing sector members, including the supporting supply chain, by providing networking opportunities and collaborative solutions which cannot be achieved as effectively by individual member companies. Key initiatives include advocacy related to trade facilitation and the annual “Supplier’s Day.”

Currently, Jonathan provides leadership for AmCham’s Healthcare Committee. The Healthcare Committee is a critically important network uniquely representing AmCham companies across all healthcare sectors such as medical devices, hospitals and clinics, physicians, pharmacies, diagnostics, and supporting services. Jonathan also served on the AmCham HCMC Board of Governors from 2013-2018. He served as Vice Chair in 2016 and Chairman in 2017-2018. He has also served on the Vietnam Business Forum Management Board.

Jonathan holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies from the University of South Carolina and a MBA from the University of Hawaii.

Thuy Hang Nguyen

Partner, Baker & McKenzie

Hang Nguyen is a Baker McKenzie partner and head of the Employment and Labor practice in Vietnam.

Hang’s practice focuses on Employment and Labor, M&A, and Corporate and Compliance matters. Her diverse qualifications allow her to provide clients with pertinent legal advice and create unique solutions to navigate Vietnamese legalities. Head of the Employment and Labor practice, Hang develops strategy, trains team members, and coordinates employment practices. She is a Steering Committee member for the Firm’s Asia Pacific Employment Practice Group and Global Immigration and Mobility Group.

Hang obtained a bachelor’s degree in International Law from the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, an LL.M. from the Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law, and an Executive MBA from the University of Hawaii’s Shidler College of Business. Hang is authorized to practice law in New York State and Vietnam. During her forteen years at Baker McKenzie, Hang has worked in Vietnam, Barcelona and London.

Hang became an AmCham member in 2006. She has been Chair/Co-Chair of the HR/Labor Committee since 2013. She revived the committee through organizing events and administering the scholarship program. Hang is the point of contact for the BoG and other Committees for employment and labor issues. She has been involved in policy discussions for the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement and frequently acts as an adviser to US and Vietnamese Government agencies on employment and labor law issues.

Hang became an AmCham Board member in 2017. An Executive Committee member, Hang leads the Committees and advocacy. In July 2019, she joined the BoG to represent HCMC in the 2019 Doorknock mission of Asia Pacific AmChams. They traveled to Washington D.C. and met the US Administration and Congress on trade and investment. There, she arranged a meeting with the Vietnamese Embassy and US Trade Office to discuss bilateral trade and investment.

Minh Nguyen

Country Manager, Vietnam, Aetna International

Minh Nguyen oversees the Vietnam market for Aetna International in Asia Pacific. In this role, she is responsible for managing relations with fronting partners and reinsurance companies, ensuring operational excellence, ensuring that international standards are provided to valued customers, exploring new market segments, and overseeing business operations nationwide. Prior to joining Aetna in 2015, Minh was with the American International Group (AIG) for nearly a decade. With her broad experience and expertise, Minh has proven to be a strong leader and strategic thinker.

Aetna is a Fortune 50 company and one of the five largest health insurers in the United States, providing 46.7 million people with coverage, information, and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their healthcare. CVS is the largest pharmacy health care provider in the U.S, with integrated offerings across the spectrum of pharmacy care, serving 5 million customers every day. The recent merger of CVS Health and Aetna will result in USD $260 billion in annual sales, making it the second largest corporation in the United States and the seventh largest corporation in the world by revenue.

Aetna continues to rapidly expand across Asia, most recently by licensing in Hong Kong in 2018 and acquiring Bupa Thailand in 2017. In 2016, Aetna launched its Asian Innovation Hub in Singapore, which seeks to develop region-specific health solutions tailored for local markets in Asia. Vietnam is the fastest growing insurance market in the world and has one of the fastest growing ultra-high net worth (UHNW) populations. Aetna has the ambitious vision to bring high quality and affordable healthcare to many more Vietnamese by bringing new options that go ‘broader and deeper’ into the local health care market.

Soren Schouw Pedersen

Vice President, SSA Marine, Seattle USA

Soren Pedersen is a Danish national and has worked in Asia for more than twenty five years. He is the head of SSA Marine regional activities. SSA is an international port operator headquartered in Seattle, USA. The company is active in more than 250 locations across five continents. SSA’s activities span cruises, bulk, and container handling.

Here in Vietnam, SSA owns and operates two seaport joint ventures employing about 400 staff. Our port facilities in Cai Lan (Ha Long) and Cai Mep (Vung Tau) are equipped with the most modern and technically advanced cargo handling machinery available. Both terminals are deep water facilities capable of accommodating the largest cargo and cruise ships.

Maritime transport is essential to the world’s economy as over 90% of the world’s trade is carried by sea. Ships need effective port facilities to load and off load cargoes. SSA Marine is among the world’s largest privately held port operators.

Walt Power

CEO, The Grand Ho Tram

Walt Power, the CEO of The Grand Ho Tram, is one of Asia’s longest serving gaming industry executives. Prior to his arrival in Vietnam eight months ago, Walt spent the last 18 years as one of the leaders of Macau’s gaming industry. He was instrumental in the development, opening, and operation of “Sands,” the first western casino in Macau. A twenty eight year gaming industry veteran, Walt has accumulated extensive international experience through executive leadership positions at gaming resorts in the United States, Argentina, South Africa, the Philippines, and Macau.

Walt is a former United States Marine Corps Major and Naval Aviator. During his time in the cockpit, Walt earned the designations of Helicopter Aircraft Commander, Flight Instructor/Evaluator, and Functional Test Pilot. He also served with the first International Peace Keeping Force in Beirut, Lebanon in August 1982, participating in the initial evacuation of non-combatants.

Walt earned his Bachelor Degree and Master Degree in Business Administration from the University of Michigan. Walt holds a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and was a medalist in his age group at the 2014 and 2019 World Master Championships.

Winnie Wong

Country Manager, Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos, Asia Pacific, Mastercard

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 to the markets on digital payments and solutions.

Prior to her current role, Winnie was the Commercial B2B Sales Head for the region, where she was responsible for driving growth for Mastercard’s Business-to-Business (B2B) solutions across Asia Pacific. This includes working with governments, banks and corporations on trade digitization with the aim of improving efficiency and transparency, especially for cross-border trade.

Honorary Mem‌bers

Stephen Jacques

Principal Commercial Officer, Consulate General Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Stephen Jacques is the Principal Commercial Officer at the United States Consulate Ho Chi Minh City, he started his assignment in November 2020. Prior to his current assignment in Vietnam, Stephen was the Deputy Senior Commercial Officer at the United States Embassy in Singapore from 2015-2019. He served as the Senior Commercial Officer in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 2011-2015 and in Tripoli, Libya from 2010-2011. Stephen has also served as the Deputy Principal Commercial Officer at the United States Consulate General in Shanghai from 2007-2010, a Commercial Officer at the United States Embassy in Tokyo from 2001-2006, and at the United States Department of Commerce’s Export Assistance (USEAC) office in Houston, Texas from 1998-2000.

Stephen has received the Department of Commerce Bronze Medal award. He was also one of the recipients of the Director General’s Award for management during his assignment in Shanghai. He was a recipient of a second Director General’s Award in 2018 as part of the United States-Japan Collaboration team to promote U.S. company participation in Japanese-funded infrastructure projects.

Prior to joining the Commercial Service in 1998, Stephen worked as a Senior International Trade Analyst from 1988-1998, covering unfair (antidumping) trade cases and trade negotiations in the Department of Commerce’s Office of Import Administration in Washington, D.C. He received a B.A. in Economics and French from the University of Arizona and an MBA in International Business Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Stephen’s hometown is Phoenix, Arizona.

Alex Tatsis

Economic Section Chief, Consulate General Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Alexander Tatsis is the Economic Section Chief at the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City. Previously, he served as Senior Vietnam Desk Officer in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the Department of State in Washington. He has also served in the U.S. Embassies in Kuala Lumpur, Islamabad, Paris, and Khartoum, Sudan. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, he worked in finances in New York.

Alexander is a graduate of Georgetown University. He speaks French and Greek.

Click here for a list of the 2020 Board of Governors

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Click here for a list of the 2019 Board of Governors

Click here to see the 2019 Board of Governors • Biographic Information