Dear GBA members and friends,
 
We would like to invite you to our monthly
GBA Business Meeting – July 2016

Date:  Monday, 04 July 2016
Time:  17:45 – 22:00
Venue: La Scala Ballroom, 5th floor, The Reverie Saigon Hotel,
            22-36 Nguyen Hue Boulevard & 57-69F Dong Khoi Street  
            Tel: 08-38 2 36 688

Agenda:        

17:45 – 18:30:             Registration and networking cocktail
18:30 – 20:30:             Meeting and presentations
20:30 – 22:00:             Dinner and networking opportunity

Meeting chairman: Mr. Borries Plass – GBA Board Member & Delegate to EuroCham 2016

Meeting program:

How can German companies benefit from EVFTA?
EuroCham and its affiliate Business Organizations in Vietnam have been significantly growing in terms of members and multi-facetted business activities. Hence, it is uniformly favored to sharpen the profile and promote the substantial expertise on ‘Advocacy with regard to the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement’ by enhancing more transparent and direct communication towards all members with increased access to the European Union Delegates, Executive Boards of Business Associations and key stakeholders of the Vietnamese Governmental Organizations.
As part of a new event circular of EuroCham, GBA as initial hosting partner is pleased to welcome members and other interested guests to hear first-hand about current advocacy activities and to discuss open ended questions with business and political leaders on how German companies can benefit from EVFTA.

1. Opening speech: ‘Strategic outlook on opportunities and challenges for the EU in Vietnam until 2020’
H.E. Ambassador Mr. Bruno Angelet of the European Union to Vietnam

2. EuroCham’s interrelations in Vietnam and forthcoming stronger business integration within ASEAN
Mr. Michael Behrens, Chairman of EuroCham Vietnam
With 900 members, EuroCham Vietnam is one of the largest European Chambers of Commerce in South-East Asia, not only well connected with our local stakeholders but also represented in regional organizations like the EU-ASEAN Business Council. Our IPR Helpdesk covers all 10 ASEAN countries. Given the favorable geo-strategic position and strong economic growth within ASEAN, we aim to more and more provide members with key information and support especially crucial for ‘Mittelstand’ enterprises utilizing Vietnam as a regional hub within ASEAN.

3. EuroCham’s Sector Committees: ‘Field report of challenges with a crisp summary of Key Sector work beyond the ‘White Book’
Mr. Nicolas Audier, Vice-Chairman of EuroCham Vietnam
Nicolas Audier is Managing Partner of Audier & Partners Vietnam LLC and an accomplished senior legal advisor with more than twenty (20) years of experience in Vietnam. He has been a special trade advisor on Vietnam for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1999 and he is a member of the Board of Directors of both the French Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam and the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, with particular involvement in the EU – Vietnam FTA, in the preparation of the annual EuroCham Whitebook, and in other advocacy activities on behalf of foreign investors with the Vietnamese authorities.

4. EVBN: New level of collaboration with EuroCham on Trade Advocacy
Mr. Pierre-Jean Malgouyres, Chairman of EVBN
Co-founder, associate partner and General Director of Archetype Group, Pierre-Jean has founded most of our offices worldwide, and is the man responsible for Archetype Group’s expansion since 2002 from a company of eight to its current total of over 1,100. He brings to the Group more than 20 years’ diverse design and project management experience across South East Asia, and a specific competency in the implementation and preparation of contract documents and strong expertise in design management, value engineering and project management services for hotels, resorts and high-rise buildings. Pierre-Jean is also Chairman of the EVBN project since its signature in November 2013.

5.   

H.E. Ambassador Mr. Bruno Angelet of the European Union to Vietnam
Ambassador Angelet started his assignment as Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam in September 2015. He began his career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium in 1991. Prior to his current position, his most recent appointment was as Ambassador of Belgium in Hanoi, Vietnam. During his twenty years as a Belgian diplomat, he has held the position of Deputy Chief of Cabinet as EU advisor of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium from 2010 to 2011. He was a Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Belgium in Berlin from 2008 to 2010. He was also appointed as the Deputy Director for European Security and Defence at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium.

Dr. Long NGUYEN HOANG, Ambassador, Director-General of the Department-General for Foreigner Affairs of Provinces, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ambassador Dr. Long NGUYEN HOANG (born in Hanoi, April 19th 1976) joined the Vietnamese diplomatic service in 1999 right after graduation in the Italian University Bocconi of Milan. In 2012, at 36 he became the youngest Ambassador of Vietnam when he was nominated as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to Italy taking responsibility also as Ambassador to Malta, Cyprus, San Marino, and as Permanent Representative to the FAO, IFAD and WFP. Back to Vietnam, since November 2015, he had assumed the position of Acting Director-General and then Director-General at the Department for Foreign Affairs of Provinces (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). He got a PhD Degree in Economics of Public Administrations and Public Enterprises at the Rome University 2 "Tor Vergata". He speaks English, Italian and French.

Mr. Michael Behrens, Chairman of European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam
Michael Behrens, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Vietnam, has been elected as the new Chairman by the Board of EuroCham since March 2016. He has been a Board member of Eurocham in the last 3 years and Vice Chair in the last 2 years. Upon election, he established implementation of the new EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) as top priority and yet strengthening the ties with all stakeholders. He stated that openness, transparency and fairness would be fundamentals of EuroCham’s operation.

Mr. Jens Ruebbert, Chairman of German Business Association in Vietnam
Jens Ruebbert is Managing Director, Chief Country Officer (CCO) and Head of Global Transaction Banking (GTB) for Deutsche Bank in Vietnam, based in Ho Chi Minh City. Jens joined Deutsche Bank in 1991 in Essen/ Germany. After four years in Corporate Banking and Risk Management in Leipzig/ Germany, he held various positions in Hong Kong (Corporate Banking), Singapore (Global Banking Division), Istanbul / Turkey (Global Corporate Finance) and Germany (Corporate Finance/ Country Coverage). Before he came to Vietnam in May 2014, he was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Deutsche Bank (China) Co., Ltd. based in Beijing. Jens holds a diploma in business administration. He has been an active member of the GBA in 2014 and the Chairman of the GBA for two consecutive years 2015-2016.

6.    Introduction of New Members

7.    Updates on GBA Activities
Mr. Borries Plass – GBA Board Member & Delegate to EuroCham 2016

Meeting fee:

•    Early bird discount for registration by 29 June 2016:    
GBA/ EUROCHAM / SBA/ NORDCHAM Member: VND 950,000         

Non-member: VND 1,200,000

(Please kindly note that registration on early bird discount is binding confirmation. Cancellation of attendance need to be made latest by Thursday, 30 June or you will be charged due to the hotel obligations.)

•    For registration after 29 June 2016:                                            
GBA/ EUROCHAM / SBA/ NORDCHAM Member: VND 1,200,000     

Non-member: VND 1,500,000

Please be so kind as to register with Ms. Khanh Linh, Tel: 08 3823 9772 or linh@gba-vietnam.org to enable us to plan successfully.

Looking forward to seeing you.

With best regards,
GBA Team
 
 
German Business Association
05th floor – Somerset Chancellor Court
21-23 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street
District 1 – Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam

t:   (+84) 8 38 23 97 72 – ext: 114
f:   (+84) 8 38 23 89 09
c:   (+84) 903 720 788
e:   linh@gba-vietnam.org
w:  www.gba-vietnam.org