In our endeavors to improve and to adopt the best practices of Chambers of Commerce globally, AmCham China has recently passed a variety of amendments to its constitution and by-laws to improve operations and further bolster AmCham China’s success in advocating for member companies. Predominantly, the amendments concerned provisions in our constitution and by-laws that govern the composition, term requirements, and election processes for AmCham China’s Board of Governors.
The amendments to our constitution, which were adopted by an overwhelming majority of voting member responses, include:
- Extending each board member’s term from one to two years, allowing longer-term contributions and governance continuity for each board member.
With this new format, 7 of the 14 board members will be up for re-election every year to ensure that we promote new thinking, innovation, and continuous improvement to the Board, while still operating with continuity.
- Chairperson and Vice Chairpersons will be elected by the newly-elected Board of Governors, chosen from the elected board members.
Chambers of Commerce globally opt to elect the Chairperson and Vice Chairpersons from amongst themselves, instead of directly by the general membership.
- Vice Chairpersons reduced from three to two.
This change ensures the accountability and responsibility of the Vice Chairs, underlining the required time commitment and availability to adequately fulfill the role. At least one of the Vice Chairpersons must be a US citizen, in case there is a need for a Vice Chairperson to take over the position of Chairperson.
Accordingly, our constitution and by-laws have been amended by the Board of Governors to implement these changes. AmCham China is excited to adopt more globally-recognized best practices to increase our effectiveness at all levels, and further our impact in the business community. We firmly believe that these changes will produce stronger leadership for our community, and provide new thinking with a greater emphasis on the future of AmCham China and American companies operating in China.
Meanwhile, the 2019 Board of Governors Election is quickly approaching, and we look forward to our member community being the beneficiaries of these new amendments, and our updated approach to the governance of AmCham China. The AGM will take place on November 21, 2018, so please save the date to help participate in the reshaping of AmCham China.
For inquiries or questions, please contact Henri Tan at htan@amchamchina.org