Campaign Statement
I would like to ask for your support in the upcoming AmCham China election. This year I am running for election to the Board of Governors. If elected to the Board of Governors, I will run for Vice Chairman, and will be honored to serve in whatever capacity the Board determines would be most beneficial to our membership.
This is an important period in U.S. China relations, a bilateral relationship which is important to both countries and the world. Economic ties form the cornerstone of that relationship, one which allows us to focus on creating jobs and prosperity, an interest common to both countries. To that end, I believe strongly that it is in the interest of both China and U.S. to implement fair and reciprocal policies which encourage greater market access, deeper investment, and stronger protection of intellectual property. AmCham China, as in decades past, continues to play an important role in the US-China relationship by communicating the cumulative China experience and wisdom of our members, and by encouraging constructive engagement and improvement in the business environment.
My career has focused on building economic bridges of cooperation between the China and the U.S., creating jobs and prosperity in both countries. I first came to China in 2000, as Director for International Business Development at Alibaba (NYSE: BABA). I have since lived and worked in Beijing continuously for the past 17 years, where I now lead the Asia Pacific regional and China businesses for Vermeer Corporation, a leading U.S. industrial manufacturer of products used in agricultural mechanization, environmental protection, infrastructure development and precision mining. Over the years, it has been my honor to serve our AmCham community as Vice Chairman, Chief Manufacturing Representative, and as a member of the Board of Governors. Through these roles, I have been involved in the White Paper, the Business Climate Survey, and the annual Washington DC Doorknock. In 2019, I led AmCham China’s Long-Term Strategy Task Force, and received the Chairman’s Service Award that same year.
I appreciate the support and confidence that you and other AmCham members have placed in me in the past. It would be my greatest pleasure and honor to serve you at this critical juncture in US-China relations and hope you will continue to support AmCham with your ideas and active involvement.
Biography
Colm Rafferty is the Vice President – Asia Pacific for Vermeer Corporation and is Chairman of Vermeer China Limited. Vermeer is an equipment manufacturer, with products used for agricultural mechanization, environmental protection, infrastructure development, and precision mining. The Asia Pacific business includes integrated supply chain operations and dealer networks and company-owned distribution in China, Singapore, Australia, Northeast Asia, and Southeast Asia.
Colm is a former Vice Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, a former Board of Governor, and today is the Chief Manufacturing Representative. In 2019, he received the Chairman’s Service Award.
Colm received an MBA from the Yale School of Management, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in East Asian Studies from Brown University. He has served as Vice Chairman of AmCham China, is on the Yale University Asia Development Council, the Yale School of Management’s Greater China Advisory Board, and has served on the Executive Committee of the Beijing Chapter of the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO).