2008 Board of Governors - Biographic Information
Click here for a list of 2008 Board of Governors.
 Tom came to Vietnam in 1995 as General Director of American Standard Vietnam, a start-up manufacturing and marketing operation focusing on the domestic market. In 2002 he accepted an assignment to help reorganize American Standard’s Philippines operation. In 2004 Tom returned to Vietnam as General Director of Stickley International Ltd, a wholly foreign-owned subsidiary of L. & J. G. Stickley Inc., a high-end American furniture manufacturer.
Tom served on the AmCham Board of Governors from 1998 through 2002 and was chairman of the AmCham Vietnam in HCM City and National Chairman in 2000-2001.
During Tom’s tenure as Chairman, AmCham welcomed President Bill Clinton, the first US president to visit Vietnam since 1969, at a very successful AmCham-organized Business Forum also attended by several Cabinet members and legislators. In May 2001, he teamed with members of the National Board to keep the still-in-negotiations US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement moving toward approval within 2001. Tom was also chairman of the AmCham Trade Committee that among other activities teamed with leaders from Johnson & Johnson (China) and members of that country’s Quality Brand Protection Committee to share their successful Intellectual Property Rights enforcement techniques with AmCham’s membership. The Trade Committee also focused on the specific issues of textile trade and Vietnam’s rapidly developing textile and seafood export businesses.
Tom holds a BS from Miami University in Ohio and did graduate work in business at The University of Cincinnati.
Chris Muessel is Partner with Duane Morris LLP. He practices in the area of corporate law with a focus on international law in Southeast Asia. He has experience with mergers and acquisitions, international trade, banking and commercial law, with in-country experience in Vietnam, Cambodia, Mongolia and Japan. Prior experience includes Baker & McKenzie’s HCMC office (2001-2006), corporate finance in Washington DC (1990-7) and Tokyo (2000) and advisor to the World Bank concerning commercial legal reforms in Cambodia (1989-9). Chris graduated with a B.A. (magna cum laude) from Colorado College with a concentration in international relations and economic development. He then moved to Washington DC to work as an international shipping broker handling USAID and USDA food aid shipments to developing countries (including the Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh and India). He received his law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center with a concentration in international law. Since coming to Vietnam, Chris has been an active AmCham member, including participation in the Trade and Tourism Committees. Chris has also made several presentations before other business chambers and associations in Vietnam (VCCI, ITPC and VINAFRUIT) addressing legal issues related to exporting to the US following the entry into force of the Vietnam-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). Since 2001, Chris has also taught courses to Vietnamese law school graduates concerning the fundamentals of legal ethics and professional conduct. Chris is married to Johanna.
 Jocelyn arrived in Vietnam in 2002 as the Managing Director/Country Manager for the Vietnam Representative Office of MAST Industries, where she is responsible for the operation and administration of US$ 50 million/year of apparel products export to the U.S. MAST is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Limited Brands and is one of the world’s largest contract manufacturers, importers, and distributors of apparel for men, women, and children. Product lines range from sportswear and ready-to-wear to lingerie. MAST delivers over 200 million garments a year to Limited Brands retail and catalog divisions, and to other leading fashion brands. Advanced networking technology and the internet create a robust, reliable global network to link MAST associates, manufacturers, customers, and shippers. Her prior experience with MAST includes seven years as Sourcing Director, Western Hemisphere for The Limited, Lane Bryant, and Express. Positions as designer, merchandiser, import director, with brands such as Guess, Inc., Contempo Casuals, and Broadway Stores round out her 20 years in the fashion industry.
Jocelyn has been active in AmCham since she arrived in Vietnam, and was invited to join the Board of Governors in March 2003 in recognition of her personal and MAST’s corporate leadership of the Apparel Committee and AmCham’s efforts to develop a favorable VN-US Agreement on Trade in Textiles and Apparel. She helped forge a strong coalition of AmCham and other apparel industry associations with similar interests (Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Vietnam) and played an important role in supporting the successful quota negotiations and then helping the Vietnamese government develop a quota allocation system that is “transparent,” efficient, and fair.”
 Landis Hicks is Chief Representative in Vietnam, and Executive Vice President of Pacific Architects and Engineers Incorporated, Los Angeles. PAE provides design, construction management and facilities management services at locations throughout the Asia Pacific region. Landis was a founding member of AmCham HCMC. He is currently Chairman of the Asia Pacific Council of Chambers of Commerce and has participated in the annual Washington Doorknock for several years. He lived in Vietnam during the period 1967-1975 and was a member of the American Chamber of Commerce at that time. From 2001 to 2003, Landis served as Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore and a member of the Board of Governors from 1990-2003. He is Vice President of the Singapore National Employers’ Federation and a member of the Singapore National Wages Council, and was appointed a member of the First Council of the Singapore Business Federation. He is a graduate of Montgomery Bell Academy and Vanderbilt University and attended Lamar School of Law, Emory University. Landis is married to Nhung Hicks.
 Terence Anderson is General Director for AIG General Insurance (Vietnam) Company Ltd.. AIG is the largest Property and Casualty underwriter in the US with offices in more than 130 countries and jurisdictions worldwide. AIG companies serve commercial, institutional and individual customers through the most extensive worldwide property-casualty and life insurance networks of any insurer.
In Vietnam, AIG has licenses for both life insurance and, as of December 2005, non-life insurance. In the non-life field, AIG Vietnam will provide solutions for both consumers and business, including such insurance as product liability, marine cargo and claims services that will enable Vietnamese exporters to become more competitive internationally.
Mr. Anderson has been working at AIG since 1988 and has for the past eleven years held positions in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and now Vietnamn. His current assignment is to represent AIG’s interests in Vietnam and to secure a non-life insurance license.
 Fred has been active in AmCham in Vietnam since it was first established. He served as a member of the Board of Governors from 1995 – 2003 and was Chairman in 1997.
He has been serving as Chairman of the Legal Committee 2004-2007, focusing on articulating the American business community’s issues to the Vietnamese and United States governments in the contexts of the World Trade Organization negotiations, the Vietnam Business Forum, and more recently in the implementation of Vietnam’s WTO commitments. He has helped to write many of the Chamber’s position papers, he was one of the Chamber’s leaders in supporting the conclusion of the landmark 2001 Bilateral Trade Agreement, and he has represented the Chamber in numerous governmental and private sector briefings and seminars.
Before coming to Vietnam in 1991, he served as the Secretary and Member of the Board of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, China.
Fred is Managing Partner of Baker & Mckenzie Vietnam, with Practice Areas: Mergers and Acquisitions, Project Finance, Foreign Investment & Securities, Financial Services, Real Estate, Construction/Projects, Taxation, International Trade & WTO, International Employment, Intellectual Property & Technology Transfer and Dispute Resolution. Baker & McKenzie’s international ties are complemented by strong roots in Vietnam, and helps bridge cultural and linguistic gaps which can stand in the way of success in international business.
 Walter Blocker is Managing Director of GANNON Vietnam Limited, an American licensed, 100% foreign invested service company with offices in Ho Chi Minh City, Bien Hoa City, and Hanoi, Vietnam. He is a member of the Board of Directors for Gannon Vietnam Company Limited, The Gannon Companies (Hong Kong) Limited, and the Missouri-based Gannon Distribution Company of Vietnam LLC.
Born in New York and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Mr. Blocker has been a permanent resident of Ho Chi Minh City since 1994 and has been involved in a variety of trade, trade development, manufacturing, and asset management activities since that time. In January 1999, his firm, Asian Trade Alliance (ATA GROUP) merged with The Gannon Companies Ltd. to form Gannon Vietnam Limited.
Mr. Blocker has pioneered a number of business units over this period, including the first retail trade model in Vietnam for L’Oreal, Armani, Ralph Lauren, and Maybelline cosmetics, Disney, and a variety of food service entities. He conceived and developed a business for Gannon Services: a warehousing, delivery, and asset management company supporting dozens of international firms including Dow Chemical, Rohm and Haas, and BF Goodrich. Gannon’s Commercial Division, representing Yale Lock, Milliken Carpet, Ving Card, and Mohawk Industries, is one of Vietnam’s largest suppliers of premium floor covering and hardware. Gannon Beverages provides the most advanced aseptic dairy, juice, soya, and tea production available in Vietnam today and exclusively processes for several brand owners including Uni-President, Nestle, Hanoi Milk, and NutriFoods.
Mr. Blocker has served on the HCMC Chapter Board of Governors since 1997 and was Chairman of the Board in 2002 and 2003. He also serves as a member of AmCham Vietnam’s National Board, and is Vice Chair of APCAC (Asia Pacific Council of American Chambers).
 Ms. Justice is the Chief Representative / General Manager for the Vietnam Representative Office of NIKE, Inc. In her role, she is accountable for the production of USD $ 2.6 billion on an annual basis and indirectly employs ~200,000 Vietnamese employees.
Since joining NIKE in 2000, roles in Regional Supply Chain Operations; and Global Planning / Sourcing have kept her engaged with Asia. As Director, US Inbound Supply Chain Operations she was accountable for the continuous improvement of inbound supply chain effectiveness for all product lines and channels of distribution (vendor management, trade, data, and delivery planning). As the Director, Global Footwear Supply Management, she drove the vision and strategic direction for the global footwear sourcing base. Ms. Justice has led organizations in every aspect or the supply chain from Planning / Sourcing through Delivery.
Prior to joining Nike, Ms. Justice spent 12 years in the logistics/trade service industry. Two of the twelve years were spent based in Singapore developing an industry-segmented account management, implementation, and sales operations organization throughout Asia Pacific. In Singapore, Ms. Justice held the position of Vice President, Strategic Development Asia Pacific. On her return to the USA, her role became more globally focused on providing supply chain solutions for the hi-tech and retail industries as Director of Corporate Logistics for Circle International, Inc. (now Eagle Global Logistics).
Ms. Justice is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA. She received her Executive MBA from the University of Oregon.
 Binh is a 29-year veteran with FedEx, the last eleven as Senior Manager, Indochina & Myanmar, and Chief Representative for Vietnam. He established FedEx operations in Vietnam in 1994 through a business alliance with Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City Post and Telecommunications, which are under Vietnam Post and Telecommunication. The company has representation in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Haiphong, Danang and other large provincial cities across Vietnam. Binh helped arrange for the first air carrier collaboration between FedEx, VASCO, and Corporate Air to begin direct service five times a week between FedEx’s Asia-Pacific hub in Subic Bay, the Philippines and HCM City in 2001. Binh has held various management positions with FedEx in customer service, marketing, airport and ground operations.
Binh has been an active AmCham member since 1994. He was elected to the Board of Governors in 2000 and was elected Chairman of the Board of Governors in 2004. He is a former manager at the Defense Attache’s Office (DAO) at the US Embassy in the former Saigon 1972-1975, and attended colleges in Virginia and Texas. He is past chairman of the Aviation Committee of the Amarillo TX Chamber of Commerce.
 Jeff came to Vietnam in February 1996 and joined Danao as General Manager and Director of Golf at the historic Dalat Palace Golf Club. He later was appointed General Director at the Ocean Dunes Golf Club in 2000. Jeff serves on various boards for Danao properties in Vietnam, one of the largest investors with over US$ 100 million invested.
Jeff has served on the AmCham Board of Govenors since 2002, and has been the key organizer of the AmCham Family Weekend and Golf Outings in Phan Thiet, Joint Hanoi/HCM City Board Meetings in Dalat, the Independence Day Family Picnic, and various other member events. Jeff is also Chairman of the AmCham Golf Club and very active in the Tourism Committee, where he serves as the liason from the Board of Governors. With over 20 years experience, Jeff’s knowledge of the hospitality industry is vast and diverse.
After attending San Antonia College in California, Jeff’s passion for golf was deep-rooted, and his skills were recognized by various elite golf clubs, including the Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles, where he worked as a Golf Professional for over a decade. His contribution to golf and the community was apparent, and he was elected a member of the Professional Golf Association (PGA) of America in 1995. Jeff is married to Maggi, and they have two children.
 Jim Randolph is the Product Supply Director for Kimberly-Clark Vietnam, Ltd., a global Fortune 500 consumer products company headquartered in Dallas, Texas that markets such well-known brands as Kleenex®, Huggies®, Kotex®, and Scott®.
Jim has gained extensive supply chain experience in his 24 years with the company covering all aspects of mill operations, project management and organizational teams. He began his career out of college in Kimberly-Clark’s Operations Management training program and has since had successive assignments of increasing responsibility throughout the company’s U.S. operations and in Asia. He has worked in 4 U.S. mills and in staff positions in the regional headquarters in Wisconsin.
In 2000, Jim began his first Asia assignment with Kimberly-Clark Thailand and rose to the position of Manufacturing Operations Director. He was transferred to Kimberly-Clark Taiwan in the same position and led the supply chain team overseeing 4 mills producing tissue, feminine care and diaper products. After a brief assignment in the Wisconsin office in 2004, he was appointed Product Supply Director for Kimberly-Clark Vietnam and arrived in Ho Chi Minh City in May 2005.
Jim graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor with a BS degree in Chemical Engineering and did graduate work in business through the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. He is accompanied by his wife, Claire and their two-year old son in HCMC. He also has 2 daughters residing in the U.S., one attending the University of Michigan the other in high school in Blue Springs, Missouri.
 In January 2000, THAN Trong Phuc was appointed Country Manager for Intel Vietnam, where he leads the development of Intel business. In 2002, Cambodia and Laos were added to his area of responsibility.
An Intel veteran of 18 years, Mr. Phuc started with Intel in Santa Clara in 1986 as a Market Development Engineer, responsible for developing Intel business in the CAD/CAM market. His effort led to the formation of the Software Modeling Group in 1988, where Mr. Phuc also served as a Technical Marketing Manager, working closely with Intel OEM customers to validate their products on the Intel architectural platform. In 1991, as Intel formed the Software Marketing Group to better help software vendors integrate their solutions with Intel’s processors, Phuc joined to group as Marketing Manager. Phuc remained with the group—later became the Intel Architecture Lab (IAL), until 1996 where he joined the Corporate Demo Group as a Technical Marketing Manager to provide technology support and demonstrations for Intel Senior Management as they traveled around the world. In this position, he gained valuable exposure to the development and deployment of technology worldwide. He also played a key role to help launch the Intel Pentium® II and Pentium® III processors in several countries.
Phuc was born in Saigon, Vietnam and migrated to the US in 1975. He graduated from the University of California at Davis in 1985 with a BS Degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences.
 Marc Townsend is a Managing Director of CB Richard Ellis (Vietnam) Co., Ltd. He is responsible for servicing the property requirements of multi-national corporations in Vietnam and the implementation of property management systems into new and existing developments, including presentations to new clients. Over the past 15 years in Asia , Mr. Townsend has been responsible for the sales and marketing, investment consulting to some major properties in and around Hong Kong, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam.
After graduating in 1980 Mr. Townsend spent 8 years in the Royal Marines. In 1988 he moved to Hong Kong and worked at Vigers (HK) Limited for 8 years specializing in Investment sales. He then moved to Richard Ellis where he opened their office in Manila in 1995. Mr. Townsend moved to Rockwell Land Corporation in 1997 as Vice President for Sales and Marketing. He was then appointed as General Manager for South East Asian in Regus in 1999 and based in Singapore for 4 years covering Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and the Philippines. Mr. Townsend opened CB Richard Ellis (Vietnam) Co., Ltd., in January 2003.
 Christopher Twomey was appointed as the CEO & General Director of ACE Insurance Company, Ltd. in Vietnam in February 2007. In his role, Mr. Twomey oversees the operations and business development activities of ACE’s key business lines in Vietnam, namely, Property & Casualty and Accident & Health. He is also responsible for the management of regulatory relationships, strategic partnerships and other affinity relationships.
Chris has been with ACE for over 17 years and has been responsible for various product lines and portfolios in Philadelphia, PA (USA), Hong Kong and Singapore. He was previously ACE’s Regional Underwriting Manager for SME and concurrently ACE’s Regional Worker’s Compensation Manager.
Chris holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a Certificate of Soviet Studies from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH (USA).
 Sesto has been a member of the Board of Governors since 2001, and served as Vice Chair in 2003. He manages the Vietnam practice group of the law firm of Russin & Vecchi. The firm is active in the practice of law in developing countries.
Sesto has lived and practiced law in Vietnam for 19 years. He began coming to Vietnam in 1965 as a US Navy Lieutenant on special assignment. Upon his discharge from the Navy in 1966, he returned to Vietnam and opened Russin & Vecchi’s office. He practiced law in Vietnam until 1974. During that time he was twice President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam.
In early 1993 he reopened the firm’s Vietnam offices and has lived continuously in Vietnam since that time. He graduated with a BS in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and received his law degree from Temple Law School. He is a member of the bars of New York and Washington, DC. Sesto teaches several courses to members of the Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association. He is married to Camille Vecchi, and they have two daughters.
Click here for a list of 2007 Board of Governors.
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Wed, Oct 15: Members Lunch: Consumer Trends in Vietnam
Thu, Oct 16: Members Lunch: Idaho Governor "Butch" Otter and Trade Mission
Thu, Oct 16: Direct Selling Committee
Fri, Oct 17: Roundtable on VN-US Bilateral Investment Treaty with U.S. Chamber
Mon, Oct 20: Monday Night Football
Fri, Oct 24: AmCham Palooza Party, Oct 24, 2008
Sat, Nov 15: Consular Club of HCM City Charity Bazaar
Wed, Nov 19: Members Lunch: VN-U.S. Educational Exchange and Vietnam's Development
Thu, Nov 20: AmCham Palooza Party, Nov 20, 2008
Wed, Nov 26: Members Night and Meet the Candidates 2008
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