AmCham Shanghai Names New President

SHANGHAI,Nov. 28,2018 -- The American Chamber of Commerce inShanghai(AmCham Shanghai) on Wednesday namedKer Gibbsto serve as the Chamber's new president,succeedingKenneth Jarrett,who will step down at the end of December after serving over five years as president. Jarrett will divide his time between China and the United States as he pursues new interests.

Ker Gibbs

Ker Gibbs first came to China as a student in 1985 and has worked in various roles,giving him broad exposure to U.S.-China relations and business issues facing American companies operating in Asia. His career has spanned Asia and Silicon Valley,with executive positions at Apple,Disney,and other technology and media firms. Most of his time in Shanghai has been in banking and investments. He was head of tech and media for greater China at HSBC. As an investor,he has been active in hotels,e-commerce and medical technologies. He holds an MBA from UC Berkeley and an undergraduate degree in economics from UCLA.

According to Gibbs,"The work of the American Chamber has never been more important than it is today. I'm honored to have been selected for this role. We need to keep communication open with the Chinese government in as many areas as we can. The commercial relationship between the United States and China can continue to benefit both sides but like any complex relationship,it takes effort to sustain. Ken and the Chamber staff have worked hard on this and I look forward to continuing and building on their good work."

Eric Zheng,2018-2019 chair of the AmCham Shanghai Board of Governors,said the Board selected Gibbs based on his unique qualifications,experience,and vision for the Chamber: "I am very pleased thatKer Gibbswill become our new President. Ker has been a prominent member of the American community inShanghaifor many years,an active AmCham Shanghai member,and a successful business executive. As a former board chairman of the Chamber,Ker brings depth of knowledge,strong relationships in both the American and Chinese communities and continuity of management with the Chamber's talented staff. It will be a pleasure to work closely with Ker to further grow our organization as the leading voice of American business inChina."

A search committee made up of five board members was established with a mandate from the AmCham Shanghai Board of Governors to evaluate candidates for Chamber president.Continued Zheng,"I wish to thank our Search Committee,which worked diligently in reviewing and interviewing a long list of qualified applicants in this process."

As president,Gibbs will act as the public face of AmCham Shanghai,representing the Chamber and American business interests inChinawith a focus on implementing AmCham Shanghai's primary mission: to foster the success of its member companies competing in theChinamarket and to strengthen the U.S.-Chinacommercial relationship. Gibbs will be responsible for the implementation and oversight of all Chamber initiatives and will report directly to AmCham Shanghai's Board of Governors,as represented by the Chair. He will start as president onJanuary 1,2019.

About AmCham Shanghai

The American Chamber of Commerce inShanghai,known as the "Voice of American Business" inChina,is one of the largest American Chambers in theAsia-Pacificregion. Founded in 1915,AmCham Shanghai was the third American Chamber established outside the United States. As a non-profit,non-partisan business organization,AmCham Shanghai is committed to the principles of free trade,open markets,private enterprise,and the unrestricted flow of information.It has 3,000 members representing 1,500 corporations.

Visitwww.amcham-shanghai.orgfor more information about AmCham Shanghai.

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