Eden Woon To Head AmCham From September

The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong (AmCham) has named veteran business and academic leader Eden Woon as its next president.

Woon, who’s currently the president of the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand and a special advisor to the Shaw Foundation of Hong Kong, will take up the new post on September 1.

He replaces outgoing head, Tara Joseph, who is leaving the influential business organisation after serving five years as president.

The appointment came at a time when more some Amcham members are thinking of leaving the city over Covid-19 restrictions.

In a survey published in January, 26 percent of 151 corporate representatives polled said their firms were more likely to leave the SAR, along with 44 percent of the 111 individual members surveyed.

The organisation also noted a perception that foreign businesses were now less welcome in Hong Kong than before.

Woon acknowledged his job would not be easy.

“I look forward very much to returning to Hong Kong to help lead AmCham HK at a very challenging time for the organisation and for Hong Kong,” Woon said in a statement, adding that he hoped his experiences could help to benefit the chamber’s members.

AmCham’s chairman, Joseph Armas, welcomed the appointment.

He said Woon’s “combination of leadership, international business, and local experience” were recognised as a strength that would positively impact AmCham and the city.

Armas also expressed his appreciation for outgoing president Tara Joseph, particularly on her leadership, and efforts on important business issues.

Joseph, who had been serving as AmCham’s president since February 2017, announced her resignation in November last year.

She told Reuters News Agency that she decided to step down, as she could not appeal to the government to ease its mandatory quarantine requirements, while having to undergo 21 days of isolation herself upon returning to Hong Kong.

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Correction: an earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that more than a quarter of Amcham businesses and 44 percent of individual members said they were considering leaving Hong Kong, without specifying that these figures are from a survey of 151 corporate representatives and 111 individual members out of Amcham’s total membership of over 1,200 people. RTHK English News apologises for the mistake.