The Members of the American Chamber of Commerce Slovenia have extended the mandate of Jurij Giacomelli, Delo d.d., for the Board of Governors for another two years and as a new member of the Board elected Aleša Kandus Benčina, Medex d.d.
The members have supported and expressed satisfaction with the work of the Chamber, headed by the President of the AmCham Slovenia, Matej Potokar MBA and run by AmCham Slovenia Executive Director mag. Ajša Vodnik and excellent executive team.
The President of the AmCham Slovenia, Matej Potokar gave a welcome speech: » A year has passed since I have become the President of the AmCham Slovenia. I accepted the function with a great pleasure, yet also with a lot of responsibility. Although this year has been a year of political changes in Slovenia, the AmCham Slovenia continues in remaining the voice of the international community for prosperous business and everyday environment. We are aware that there are many structural and business environment changes necessary in Slovenia. Therefore, I would like to thank all the experts, working within the AmCham Committees, who also with a proactive attitude and optimism wish to work for the common good.
It has been and always is a great pleasure meeting you at all our various events, which prove to be a good meeting place of businessmen, diplomacy, experts from different fields of work and politics. We have, during one year within the AmCham, organized and supported more than 40 such events.
I am also particularly pleased at the development of the AmCham Young Professionals Program, which has just in the last few days become eligible for the copyright protection as the intellectual property of AmCham Slovenia and its team, who developed it, and which has reached an appropriate degree of individuality, creativity and recognizability, which goes also for the brand of the AmCham Young Professionals itself.
Being aware of many challenges ahead, I would like to express my sincere thanks to all the Members of the Board of Governors for their contribution; thank you, Thierry Villard, Jurij Giacomelli, Nataša Jenčič, Matjaž Rakovec, Sandi Češko, and would like to especially thank Robert Trnovec, whose two-year mandate has just terminated today but will remain the Co-Chair of the Leadership and Talent Development Committee, for which I am very glad. I am much obliged to the AmCham Team for its successful work. And of course, heartfelt thanks to all the patrons and sponsors for their support.
The biggest gratitude goes of course to you, dear members, who are always in the center of our attention and hereby one should not forget the fact that the chamber` s reputation is reflected in the reputation of you, our members. We would like to right on today` s General Assembly listen also to your wishes and views. «
The members have been especially pleased with the fact that the Program AmCham Young Professionals TM, meant for promising, young, future business leaders – the active population between 25 and 33 years, has after several years of development reached an appropriate level of individuality, creativity and recognizability and thus became righteously eligible for the copyright protection as the intellectual property of Amcham Slovenia and its team that developed it, and the same goes also for the brand AmCham Young Professionals itself. The program, primarily created according to the conceptual idea of Ajša Vodnik, M.Sc., the Executive Director of AmCham Slovenia is successfully developing in cooperation with the team and its Project Manager Maja Košir and external collaborator of AmCham Slovenia, the intuitive coach, Bogo Seme. Many AmChams throughout the world showed their interest for the Program AmCham Young Professionals which will shortly start with its new generation.
Nana Šumrada Slavnič, Top Potential of the Year 2012 held a short speech in which she expressed her delight about the program: »I met many great young people and I believe this is great platform that gives us great opportunities.
Eugene Young, Deputy Chief of Mission on US Embassy in Slovenia in his speech emphasized great partnership that US Embassy and AmCham Slovenia have and said that he has been diplomat for past 25 years and that he can say that AmCham Slovenia is one of the most active and professional AmChams in the world.
The members also approved two new programs – Leader’s Club and USAlumni and commended the work of eight Committees, which with more than 150 experts wish to contribute actively to the development and positive changes in the Slovenian business environment.
Members also voted and with majority of votes approved the proposal of Board of Governors – which was also supported by AmCham Membership Committee, in which is proposed simplification of Membership Types which should be merged to three categories Corporate; Entrepreneur; Nonprofit in following manner:
Corporate and Business becomes Corporate
Entrepreneur and Small Business becomes Entrepreneur
Non-Profit stays Non Profit.
This provision comes into the force for new members on June 7, 2012 and for long standing members on January 1st 2013.
After the official part, the guest of the evening, Miha Pogačnik, a world-class business motivator, concert violinist, a Slovenian with U.S. citizenship, brought to the members of AmCham Slovenia a different dimension of the perception of management and business leadership in his own, unique way.