Click here for a list of the 2013 Board of Governors

Mark Gillin, Chair
America Indochina Management (AIM)

Mark Gillin is a founder, Chairman, and Managing Director of America Indochina Management Ltd. (AIM). Prior to AIM, he has been identifying and developing business opportunities in Indochina. Established in 1994, AIM has emerged as one of the leading sales and distribution companies in Indochina. Mark spearheaded several of the company’s key strategic initiatives including launching a building materials business; diversifying into industrial consumables in 1998, reducing the company’s exposure to and thus overcoming the Asian Crisis of 1997.

The company entered the hotel supply business in Siem Reap, Cambodia in 1998, now one of the world’s fastest growing tourist destinations. AIM’s merger with Protech in 2005 has enabled the company’s building products business to achieve successive years of growth in excess of 100%.

Mark has successfully managed businesses in a number of different markets (Japan, Hong Kong, Guam, Vietnam, Cambodia), at various stages of development. Prior to coming to Vietnam in 1993, Mark spent five years with Getz Bros. & Co. Inc., the oldest and largest US non-commodities trading company, where he worked closely on marketing and distribution related issues with leading multinationals including Nestlé, Mobile Chemical, Kimberly Clark, Abbott Labs, Colgate Palmolive, Heineken and others.

Mark Gillin graduated with honors from Duke University with a BA in Policy Studies.

Lee Baker, Vice Chair
Leggett & Platt Global Services

Lee is senior legal and commercial advisor for Legget and Platt Global Services. Leggett & Platt is a Fortune 500 Company, made up of over 250 branches in 35 countries Lee’s business experience in Vietnam has been in its “lifestyle” sector, where she has successfully established, and at times managed, a sourcing and consulting/advisory company (Indochina Sources), a boutique furniture factory (Temple Design), three restaurants in (Temple Club and qing in Ho Chi MInh City, and qing in Hong Kong), an event planning company (RSVP) and a wellness and fitness venture (NTFQ2). Lee is on the Advisory Boards of the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation, Nutrifort and the prior Saigon Town & Country Club, and has been a regular lecturer on the academic, business and legal circuits in and regarding Vietnam. She has also been active in corporate governance initiatives of the International School of Ho Chi Minh City, which her children attend.

A lawyer by profession, her prior legal positions are extensive and include managing lawyer for Coudert Brothers’ Vietnam practice, resident legal advisor for the US-Vietnam Trade Council and consultant for the USAID-funded STAR legal reform initiative. Before coming to Vietnam, Lee worked in Hong Kong office of Jones Day, and as in-house counsel for the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. And before coming to Asia in 1990, Lee was with the Washington DC office of McGuire Woods, following a federal judicial clerkship. Lee graduated from Washington & Lee University School of Law, and obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia.

Lee served on AmCham’s Board of Governors from 1996 to 2004, and was Chairman from 1998 to1999, when the US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement was initialed. She continued to play an active advisory role to AmCham as a former Chair, and was re-elected to the Board in December 2008. She has been Chairman of the Nominating Committee (2010, 2011), and Board Liaison for the Governors’ Ball Organizing Committee.

Lee has lived permanently in Vietnam since 1995. She is married to Chip Baker, and they have two sons, Ford and Grey.

Marc Townsend, Vice Chair
CB Richard Ellis Vietnam

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.

Jeffrey Carleton, Treasurer
Citi Vietnam

Jeff Carleton was appointed Country Treasurer and Head of Global Markets for Citi Vietnam in March 2010.

Jeff has spent over 25 years in the Banking Industry, including nine years in Credit Suisse’s Fixed Income business in London and New York, and at Citi, where he has spent the last fifteen years. At Citi, he worked in New York from 1995-2007, and held various senior management positions in their 4,000 member Global Fixed Income business, most recently as Chief Operating Officer. Jeff moved to Seoul in 2007 when he was named the Country Treasurer and Head of Global Markets for Citibank Korea Inc, one of the largest subsidiaries of Citigroup, with approximately 5,000 employees and $50bn in assets. He held this position until his recent move to Vietnam.

Jeff graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce from the University of Virginia, and received an MBA from the Wharton Graduate School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst. Jeff and his wife Kristine have a daughter, Katherine, who is attending school in the US.

Emre Olcer, Secretary
Procter & Gamble Vietnam

Leading P&G Vietnam, Emre sets a clear target for high growth and accelerating further investment from P&G into Vietnam. He is not only focused on business activities, but also puts corporate social responsibilities high on his agenda. These would range from supporting the host government in promoting trade and investment between Vietnam and the United States, to social involvement and charitable activities at the grass roots level.

Emre started his career in L’OREAL as a Brand Manager for Hair and Skin Care in Istanbul. He later joined Gillette and managed Personal care and then Duracell as Brand Manager. Emre was promoted to Regional Business Director leading Duracell and then Gillette for Eastern Med Hub (Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Israel, Serbia, Kosovo, Croatia). When Gillette merged to P&G in 2006, Emre was appointed Asst. Marketing Director for Gillette, CEEMEA, and moved out of Turkey to his first oversea assignment in London and then Geneva. Emre was promoted to Marketing Director in-charge of Male Grooming, Asia, based in Singapore in 2008.

Emre has extensive experience in Marketing and Sales of FMCG categories. He has a passion for winning and as an action-oriented person he believes starting is half of finishing the task. He also values cultural diversity as richness and enjoys being exposed to different cultures. Emre is married to Isabella and has two children, Maya (9) and Lara (3). He is interested in Sailing, Skiing, Squash, History, and speaks fluent Turkish, French, and English.

Sherry Boger, Governor
Intel Products Vietnam Ltd

Sherry Boger is the General Manager of Intel Products Vietnam and is responsible for all aspects of the ramp of Intel’s $ 1B state-of-the art assembly and test facility located in HCMC. The new HCMC factory will produce the latest technology microprocessors and chipsets for Intel’s global supply chain and when full the site will employ 4000 employees.

Prior to coming to Vietnam, Sherry was responsible for Intel’s highest volume chipset operations in Chengdu China from November 2009 through October 2012. Prior to this, Sherry was in Shanghai China leading the asset transfer and disposition strategy as part of Intel’s consolidation efforts. From 2007-2008, Sherry was the Fab Director for Intel-Micron NAND Flash Joint Venture, leading the green field start-up of a $2B state-of-the-art semiconductor fabrication facility located in Singapore.

Sherry started working for Intel in 1993 and has spent most of her working career in fab in various positions within engineering. She has done two development rotation assignments in technology development, working at five different sites in the US and three sites internationally.

Outside of work, Sherry enjoys traveling and is an avid cold weather sea kayaker. Sherry holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering Technology from Oregon Institute of Technology.

Fred Burke, Governor
Baker & McKenzie

Fred has been active in AmCham in Vietnam since it was first established in 1994. He served as a member of the Board of Governors from 1995 – 2003 and was Chairman in 1997. After a hiatus of four years, he was re-elected to the Board in December 2007.

He has been a leader of the Legal Committee since 2004, as Chairman and then Board Liaison, 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, 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.

L. Mason Cobb, Governor
Victoria Healthcare International Clinic

After 11 years in Viet Nam, I may be beginning to understand how things work here. I am proud of the 2 private healthcare clinics that we have started from scratch. Starting Victoria Healthcare with our own resources meant a sober reading of the market and country risk in VN, as well as accurately reading the cultural adjustments needed while not sacrificing quality. Our wisest observation (among many that were not so wise) was that the Vietnamese had the sophistication and means to support a high standard of healthcare and that expatriates could receive high quality care in country without an expensive flight overseas for relatively minor problems.

Advocacy for both high standards of healthcare and small foreign or jointly-owned businesses have become serious interests for me. As the recession downsizes many larger businesses, and makes the decisions of small businesses more acute, it is important for AmCham to hear these voices and feedback the best dialog and advice possible. I also believe that strong alliances with our own country and with our Consulate and the government of Viet Nam are critical to succeeding in the coming hard times.

In what seems like another life, I was Chief of Pediatric Surgery at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, then successfully headed 2 rapid growth private practices, and was Chief of Surgery at a major children’s hospital before coming to Viet Nam. Geographically, I hail from MI, and continue to observe healthcare and best-practices all over the USA, literally from AK to ME. The experience of managing practices and institutional divisions with both a strong ethic and business sense, as well as integrating with the larger community, was a great education for what we must do in Viet Nam.

Ly Le, Governor
Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam Ltd

Ly Le is Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam Legal Counsel.

Prior to joining Coca-Cola, she was responsible for all aspects of legal work, government affairs, regulatory affairs, general legal services and ethics and compliance matters of the Vietnam operations of a global cosmetics firm, and from 2010, in addition to her Vietnam responsibilities, Ly Le has been in charge of legal work in Thailand for the firm.

She has been actively involved in various non-government business associations, including the American Chamber of Commerce Direct Selling Committee, the Vietnam Association of Oils – Aromas – Cosmetics, the Vietnam Association of Trademark Protection, and the establishment of the local Vietnam Direct Selling Association.

She led the development of the AmCham Direct Selling Committee, which now includes the following companies as members: AmWay, Avon Cosmetics (Vietnam), Aloe Trading Co. (Forever Living Products), Oriflame, Tahitian Noni, Herbalife, International Consumer Products (ICP), Beaute Cosmetique, and Sophie Paris Vietnam, with the support of the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations, based in Washington, DC.

Education: Bachelor of Degree in Law , Swinburne University of Technology (Australia) in Corporate Law, Singapore Institute of Management

Doris Marchardt, Governor
Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon

Doris is the General Manager of the Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon. Born and raised in Vienna, Austria, Doris graduated from the Hotel Management School in 1981. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge accumulated through more than 20 years of experience in hotel operations in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

She has held several management positions with Marriott in Asia over the past eight years including resident manager of the Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel, general manager of the Sathorn Vista Marriott Executive Apartment in Bangkok and, most recently, general manager of the New World Saigon. Doris has won several awards for her outstanding performance such as Customer Satisfaction Excellence in 2009 and 2010; Marriott Mustang Award in 2009 and 2010.

Jonathan Moreno, Governor
Sandhill Scientific Vietnam

Jonathan is the General Director of Sandhill Scientific Vietnam, a wholly-owned FDI subsidiary of one of the world’s leading medical device companies specializing in gastrointestinal diagnostic equipment. Sandhill opened its Vietnam manufacturing operation in Binh Duong, December 2010, representing the “third wave” of US high technology investment in Vietnam.

In 2012, Jonathan helped form AmCham’s first Manufacturing Committee and served as its Chairman. The Committee was established to increase the value of AmCham membership for its manufacturing sector members, including the supporting supply chain, by providing networking opportunities and collaborative solutions which could not be achieved as effectively by individual member companies. The committee enjoyed a great start with more than 40 AmCham manufacturing leaders having participated in its monthly meetings. Initiatives included a briefing on Intel’s eCustoms solution, and a follow-up Dialogue Meeting with the General Department of Vietnam Customs, and planning for a “Suppliers’ Day” for Manufacturing Committee members.

Binh Nguyen, Governor
FedEx Vietnam

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.

Chad Ovel, Governor
AA Corporation

Chad Ovel is the Chief Executive Officer of AA Corporation, a Vietnamese-owned company with 2,000 employees, which has been the domestic market leader for interior furnishings and construction since 1993.

Chad has been a resident of Vietnam since 1996. During 1996, Chad worked for San Diego-based venture capital fund Pacifica Vietnam. From 1997-2000, he served as the Development Director of World Wide Fund for Nature Indochina. From 2000-2006, Chad worked at ScanCom Vietnam where he served as the Managing Director of 6,000 employees. At ScanCom, Chad led the aggressive and innovative growth of the company to a turnover of US$ 150mil, making it the largest furniture exporter in Vietnam in 2006.

Chad is highly committed to environmental and social responsibility. Over the past ten years he has been a very active promoter of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), leading a “green revolution” in the garden furniture industry. Additionally, he has served on the Advisory Board of Social Accountability International (SA8000) in Vietnam. Chad has most recently founded an advisory company, Indochina Carbon, focusing on mitigating climate change in the region.

Aside from his passion for furniture, Chad is also an ambitious high-altitude mountaineer. He recently reached the summit of Broad Peak, 8,050m (Pakistan) and Ama Dablam, 6,830m (Nepal). Chad holds a BA from Carleton College and an MBA from University of Chicago.

Jeff Puchalski, Governor
ForeGolf Asia

PGA of America member Jeff Puchalski is CEO of FOREGolf Asia, a management and consulting firm specializing in matters key to the successful development and operation of a golf facility. He spent more than a dozen years directing the award-winning Dalat Palace and Ocean Dunes golf clubs, and stood at the nexus of a dozen more development projects during his 13 years in Asia,

Jeff has served on the AmCham Board of Governors since 2002, and was Chairman of AmCham in 2005, a year that saw the U.S. and Vietnam celebrate their 10th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Jeff has been a key organizer for many major AmCham events throughout his tenure, including Governors Balls, July 4th Family Picnics, and the Dalat Winter Weekend. Jeff is active in the Tourism Committee, where he serves as the liaison for the Board of Governors. With more than 25 years of experience, Jeff has knowledge of the travel and hospitality industry that is extensive and diverse.

Christopher Twomey, Governor
ACE Insurance

Christopher Twomey was appointed CEO & General Director of ACE Insurance Company, Ltd. in Vietnam in February, 2007. In this role, Mr. Twomey opened-up ACE Insurance’s Non-Life insurance activities in Vietnam and now oversees the operations and business development of ACE Non-Life’s key business lines in Vietnam, namely, Property & Casualty, Accident & Health and Travel insurance. He is also responsible for the management of regulatory relationships, strategic partnerships and other affinity business relationships within Vietnam.

Mr. Twomey has been working with ACE Insurance since 1990 and living in Asia since 2003. Over that time he 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 and Casualty Cluster Manager for North Asia.

Mr. Twomey participated in the Vietnam Prime Minister’s Advisory Council (PMAC) Conference in November, 2006 just prior to his appointment in Vietnam, and since arriving to HCMC in early 2007 has been very active with AmCham HCMC including sitting on the Board of Governors in 2008 as he completed the remaining two-year term of a departing governor.

Mr. Twomey is originally from West Hartford, Connecticut and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a Certificate of Soviet Studies from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH (USA). He lives in Ho Chi Minh City with his wife Valerie and two young children.

Sesto Vecchi, Governor
Russin & Vecchi

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 over 25 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.

Click here for a list of the 2013 Board of Governors

Click here to see the 2012 Board of Governors • Biographic Information