AmCham Shanghai Names New President

SHANGHAI, May 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai (AmCham Shanghai) today named Kenneth Jarrett to serve as the Chamber's new president succeeding Brenda Foster who will step down at the end of June after serving eight years as president to return to Hawaii where she will become an Executive-in-Residence at the University of Hawaii's Shidler College of Business.

Jarrett joins the Chamber from APCO Worldwide, a Washington, D.C.-based public affairs consultancy, where he served as chairman for Greater China for the past five years. Prior to APCO, he served as U.S. consul general in Shanghai from July 2005 to August 2008. Jarrett's 26-year diplomatic career also included postings as deputy consul general in Hong Kong and as director of Asian Affairs in the National Security Council, the White House, Washington, D.C., and political officer at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York. Jarrett served as board chairman of the USA Pavilion during the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

Robert Theleen, 2013 chair of the AmCham Shanghai Board of Governors, said the Board unanimously selected Jarrett based on his unique qualifications, experience, and his personal qualities.

"I am very pleased that Ken Jarrett will become our new President. Ken has been a pillar of the American community in Shanghai for many years, both as a distinguished diplomat as well as a successful business executive, more recently. As a former Chairman of AmCham Shanghai and a current board member, Ken brings depth of knowledge, strong relationships in both the American and Chinese communities and continuity of management with our talented staff at the Chamber. It will be a pleasure to work closely with Ken to further grow our organization as the leading voice of American business in China."

A search committee made up of board members and leaders from the membership was established with a mandate from the AmCham Shanghai Board of Governors to evaluate candidates for Chamber president.

Continued Theleen, "I wish to thank our Search Committee, led by both board members and general members of AmCham Shanghai. The Committee worked diligently in reviewing and interviewing a long list of qualified applicants in this process. I also thank the senior management team at Spencer Stuart, our executive search advisors, for their high standards and tireless efforts to help us achieve our goals in this complex process."

Peter Sykes, president of Dow Chemical China, AmCham Shanghai board member and search committee co-chair, commented on Jarrett's selection as the Chamber's new president.

"The tremendous interest we received for this position is a testament to the credibility of AmCham Shanghai and the central role it plays in the U.S.-China commercial relationship. The process was not an easy one, but we're delighted with the outcome. At the end of the day, Ken's tremendous experience, combined with his obvious passion for the role were decisive factors. I'd like to congratulate him and wish him the very best of luck in his new role."

As president, Jarrett will act as the public face of AmCham Shanghai, representing the Chamber and American business interests in China with a focus on implementing AmCham Shanghai's primary mission: to foster the success of its member companies competing in the China market and to strengthen the U.S.-China commercial relationship. Jarrett 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 on September 1, 2013.

Ken Jarrett is a graduate of Cornell University and holds an MA from Yale University and the National War College. He also studied at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center at Nanjing University in 1989, Chinese University in Hong Kong, and the Taipei Language Institute. Prior to working for the U.S. government, he was an English teacher at the Shanghai Foreign Languages Institute from 1979–1981. He served on the AmCham Shanghai Board of Governors in 2011–2013, serving as chair in 2012.

About AmCham Shanghai

The American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, known as the "Voice of American Business" in China, is the largest and fastest growing American Chamber in the Asia-Pacific region. 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.

Visit www.amcham-shanghai.org for more information about AmCham Shanghai.

SOURCE AmCham Shanghai