ICC’s World Chambers Federation announces new Council

Led by Hamad Buamim, WCF Chair and President and CEO of Dubai Chamber, the General Council is responsible for defining the strategic direction and development of WCF services. It works to promote and reinforce chambers of commerce as facilitators of global trade and drivers of local private sector development and sustainable growth.

Chamber leaders from local, regional and national chambers were eligible to run for the General Council. The governing body includes members and executives from all parts of the world, representing developed and developing countries, standing for both large and small chambers that are either public or private law based. Each will serve for a three-year term and has the opportunity to run twice.

In addition, 12 other members have been invited to join as co-opted representatives. This measure ensures that the governing body is representative of the diversity of the global chamber community. Four transnational chambers holding memorandums of understanding and cooperation agreements with ICC have also been invited to join the Council.

The new General Council members of the World Chambers Federation for the 2020-2022 term are as follows:

Elected members:

• Michael Barnett, Chief Executive, Auckland Business Chamber (New Zealand)
• Jérôme Bédier, Member in charge of International Affairs, Paris IDF Chamber of Commerce and Industry (France)
• José Luis Bonet Ferrer, President, Chamber of Commerce of Spain (Spain)
• Jay Byers, CEO, Greater des Moines Partnership (United States)
• Dilip Dandekar, Former President, Indian Merchants Chamber (India)
• Mihai Daraban, President, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania (Romania)
• Victor Dosoretz, Permanent Director and Treasurer, Argentinean Chamber of Commerce (Argentina)
• Peter Hill, Chair, Santiago Chamber of Commerce (Chile)
• Vincenzo Ilotte, President, Torino Chamber of Commerce (Italy)
• Toru Ishida, President, Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Japan)
• Todd Letts, CEO, Brampton Board of Trade (Canada)
• Mark Nowitz, Director, Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (South Africa)
• Vladimir Padalko, Vice-President, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation (Russia)
• Sergio Papini, Vice-President for International Affairs, Brazilian Confederation of Trade and Business Association (Brazil)
• Richard Schenz, Vice-Chair, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (Austria)
• Nora Senior, Past President, British Chambers of Commerce (United Kingdom)
• Vincent Subilia, Director General, Geneva Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Services (Switzerland)
• Volker Treier, Chief Executive of Foreign Trade, Members of Executive Board, Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (Germany)
• Wouter van Gulck, General Manager, Federation of Belgian Chambers of Commerce (Belgium)
• Izzet Volkan, Chair of the Board, Corlu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Turkey)

Co-opted members:

• Khalid Al Hajri, Board Member, Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Qatar)
• Danela Arsovska, President, Macedonian Chamber of Commerce (Macedonia)
• Gennadiy Chzyhykov, President, Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Ukraine)
• Toki Mabogunje, President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Nigeria)
• Ho Meng Kit, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Business Federation (Singapore)
• Robert Mwesigwa Rukaari, President, Uganda National Chamber of Trade and Investment (Uganda)
• Nathan Poplawsky, President, Chamber of Commerce, Services and Tourism of Mexico City (Mexico)
• Rabih Sabra, Director General, Chamber of Commerce, Agriculture and Industry of Beirut and Mount Lebanon (Lebanon)
• Kok Seng Vong, Vice-President, Macao Chamber of Commerce (Macao)
• Pedram Soltani, First Vice-President, Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (Iran)
• Vu Tien Loc, Chair and President, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Vietnam)

Transnational chamber seats:

• Association of Ibero-American Chambers of Commerce (AICO)
• Confederation of Asia Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI)
• Junior Chamber International (JCI)
• Silk Road Chamber of International Commerce (SRCIC)

Executive Committee members (ex-officio):

• Yassin Al Suroor, WCF G20 Representative; Chair, ICC Saudi Arabia (Saudi Arabia)
• Peter Bishop, WCF International Certificate of Origin Council Chair; Deputy Chief Executive, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (United Kingdom)
• Ruedi Bolliger, WCF ATA Carnet Chair; Executive Director, Alliance of Swiss Chambers of Commerce (Switzerland)
• Stephen Cartwright, WCF Vice-Chair; CEO, NSW Business Chamber (Australia)
• Monica De Greiff, WCF Vice-Chair; President, Bogota Chamber of Commerce (Colombia)
• Kiprono Kittony, WCF Vice-Chair; Chamber President, Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kenya)
• Sheree Ann Kelly, WCF Vice-Chair; President and CEO, Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (United States)
• Hans-Jörg Schmidt-Trenz, WCF Membership Committee Chair; Past CEO and Counsellor, Hamburg Chamber of Commerce (Germany)
• Jianlong Yu, WCF Vice-Chair; Secretary General, China Chamber of International Commerce