A Message From AmCham's CEO

April Palmerlee, November 2017

I am delighted to write to you for the first time as AmCham CEO – a position I am honoured to hold and shall undertake with dedication, energy and responsibility. Leading AmCham is a tremendous privilege and I am excited to work with our directors, governors, GMs, committee members, and staff to represent the AmCham community’s interests and enhance the US-Australia relationship through trade and investment.

I have long admired the work of the Chamber; over the years, I have been a supporter, event partner, member, host, attendee and speaker. And now I am moving from reading the CEO’s updates to writing them. AmCham is one of the most effective and respected business organisations in the country, and I intend to build on that, with your help.

While the Chamber has enjoyed great success in Australia over the past 56 years, our most significant work lies ahead. In today’s environment, the challenges to international trade and investment are substantial, but AmCham will continue bringing its members access to opportunity. With Prime Minister Turnbull, President Trump and other world leaders in the region this week for APEC, it’s the perfect time to talk about AmCham’s work.

AmCham enables members to operate with greater certainty about the business environment, expanding their knowledge and capabilities, and creating opportunities for collaboration. In short, AmCham is here to help your business do more: generate more jobs, inspire more innovation, be more connected, create more shareholder value -- in smart, effective, sustainable ways. This is at the heart of who we are, be it in Perth or Portland, Boston or Brisbane. We are your best connection to the US Embassy and consulates, Australian officials working on trade and investment, visiting Congressional delegations and senior administration officials, policy experts, and global business leaders.

I am based in Sydney but, in my first month, I have visited Perth, Canberra, Newcastle, Brisbane, and Hobart, and in the next fortnight I’ll be in Melbourne and Adelaide. My goal is to meet as many AmCham members as I can in my initial six months, so, if we haven’t met yet, please feel free to reach out to me by phone or email (see below) or come visit me at the Sydney office - or I’d be delighted to visit you. I want to hear directly from you about what we are doing well, where we need to improve, and how we might innovate for your benefit. Join me on this journey and let’s build our future together.


Kind Regards, 

April Palmerlee
Chief Executive Officer
AmCham Australia
P: 02 8031 9000
E: [email protected]