US-ASEAN Business Council Hosts 40th Anniversary Gala Celebration in Singapore
(Singapore) On August 19, the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) hosted its 40th Anniversary Gala Celebration in Singapore, the first major gala held in the region since 2017. The event, with over 250 attendees, featured remarks from Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore Heng Swee Keat, U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN Yohannes Abraham, Ambassador-at-large Chan Heng Chee, and a fireside chat with former Minister of Finance of Indonesia Dr. Chatib Basri. The Council also received recorded messages from ASEAN Secretary General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia Retno Marsudi. The VIP reception ahead of the gala was co-hosted with Singapore Economic Development Board, represented by Managing Director Jacqueline Poh.
In his speech to attendees, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat remarked that “the partnership that the U.S. and ASEAN enjoy today has been significantly strengthened by the enduring support of the U.S. business community in deepening both bilateral and regional economic ties. The US-ASEAN Business Council reflects the optimism that the U.S. business community sees in ASEAN. We hope that U.S. businesses, who have benefitted greatly from opportunities in the Southeast Asian market, continue to advocate strongly for greater trade and economic connectivity between the U.S. and ASEAN.”
“Over the past year, it has been a privilege to serve as Chairman of USABC’s Board of Directors,” said Jeffrey Perlman, President and incoming CEO of Warburg Pincus. “During that time, I have seen firsthand how the Council not only helps individual member companies grow their businesses in this region, but also how USABC plays a vital role in supporting ASEAN's expansion. I look forward to continuing our efforts to promote mutually beneficial trade and investment relationships between the United States and Southeast Asia.”
“We were thrilled to celebrate our 40th anniversary in Singapore,” said Ambassador Ted Osius (ret.), President and CEO of the US-ASEAN Business Council. “Over the past four decades, the Council has seen remarkable and sustained growth. This year, it is on track to feature the largest increase in membership in its history to over 180 companies. We look forward to advancing our work with the public and private sectors to harness ASEAN’s regional potential, and we are confident that the U.S.-ASEAN economic relationship will continue to strengthen over time.”
USABC also presented one of the organization’s early pioneers, Ernie Bower, with a Founder’s Award. Throughout his career, Ernie has continued to champion economic ties between the United States and Asia, creating the first chair for Southeast Asian Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and founding BowerGroupAsia, a business advisory firm for companies in the region. Through these endeavors, he has fought to make ASEAN a household name in the United States and to raise the profile of the U.S.-ASEAN relationship.
The gala also served as a platform to introduce the most recent thought-leadership collaboration between USABC, EDB, and Deloitte, titled “Edges of Southeast Asia 2.0.” USABC’s work with the Deloitte Center for the Edge and the Singapore Economic Development Board, centered around innovation in ASEAN, is a reflection of the commitment of USABC member companies to foster a sustainable future in the region through their investments in local ecosystems.
The gala was generously supported by Chubb, ExxonMobil, Mastercard, Warburg Pincus, bp, Marriott International, Visa, and Chevron, in addition to several USABC member companies who joined the event as table sponsors. The gala was additionally supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board as its VIP Reception Partner, Brown Forman as its Beverage Partner for the VIP Reception, and United Overseas Bank as its ASEAN Bank Partner.