Dear Members and Friends

Time flies, something we observe all the time. Amid the flurry of activities we engage in, do we ever pause to check if we’re still on track? Experience says, not often enough!

The time has flown by in 2023 as well, and we’re already entering the final sixth of the year. It’s our last chance to work towards achieving our goals, ambitions, objectives, and targets set for the year. Are you satisfied with the outcome so far?

Time flies, also in terms of the time I have available to serve as your president. The SCCC bylaws approved in 2016 state that each board member, including the president, may serve a maximum of 4 election cycles of 2 years each. In addition, a board member must be under the official retirement age at the time of the 2-year election cycle. Therefore, my term of office will end at the AGM in Spring 2024 due to both time served and retirement age.

It is now time to begin the process of selecting a new president. Therefore, this serves as a call for candidates. If you are interested, please send your application with your CV to president@sccc.ch by December 31, 2023.

To be eligible for election, candidates must, among other criteria, have a relevant professional relationship with China, several years of experience working in and with mainland China’s business community, and the seniority and experience to interact with government agencies and senior members of the Swiss and Chinese governments. The president of the SCCC is a pro bono role, the expected time commitment varies, on average it is 30 percent of the annual professional working time. There are no expenses paid to board members or the president.

In January 2024, the board will form a finding committee to review the applications received. Candidates who meet the criteria for the role will be interviewed. After the interviews, a shortlist will be presented to the board, and subsequently, the general assembly will vote on it.

In September, the board decided to review the current SCCC strategy to ensure we are effectively serving our members and stakeholders. As part of this review, we will send out a member survey in the coming weeks. We strongly encourage you to participate and share your insights. Your feedback will help refine and enhance SCCC’s focus on serving its members and stakeholders. Additionally, the shortlisted candidates for the SCCC presidency will also be included in the strategy task force.

We wish you a pleasant November. Our fact-finding mission to China is scheduled for November 1-8. During this period, a sizeable group of Swiss entrepreneurs and professionals will tour China, observing the current economic situation and engaging with both Chinese and Swiss experts based in the region. For those who can’t join the mission, we’re hosting a webinar on November 29 to share our findings and insights. Don’t miss this opportunity – sign up here.

The next newsletter will be out in early December.

Kind regards

Jīn wō yín wō bù rú zì jǐ de gǒu wō.

East or west, home is the best.