The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) of the Philippines named Sara Murphy as its first president.
AmCham said in a statement that following a thorough election process, Murphy unanimously secured the support of its board of directors and was appointed to lead the chamber for the upcoming year. Murphy is the president of Capital One Philippines and head of global operations, leading a team of over 4,000 associates in the country.
She also leads the company’s global expansion strategy, including the launch of its operations in South Africa. With substantial experience and a forward-thinking approach, she is poised to lead AmCham Philippines into a new growth, inclusivity and innovation phase, the chamber said.
“This historic election reflects the chamber’s commitment to diversity and equality, acknowledging the invaluable contributions of women in leadership roles. The chamber believes Murphy’s unique perspective and leadership style will inspire positive change and open new opportunities for all members,” it said.
AmCham Philippines members also elected United States Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson as honorary chairman.
Other new officers are Aileen Judan Jiao of IBM Philippines as first vice president; Mark Lwin if RELX Reed Elsevier Shared Services Phils. Inc. as second vice president; Aileen Lerma as corporate secretary; Ebb Hinchliffe as executive director; and Philip Soliven as treasurer.
Elected as directors are Antonio Del Rosario, Coca-Cola Philippines and Coca-Cola ASEAN and South Pacific, Michael Breen of Ford Philippines and Ford Motor Company, Carlos Ma. G. Mendoza of JPMorgan Chase Bank, Bruce Winton of Marriott International Philippines, Peter Maquera of Microsoft Philippines, Marissa De Ungria of SC Johnson & Sons Inc., Rick Santos of Santos Knight Frank, Paula Marie Navarro of United Airlines Inc., Frank Thiel of Quezon Power (Philippines) Ltd. Co., George Drysdale and Donald Felbaum.
AmCham Philippines said it extends its sincere appreciation to Thiel, its outgoing president and the directors for their service and as it welcomes the newly elected team.
The chamber looks forward to a year of collaboration, progress and engagement under the new board’s capable leadership.