Shanghai American Chamber President Becomes “Honorary” Buckeye 

SHANGHAI -- Hailed as an “honorary Buckeye”, Brenda Foster, President of Amcham Shanghai, was presented with the honorary title and an Ohio State University football jersey at the conclusion of her keynote speech, January 14, at the Central Hotel.

The forum for Foster’s keynote address was the reception dinner for a group of OSU Fisher College of Business EMBA’s who are traveling through China .

Robert Benedetti, Director of the OSU Alumni Association in Shanghai presented Foster with the jersey, declaring; “Brenda, we hope the success you have helped Amcham Shanghai enjoy under your leadership will rub off on the Buckeye football team next year.”

The Buckeyes have now succumbed to losses in consecutive BCS Championship game appearances, the most recent their January 7 loss to LSU.   

Foster delivered a China business keynote speech to the gathering of 75 current Fisher College of Business EMBA’s and friends, during their Shanghai dinner reception. The Shanghai stop is part of a two-week education focus on China for the EMBA students.

“The students are on a program of China business orientation,” says Fisher Program Coordinator, Mara McKee. “Throughout the trip, they will be hosted by business leaders in Shanghai , Beijing and Hong Kong .”

A native of Hawaii , and a fan of the University of Hawaii Warriors football team, Foster wryly noted that while both schools entered their BCS Championship games with high expectations, both, similarly, were dealt the same difficult defeats.

“Everyone here has something better to look forward to next year,” Foster encouraged the audience.

In addition to welcoming the group, and answering their questions about the business environment in China , Foster offered the executives highlights from the recently published Amcham 2007 China Business Report.

In summarizing the report, Foster told the audience: “While challenges remain to doing business in China , most American companies surveyed remain firmly committed to their businesses in China , and continue to acknowledge the importance of China to their businesses.” 

“Having Brenda (Foster) offer her perspective on the American business climate in China is invaluable insight for our students, Mckee adds.”

Professor Anil Makhija, Chair Department of Finance at Fisher, agrees: “Brenda helps our students understand the real issues impacting American business people in China . Her remarks couldn’t have been more timely and relevant to our students.”

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Fisher College of Business. Since 1916, the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University has produced exceptional leaders who meet the challenges of a changing global business environment through creative and effective solutions. In 1993, the college received a gift from alumnus Max. M. Fisher, a leading industrialist, philanthropist and public servant. Mr. Fisher's desire to see his alma mater become one of the premier management institutions in the country spearheaded the construction of a state-of-the-art, six-building campus. In recognition of his commitment, the college was named the Max M. Fisher College of Business.

Since then, the college has undergone a corporate turnaround; narrowing the focus of its programs, recruiting leading faculty, placing a renewed emphasis on experiential learning, and offering a wide range of international study options. Faculty and staff have also established new scholarship and fellowship opportunities, strengthened their commitment to diversity, and created innovative academic and corporate partnerships. As a result, Fisher's international reputation continues to rise and is reflected in rankings which place the college among the top 25 business schools in the nation at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. www.Fisher.osu.edu 

The American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai (AmCham Shanghai) is a non-partisan, non-profit business organization established in 1915. It is the third overseas American chamber to operate worldwide, established only three years after the founding of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. AmCham Shanghai was resurrected in 1987 after a break of 38 years, and is the largest AmCham in the Asia Pacific Region. www.amcham-shanghai.org

AmCham Shanghai represents 1,500 companies and 3,500 individual members and is growing by an average of 80 new members per month. We are committed to the principles of free trade, open markets, private enterprise and the unrestricted flow of information.

The Shanghai clubs of the Fisher College of Business Alumni Association and Ohio State University Alumni Association are member-driven associations devoted to service in promoting, organizing and growing the outreach, networking and community service of their complementary alumni in China . With more than 1,000 members in Greater China, the clubs are currently organized in Shanghai , Hong Kong and Taiwan . www.buckeyesinchina.com www.ohiostatealumni.org