On July 2, we broadcast our Ordinary General Meeting live to all members. The event has been recorded and will be available in the member’s area. On the occasion, the members were able to find out about the activities of SWISSCAM, the financial result, election of the board, approval of the 2020 budget, among other topics. The event also had the virtual participation of the Swiss Ambassador to Brazil Andrea Semadeni and a special celebration of SWISSCAM’s 75th anniversary!
SWISSCAM President Philip Schneider welcomed and briefly reviewed SWISSCAM’s activities over the past two years. He thanked the team for the work done and highlighted the importance of the Chamber for the development of business between Switzerland and Brazil.
Ambassador Mr. Andrea Semadeni made a statement direct from Brasilia, mentioning the figures for bilateral trade between Brazil and Switzerland, the status of the EFTA-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement and the Agreement for the Elimination of Double Taxation between Brazil and Switzerland, that is currently under consideration on the Brazilian Senate.
Stefania Hertach, Executive Director of SWISSCAM, stressed that the Annual Report is a special commemorative edition of the Chamber’s 75th anniversary. Historian Carolina Kuk created a timeline with photos and documents from the most important moments. Then, a short video was presented with some of these photos and a short retrospective. Members will receive the commemorative book by mail.
The Director made a brief assessment of the 72 events held in 2019. Highlight for the following events: Second Edition of “Doing Business in Brazil”, “Petit Committee” with Federal Counsellor Ignazio Cassis, “Textil Road Show”, “EMBRAPII-Switzerland Workshop”, “Women in the Labor Market” and International Fairs. It also showed the new activities that SWISSCAM is carrying out after the COVID-19 pandemic: Webinars, SWISSCAM COVID-19 Special Bulletin and the Podcast.
The SWISSCAM Legal Director, Gustavo Stüssi, coordinated the formal part of the Assembly with the approval of the Management’s accounts, the election of the Directors, the 2020 budget and the ratification of the acts performed by the managers in the period from April to the date of the investiture, Stefania Hertach was an attorney for the associates.
Philip Schneider ended the event by thanking and asking for an increasingly active participation by members in SWISSCAM activities, so that the team can assist them in the best way.