Networking, information, problem solving, and lobbying in Luxembourg - AMCHAM
Published 4 July, 2023
The American Chamber of Commerce in Luxembourg (AMCHAM) is not only the biggest private Chamber in Luxembourg. Affiliated with the US Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of American Chambers in Europe, AMCHAM has a global network that our alumni can be part of now without paying more per year than what one good night out in Luxembourg would cost.
Networking and More
AMCHAM members have access to around 30 networking events every year as well as exclusive information delivered to them via a weekly digital newsletter. The Chamber also hosts 17 committees dedicated to specific sectors and does lobbying to ensure Luxembourg remains business-friendly, attractive, and profitable.
We all know that networking is time-consuming and one needs more than just access to events to make it effective in a given place and time. One needs to have information about how Luxembourg works. And AMCHAM gives their members just that. “Luxembourg is a warm and friendly place to a reasonable degree, but it is a little bit of an inside crowd,” shares Paul Schonenberg, Chairman and CEO of AMCHAM.
“If you do not know who to talk to about what, sometimes you can talk to the wrong people or sometimes you can say the wrong thing. We try and help people with that. Our experience is that international companies are interested in being well-adjusted and fitting in to be a real part of Luxembourg. So we do our best to help them, explain what to do and how to do it so that their neighbors all like them and they are indeed a good fit.”
AMCHAM also actively engages and communicates with the government to represent its members and make sure that their point of view is well understood. However, Paul sees the mission of AMCHAM beyond getting what their members need but actually making Luxembourg do what is best for the country. “There is nothing that we do that I cannot say is good for Luxembourg at the end of the day too,” he says. “We are not just here as a lobbying organisation for our members, but everything that we do is likewise in Luxembourg's best interest at the end of the day.”
Over the years AMCHAM grew from being a purely North American Chamber of Commerce into being a melting pot organisation: 30% of their membership is American companies, 20% is Luxembourgish companies and the rest is organisations from all over the world. “Our primary mission is to support the international business community in Luxembourg and to facilitate and support the Luxembourg government to ensure that Luxembourg stays a business-friendly place for international companies to be located.” sums up Paul.
Why Should Alumni Join AMCHAM?
Mikael Da Silva, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at RoomMate and an alumnus of the Bachelor en Gestion - Entreprises programme, learned about AMCHAM through the Alumni Network’s GradPack: “It provided me with information about the organisation and allowed me to make initial contact,” he shares. “Now I can say that the most useful aspect of being an AMCHAM member is the access to a diverse network of professionals and resources from the USA and Luxembourg which greatly facilitates collaboration and opportunities for growth.”
Uni.lu graduates benefit from discounted membership for five years after graduation, including access to the AMCHAM Members Benefit Club. “We believe that it is a part of our corporate social responsibility to be helpful and supportive of Luxembourg being strong,” returns Paul. “And if we can help young people here interested in business by providing them a good membership price which just shows a little bit of interest and commitment on their side, we are happy to absorb the rest of the costs associated with it.”
AMCHAM would like to see more alumni like Mika in their midst. “We can provide a friendly organisation with 360 businesses as members and we try and make sure that our events are welcoming and provide networking opportunities," returns Paul.
"We are a business kind of semi-social networking organisation that is willing to provide a certain measure of help and support and information to help Uni.lu graduates in thinking about the possibilities that are associated with having a business career and offering a bit of support," he says. "I would say we are offering something that is mutually beneficial and that is fair and we believe that alumni that would show up at our events and get engaged and get involved a little bit, and share their point of view – that is useful feedback for us in our companies to have too.”
Business or not, you can never know too many people in Luxembourg and won't find a better place to meet someone new than the biggest private Chamber in Luxembourg. “I would highly recommend other alumni to join AMCHAM because it offers valuable resources and especially if you are looking to continue to build a connection to the United States,” concludes Mika.
