News

Collaborating to Better Manage Healthcare Costs

One of the most important and powerful things the EACC does is building connections that allow leaders to identify and solve shared problems.    Last year, we organized a dinner with executives of our Italian member companies with no specific agenda – just to build new connections. During the event, several executives noted that they were seeking better ways to manage healthcare costs for employees.  After dinner and over the next few weeks those discussions continued, and so the “Waymark Collective” was

EACC Behind the Scenes August 2020

EACC Accounting Manager Joanna Deri to Retire This month’s EACC Behind the Scenes is bittersweet. As some of you may know, EACC Accounting Manager Joanna Deri is set to retire at the end of this month.  Joanna has truly been instrumental to the organization’s success and continued growth over the last several years. Whether it was creating membership invoices, taking care of deposits, reconciling bank statements or helping at Beaujolais Nouveau Premiere and the Annual Gala, Joanna always jumped right in!

EACC Board of Directors Holds Third Quarter 2020 Meeting

On Thursday, July 23, the EACC Board of Directors assembled (virtually, via Zoom) for its regularly scheduled quarterly meeting.  Board President Yannick Schilly welcomed everyone and asked Board Secretary Jim Keller to review the minutes from the April Board meeting.  Following up on one item, Jim noted that the EACC has identified Fiducial to take over our bookkeeping after our current Account Manager Joanna Deri retires in August.  (He added that if anyone wants to contribute to a retirement gift for

EACC Operational Changes -- The EACC Goes Virtual!

On March 17, Dayna O’Brien (our Operations Manager) and I decided in light of the growing health crisis to vacate our offices at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber at 3 E. 4th Street and work from home. Like our colleagues at REDI Cincinnati and CUSARC and other building tenants (and many of you), we packed up our computers, grabbed some office supplies and files, and each of us set up shop in our homes, not knowing when we might return.  Since then we have continued to engage our members through our

EACC Two-Question Survey: June 1, 2020

Last week the EACC brought back our ‘One Question Survey,’ which was launched in response to our 2018 Voice of the Customer study to ensure you as members continue to have a voice in what we do. (Since its been a while since the last One Question Survey, we threw in a bonus question and one for some demographics.) We sent the survey to close to 900 e-mail addresses and received 61 responses (a response rate of 6.9% percent).  One question I always ask when considering whether the EACC should host an event

EACC Behind the Scenes - May 2020

The Power of the EACC Network The primary power of the EACC is our ability to connect our members – to each other and to resources and information that help to grow their business. Doing that within our chapters is relatively simple, but how to do that across the Atlantic and the network?   In November 2019 we hosted our first “All-Chapter” webinar looking at the EU’s Autumn Economic Forecast; 39 people registered for that first event. Since then, nearly 2000 business leaders have signed up for events

EACC Network Releases COVID-19 Impact Stories

Every company and organization is finding ways to address the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The Executive Directors of the EACC Network (from Cincinnati to Lyon, from Florida to the Netherlands, from New York to Paris to the Carolinas) thought it would be helpful and interesting to hear the stories of our members as they respond to the crisis.  So we started collecting their stories and posting them to our YouTube Channel and our “COVID-19 Impact Stories” playlist.  The Cincinnati Chapter

EACC Behind the Scenes - April 2020

Despite COVID-19 Pandemic, EACC Greater Cincinnati Operations Continue Full Steam Ahead Since we moved out of our offices at 3 E. 4th street in mid-March, the EACC staff has continued to work remotely in line with Ohio’s shelter-in-place order. Nonetheless, the EACC’s work on behalf of its members continues full steam ahead. As always, the Cincinnati chapter of the EACC is working to ensure members have access to relevant and timely information as it relates to transatlantic business.  Given this

EACC Board of Directors Holds Second Quarter 2020 Meeting

The Board of Directors of the European American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cincinnati held is regularly scheduled quarterly board meeting on Thursday, April 23 at 4:30 p.m.  Due to “social distancing’ requirements the meeting was held using the Zoom™ platform. Board President Yannick Schilly called the meeting to order noting the economic and social disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic across our region and around the world. And he pointed out that given the Board’s concern over falling cash reserves

EACC & Partners Host “Manufacturers, Foreign Investors, and COVID-19: Getting Through the Crisis” Webinar

The COVID-19 global pandemic is impacting every company (and every individual) across our region.  Governments are taking steps to mitigate both the spread of the disease and the economic impact.  But given the speed at which this is happening, there is still confusion about who may be eligible for what benefits and what the long-term impact will be. Given this confusion, the EACC worked with our friends at Frost Brown Todd LLC and VonLehman CPA & Advisory Firm to organize a webinar exclusively for

EACC Welcomes New Member Prysmian Group

The EACC is delighted to welcome Sustaining Partner member Prysmian Group. Prysmian Group North America is headquartered in Highland Heights, Kentucky, and operates 25 plants across North America focused on the telecom and energy markets.  The company’s mission is to provide customers with superior cable solutions based on state-of-the-art technology and consistent excellence in execution, ultimately delivering sustainable growth and profit.   Prysmian Group has its roots in Pirelli all the way back in

Healthcare, COVID-19, and the EACC

Well before the COVID-19 pandemic began, the EACC started work to develop and launch a new Italian Committee (tentatively named the  Italian American Business Community) with a series of meals and discussions with the leadership of the Italian businesses among our members. In the context of those discussions, we heard repeatedly concerns about healthcare costs for small and medium sized employers.  Our executives asked if there was some way they could come together to better manage risks, improve

EACC Behind the Scenes - EACC of Greater Cincinnati Launches Updated Website

You may recall that in the fall of 2019 the EACC of Greater Cincinnati updated the look of our weekly newsletter, the EACC Newsbrief. We are now pleased to announce the launch of our updated website. Along with a refreshed design that aligns with the look of the updated the Newsbrief, the new website offers fresh capabilities that we trust will prove beneficial to our members. These capabilities include:  The ability to browse the EACC member directory by industry and countryThe ability to sign up for the

One Question Survey: March 9, 2020

On the morning of March 9, the EACC-Cincinnati sent a survey to about 860 individual e-mail addresses listed as active representatives at EACC-Cincinnati Member companies.  When we closed the survey at 10:45 a.m. on Friday, March 13 we had received 97 responses.  The goal of the survey was to get beyond the anecdotes and generate some meaningful data about how member companies are addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.  Please click here to view the survey results.        

Bockfest 2020 (and 2021?)

For 28 years, Bockfest has been a uniquely Cincinnati celebration of the coming of spring and the brewing heritage of Over-The-Rhine.  But Bockfest also has deep European roots in pre-Lenten observances like Carneval and Mardi Gras and Fasching and Shrove Tuesday.  It was that pan-European focus that called a hardy group of EACC members (including representatives from ABM Drives, Balluff,  Bannockburn Global Forex, Barnes Dennig, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, FC Cincinnati, Festo,

EACC Behind the Scenes: French Honorary Consul Installation Ceremony and EACC Welcome Reception

On Wednesday, February 19th the EACC hosted a Welcome Reception for companies that had joined the organization over the past year. In conjunction with the Welcome Reception, the EACC was honored to host the installation ceremony for the new Honorary Consul of France Nelly Bonniol, and the evening marked the perfect occasion to also recognize and thank outgoing Honorary Consul of France Anne Cappel for her years of consular service. Held in the Continental Ballroom at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza,

Executive Director Schwartz Recaps Recent Trip to Washington, DC

You may recall that last week I was in Washington DC with my counterparts Yvonne Bendinger-Rothschild (Executive Director of the New York Chapter) and Katherine Prewitt (Executive Director of the Paris Chapter) to work on establishing a new chapter of the European American Chamber of Commerce there.  We were joined by Guillaume Martinez, President of the Paris Chapter.  All in all, it was a very successful trip, and I thought you might be interested in some details. About twenty individuals (representing

EACC Behind the Scenes: Board of Directors Holds First Quarter 2020 Meeting

The Board of Directors of the Cincinnati Chapter of the European American Chamber of Commerce met at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 23 for its regular quarterly meeting at the First Financial Bank Innovation Center at 1 E 4th Street (thanks for hosting us!).  After a brief round of introductions, Board President Yannick Schilly reviewed just a few of the highlights of our very successful 2019, mentioning in particular our concerted efforts to identify new leadership and a new direction for the French

EACC Network Update

When we conducted our "Voice of the Customer" study (with EACC member firm Start Something Bold) in 2018, among other messages we heard was a desire by members to learn more about how the EACC network can generate more value.  Since then, we've accelerated our work to build out the network and create new tools (like our Webinar series and our YouTube channel) to do just that.   As you probably know, Cincinnati was the first EACC chapter established in the United States (in 2007).  Since then we've grown to

EACC Webinar Series

In our ongoing effort to add value for our members across the EACC network, our EACC Chapters have come together to launch a new series of ‘webinars’ on a range of topics of interest and relevance.  Leveraging this technology allows us to connect you to experts from across Europe and around the world for just the cost of an internet connection.   We’ve already held two such webinars.  The first featured speakers from the EU Delegation to the United States sharing their 2020 economic forecast, and the

Irish Ambassador Visits Cincinnati

The EACC was honored to support the December 1-2 visit to Cincinnati by Daniel Mulhall, Ireland’s Ambassador to the United States. The opportunity arose when EACC Cincinnati Executive Director Todd Schwartz met the Ambassador at a June reception at the Residence of EU Ambassador to the United States Stavros Lambrindinis, where Mulhall noted he’d been invited to participate in the Irish Heritage Society’s “Green Tie Dinner” on December 1. Schwartz suggested the Ambassador stay an extra day and let the EACC

2020 EACC Board of Directors Elected at Annual General Meeting

The Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the European American Chamber of Commerce held its Annual General Meeting at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 21.  As required by our Code of Regulations, the primary purpose of the meeting was to elect the individuals who will serve as the EACC Board of Directors for terms starting on January 1, 2020. Attendees also heard a brief update on the Chamber’s financial condition from Treasurer Chris Flaig, as well as a review of the

EACC Board Holds Fourth Quarter Meeting

The Board of Directors of the European American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cincinnati met in the afternoon of Thursday, October 24 in the Learning Center of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber.  Board President Yannick Schilly convened the group by welcoming proposed new board members and noting the departure of long-time friend, supporter, and leader of the EACC, Joe Dehner (who will step down from the board at the end of the year).  After approving the minutes from the July board meeting, the group

EACC Behind the Scenes - September 2019

Executive Director Schwartz Attends Reception Celebrating "Kentucky and the EU"  I was very honored to be invited to represent the European American Chamber of Commerce at a reception to celebrate “Kentucky and the EU” at the Residence of the Ambassador of the European Union to the United States, Stavros Lambrinidis, in Washington DC on Wednesday, September 18.  The event was timed to mark the 25th anniversary of an EU-US agreement on the naming of alcoholic beverages – that is, reserving the names ‘Irish

EACC & University of Cincinnati Partner to Host Industry 4.0 Roundtable

One message we heard from members in our 2018 ‘Voice of the Customer’ study was that members wanted more opportunities to connect with peers in meaningful ways and to participate in more substantive programming.  On September 11, top executives from Michelman, Bonfiglioli, Perfetti Van Melle, Pilot Chemical and Festo (along with Board President Yannick Schilly and Treasurer Chris Flaig) worked together to provide their thoughts and input to faculty and staff from the University of Cincinnati (UC)  and three

EACC Behind the Scenes - August 2019

 EACC Develops Membership Working Group Last year we invited Start Something Bold to help the EACC better understand the value that we provide to our members and how we can increase that value. Since receiving the results of this “Voice of the Customer” (VOC) study at our October 25, 2018 Board meeting, we’ve been working to use your feedback to reexamine and modify the way we do business.  Most importantly, we continually remind ourselves that what makes the EACC unique in our community among business

One Question Survey: August 19, 2019

In May 2018, the Cincinnati Chapter of the European American Chamber of Commerce hosted an “All-Chapter” conference including the Board Presidents and/or Executive Directors from our sister chapters in Paris, Lyon, New York, Greenville SC, and the planned chapter in Amsterdam.  While growing the network was an important part of our discussions, we primarily focused on how we can work to deliver value for our members across the network.  What does that look like?  As an example, EACC Cincinnati developed and

EACC Greater Cincinnati Launches Refreshed Weekly Newsbrief

On August 13, we relaunched the EACC Cincinnati weekly Newsbrief with a new look.  I wanted to provide you a bit of a peek ‘behind the curtain’ to see how we got here, and also what else is in store!   This is a project I’ve had in mind for some time.  I was not dissatisfied with the former layout of the Newsbrief, but like any publication of this type, it can get a bit ‘dated;’ a refresh can help to keep readers engaged, and it gave us the chance to review a number of factors including content, frequency,

EACC Behind the Scenes - July 2019

EACC Network Inaugural Webinar On July 25, the European American Chamber of Commerce (EACC) held its inaugural Webinar (using the Zoom™ platform), inviting all members of our Boards of Directors to learn more about the recent and future growth of the EACC network.  Over 30 people participated in the event; most taking part via the video conference but a few also listening in via telephone.  Todd Schwartz, Executive Director of the Cincinnati Chapter acted as host and moderator for the event.Guillaume

EACC Board of Directors Holds Third Quarter 2019 Meeting

The Board of Directors of the European American Chamber of Commerce met from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 25 at the offices of Gilman Partners.  Julie George of Gilman Partners welcomed the group after Board President Yannick Schilly called the meeting to order and a quick round of introductions.  The first order of business was to approve the minutes of the April Board meeting, and then the board unanimously appointed Chris Flaig of MCM CPAs as our new Board Treasurer filling the unexpired term

Meet EACC Netherlands Executive Director Marcel Schulze

The EACC Greater Cincinnati is pleased to introduce  EACC Netherlands Executive Director Marcel Schulze to our members and partners. The EACC chapter in the Netherlands formally launched in June 2019.  Marcel Schulze is Executive Director of the European American Chamber of Commerce Netherlands chapter. In addition, he is Managing Director of Tradinfo, a leading Financial Relationship Marketing Agency, specialized in global 1:1 investor conferences and investor relations (IR) services. Up until 2008, he

EACC Behind the Scenes - June 2019

EACC Network Continues to Grow On June 21, 2019, the value of the European American Chamber of Commerce network grew exponentially with the formal launch of our newest chapter in the Netherlands.  I was honored to represent the Cincinnati chapter's Board and members at this historic event, which also included Jim Rosener (Board President) and Yvonne Bendinger-Rothschild (Executive Director) of the New York chapter. On Thursday, June 20, Marcel Schulze, the new Executive Director of the Netherlands

One Question Survey: June 3, 2019

Well the results are in, and among EACC newsletter readers, FC Cincinnati is your favorite professional sports team by an overwhelming margin. 42.1 percent of our 78 individual responses, identified our hometown Major League Soccer team as their favorite.  The Cincinnati Reds garnered 28.9 percent of the votes with the Cincinnati Bengals not far behind (at 26.3 percent).  I had thought a tradition of hockey in northern Europe would have garnered the Cincinnati Cyclones (who made it to the Kelly Cup Playoffs

Behind the Scenes: May 2019

Italian Consul in Detroit Visits Greater Cincinnati   On May 17, the European American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cincinnati hosted a lunch in honor of Ms. Maria Manca, the Italian Consul based in Detroit, Michigan.  This was the Consul’s first visit to Cincinnati, and the lunch was a good opportunity for her to connect with a broad cross-section of the Italian business community in our region.  Among those in attendance were executives from Bonfiglioli, Eurostampa, Fameccanica, Luxottica, Mubea,

2019 EACC Annual Gala Recap

By all accounts, the European American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cincinnati (EACC) Annual Gala Dinner was a remarkable success! I hesitate to try and write a recap because there’s so much to say, but I’ll try to keep this brief. We opened with a performance of the national anthems of the Netherlands and the United States by a string quartet from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO), followed by two important announcements by EACC Executive Director Todd Schwartz:The EACC will open a new chapter in

FABA 2.0: April 8 L'Aperitif Readout

On Monday, April 8, about 40 of us assembled at the Graydon offices in the Scripps Tower for wine, snacks, and a discussion about the legacy and the future of the French American Business Alliance within the EACC and our community.  The conversation was facilitated by Carla Walker, who among other things leads the Nancy Sister Cities Association here in Cincinnati.  Walker started by asking people why they decided to attend the event, eliciting responses like “I want to see FABA’s leadership role in the

EACC Newsbrief Survey Results

Thank you for your help with our Newsbrief survey – we were happy to see that over 100 of you took the time to give us feedback on the weekly EACC Newsbrief, which is our primary means of letting our members and friends know what we’re doing.  And we were also gratified to receive so many positive comments:“Great newsletter that keeps you informed on what’s happening in the community”“I enjoy getting and reading the EACC Newsletter – a great way to stay in touch, get information updates, and more”“The

EACC Behind the Scenes - March 2019

Adding Value Across the EACC NetworkOne message we heard from our recent "Voice of the Customer" survey is that members were largely unaware of the EACC's network of chapters in Europe and the US (including Paris, Lyon, New York, New Jersey, Greenville SC, and new chapters under development in Miami and Amsterdam).  When Executuve Directors from across the network met in Cincinnati last May, we acknowledged one of our most important assets was our network, and that we needed to do more to connect our

One Question Survey: March 18, 2019

On March 7 the EACC and our Austrian-Swiss-German committee held a very successful “Introduction to German Business Culture” event at the Carnegie in Newport. In addition to some basic rules of business etiquette, the presentations included quick reviews of history, law and language across the German speaking countries of Europe. The reviews of the event were uniformly positive, with survey respondents all saying they’d recommend future sessions to business colleagues. With this success under our belt,

EACC Behind the Scenes - February 2019

Fostering an environment for networking among members of the Greater Cincinnati’s transatlantic business community hits at the heart of the EACC’s mission (“to stimulate business and networking relations between the Cincinnati Tri-State region and Europe”). Time and time again we have seen business deals and partnerships emerge from EACC events as new and fruitful connections and relationships are established. In this vein, we are pleased to see the continued growth and success of our Stammtisch networking

One Question Survey: January 28, 2019

This edition of the “One Question Survey” generated some particular interest, which reflects the highly politicized climate in which we currently live.  The question was:  While the EACC will not speak out on political issues, we also have traditionally been relatively quiet when it comes to policy questions, ranging from international trade policy to local issues such as public transportation. Do you believe the EACC should speak out more on public policy questions that impact our members?  In response

EACC Behind the Scenes: Manufacturing Executives Tour University of Cincinnati 1819 Innovation Hub

The recently completed Voice of the Customer study highlighted a desire for peer engagement among the EACC’s manufacturing members, as well as a desire for more relevant programming at it relates to business needs in a European-American context . With this feedback in mind, the EACC, in partnership with the University of Cincinnati and event co-sponsor Wells Fargo Advisors, hosted manufacturing executives from the EACC network for a tour of and briefing on the University of Cincinnati 1819 Innovation Hub.

Voice of the Customer Study Readout

Regular readers of the EACC Newsbrief may recall that earlier this year that we had contracted with Start Something Bold to undertake a “Voice of the Customer” study for us.  The goal was not to just better understand the needs and wants of our members, but to use those findings to increase the value the EACC provides to its members and to the community.  At the Board Meeting on October 25, Paul Miklautsch and Micah Zender of Start Something Bold (SSB) presented their findings, and I wanted to share a brief

Welcome Cheryl Dixon-Smith

As you know, EACC Operations Manager Dayna O'Brien will be on Maternity Leave through the end of 2018, and the EACC has hired Cheryl Dixon-Smith to serve as Interim Operations Staff to cover the gap.  Cheryl will be in the office on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings.  You  can call her at 513-762-3727, or e-mail her at cheryl.dixon-smith (at) europe-cincinnati.com.  I've asked Cheryl to introduce herself below. As a recent college graduate, I am very excited and honored to work with the

EACC Behind the Scenes - September 2018

How are EACC Firms Reacting to Rising Global Trade Tensions? I’m sure each of you are carefully following the rise in trade tensions around the world.  It’s clear that rising tariffs and trade restrictions have the potential to significantly impact manufacturers and consumers across our region and around the world.  And we’ve been fortunate to host individuals like EU Ambassador to the US David O’Sullivan and Head of Division for the US and Canada of the European External Action Service Richard Tibbels,

Northern Kentucky University's Dr. François Le Roy to Speak at L'Apéritif

The EACC and FABA will welcome Dr. François Le Roy, Executive Director of Northern Kentucky University's Center for Global Engagement and International Affairs, as the Vignette speaker at the upcoming L'Apéritif on Monday, September 17. Please click here to register. Dr. Le Roy has been at NKU since 1998.  He is NKU’s senior international officer and has been serving as Executive Director of the Center for Global Engagement and International Affairs since July 1, 2011.  He oversees International Student

EACC Behind the Scenes -- July 2018

July 26, 2018 EACC Board Meeting Summary The Board of Directors of the European American Chamber of Commerce (EACC) met for its regularly scheduled quarterly meeting on Thursday, July 26, 2018 at the offices of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce, with Board President Doug Moormann chairing the meeting. After welcoming all and introducing a few prospective board members (including Annie Daniel from PNC, and Kimberly Rippe from STEP Resources/Lykins Energy Group), Mr. Moormann asked Harold

Senior EU Official Visits “Real America” Courtesy of the EACC

Mr. Richard Tibbels, Head of Division for U.S. & Canada of the European External Action Service (the EU’s diplomatic service) visited Cincinnati July 18-20, following on the successful visit of EU Ambassador to the U.S. David O’Sullivan in May.  Tibbels had been in Washington for three days of meetings earlier in the week to discuss trade and other issues, and had asked the team at the EU Delegation to arrange for him to visit “the real America” so he could learn how some of these issues are perceived

EACC Behind the Scenes - June 2018

Building Global Relationships Last week I was in Chicago to connect with potential European partners for our work here to stimulate business and networking relations between the Cincinnati Tri-State region and Europe.  It was a great opportunity to rekindle partnerships with those who fondly remembered our former Executive Director Anne Cappel and to begin to build new ones.  There was a great appreciation both for our initiative in reaching out and a recognition that the opportunities in the Cincinnati

EACC Partners with VIE-Ability

The EACC is delighted to share the news of our recent partnership with VIE-Ability to purchase office products and supplies for the EACC’s daily operations.   The Cincinnati Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired launched VIE-Ability, (formerly Cincy Sight) in 2013 in an effort to provide more professional-level job opportunities to people who had established careers, but unexpectedly lost their vision later in life. The name VIE-Ability places emphasis on employees who are visually impaired using

EACC Behind the Scenes: EU Ambassador to the U.S. Addresses Transatlantic Trade During Visit to Greater Cincinnati

EACC Executive Director Todd Schwartz submitted the following to the Cincinnati Enquirer as an Op-Ed piece following the visit of EU Ambassador David O’Sullivan. When European Union Ambassador to the United States, David O’Sullivan, was in Cincinnati last week, he delivered a message of gratitude for the sacrifices of blood and treasure America has made over the decades to make the European experiment feasible.  He delivered a message of esteem for the welcome European business receives in our region and

EACC Board Holds Second Quarter 2018 Meeting

Your EACC Board of Directors met on April 26 in the Learning Center of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber.  Board members in attendance were Carol Barton (KPMG); Drew Collins (Bannockburn Global Forex); Karen Finan (Northern Kentucky Regional Alliance); Dominic Franchini (HORAN); Julie George (Gilman Partners); Jody Gunderson (City of Hamilton); Neil Hensley (City of Blue Ash); Melissa Johnson (Foreign Trade Zones of Greater Cincinnati); Chris Knueven (Miller-Valentine Group); Board President Doug Moormann

Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza Executive Chef to Speak at L'Aperitif

The EACC and FABA will welcome Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza Executive Chef Maxime Kien as the Vignette speaker at the upcoming L'Apéritif on Monday, May 21 from 5:30-7:30 PM.Please click here to register to attend. Through this five minute Vignette, "Chef Max", a native of France, will share insight into his professional culinary experience in Europe and the U.S., while also sharing personal insights about his experience living in the Greater Cincinnati region. Maxime Kien grew up in the South of

EACC Behind the Scenes - April 2018

EACC All-Chapter Conference As most of you know, the first U.S. Chapter of the European American Chamber of Commerce was established in Cincinnati in 2007, following the lead of our sister chapter in Paris.  Since then, we have grown to include chapters in Lyon and Toulouse in France and New York, New Jersey, and Greenville, South Carolina, with new chapters under development or discussion in Amsterdam, Boston, Miami and Milan.  I’m often asked how we coordinate activities and operations between the

EACC Behind the Scenes - March 2018

Southwest Ohio Advocacy Day 2018 I was one of some 70 participants in the second annual “Southwest Ohio Advocacy Day” event organized by Jason Kershner and the Government Affairs team at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber.  It was great to be there with ten other EACC member companies and organizations including:Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International AirportCincinnati USA Regional ChamberDevelopment Strategies Group/Government Strategies GroupDuke EnergyFesto CorporationFifth Third BankGreater

EACC Behind the Scenes - February 2018

We're Going To Italy! At its February 21 meeting, the EACC’s Economic Development Committee solidified plans to organize an investment promotion tour to Italy in late May.  As you know, the EACC has been building a relationship with Italian businesses and organizations through a series of trips and visits, including our hosting of Italian Ambassador Armando Varricho at our Annual Gala in 2017.  Our primary goals for the trip are threefold:Encourage additional inward investment from Italian firms already

EACC Announces 2018 Annual Gala Dinner

The EACC is delighted to announce that it will host its Annual Gala Dinner on May 16, 2018 at the Drees Pavilion located in Devou Park in Covington, Kentucky. Attendees will be treated to spectacular views of downtown Cincinnati while celebrating the vibrant transatlantic business ties of the Greater Cincinnati region. As in previous years, this gathering of 300 members of the region’s international business community showcases the Greater Cincinnati region, while building and strengthening economic

EACC Board of Directors Holds First Meeting of 2018

The EACC Board of Directors held its first meeting of 2018 on January 26 at the Warehouse at SIDIS in Covington, part of the Kentucky Innovation Network.  After a welcome from Casey Barach, Director of the Kentucky Innovation Network and an introduction to its work of building tech companies, Board members heard from Melinda Kruyer (Executive Director of Confluence) and Antony Seppi (“Director of Flow” at Pipeline) about why a partnership with the EACC to promote the development of water technologies is

EACC Behind the Scenes: January 2018

EACC All-Chapter Conference ​EACC-Greater Cincinnati has invited representatives from our sister chapters in Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, New York, New Jersey, the Carolinas, and even our newest chapters in Amsterdam and Boston, to attend the first-ever “All-Chapter” meeting of the EACC on May 16, 2018.  With more than ten years of work under our belt, my fellow Executive Directors and I agreed that it was time to go beyond our monthly coordination calls, putting some concerted time and effort into sharing best

EACC Young Professionals Launch 2018 Executive Insights Series

The EACC Young Professionals Leadership Committee is pleased to announce the launch of the 2018 Executive Insights Series.This professional development series offers exclusive events where young professionals have the opportunity to connect with top-level global business executives from the Greater Cincinnati region. Events are held in a professional, yet informal setting, in order to provide a causal environment that encourages open and engaging conversation. Each event is intended to be small in size

EACC Behind the Scenes - November 2017

EACC in 2018:  Programs & Strategic Goals As we approach the end of the year, there’s always a desire to look back and see what we have achieved – and that will be the subject of my “Behind the Scenes’ article next month.  However, this is also the time when we focus on 2018 and where should we be going.  In that vein, I thought I’d highlight a few projects that are in the works.   Of course our signature programs will continue; we’ve already started planning for our Annual Gala (mark your calendars now –

2018 EACC Board Elected at Annual Meeting

Just before the Beaujolais Nouveau Première on November 16, the EACC held its Annual General Membership Meeting.  EACC Board President Doug Moormann called the meeting to order just after 6:00 p.m., and after determining a quorum was present, quickly dispensed with the three items of business on the agenda: 1) approval of the minutes of the October 26 meeting of the Board of Directors; 2) election of the 2018 Board of Directors; and 3) review and approval of proposed amendments to the EACC Code of

EACC Intern Franziska Sterr Completes Internship; Reflects on time in Cincinnati

Today (Tuesday, November 14) is Franziska Sterr’s last day at the EACC.  Franziska came to us in September as part of the Munich Sister Cities program (click here to learn more). On her final full day in the office, I asked her to write a bit about her experience and impressions, and this is what she wrote.  We wish her well and a gute Reise! - Todd Exchange programs have a whole wealth of advantages. It makes a big difference if you are only visiting a country or if you work or go to school there and

EACC Board Holds Fourth Quarter 2017 Meeting

The EACC Board of Directors met for its regular quarterly meeting at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber on Thursday October 26.  Board Chairman Doug Moormann  called the meeting to order by highlighting a number of key EACC accomplishments in the past few months before calling for approval for of the minutes of the July 27 Board meeting. Todd introduced his former colleague Whitney Baird, who currently serves as Office Director for European Union and Regional Affairs at the Department of State.  Ms. Baird

EACC Behind the Scenes: Attending the Fearless Frontline Leader Awards 2017

Last Thursday night, Todd and I had the pleasure of attending the Fearless Frontline Leader Award celebration sponsored by EACC President’s Circle member Definity Partners.   The event, first held in 2014 and hosted at Great American Ballpark, was an opportunity to celebrate and recognize frontline leaders in manufacturing that are the backbone of the industry (see video below). In fact, did you know that 80% of the manufacturing workforce reports to a frontline leader?   Over the course of the

EACC Operations Manager Dayna O'Brien Takes Part in Blue Ash Sister City Trip

EACC member the City of Blue Ash has developed a sister city relationship with Ilmenau, Germany in the state of Thuringia. Last week, I had the opportunity and honor to travel to Ilmeanu representing the EACC and as part of the Blue Ash Sister City Delegation.  The City of Ilmenau has approximately 30,000 inhabitants and is located at a height of 500m in the valley of Ilm, which runs through the town, and is surrounded by mountains and hills. Goethe first visited Ilmenau in 1776 and made a total of 26

Greater Cincinnati Represented in Milan at Italian Machine Tool Manufacturers Association Event

The following report was prepared by EACC Economic Development Committee Co-Chair (and economic development professional with the City of Mason) Jessica Johnson. At the EACC’s request, Jessica travelled to Milan, Italy the week of October 1 to represent our region at an event organized by the Italian Machine Tool Manufacturers Association (UCIMU is the Italian acronym).  As you will see, we’ve spent considerable time building this relationship with Italy, and we will continue to make this a priority.  Next

EACC Signatory to P&G Support Letter

EACC Welcomes Intern from Munich, Germany

The EACC is delighted to welcome Intern Franziska Sterr from Munich, Germany. While with the EACC, Franziska will be working on a number of projects, including updating the European Investment Map and helping the EACC prepare for upcoming events like Cargo Summit. Below, please find a brief introduction from Franziska and please join us in welcoming her to the Greater Cincinnati region! Hi! My name is Franziska Sterr. I'm from Germany and live around Munich. My internship with EACC goes until the middle of

EACC Behind the Scenes - August 2017

Membership Renewal Process: You’ve probably heard me say how much I Iove this job and this organization.  It’s such an exciting time to be in the Cincinnati Tri-State region, with so many positive developments (like a second direct flight to Europe with Wow Air starting May 10!).   But like any job, there are also those aspects that are not so great, like cleaning up receivables and sending out membership invoices.  These are, however, the vital tasks that make it possible for us to do all the good work