CEO DATELINE - Former U.S. Chamber group forms new organization
CEO DATELINE - Former U.S. Chamber group forms new organization
- August 29, 2017 |
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Walt Williams
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Several members of the U.S.-India Business Council have formed a new organization to strengthen business ties between the two nations—a move coming roughly a month after the same individuals sought to have the council break away from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The nonprofit US-India Strategic Partnership Forum will focus "on stimulating business relations between the U.S. and India, and enhancing the strategic relationship between the two countries," according to a news release. The organization was launched in early August in New Delhi.
Among the forum's founding board of directors is John Chambers, executive chairman of Cisco Systems and Ajay Banga, CEO of MasterCard. Both were on the board of the USIBC when that body voted to split from the Chamber in July.
"Following the success of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump's meetings in the U.S. in June 2017, I am incredibly confident about the powerful partnership between the U.S. and India—which is one that I believe can serve as a model for the rest of the world," Chambers said in a statement about the launch of the forum.
The Chamber established USIBC in 1975. The organization is currently one of 15 international business councils run by the business group. USIBC board members voted 29-0—with four abstaining—to leave the Chamber because they wanted the council to have a degree of independence in administrative and policy matters the business group allegedly was unwilling to accommodate.
In a statement responding to the vote, Chamber CEO Tom Donohue said his group "will not consent to the demands of a group of disaffected individuals." He also said USIBC had no authority to leave the Chamber and the program was "alive and well."
The newly formed USISPF has hired Mukesh Aghi as president and Gaurav Verma as COO. Both formerly led USIBC but were allegedly dismissed by the Chamber, one of the decisions that led to the board vote to split from the business group. The Chamber said Aghi resigned. http://prn.to/2xs1itw
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