Letter from the President of EuroCham Laos
Dear Members,
Almost half a year has gone by since the current Executive Committee was elected by you at our last General Meeting. Thereafter, priorities have been discussed, strategies developed, and responsibilities divided. It has been a real joy to see the commitment of all new Committee Members, the engagement and efforts everybody has put in to support the Chamber in its aims to make change, to promote good, responsible, and sustainable business in a healthy, fair and just business environment to support the overall economic and social development of this beautiful country that is our home.
We have continued to gather business leaders for advocacy luncheons, facilitated essential business trainings, and provided networking opportunities. We have had discussions with our members in specific sectors about the challenges they face in doing business here. The Chamber has taken the lead on discussions on how to move Laos off the FATF Grey List, co-chairing the Financial Sector Working Group (FSWG) of the Lao Business Forum. Meanwhile, we are working closely with the EU Delegation and our other Team Europe partners to strengthen our capacity to support Lao businesses navigate the EU regulation and ensure trade between Lao businesses and the EU.
Looking back, I am very happy to see how the Chamber has developed over the last 5 years I have served on the Executive Committee, how we have responded to the needs of our members in a rapidly changing economic environment. I am very proud to have contributed in small ways to all of this; however, my time in Laos is coming to an end. I have, due to personal reasons, decided to leave this beautiful country and relocate to my home in Denmark in January 2026. Therefore, the Executive Committee, at a committee meeting on the 29th of September 2025, has elected a new President: Mr Tim Scheffmann. Tim has served as our Treasurer since he joined the Executive Committee in 2023, and with a long history of doing business in Lao PDR, he is very well placed to take over this position.
I will continue as a Member of the Executive Committee over the next few months before leaving in January. I will therefore have plenty of opportunities to thank our great Executive Director, Mr Stefano Pighin, and his awesome team for all their hard work materializing our strategic aims, and the Executive Committee Members for their engagement and generous contributions of time and knowledge.
My final words here shall be a huge 'Thank You' to you – our Members – without whom there would be no Chamber. Thank you for your support. Remember that the Chamber is yours. Use it actively, engage in the discussions and make change!
Mette Boatman
Outgoing President
Dear Members,
In these volatile and challenging times, I like to focus on practical wins that make it easier to do business in Laos. As EuroCham, we will keep driving policy improvements, business-to-government engagement, and advocacy groups. My thanks to Mette for her steady leadership and the structural work that now allows us to move faster and further. Thanks also to Fabrice Decico to take over the Chamber’s treasury.
We all know the inefficiencies and obstacles in Laos; we also know what's possible when we work together. I invite each of you to share with me openly both the issues and the achievements that matter most to your company when we meet at events or in meetings.
Let's get to work together to build strong, successful businesses in Lao PDR.
Tim Scheffmann
Incoming President