Dear Members of the AIC,

Firstly, may the mantle of fresh snow that welcomed in the New Year herald for you all a year rich in discovery, new stories to recount and happy memories to share. Secondly, rest assured that in 2010, your Executive Committee and your President are totally committed to pursuing the outstanding work carried out by John J. Silvin during his three-year presidency.

As you may know, at our December 2009 luncheon, AIC Members elected a new slate of officers to serve your Club in 2010. Carolyn Lutz and Ed Karr are the new Vice Presidents, and I was voted in as President. We are also delighted to welcome new members to the Executive Committee: Anne-Marie de Weck, Partner at LODH, Laura Cantini, Head of Branch Services with Clariden Leu Geneva and Rich Riley, CEO of Yahoo! for Europe.

Allow me to briefly introduce myself: I am an American and Swiss citizen, born in Lausanne in 1965. I graduated from Geneva University Law School and from Columbia University School of Law (LL.M. Class of ’94). I am     registered with the Geneva Bar and am a Partner with the  Geneva law firm Perréard, de Boccard, Kohler, Ador &   Partners. I am most happily married to Christine and we are the proud and lucky parents of Lena (6) and Ian (4).

As I returned from a year at Columbia, André Tombet invited me to join the AIC: “a group of fine people” he said, and added that it would keep alive my connections to the US. In the spring of 2004, I was adventurous enough to accept the challenge of leading the AIC      Election Night Party. After the event, I was invited to   remain on the Executive Committee. I then joined Jayne Haymoz as co-chair of the Young Professionals group which we soon renamed AIConnections. In 2008, having had the honor of being elected Vice President, I again chaired the Election Night Party which witnessed a historic outcome.

While I now have the difficult task of succeeding to three outstanding years of presidency by John J. Silvin, I take up this challenge with pleasure and enthusiasm. Before I tell you about the planned development of our activities in 2010, I wish to emphasize that the AIC is, above all,   your club. The Executive Committee aims to bring you a friendly environment in which to take part in many events and activities, which we want altogether entertaining, interesting and enriching. A club that evolves and adapts to offer tailor-made activities that correspond to its members’ social, sportive, cultural and professional needs and demands.

A key element to achieve these targets is improved  communication among both AIC members, and between AIC members, the Club Office and your President. While we do not want to flood you with countless email messages, we will try to keep you informed of all events and activities within the AIC. All upcoming events are always posted on our website: www.amclub.ch. This is your club: your feedback is valuable to us. Do not hesitate to send us your suggestions, advice, dissatisfaction and praise to the AIC Office email address: admin@amclub.

The AIC website has been revised by our Club Office team and is regularly updated. It should become our main mode of communication. Connect (up) to learn about past events which you were unable to attend, and to note forthcoming events.

2010 brings another varied, unexpected and rich schedule of events:

• Bob Spencer and his team at the Speakers’ committee are working on a program with outstanding speakers who will enlighten – and entertain - us on diverse topics of general interest;
• Sportsmen and women will be able to compete in Chand Kaul’s very popular Sports Competition Events;
• Happy hours "Get Togethers" will continue to be hosted by Sascha Gorokhoff. Check the AIC website for dates and venues;
• Art lovers will continue to gather round Robert Race who will take them to numerous Cultural Events, such as guided tours of major art exhibitions throughout Switzerland;
• The Professional Programs, chaired by Debbie Smith, offers events and conferences on specific technical, scientific or financial topics.

Two other objectives in 2010 are to initiate and develop collaboration and joint events with other clubs and institutions, and to open up to a wider professional community, hence also reaching out to a broader region beyond the sole city of Geneva. These are essential steps to help ensure the continuity of the Club in the future.

To achieve this, I know that we can count on an Executive Committee of devoted members, two dynamic new Vice presidents and of course, our Club Office team of Kirsten Stromstad, our Director and Anne-Claude Guerreiro, her right hand.

I look forward to seeing you soon in 2010. The AIC is a club to be proud of, it is your club, and the embodiment of everyone’s efforts to “Think AIC”, the motto coined by John J. Silvin.

Yours truly,

Tal Schibler