Statement Regarding the Recent Rise in Violence Against Asians
Message from Siva Yam
I trust that everyone is safe and doing well during this extraordinarily challenging time. The recent surge in violence against Asians in America has raised concerns about how we can all live and work together. We stand in solidarity with other groups in condemning intolerance, hatred and violence against the Asian community. The present situation seems to be part of a broader scourge of racism and hatred afflicting many of our communities across America and must be addressed urgently.
During my 20-year tenure as President of the U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce, I have witnessed other instances of anti-Chinese anger and hatred, which tend to recur from time to time, particularly when we market our annual U.S.-China Trade Conference. This conference often occasions hundreds of unfriendly e-mail messages. We understand not everyone is happy with the trajectory that U.S.-China trade and political relations have taken in recent decades. Nevertheless, we always take an understanding approach, emphasizing that it is our organization’s fundamental mission to help American companies and workers benefit from stronger trade and investment with China. At the same time, we have always worked to promote social and racial harmony in our community. For example, we have been honored to sponsor a Benefits Gala Awards Dinner for the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. (www.ncnw.org) to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS, to host the U.S.-China-Japan Automotive Conference, to work with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and to support Operation Confidence, an organization that advocates for disabled and homeless veterans, among many other fine organizations. Although our contributions to promoting justice, equality and tolerance are relatively small, we are proud of being part of the process and remain firmly committed to providing a positive platform for open discussion and engagement among various groups with the aim of overcoming misunderstandings born of cultural and racial differences. We urge you to continue to support our mission during these challenging times.
Siva Yam's Bio
Mr. Siva Yam, CPA, CFA, an investment banker with over 20 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions, public offerings and private placements of securities, venture financing, and privatization, is Managing Director of Siva Yam & Associates, LLC, a private consulting and investment banking boutique, which specializes in cross border business and trade activities between the U.S. and Asia, and in particular, The Greater China Region. He is also a partner of U.S.-China Capital, Ltd., a Hong Kong based merchant bank. Serving as advisor to a number of venture funds and corporations, he is President of the United States of America-China Chamber of Commerce, a non-profit organization founded by Prescott S. Bush, Jr. that is dedicated to promoting trade and investment activities between the U.S. and China. Mr. Yam serves on the Advisory Board of the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago and the North America Representative Office of Shenzhen, and he has extensive international experience and has both traveled frequently and lived overseas.
Prior to his current engagements, he was Co-Founder, Senior Managing Director, and Director of Investment Banking of Chicago Capital, Inc., an investment banking boutique. Prior to founding Chicago Capital, he worked in the Corporate Finance Department at Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, in various capacities, including as Co-Founder of Stifel International Capital Markets, Inc., where he assisted corporate clients in financings, joint ventures, and trade activities with an emphasis on “Emerging Markets.” Mr. Yam authored and co-authored two investment research reports including one recommendation that was featured in “Institutional Investor” as “Home-Run Hitter of 1993 #5 up 296.0%”, one of the top five stock picks in 1993.
Mr. Yam is recognized as an expert in U.S.-Asia business. China Daily featured him on the front page of Business Weekly in August 2002 (“Bridging U.S.-China Business: USCCC tries to strengthen nations’ trade, cultural relations”). In March 2005, Investor’s Business Daily stated “… American companies seeking advice on operating there [Asia] often seek out Chicago investment banker Siva Yam, president of the U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce …” In January 2006, Mr. Yam appeared on the cover of World Trade magazine with the cover story “Trading with China: A Guide for Newcomers – Siva Yam, U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce.” Again in March 2009, China Daily described “Siva Yam knows business – especially when it comes to U.S. and Chinese relationships.” A course he taught that was hosted by POPAI (Point of Purchase Association) has become the basis of a best-selling educational offering (“Outsourcing to China: What Do You Need to Know?”) on the market for over five years. An interview with Mr. Yam by a renowned scholar in China also became part of a textbook for universities in China and has been studied by millions of college students.
A Certified Public Accountant and a Chartered Financial Analyst, Mr. Yam has received numerous awards and speaks frequently at over 100 conferences, seminars, and television interviews in both the U.S. and Asia such as CNN, Fox News, Wall Street Journal, Smart Money, Financial Times, Shanghai Daily, and China Daily on China. Some of the interviews have been translated into Chinese, Hindu, Vietnamese, and French. In addition, he writes articles regularly for USCCC’s newsletters and international newspapers, and his advice and opinions have been sought widely. Mr. Yam received his MBA from Duke University on a Fuqua Fellowship and his Bachelor of Business Administration, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Wisconsin. Previously, he also graduated from the Hong Kong Polytechnic with honors and is fluent in both English and Chinese.
任剑浩, 注册公用会计师，特许财经分析师，是一位在收购合并、公司上市、私募融资、风险投资等方面具有20多年从业经验的投资银行家，目前在任剑浩投资银行担任董事总经理，该公司系一家私人咨询及投资银行，专注于中国和亚洲之间跨区商业活动，特别是大中华地区。任剑浩亦同时担任多家风险投资企业和各中美公司顾问。任先生同时还在中美总商会担任会长一职，该商会系由布什家族前总统老布什（President George H. W. Bush）的哥哥Prescott S. Bush创立的非营利性机构，致力于推动中美两国的贸易和投资活动。任先生亦为美国芝加哥联邦储备银行（Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago）及深圳驻北美代表处（North America Representative Office of Shenzhen）顾问。
任先生是世界公认的中美商贸, 投资, 并购专家。中国日报（China Daily）曾在2002年8月的商务周刊首页，对他做了题为”连接中美贸易的桥梁：中美总商会致力于加强两国贸易和文化交流”的专访。2005年3月，美国投资者商业日报 （Investor’s Business Daily）写道：“…美国企业经常向中美总商会会长任剑浩，这位在芝加哥的投资银行家，寻求运营方面的建议…”。2006年1月，美国世界贸易杂志 （World Trade Magazine）以任先生为封面，做了题为“与中国贸易：中美总商会任剑浩为新来者的指南”的专访。2009年3月，中国日报又一次写道：“任剑浩深知如何做生意，尤其是有关中美的事务”。任先生为美国POPAI（Point of Purchase Advertising International）所做题为“向中国外包：你需要知道什么？”的课程资料，成为他们5年内最畅销资料之一。任先生在中国接受知名学者田炳信教授访问的谈话，亦被编进中国的大学教材. 他合作编写投资研究报告，在1993年度，被美国机构投资者杂志“Institutional Investor” 以回报率高达296.0%，评为五项最佳投资股之一的分析报告。
任先生在美国及新兴市场领域具有丰富的国际经验，并为其企业和政府客户在国内及跨区域商业活动方面提供了大量的投资及顾问服务。在担任现职之前，任先生是芝加哥资本市场公司的创办人，高级董事总经理及投资银行业主管。该公司专注于股票销售，庄家的股票销售，投资银行业，资产管理，经济及投资研究。在加入芝加哥资本市场公司之前，任先生曾在美国纽约股票市场上市的Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated投资银行部任职，包括担任 Stifel 国际资本市场公司董事总经理，为企业客户在融资、合并、贸易、特别是新兴市场领域提供服务。他亦曾独立及合作编写投资研究报告。
作为注册会计师，特许财经分析师，任先生曾多次获得颁奖，并在美国和亚洲的各种研讨会，年会，会议及媒体采访中发言，包括第一届中美合并与收购全国研讨会（主席）、CNN、Fox News、华尔街日报（Wall Street Journal）、Smart Money、金融时报（Financial Times）、中国日报、及上海日报等等。另外，任先生还定期为中美总商会时事通讯及国际报刊撰写文章。
任先生毕业于香港理工学院，并以优异的成绩获得了美国杜克大学（Duke University）Fuqua奖学金获得工商管理硕士及威斯康辛大学 （University of Wisconsin）工商管理学士学位。他能说流利的英语及中文。