AFG celebrates its 5th birthday at the Amari

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The Automotive Focus Group (AFG) celebrated its 5th birthday with a stylish party held in the Amari’s Ice Bar.  All the four past presidents were there, but long-standing Secretary Maurice Bromley and his wife Renita were in South Africa and were unable to get flights arranged in the time frame necessary.

MC for the evening, Dr. Iain, introduced the presidents in turn, who were able to tell the members of the advances in the group during their tenure at the top.  Inaugural President George Strampp delighted everyone with a most amusing video detailing his several years at TRW, and admitted that he only agreed to take on the onerous job of organizing the AFG because he was several sheets to the wind at the time of asking!

Inaugural President George Strampp delighted everyone with a most amusing video detailing his several years at TRW. Inaugural President George Strampp delighted everyone with a most amusing video detailing his several years at TRW.

Following George was Mike Diamente, who had led the AFG for almost three terms and who described the gradual breakaway from the Australian Chamber of Commerce, with the AFG finally able to stand on its own two feet.

The third president was the quiet Australian James Beeson who spoke on how he so unexpectedly went from being a committee member to the top job.  James said, “Every committee member has, since the inception of the AFG, been a non paid volunteer and the running and the reputation of the professionalism of the AFG has grown to be well respected by the BOI and other organizations and the Chambers of Commerce who service Thailand.”

Finally the fourth and incumbent president, Uli Kaiser, spoke briefly on the future aims of the AFG, and suggested everyone descend on the Amari buffet.

It was a fun event, which everyone who attended did enjoy, and there was even some high-level networking going on as well!