Chamber of Commerce representing German business in Houston, Texas undergoing leadership changes

March 14, 2012 - PRLog -- Houston, Texas – In 2008, the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern U.S., Inc. (GACC South) re-opened a branch office in Houston, Texas to bolster German-American business activity in the southern United States. Starting with just three staff members, the Houston office has experienced impressive growth since then. Its strategic placement has allowed the GACC South to grow its membership in the south Texas area and focus on renewable energy projects, which thrive in Texas as the state is number one in wind energy capacity.

At the end of 2011, the office had grown to 12 staff members working on international conferences, projects funded by the Federal Republic of Germany and various consulting services including market studies and business partner searches.

Last week, Jan Christoph Wiedemann, who helped open the branch as Managing Director, announced his departure from the GACC South, effective May 1. He joined the GACC South at its main office in Atlanta in April of 2006, moved to Houston to become Managing Director in January 2008, and was appointed Vice President of Consulting Services in January 2011. Jan is leaving the GACC South after being instrumental for six years of fantastic business growth to return to his home country of Germany.

Julia Zimmermann, who also helped open the branch as Project Manager, will be promoted to Managing Director of the Houston Office. Julia earned a double degree in Business Administration from the University of Cooperative Education in Stuttgart, Germany and the Open University in England. From 2002 to 2006, she worked as a Marketing Assistant for Unilever Best¬foods in Heilbronn, Germany.

Julia joined the GACC South in Atlanta in March 2006 as a Consultant, where she represented various German companies in the US market. In January 2008, she moved to the Houston office as Project Manager and was promoted to Deputy Managing Director shortly thereafter. In January 2011, she was appointed as Director of Projects for the GACC South offices in Atlanta and Houston. In addition to her new role as Managing Director, Julia will start a weekend MBA program in the fall of 2012.

Julia is excited about her new role and about working with the GACC South’s new President & CEO Martina Stegmeier. “I am personally very sad to see Jan leave after working so closely with him over the past years,” she said. “I intend to continue the path of success that we started together in 2008 here in Houston and I look forward to the challenge of continued growth while best serving the German-American business community.” She, as well as the rest of the GACC South, wishes Jan well in his future endeavors.

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About the GACC South:
The German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern United States was founded in 1978 to promote and support bilateral trade between Germany and the U.S. The GACC South is located in Atlanta, Georgia and serves the 11 Southeastern states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Four local chapters have been established in Charlotte, NC, Greenville, SC, Dallas, TX, Nashville, TN, as well as a branch office in Houston, TX, with a focus on the energy sector.

The GACC South is a private, non-profit organization and serves as the official representative of German trade in the Southeastern US. It is part of an international network composed of 120 German foreign chambers of commerce and government offices in 80 countries. The GACC South is one of the largest bi-national chambers in the United States.

Visit http://www.gaccsouth.com for more information.