On Thursday, November 8, 2018, the British American Business Council hosted a membership development and Young Professionals Group (YPG) happy hour at the Pyramid Club. Approximately 75 people gathered for a great evening of networking. The views of the Philadelphia skyline were outstanding, and the British-inspired food and drink were delicious. Michael Pedrick, BABCPHL President, welcomed guests and spoke briefly about the BABCPHL mission and history. He thanked all attendees and recognized sponsors: The Bartlett Group and Lord Abbett. Bartlett is a third generation family-owned boutique international insurance broker. The Company is a 75 year old UK-based business with US headquarters in Philadelphia. They recently celebrated their 25th anniversary in Philadelphia, and are one of the founding members of the BABCPHL. Bartlett is a Club Level member with a seat on our Board of Directors. Lord Abbett is a private investment management company offering a variety of fixed−income and equity strategies to individual and institutional investors. We were introduced to Lord Abbett by Jason Walker – one of our Young Professional Group Co-Leaders.
The BABCPHL YPG began in May 2012. The purpose of the BABCPHL YPG is to provide a forum for members under the age of 40 to develop valuable business contacts within the British American business community and to exchange ideas and information with a cross section of industry professionals, trade and government officials. The BABCPHL YPG fosters professional ties and enables participants to build valuable business connections. YPG gatherings engage our under-40 members. Jason Walker and Adam Jones are our YPG Co-Leaders. Jason spoke briefly about their experience with the BABCPHL, the types of events we offer, and why the organization is beneficial.
Before the business card draw, Michael introduced all of the BABCPHL Board Members present for the event: Wes Cronin, HSBC Bank; Dennis DiMarco, Virgin Atlantic Airways; Bruce Einstein, Bartlett & Company; Ralph Estel, EisnerAmper; Howard Silverstone, Forensic Resolutions; and Efe Sokol, Welsh Government. BABCPHL Board Members volunteer their time to promote business between the UK and the Greater Philadelphia region. We are very grateful to all board members for their time, commitment and generosity.
To cap off the evening, Michael invited Kevin Saad from Philadelphia Union to draw the three winning business cards. Philadelphia Union is a longtime member of the BABCPHL and actively participates in many of our activities throughout the year. Lucky winners received a British American Business Council branded umbrella, baseball cap and wall calendar; lunch for two at the Pyramid Club; and four Club seats to a 2019 Philadelphia Union game.
Michael closed by inviting everyone to our next program, the BABCPHL Signature Annual Holiday Lunch on Thursday, December 6, 2018 at the Ritz Carlton in Philadelphia. This event will feature Honorable Jim Kenney, Mayor of Philadelphia, and Chellie Cameron, CEO, PHL International Airport. It is always a festive midday event with significant giveaways including round trip airline tickets to London. Networking continued long into the evening. The BABCPHL extends special thanks to the Pyramid Club for hosting our event.
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