President’s Letter

Dear BABCPHL Members and Friends,

Welcome back, I hope you had an enjoyable summer, and you are ready to join us for BABCPHL busy season! Anton Chekhov, the Russian playwright and author, said, “people don’t notice whether it’s winter or summer when they’re happy.” Our goal at BABCPHL is to keep you happy all year round, with our programs and networking opportunities!

We are currently promoting nearly a dozen programs happening between now and the end of the calendar year. I’d like to highlight our October 24th and our December 12th activities because they share a key commonality of great importance– an emphasis on the centuries’ long relationship between the US and the UK. As we head towards the last quarter of 2024, it is more important than ever to fortify our connection and continue to make history as business allies. Testament to the strength of the US’ and UK’s economic, political, and cultural ties is the resilience of the transatlantic relationship throughout history. The UK has been our region’s most important ally, trading partner, and friend. During times of stability and times of turmoil, our nations collaborate and rely on one another. Keynote speakers and special guests at these two events will address the historic and present-day ties between the two nations, and what the future may hold as both the US and the UK welcome new governments and trade policies.

Dame Karen Pierce, British Ambassador to the United States has been invited to be our special guest and keynote speaker at Carpenters’ Hall on October 24th in honor of the 300th anniversary of The Carpenters’ Company of The City and County of Philadelphia, the oldest extant craft guild in the United States, modeled after the London Carpenters’ Company. And on December 12th we are hosting our Signature Annual Holiday Lunch to celebrate the beating heart of our organization – the historic and future relationship between the US and the UK. As the kids say, IYKYK! Our holiday program is not to be missed; it is the business event of the season where networking opportunities and fun coincide.

As we gear-up to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States of America, it’s critical to understand past and current day connections the US and the UK share. The centuries old partnership ensures a safer, more prosperous, and successful future for people throughout the world and helps toward sounder strategic planning and business development decisions across all industries and levels. The US and the UK are allies driving global connectivity, economic growth, and safety and security at home and throughout the world

I began this letter by talking about how we strive to keep our members happy. The author Aldous Huxley, said, “happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally the by-product of other activities.” Clearly, he attended some of our events! I am looking forward to seeing YOU at our events during the coming weeks and months, and to helping you build your US-UK business network.

Sincerely,

Howard M. Silverstone, MBE, CPA, FCA

President, British American Business Council of Greater Philadelphia