Alexander Shopov

The USA is a country of unlimited possibilities and chances for everyone. It symbolizes civil society, pluralism, economic prosperity, democracy and freedom. When I left my home country Bulgaria in the mid-nineties to study business and economics in Germany, I quickly discovered that the true opportunities for an ambitious person are in the United States. I was fascinated by the U.S. merit-based culture and by the endless potential for personal development out there. So, I was very interested in pursuing a career with a US company which immediately came true after I finished my studies.

I have spent many years with a US multinational company, and I was impressed about the chance I got from the very beginning to interact with my colleagues in New York and around the world, to attend internal training sessions in the US, to meet the top management in person already during my first few months at the company. My personal story goes from a junior position to a country head position, and every promise I had been given as a junior at the company about a successful career came true – just like in the typical American dream.

I work for the Austrian company Steimayr & Co which has the Gallagher Group from Chicago (through Renomia Group) as an important shareholder. We specialize in commercial insurance. Being part of the Gallagher world opens numerous opportunities and empowers us to be amongst the big players. We are able to use global resources and capabilities in order to provide best service to our Austria clients.

The United States played a crucial role in the Post–World War II reconstruction of Austria. Nowadays, the United States are the second largest export market for Austrian goods and services. This opens tremendous opportunities for Austrian companies and start-ups. Austria’s start-up scene benefits significantly from ties to the United States, especially through access to U.S. markets, investors, and entrepreneurial culture. Great programs like the Startup Landing Zone program “GoUSA 2025” in Silicon Valley and Boston as well as the “Austria to Austin (A2A) Exchange” give Austrian start-ups access to the US innovation scene.

The Global Entry program is definitely a way to foster easy travel and to intensify contacts between Austria and the US. If Austria potentially joins this program, it would make travel between the two countries much more convenient.

Austria is worldwide known for its traditions in classic music, culture, and also for its quality of life, its wines, and last but not least its great organic food.

The US are the clear global leader in technology including AI, financial services and so many other areas. It’s amazing how the sports funding and the university system are deeply interconnected in the US. The U.S. university system and its sports funding programs provide better chances to young people, especially compared to many other countries, because they combine education, athletics, and career opportunities in unique ways.

Austria can learn from the US how to attract talent from all over the world, to be open for new ideas, to embrace new technologies. The US can learn from Austria in the areas of cultural marketing, government support for cultural activities, classic music orchestras, opera houses, theaters, museums because the experience shows that these institutions are essential for the cultural heritage and the society as a whole.

I really enjoy the Thanksgiving celebrations, especially this year hosted by Michael Zettel and Accenture and sponsored by Steinmayr & Co.

The AmCham is a wonderful platform for businesses, industries and institutions. I expect it to be the voice of the US and the multinational companies in Austria, to be an advocacy platform for trade and investments, to be an efficient business networking hub and to enable exclusive insights on economic, legal, and policy issues affecting transatlantic business. Serving on the Board of Trustees of AmCham Austria, I aim to promote all these fields with equal attention and balance.

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