Boeing Korea President William Oberlin '65 is Candidate to Head AmCham

November 12, 2002

November 12, 2002, Greencastle, Ind. - William Oberlin, president of Boeing Korea and a 1965 graduate of DePauw University, is one of two candidates to become the new president of the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) in Korea. Today's edition of the Korea Herald notes that "ballots were mailed out yesterday to the heads of 550 AMCHAM member companies with voting rights. Votes will be counted at the end of this month and the new president announced on Jan. 1, 2003."

The newspaper notes that Oberlin and the other candidate, David Richardson, country manager for Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) Korea, "share a number of common traits: both came to Korea in 1985, both lived and worked here for 17 years, both are married to Koreans, both volunteered for the job out of sense of 'social responsibility' and both stress 'participatory leadership' in their plans for presidency."

Bill Oberlin says, if elected, he'll endeavor to make AMCHAM, the largest foreign organization in Korea, "behave as a vehicle which American, foreign and Korean businesses can utilize to solve problems/issues and improve their business value... The Korean government and the chamber more or less share same objectives. The difference is just on what is the best approach. The times have changed and now that Korea is so much more open, the chamber is less of an antagonist and more of a partner. I believe we can work together better now than ever before."

The Herald's article notes that "Oberlin holds a B.A. in political science from DePauw University and a M.S. from the University of Southern California." As president of Boeing Korea, Mr. Oberlin is responsible for coordinating Boeing's entire spectrum of commercial airplanes, military aircraft & missiles and space & communications efforts in Korea. Before assuming the presidency earlier this year, Oberlin served as director of the Boeing Space and Communications Group for International Business Development, Asia-Pacific. He was a United States Air Force officer in various operational flying command and staff positions before joining Boeing in 1985. Oberlin is a former executive vice president of AMCHAM and currently serves on the organization's Board of Governors.

Established in 1988, Boeing Korea is a major supplier of commercial and military aircraft for Korea. Boeing has also developed a strong partnership with Korea's aerospace industry, with a supplier network of 14 companies, which manufacture parts and components for Boeing commercial airplanes.

The Boeing Company is the world's leading aerospace company, with its heritage mirroring the history of flight. It is the largest manufacturer of satellites, commercial jetliners and military aircraft. The company is also a global market leader in missile defense, human space flight and launch services. In terms of sales, Boeing is the largest U.S. exporter. Total company revenues for 2001 were $58.2 billion.

You can access the complete article at the Korea Herald's Web site by clicking here.

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