AmCham Staff

CEO
April Palmerlee

April Palmerlee is Chief Executive Officer of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia. She joined AmCham in October 2017 after a distinguished career in government, education, and the corporate sector. Most recently, she was a senior executive at the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. She has strong relationships with governments, business leaders and the public service in Australia and the U.S.  American-born, Palmerlee has lived in Sydney since 2003 and is a dual citizen. She received a BS from Georgetown University and a Master’s from Columbia University. She served as Senior Coordinator for International Women’s Issues at the US Department of State. 

Before that, she was a senior executive at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. She has also worked for couturier Oscar de la Renta, financial publisher The Bank Credit Analyst, and The Spanish Institute. She is currently on the Centennial Park Community Consultative Committee and the Selection Board for the Fulbright scholarship in NSW. 



 












General Manager NSW & ACT
Doug Grant

Doug Grant joined AmCham as General Manager of NSW & ACT  in December 2018.

He has over twenty years’ experience working within the finance industry as a Business Development Manager, Broker, consultant and sales and marketing representative. 

In that time Doug has built a broad network of business clients and referral partner contacts across most industry sectors through his focus on relationship creation, ongoing relationship management and solutions sales.

Recent activities include non-conforming loan structure and financing solutions outside of mainstream financial industry services, and establishment of referrer partner networks and systems as sources of new business.

His understanding of sales processes, cycles and mindsets has enabled him to quickly establish and build rapport leading to constructive relationships with all business levels, from administrative staff through to senior executives.

Doug is looking forward to engaging with current members and forming new relationships to grow the membership base of valued AmCham business partnerships  




General Manager QLD
Alicia Doherty

Alicia L. Doherty commenced as AmCham’s General Manager for Queensland in January, 2017. She commenced her career in the U.S. Army Aviation Corps and has held business relationship and event management positions with the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade), Events NSW, and Canberra CBD Limited, and she worked with the Queensland Department of Premier and Cabinet on their inaugural Innovation and Investment Summit in 2016. 
Alicia held board and committee roles with the American Club in Sydney and served as the President of the Australian American Association in Canberra for a three-year term. She has also served on the advisory committee of the Canberra Theatre Centre and coordinated events with multicultural groups and the government in the ACT, in close collaboration with business, government, the U.S. Embassy and the Canberra Diplomatic Corps.

General Manager VIC
Ray Doyle

Ray Doyle joined the American Chamber of Commerce in 2010 as General Manager for Victoria responsible for promoting economic activity and developing member relationships in Victoria. Ray has extensive business management and industry experience with international manufacturing organisations including Hewlett Packard, Motorola, Australian General Electric, NEC and the Gribbles Group.

In 2005 Ray joined the Victorian Government in the position of Executive Director for the Office of Manufacturing and Service Industries. The office works with Invest Victoria to deliver investment, and export programs.

Ray holds a Bachelor of Engineering, Majoring in Electronics and an MBA from Monash University.

 

General Manager SA
Robyn Houghton


Robyn Houghton worked with the American Chamber of Commerce in South Australia from 2005 to 2016, and also looked after the Queensland Chamber from 2010 to 2016, re-joining AmCham as General Manager for South Australia in 2018. Prior to AmCham Robyn held a number of senior roles in business management and industry in the private and semi-government sectors both in South Australia and Queensland, and she has also run her own company. Robyn has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland, a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Adelaide, a Diploma of Insurance, and an Associate of Risk Management. She has also supported the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for over 22 years in both Queensland and South Australia.

General Manager WA & NT
Penelope Williamson

Penelope Williamson was appointed as the General Manager of the American Chamber of Commerce in Western Australia on the 19th June 1995. Her role was expanded to encompass the Northern Territory in 2008.

One of her most successful initiatives includes developing the concept and organising all facets of a State and Federal Government endorsed National Trade Mission to the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, Texas. After the success of the first delegation in 1999, the OTC is an annual event for AmCham members, with representation from companies throughout Australia. Penelope is Project Manager for all AmCham Trade Missions, including O&G, Mining and Defence.

Prior to joining AmCham, Penelope’s career encompassed international trade and marketing, with an emphasis on Japan. Her knowledge of the language, protocol and etiquette required her to forge on-going business relationships at the highest level, resulting in the formation of 2 companies, to deal with Japan.