The American Chamber of Commerce in Cameroon (AmCham Cameroon) has named Citibank executive Ella Martin as its new board chair, succeeding Laure E. Djoukam, head of Shekina Invest. Djoukam will remain on the board as a director. The leadership team also includes Leah Malla Rackovsky as vice chair and Émilie Siewe as treasurer.

The new leadership includes executives with backgrounds in banking and financial technology. Rackovsky, founder of Azamra Financial Technologies, previously chaired AmCham’s Emerging Technologies Committee. Siewe, who served on the previous board, now takes responsibility for the chamber’s finances.

Alongside the three officers, the board has seven other directors: Hélène Dengoue, Richard Fowang, Laure E. Djoukam, Sarada Nya, Alain Nono, John Phipps, and Salamatou Bantse. Several come from companies and professional firms active in oil and gas, telecommunications, consumer goods, and legal services.

AmCham said its new leadership will focus on strengthening trade and investment between Cameroon and the United States while improving services for member companies. The organization has not, however, announced any new numerical targets or a timeline for those priorities. The leadership change follows several recent AmCham initiatives aimed at addressing business conditions in Cameroon.

On August 26, 2026, AmCham and the U.S. Embassy held a business forum in Yaoundé to discuss obstacles facing companies, particularly in banking, technology, and agribusiness. The discussions covered foreign exchange transactions, access to financing, and regulatory challenges. The following day, an AmCham delegation led by former vice chair Guy Honoré Tchente met with Cameroon’s tax authorities to present proposals for the 2027 budget law. The recommendations addressed tax predictability, value-added tax (VAT), taxation of digital activities, and investment incentives.

Founded in 1994 and affiliated with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, AmCham Cameroon says it represents approximately 100 member companies. Its activities include connecting businesses, representing their interests in discussions with government officials, and organizing business missions to the United States.

Source: Business in Cameroon