Samuel Pursch joined Vriens & Partners at the same time he moved to Hanoi in the summer of 2018. Since then, he has advised leading multinational corporations, most of whom are American, as well as regional and Vietnamese companies on the policy and regulatory environment of Vietnam. Samuel spends most of his time on tech and energy policy, but also frequently advises clients in the healthcare sector and those looking at setting up manufacturing entities in Vietnam.

Vriens & Partners is Southeast Asia’s leading government affairs advisory firm, with over 90 consultants and 30 senior counselors across eight offices in capitals around the region. Our teams have trusted relationships with the highest levels of government, and with stakeholders along the entire policymaking chain. As a leader in Vriens & Partners largest country practice, Samuel has helped to double the office’s size and demonstrate to clients locally and across the world how Vietnam can be a model for effective discussions between the private sector and the Government.

AmCham is a core part of those discussions and Samuel has been an active AmCham member since arriving in Hanoi. He actively advised and assisted both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City Chapters on their advocacy and engagement strategies. Within the Hanoi chapter, he is a co-chair of the Innovation & Digital Economy Committee.

For 2024, Samuel sees AmCham’s priorities as a combination of true cooperation between chapters and effective advocacy in front of government (both American and Vietnamese). If elected, Samuel will seek to strengthen AmCham as a strong representative of all American-linked businesses in Vietnam, building national frameworks and looking to the future. Between the recent upgrade in diplomatic relations to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and AmCham’s own 30-year milestone, there are strong foundations upon which to build.

Samuel holds a Bachelor’s degree in international politics from The George Washington University and a Master’s degree from King’s College London’s War Studies Department. In what little free time he has available, he has visited over half of Vietnam’s provinces on long-distance motorcycle trips.