Every one knows WTO and INCOTERMS but only few are aware of the fact that both are babies of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

Established in 1919, in Paris, to represent the world Business Community and voice its position in dialogue with governments, today the ICC is the world leader in championing the global economy as a force for economic growth, job creation and prosperity.

The ICC addresses a broad spectrum of issues ranging from international free trade and open economic policies to the promulgation of trade facilitation rules, norms, and practices such as arbitration, uniform banking documents, INCO terms, and strategies and methods for combating crime and corruption.

In the late seventies, the relaxation of political tension known as Detente permitted more extensive initiatives and Vam was happy to be chosen to take charge of the East West Committee activities. In those days ICC was still considered by many in East European countries as a "stronghold of capitalism" and direct interaction was problematic. So in order to make the benefits of ICC's activities available to their business communities and to pave way for future integration a special body was required to liaison with the ICC and thus the East-West Committee was born.

Vam remembers the years of work in the ICC East West Committee with pride. The main challenge was to introduce and adjust ICC rules and recommendations to Russian realities. Further adoption of these rules by Russian authorities and business organizations was like moving mountains as every new norm had to struggle to replace the rock solid and decades old regulations of the "socialist camp" and every success was a great leap forward on path of Russia's reintegration into the global economy.

The experience was so enlightening Vam decided he must share it with others and turned it into the subject of his MBA thesis at the Academy of Foreign Trade -"Role of the ICC East - West Committee in the process of international economic convergence during the years of Détente" - which he then defended with honors on getting his MBA.

For many the biggest reward is to see people using something which one has contributed towards and every time now Vam hears Russian businessmen operating freely with such terms as FOB, CIF, force majeure, Letter of Credit, bank guarantee, and many others, he feels proud for having had personal "missionary" input into this progress, and also very satisfied that years of  work  he dedicated to the ICC were not wasted...

As to the personal gain during this work, it gave him unparalleled opportunities to upgrade qualifications and expertise in international business relations, and acquainted him with the elite of the World’s Business Community.  Additionally it added France, Germany, Hungary and Sweden to his extensive range of world business contacts.  

For tempering his cross-cultural vision and expertise Vam couldn't dream of a better School than work with the International Chamber of Commerce and it was definitely an invaluable milestone in his life and a springboard to future professional career heights...