On January 22, 2026, AmCham Germany welcomed members and guests from the transatlantic business community to this year’s New Year’s Reception in the BMW Welt in Munich. The reception offered an opportunity to reflect on the opportunities and challenges shaping transatlantic relations in 2026 and to highlight Bavaria’s role as a globally connected economic hub.
We were honored to welcome U.S. Consul General Dr. James N. Miller from the U.S. Consulate General Munich; Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, People and Real Estate; AmCham Germany President Simone Menne; and our Regional Chapter Chairs Glenn Schmidt & Philipp Meske.
A central highlight of the evening was our panel discussion, "Redefining Transatlantic Relations: Navigating through Geopolitical Uncertainties." Together with Dr. Benedikt Franke (Vice-Chairman and CEO, Munich Security Conference), Ansgar Baums (General Manager & Country Lead Government Affairs, Microsoft Deutschland GmbH), Dr. Veit Buetterlin-Goldberg (Partner & Managing Director, Country Leader Germany, AlixPartners GmbH), and moderator Glenn Schmidt (Vice President Global Sustainability, BMW AG), we explored the current state of U.S.–EU business relations and future perspectives for the transatlantic partnership.
A heartfelt thank you goes to our speakers, members, and guests – and in particular to our host and sponsor BMW Group. We would also like to thank our Platinum Sponsors AlixPartners and Microsoft, our Silver Sponsors Baker McKenzie and KPMG, and our Mobility Partner Uber for their generous support.
We look forward to returning to Munich for the Munich Security Conference in just a few weeks!
Picture: From left to right: Dr. Veit Buetterlin-Goldberg, AlixPartners; Ansgar Baums, Microsoft; Dr. Benedikt Franke, Munich Security Conference; Philipp Meske, AlixPartners; Ilka Horstmeier, BMW AG; Dr. James Miller, U.S. Consul General; Simone Menne; Glenn Schmidt, BMW AG.
Photo credit: BMW
