CEEC > 10th Anniversary > CEEC History

CEEC History

CEEC Establishment

Over 10 years ago, a group of visionary professionals from Austria (Christoph Schill and Helga Nagy), Hungary Csaba Bundik and Istvan Lenart), Croatia (Marko Moric), Bulgaria (Ivan Kashukeev), and Poland (Magdalena Krakowiak) came together with a visionary idea—to establish a unique chamber of commerce representing businesses from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in Vietnam (in total 15 countries).

In 2015, after a year of preparation, CEEC Vietnam received official approval from the Vietnamese authorities and was formally established, obtaining its license on February 4, 2015. Since then, CEEC has positioned itself as a non-profit organization supporting businesses in Vietnam. Located in the heart of Hanoi on Ba Trieu Street, CEEC opened its first office and welcomed its first staff members.

The first Annual General Meeting was held on March 7, 2015, during which the Board Members were elected:

  • Marko Moric – later nominated as Chairman
  • Csaba Budnik – nominated as Vice Chairman
  • Magdalena Krakowiak – nominated as Vice Chairwoman
  • Christoph Schill – nominated as Executive Director
  • Helga Nagy – nominated as Treasurer
  • Istvan Lenart and Ivan Kashukeev – Board Members

That same year, CEEC signed an affiliation agreement with EuroCham Vietnam. Additionally, the first Advisory Board meeting—comprising trade counsellors from CEE countries—was held.

Since then, CEEC has signed 10 more collaboration agreements (Memorandums of Understanding – MoUs) with other organizations, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and various chambers in our home countries.

What Makes CEEC Special?

As far as we know, CEEC was the first chamber to unite such a diverse group of CEE countries under one organization. Our mission was clear from the beginning:

  • Support CEE businesses in Vietnam, which were fewer in number at the time
  • Build a strong community where members collaborate, network, and help each other grow

Our journey began a decade ago and continues to progress with purpose. Over the years, we have grown significantly, and we remain committed to supporting companies from Central and Eastern Europe for many decades to come.