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Known in the business circle as the Father of Franchising in the Philippines, Mr. Samie Lim is the founding president and now Chairman of the Philippine Franchise Association, the leading franchise organization in the country today, with about 200 members representing the best and most promising franchise concepts nationwide. He was also the immediate past Vice Chairman for Asia of the World Franchise Council (WFC) and the immediate past chairman of the Asia Pacific Franchise Confederation (APFC) which successfully hosted Franchise Asia 2001 in Manila last September 12-16, 2001. He is the current Chairman Emeritus of the Philippine Retailers Association, where he also served as past Chairman and President, and was the former Chairman of the Federation of Asian Retailers Association. He is the current President of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry and served as Vice President for Trade and Tourism for several terms. He is chairman and director of several major companies in the industrial, trading, real estate and service sectors. Public service beckoned in 1999 and he was sought to serve as Undersecretary and General Manager of the National Development Company, the government�s premier investment arm under the Department of Trade and Industry. At the onset of the retail trade liberalization and the e-commerce law, he saw massive growth opportunities in the retail, franchise and IT industry, and thus decided to return to the private sector. He co-chaired the Domestic Trade Development Council under the Office of the President, and is one of the founding members of the Institute of Corporate Governance. Today, he continues to be a moving spirit in the business sector. A cum laude graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University, he completed the Top Management Program of the Asian Institute of Management as well as the Masters in Business and Economic Program of the University of Asia & the Pacific. He also had special training at the Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan and at the Institute of International Studies and Training in Fujinomia, Japan. | 