Verena Zimmer

Verena Zimmer is an experienced professional in international relations and economic diplomacy, with a specialisation in international trade promotion between Germany and Asia. She currently serves as Country Manager Asia at the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Stuttgart Region (IHK Region Stuttgart), where she advises German companies on market entry and expansion across the Indo-Pacific - with a focus on China, India, Japan, Korea, and ASEAN. She works closely with ASEAN representatives to strengthen trade ties between Southeast Asia and Germany.

With over a decade of global experience working in and on Europe, Asia, and Africa, Verena Zimmer brings cultural fluency, strategic insight, and a collaborative mindset to cross-border cooperation. Her expertise in China’s foreign and economic policy led to her selection for the prestigious U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). Verena Zimmer has lived and worked in her native Germany, as well as the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Poland, China, and Taiwan. She holds degrees in International Relations, Diplomacy, and Political Science. She is an active member of several policy and business networks and represents Baden-Württemberg as regional speaker in the German Asia-Pacific Business Association (OAV) Young Leaders network.

Verena Zimmer is passionate about building strong bridges between the EU and Asia and is honoured to serve on the Advisory Board of the ASEAN Chamber of Commerce and Industry to the EU (ASEANcham-EU). In this role, she contributes her expertise in German-Asian trade relations and actively supports the Chamber’s mission of fostering strong, future-oriented, and sustainable partnerships between ASEAN and the EU.