WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ms. Sach Takayasu has been named the first national president and chief executive officer of the Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (ACE). Her confirmation became official at a national board meeting held in Burbank, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2014.

Ms. Takayasu brings vast experience and corporate expertise in marketing, communications and business development, and led IBM’s businesses of open source, virtualization and most recently digital marketing for more than 16 years. A well-respected business leader, she has long been a dedicated advocate for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.

“The potential for advancing and building upon the success of the greater Asian-American and Pacific-Islander business community is enormous,” said Ms. Takayasu. “To capture opportunities, we must work together effectively and have our voices heard.” ACE has set new norms in fostering stronger collaborative efforts among its constituents and in promoting AAPI business expansion. “I am honored to lead this momentous effort and look forward to working with the board and our partners to drive robust results.”

ACE works to advance and advocate for the AAPI business community by improving the economic development, advancing coalition building, and creating unique partnerships that facilitate opportunities for growth, awareness and greater understanding of the AAPI community. “The key to that process is fostering the next generation of small business owners, entrepreneurs and corporate executives,” said ACE Chairman Jimmy Ferguson. “Ms. Takayasu was our first choice to lead us in these and other important endeavors.”

“Ms. Sach Takayasu is an ideal leader for our organization because of her profound business sense, leadership skills and outstanding track record that enables AAPI businesses to achieve their goals and objectives. She has contributed to a number of worthy causes such as the Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, United Nations Populations Fund, Asian University for Women, and New York International,” said Bill Imada, co-founder and former chairman of ACE.

Ms. Takayasu’s contributions have been widely recognized by the business community. She won the Forrester Groundswell Award in 2011 and an invitation from the Executive Director of the United Nations Populations Fund to join its Strategic Innovation Advisory Board in 2012.

About ACE

The Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship’s mission is to advance the needs, interests and aspirations of small business owners, entrepreneurs and corporate leaders of Asian-American, Native-Hawaiian and Pacific-Islander heritage. ACE accomplishes its mission by creating unique partnerships and collaborative efforts that promote economic development, leadership, job creation and sustained business growth.

For the full biography of Ms. Takayasu and to learn more about ACE, visit www.nationalace.org. Follow @NationalACE and become a fan of www.facebook.com/nationalace.