After 18 years of dedicated service, the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia’s Chief Operating Officer Andrea Allon left her role as of July 2024. Throughout her tenure, Allon has played an instrumental role in shaping the Greater Philadelphia region’s economy and advancing the Chamber’s mission. In a reflective interview, she shares insights into her career journey, her significant contributions to the Chamber, and her aspirations for the future.   

How did you get to your role as Chief Operating Officer of the Chamber?    

True to a core benefit of the Chamber—through networking. I am fortunate to have had two different careers. I left my first career as an audit partner at Ernst and Young and was teaching accounting and auditing at local universities (which I didn’t do long enough to consider a career) when I met with a retired EY partner, then serving as the Chamber’s Chief Administrative Officer. A few months later, he reached out to let me know that he was planning to retire from the Chamber and asked if I would be interested in the role. 

What were your primary responsibilities as Chief Operating Officer?  

Supporting my third CEO, I am responsible for coordinating essential Chamber activities with a major focus on two important ends: product and service improvements, which benefit our membership and the financial stability of Chamber operations. Working closely with the Chamber’s business unit leaders, my current responsibilities extend to Member and Investor Development and Engagement, Programs and Events, and all support functions. It has also been my honor to represent the Chamber on the Board and Executive Committee of PIDC (Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation) where I serve as vice-chair and chair of the Audit Committee.   

What are you particularly proud of from your time at the Chamber?  

  • Financial Stability: Working at an organization that is more than 224 years old, I often say that the staff’s job is to leave it in better shape than we found it. I believe that I’ve done that. During my time at the Chamber, we have had strong financial results that have enabled us to build reserves that can be reinvested in the Chamber and the region in the future. 
  • Middle Market Initiative: In recent years, I’ve enjoyed being part of the development of the Chamber’s middle market initiative, helping mid-size businesses, which provide an outsized percentage of jobs in the region, to grow and succeed.  The Chamber is similar in size (in revenue and number of employees) to the smaller end of the middle market and I’ve enjoyed learning from and participating in roundtables of the middle market network at which dynamic business owners share their business challenges and offer their peers ideas for solving them.   
  • Cell and Gene Therapy Sector:  It has been gratifying to be part of establishing Greater Philadelphia as a leader in the cell and gene therapy sector.  When the Brookings Institution issued its report on innovation in Philadelphia in 2017, I was part of the team that helped operationalize the path forward to capitalize on the region’s strategic advantage in cell and gene therapy. Together we raised funds to support a catalytic effort, began convening industry leaders to facilitate alignment and collaboration, identified and sought to overcome barriers to the sector’s growth and began telling the world about the region’s capacity in the sector. As the Chamber’s recent report showed, now more than 10 percent of the world’s cell and gene therapy companies are based in Greater Philadelphia.   
  • Staff Development: Finally, it has been rewarding to see the growth and development of the Chamber staff over the years. It has been a privilege to work with so many individuals who care about the success of the region’s economy and its residents and particularly satisfying to watch the professional growth of some long-tenured staff (many of whom happen to be women) who have evolved from supporting roles to become leaders in our civic community.   

What are your thoughts about the future of the Chamber and the region’s economy?   

I think that the two are inextricably linked and I’m optimistic about both. For the region to be successful, we must continue to build a place where people want to run businesses and work at them and the Chamber must continue to engage businesses in carrying out and funding that work. I’m optimistic about the future because I believe that the region has distinct advantages over competitor cities as a beautiful, affordable, fun place to live. I also know that a committed group of Chamber colleagues and members will ensure that we realize our potential.   

What are you most looking forward to doing in your next chapter?

I will continue to serve on for-profit and non-profit boards and pursue continuing education to keep my skills current, but I will also travel, read, cook, entertain, volunteer, practice more yoga, and spend more time with family and friends. 

Stay Connected

Connect with Andrea Allon on LinkedIn, and stay informed on the Chamber’s work at chamberphl.com.