French Chamber - Annual Activity Report 2015 by French Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain

F R E N C H C H A M B E R O F G R E AT B R I TA I N

ANNUAL REPORT

2015

I really value our relationship with the French Chamber. We are a European brand with our corporate centre in France and it is important to maintain those roots. I also enjoy the opportunity to meet with my peers through your organisation and read about their news in INFO magazine. URSULA MORGENSTERN, Global Head of Consulting and Systems Integration, Atos

The Chamber is a very interesting forum to exchange on business matters and opportunities. Colas Rail belongs to the community of UK companies with French shareholders, so it is a platform to mix with them. We also like participating in the Chamber’s events, not only to network with other participants but also because some events such as the Gala Dinner are team building opportunities for ourselves. RICHARD FOSTIER, CEO, Colas Rail UK

What I particularly appreciate at the Chamber is the dedication of its staff. They will go the extra mile to introduce you to people, with a real passion for sparking new, potentially promising, business connections between members. FABRICE BERNHARD, Co-Founder and CTO, Theodo

Tramonex has been using the Chamber’s salary management services since taking on our first employee and the team has always listened to our needs, been quick on the job and delivered quality information. We also found the Chamber’s recruitment services very professional and efficient. In 2015, we were very pleased to sponsor the Franco-British Digital Conference and to be involved in such a high-calibre event, which brought invaluable introductions and gave our business great exposure. MARC AVEDISSIAN, Co-Founder, Tramonex

We really appreciate working with the French Chamber’s Recruitment Service, which helped us with the search for an EA and were particularly resourceful in finding exceptional candidates for a tailored role. We would not hesitate in recommending the team to other companies looking to add a French touch to their team. CHRISTOPHE WALEWSKI, Principal, C4Ventures

We found the French Chamber to be a reliable partner: attentive, available, professional, dedicated and ready to offer plenty of valuable advice. We feel at home when we are with them! We are really delighted to begin our UK adventure with them by our side and strongly recommend their business support services. ALEXIS SORDET, Director, Ethan McGregor

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE MANAGING DIRECTOR’S OVERVIEW WHO’S WHO OUR PARTNERS OUR NETWORKS HIGHLIGHTS 2015 ONE-STOP SHOP FOR START-UPS MEMBERSHIP FORUMS AND CLUBS

Women’s Business Network Cross-Cultural Relations Climate Change Forum Finance Forum Human Resources Forum Legal Forum Economic Updates Start-up & SME Club Luxury Club

EVENTS BUSINESS SUPPORT SERVICES Business Centre Business Consultancy Accountancy, Payroll & Company Set-up Recruitment

PUBLICATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS ADVERTISING FINANCIAL REPORT

2 3 4 8 9 10 14 15 16 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 40 40 41 42 43

44 48 52

Project Super visors: Florence Gomez/Keri Fuller Project Manager : Marielle Fraize Design: Katherine Millet Photos of Chamber events by José Farinha Printed by Wyndeham Grange © French Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain - June 2016 Lincoln House, 300 High Holborn, London WC1V 7JH www.frenchchamber.co.uk

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE ESTELLE BRACHLIANOFF Senior Executive Vice-President of Veolia UK & Ireland

‘As this Annual Report will attest, this is a vibrant and dynamic Chamber, bringing real value to businesses, no matter what their size or sector’

t is a great pleasure to introduce the 2015 Annual Report of the French Chamber. Since being elected President alongside Stephen Burgin as Deputy President at our AGM on 25 June last year, I have had a unique overview of all the Chamber’s activities and achievements, and made it a key priority to find out from members what their needs and expectations of the Chamber are, so that we continue to provide a service that is relevant and supports their business. To this end, I initiated two Focus Groups of Chamber members, which have given us valuable insights into how our services are perceived by members, how they could be fine-tuned and what more we could do. This was reinforced by a member survey, conducted by Ipsos MORI, which gathered feedback on what you most value and gain from your membership. Members asked for more organised business networking, greater access between categories of members, more thematic/industry events, and for the Chamber to have a stronger PR voice on behalf of its members. We are working to incorporate all of these ideas. For its part, the Board devoted time and thought to a special strategy meeting, kindly hosted by Societe Generale. Putting all of this together, we now have a better sense of direction for the Chamber, with a focus on deeper engagement with members as well as increasing their number, and further developing very concrete and practical business services for our clients. We are grateful for the unstinting support of our French Ambassador to the UK, HE Ms Sylvie Bermann, who attended numerous Chamber events, addressed our members at two Ambassador’s briefs, joined our Women’s Business Network

and with her team at the Embassy, worked in partnership with us to organise a very successful Franco-British Digital Conference. Economically, 2015 was a slower year, with the UK economy growing 2.2% compared to 2.9% the previous year, but the employment rate reached a historic high, with unemployment falling to 5.1% according to the Office of National Statistics. Franco-British economic relations continue to be important, with France being the third largest investor in the UK after the US and the Netherlands. There are 3,299 French companies in the UK, representing 373,272 jobs and a turnover of 119bn euros. The UK continued to represent France’s main trade surplus, standing at £12.2bn in 2015, a 16% increase on 2014. We also saw Franco-British business partnerships growing and strengthening, most visibly in defence, energy, construction and transport. Notably, French companies won major contracts, among them Chamber members Thales, JCDecaux, VINCI and Areva. 2015 was particularly significant in terms of the environment, with COP21 providing a focus for climate change action. Many French and British businesses have demonstrated that they are willing and able to play an important role in this and be part of the solution. For its part, the Chamber has provided support through its Climate Change Forum, a special INFO focus on ‘COP21 and the Business of Climate Change’ and the Climate Conference it co-organised with the French Embassy and the European Commission Representation in the UK last March. Prior to that, our Climate Change Forum conducted a survey across member companies to give a snapshot of the business view.

Despite the less robust economic environment, the Chamber has kept a steady course on an upward trajectory of growth, with a turnover of over £2 million in 2015. All the departments worked hard to achieve this and maintain the high quality for which the Chamber is renowned. The biggest growth came from the Company Set-up Service as we continued to provide practical help for the setting up, development and expansion of French businesses in the UK, thus offering them a one-stop shop. Another success story was Events, numbering 53 over the year with more speakers and participants than ever before and sustained high quality. I have been particularly impressed with the calibre of the Chamber’s Forums and Clubs, which provide platforms for learning, discussion and sharing of best practice at the highest level. Over the year, intensive work has been ongoing for our new website, which, when finished in 2016, will be a great asset to the Chamber’s mission to develop and connect French and British businesses. We are also working on projects to develop our support for start-ups, in particular, the launch of the Start-up Lab mentoring programme, more events under the ‘small meets big’ banner and a focus on meeting start-ups’ recruitment needs. As this Annual Report will attest, this is a vibrant and dynamic Chamber, bringing real value to businesses, no matter what their size or sector. On behalf of all our members, I would like to thank all of those who have contributed to our continued success whether through their support, guidance or hard work, in particular our Board of Directors and Advisory Councillors, the Chairs of our Forums and Clubs, Committees and the Chamber team under the leadership of Florence Gomez.

MANAGING DIRECTOR’S OVERVIEW FLORENCE GOMEZ

his Annual Report provides a comprehensive retrospective on the Chamber’s activities and achievements in 2015, but I would like to take a more forward-looking perspective and highlight those things we have done or are in the process of doing that will shape our future direction. Supporting Start-up Development Our membership base of close to 600 companies has around 40 innovative startups and we support their development in a number of ways. For a start, we provide payroll and accountancy outsourcing services; we have a business centre with flexible desk rental packages; we offer discounted recruitment fees for start-ups through our Recruitment Service, which is geared towards meeting their specific needs. Furthermore, we give members access to our Start-up and SME Club, which offers networking, benchmarking and learning opportunities as well as peer and expert support. But we are taking this a step further with the launch of a Start-up Lab which will entail pitch competitions in front of a jury with the winning start-ups becoming part of a mentoring programme to get advice on their strategic development and even help raising funds. The Chamber also organises a number of events that involve start-ups. Some events are inspirational or aspirational, such as our ‘From Scratch to Success: Business Stories’ at which successful entrepreneurs talk about their routes to success, and our Franco-British Business Awards, which has a special Entrepreneur Award, won in 2015 by an impressive start-up: La Belle Assiette. Others are specifically designed to allow small companies to meet big companies, helping them make the right contacts and thereby develop their businesses. A prime example of this was our Franco-British Digital Conference, ‘Small meets Big’, which brought together over 200 delegates from large and small companies across the digital spectrum providing a platform for exploring

new opportunities to work together. The Chamber is also involved with French Tech Hub London, an initiative led by entrepreneurs and backed by the French government with the aim of building bridges between major innovation hubs and facilitating the international growth of French start-ups.The Chamber provides support locally alongside five other steering members: The French Embassy, Business France, French Connect, French Digital and Frog Valley. Focusing on Digital Transformation It was no coincidence that our annual Franco-British Conference was themed on Digital, and that we devoted an issue of INFO to The Digital Imperative. Digital is taking over our world, disrupting the norm and changing businesses inside out. At the Chamber we have embarked upon our own digitalisation programme, starting with the implementation of a new CRM, common to all French Chambers, which is bringing greater efficiency, and a new website, launching soon, that will offer much more digital content and resources for our members. The digitalisation of some of our tools is also under way, with the Member-to-Member Offers Booklet, the first to be transformed into an online tool that will be so much more practical for our members to use. In the same vein, we are looking to launch a Digital Transformation and Innovation Forum this year, which will, like all our Forums and Clubs, provide an exceptional platform for accessing and sharing key information, knowledge and best practice. Endorsing Corporate Social Responsibility The third theme has been Corporate Social Responsibility in its many forms. We put the spotlight on climate change action through our Climate Change Forum and INFO, and work is ongoing as our Climate Change Forum is involved in producing a leaflet for SMEs offering practical tips for

getting their businesses ‘climate-change ready’. Diversity is another important strand that we have developed with the launch of our Women’s Business Network for female CEOs, CFOs and those in Londonbased global positions. This is intended to be an informal forum for discussion about business issues from a female leaders’ perspective. Linked to this is our Women, Inspiration and Leadership event, the second edition of which was held this year with an inspiring debate between Helena Morrissey, founder of the 30% Club, and our own President, Estelle Brachlianoff. Cultural diversity is something we at the Chamber know about firsthand, and it is the focus of our Cross-Cultural Relations Debate, held annually. This year, we went beyond the usual Franco-British boundaries to have a debate between Warner Rootliep, the Dutch GM of Air France-KLM in UK & Ireland, and Tanuja Randery, the Indian-born, US-educated Zone President UK & Ireland of Schneider Electric, providing some fresh, multi-faceted perspectives on the intersection of national culture, multicultural work environments and corporate culture. We also launched a new event – the Cross-Cultural Quiz Evening – which provides a light, convivial way of celebrating cultural differences. On our part, I would like to thank the French Ambassador to the UK, HE Ms Sylvie Bermann and her team at the French Embassy for their support. For their time, dedication, support and advice, I also wish to thank our President Estelle Brachlianoff, our Deputy President Stephen Burgin, the Directors of our Board, the Advisory Councillors, the Chairs of all our Forums and Clubs, and my hard-working team at the Chamber. Of course, none of our achievements would have been possible without the support and participation of our members and clients. Finally, I would like to thank our speakers, partners and sponsors. Thanks to all for making the French Chamber the best that it can be!

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS - as at June 2016 The French Chamber is a private, independent organisation with a mission to develop and connect French and British businesses in Great Britain. Our policies are guided by a Board of Directors responsible for all major decisions concerning the Chamber’s strategy. The Board is assisted by an Advisory Council, helping to increase the visibility and the efficiency of the Chamber. Our dedicated and multicultural team strives to provide high quality services to support the development of our clients and member companies in the UK.

President

Deputy President

Treasurer

Managing Director

Estelle Brachlianoff

Stephen Burgin

Nicolas Ribollet

Senior Executive VicePresident UK & Ireland, Veolia

Vice-President Europe GE Power Strategic Accounts GE Power

Partner Mazars

Florence Gomez Managing Director French Chamber of Great Britain

Other directors

Peter Alfandary

Richard Brown CBE

Ian Fisher

Head of French Team Reed Smith LLP

Former CEO & Chairman of Eurostar, Chairman of the Dept for Transport Franchise Advisory Panel

Chief Country Officer and Head of Coverage & Investment Banking UK Société Générale

Paul Kahn

Helena Kavanagh

Dame Carolyn McCall DBE

President Airbus Group UK

Managing Director JCDecaux UK Ltd

Chief Executive easyJet

Brian Gosschalk Head of the President’s Office Ipsos MORI

Olivier Morel Partner & Head of International Corporate Investment, Cripps LLP

WHO’S WHO

Olivier Nicolaÿ Managing Director Chanel UK, President of the UK and other Americas Region

Nicolas Petrovic

Christian Porta

Chief Executive Officer Eurostar International Ltd

Sir Martin Sorrell

Chairman & CEO Pernod Ricard EMEA

CEO WPP plc

Honorary members

Arnaud Vaissié

Pascal Boris CBE

Gérard Ocquidant

Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO International SOS

Chairman and Non-Executive Chairman Honorary President

Honorary Treasurer

THE ADVISORY COUNCIL - as at June 2016 All Board Directors are also Advisory Councillors. Fabrice Bernhard Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer Theodo

Renaud Digoin Danzin Executive Director SPIE UK

Guy H.R. Bondonneau Managing Director Web Consulting Team

Paul Evans Group Chief Executive Officer AXA UK PLC

Alexis de Bretteville CEO Europe Hudson

Richard Fostier CEO Colas Rail Ltd

Oliver Carret Vice President UK Nuclear Project ENGIE Energy Europe

Marie-Caroline Frochot Partner Lewis Silkin LLP

Victor Chavez CEO Thales UK

David Glass Partner, Corporate and Finance Irwin Mitchell LLP

Alain de Cointet Minister Counsellor for Economic and Financial Affairs French Embassy

Aino-Leena Grapin CEO UK Paddle8

Jean-Noël Mermet Managing Director Frenger International Ltd

Philippe Henry Head of Banking, Continental Europe & Africa - Head of Credit & Lending,

Bertrand Michaud Managing Director Hermès GB Ltd Chair of the Chamber’s Luxury Club

Laurence Colchester Director Bitter Lemon Press

Europe - Global Banking & Markets HSBC Bank PLC David Herbinet Partner, UK Executive Mazars LLP Maxime Holder Chairman PAUL UK Ltd Pascal d’Hont Founder Eliotus Ltd Elisabeth Markart Managing Director Barkston Consulting

Jules Minvielle Founder & CEO Mozoo

Stéphane Rambosson Managing Director Financial Services DHR International

Peter Smith Partner Constantin LLP

Jeanne Monchovet Founder Olystix Co-Chair of the Chamber’s Start-up & SME Club

Kenneth Ramirez Senior Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, G9 Renault

Tarja Stenvall Managing Director, UK & Ireland Sanofi

Ursula Morgenstern Global Head of Consulting and Systems Integration, Global Executive VP for Cloud & Entreprise Software and Member of the Executive Committee, Atos UK & Ireland

Tanuja Randery Zone President UK & Ireland Schneider Electric Marc Reboux Senior Director - EMEA Office and Tenant Representation CBRE Ltd

Jean-Pierre Mustier Partner Tikehau Investment Ltd

Rupert Reece Managing Partner Gide Loyrette Nouel

Ray Newton Advisor to the Chairman Edwardian Hotels London

John Rees Trade and Investment Director Government of South Australia

Florence Njamfa Global Creative and Brand Communication Director Orange Brand Services Limited

Emmanuelle Ries Managing Partner ebl Miller Rosenfalck LLP

Gilles Normand CEO Swinton Insurance Catherine Palmer Legal Director Joseph

Peter Stevens Partner, Business Law Department TWM Solicitors LLP Dominique Tai Associate, French Group Manager Browne Jacobson LLP Alexandre Terrasse Partner Edwin Coe LLP Marc de Thomasson Director Victanis Advisory Services Louise Tingström Managing Partner Chandos Communications Paul Voller Partner, Corporate and Commercial Bircham Dyson Bell LLP

Warner Rootliep General Manager UK & Ireland Air France KLM

Guy Wieynk CEO Western Europe Publicis Worldwide

Bob Scott Senior Vice President Capgemini UK

HONORARY POSITIONS Elisabeth Delahaye Honorary Councillor

CHAIRS OF OUR FORUMS AND CLUBS Richard Brown CBE, Former CEO & Chairman of Eurostar, Chairman, Department for Transport Franchise Advisory Panel

Jean-Philippe Verdier

Philippe Chalon, Director of External Affairs, International SOS & Managing Director of the Cercle d’outre-Manche ECONOMIC UPDATES

CLIMATE CHANGE FORUM

Arnaud de Montille, Co-Founder of Merci Maman Peter Alfandary, Partner and Head of French Team, Reed Smith

Personalised Gifts

CROSS CULTURAL RELATIONS

Jeanne Monchovet, Founder of Olystix START-UP & SME CLUB

John Peachey, Chief Financial Officer, Global Markets, HSBC Bank Plc Rob Guyler, CFO, EDF Energy

Bertrand Michaud, Managing Director of Hermès GB Ltd

FINANCE FORUM

LUXURY CLUB

Michael Whitlow, Regional HR Director, Europe, International SOS HUMAN RESOURCES FORUM

Estelle Brachlianoff, Senior Executive Vice-President UK & Ireland, Veolia and President of the French Chamber WOMEN’S BUSINESS NETWORK

Olivier Morel, Partner & Head of International Corporate Investments, Cripps LLP Ken Morrison, Legal Director, Eurotunnel (Deputy Chair) LEGAL FORUM

We would like to thank all Directors, Advisory Councillors and Chairs for their commitment and dedication to the Chamber.

WHO’S WHO

THE TEAM - as at June 2016

Florence Gomez Managing Director

BUSINESS CONSULTANCY & BUSINESS CENTRE

RECRUITMENT & HUMAN RESOURCES

Noémie du Chatelier Executive Assistant to the MD

Inès Ennaifer Business Development Manager

Emmanuelle Thomas Head of HR and Recruitment

Carla Coutinho Office Manager

Marie de Raymond Project Manager

Valeryane Elphick Recruitment Consultant

MEMBERSHIP FORUMS & CLUBS

ACCOUNTANCY & COMPANY SET-UP

PUBLICATIONS & COMMUNICATIONS

Frédérique Andréani Head of Membership

Naser Nashaat Head of Finance & Administration, Accounting Outsourcing Services

Keri Fuller Head of Publications & Content

Lina Ghazal Account Manager Nils Jean Head of Forums & Clubs Ophélie Martinel Membership/Forums & Clubs Coordinator

EVENTS Sonia Olsen Head of Events Anne-Claire Lo Bianco Events Manager Camille Gorin Events Coordinator

Julie Sanchez Business Support Coordinator

Marielle Fraize Head of Corporate Communications & Partnerships

Mariam Jatta Management Accountant

Katherine Millet Senior Graphic Designer

Céline Blanche Management Accountant Manon Chauvin Assistant Accountant Mélanie Jaillet Accounting & Business Support Assistant Annabelle Prost Assistant Accountant

+44 (0)20 7092 6600 mail@ccfgb.co.uk www.frenchchamber.co.uk

Suzanne Lycett Advertising & Sales Coordinator

OUR PARTNERS INSTITUTIONAL ORGANISATIONS

CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS

French Embassy The French Embassy is a strong supporter of the Chamber. We are honoured that the French Ambassador to the UK, HE Ms Sylvie Bermann, speaks at many of our events. The Ambassador also hosts Ambassador’s Briefs for French Chamber’s Patron and Corporate members at the Résidence de France. In the course of the year, we also co-organised a Franco-British Digital Conference with the French Embassy as well as a dedicated conference on Climate Change prior to the COP21 meeting in Paris. HE Ms Sylvie Bermann led our Trade Delegation to Manchester and is part of our Women’s Business Network.

In 2015, we renewed three valuable partnerships with the Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Opera House and the French Institute, which give us access to iconic venues for our events. We signed new partnerships with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Christie’s, which will both host very exclusive Patron events in 2016.

Business France In early 2016, we signed, in the presence of the French Ambassador, a cooperation agreement with Business France, which is a French Government agency supporting the international development of the French economy. The agreement defines the complementary roles that Business France and the French Chamber will play in supporting SMEs, making it easier for them to know who to turn to, depending on their requirements and stage of development. Business France will be supporting French companies before they move to the UK with prospective missions and market studies, while the French Chamber will help companies to set up their businesses in the UK, providing services such as domiciliation, payroll, accountancy, shared commercial services, recruitment, seminar organisation and an incubator. These changes will take effect from July 2017. UK Trade and Investment UK Trade and Investment is a UK Government department which helps overseas companies enter the British market. Our collaboration increases access and engagement with French businesses setting up in the UK and opens up referral streams to mutually benefit both our organisations. London & Partners As part of its drive to attract investment, London & Partners helps overseas businesses to set up in London, and has referred many French companies to the Chamber under a partnership agreement originally signed in 2013 and renewed in 2015. Franco-British Council The Franco-British Council (FBC) promotes better understanding between Britain and France. The FBC has always been a supportive partner of the Chamber, most notably in the organisation of our Franco-British Digital Conference in 2015.

PRESS For the fifth consecutive year, we renewed our valuable partnership with the Financial Times, which allows us to advertise four times a year in the newspaper and distribute free copies at our breakfasts and economic updates. Thanks to our partnerships with French Radio London and France in London, we have more press coverage of our events and publications, thereby increasing visibility for our sponsors and members.

SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES Collège Français Bilingue de Londres: the Chamber is responsible for appointing half of the Board of Trustees (including Chair and Treasurer) from member company representatives. The Chamber, through its Recruitment Service, has developed partnerships with member schools and universities to support both graduates and alumni in their search for positions. Current Partnerships: Arts & Métiers Paritech, EDHEC Business School, La Rochelle Business School, ESCP Europe, ESSEC Business School, INSEEC, Grenoble Ecole de Management, EM Normandie, HEC, NEOMA Business School, Sciences Po Paris, ESSCA and EISTI

OTHERS Asendia Since 2012, Asendia, a leading global provider of mail and parcel solutions, has supported the Chamber by distributing most of our publications, particularly INFO magazine, free of charge to members and the Franco-British business community at large. French Connect Launched in 2015 by 3 French tech entrepreneurs, FrenchConnect is a private member club gathering French Digital Leaders in London. French Connect was a valuable partner in the organisation of the very successful Franco-British Digital Conference 2015.

CCI FRANCE INTERNATIONAL > A global network of 113 French Chambers of Commerce abroad > The largest private French network in the world > A combined membership base of more than 32,000 companies

OUR NETWORKS

NETWORKS & HUB WE ARE PART OF

CCI France International, under the leadership of Arnaud VaissiĂŠ, our former President and a Director of our Board, strongly encourages Chambers within the network to share best practice and combine resources where possible. To that end, Presidents and Managing Directors of French Chambers abroad meet in Paris every June for their Annual General Meeting, followed by a four-day seminar for Managing Directors only, where Awards are given to individual Chambers for outstanding achievements. In 2015, CCI France International presented our Chamber with the Innovation Award for its publication The HR Guide: A practical approach to Human Resources in Great Britain (more information on p 38). CCIFI also organises regional meetings.

COUNCIL OF FOREIGN CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE > A network of 46 foreign Chambers of Commerce in the UK > A combined base of more than 10,000 foreign businesses. The French Chamber is proud to be the largest foreign Chamber in the UK in terms of both turnover and range of services. The Council of Foreign Chambers of Commerce meets four times a year, which allow us to benchmark and exchange ideas with other Chambers based in the UK. We also organise joint events with other Chambers such as the International Wine & Spirit Tasting.

French Tech Hub London The French Tech Hub London launched in 2016 is an initiative led by entrepreneurs, backed by the French government and supported locally by the French Chamber alonside five other steering members: The French Embassy, Business France, French Connect, French Digital and Frog Valley. London was the first European capital to be designated a French Tech Hub as part of the French Tech programme which aims to build bridges between major innovation hubs and facilitate the international growth of French start-ups. The objective of this French government initiative is to federate and structure existing initiatives supporting start-up development in London and to foster the international influence of French entrepreneurship.

A wide range of high-quality events in 2015 1

ELECTION OF ESTELLE BRACHLIANOFF, Senior Executive Vice-President UK & Ireland, Veolia as our new President

FRANCO-BRITISH DIGITAL CONFERENCE: SMALL MEETS BIG - Ed Vaizey, British Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy (top) and Pascal Cagni, Founder/CEO, C4 Ventures and Apple EMEIA GP, VP (2000 - 2012)

FRANCO-BRITISH BUSINESS AWARDS: David Herbinet, Mazars (main sponsor), Estelle Brachlianoff, Stephen Le Guillon, La Belle Assiette (Start-up Award), Ian Fisher, Societe Generale (Jury Award), Thibaut Peeters, Decathlon (Large Corporate Award), The French Ambassador to the UK, HE Ms Sylvie Bermann and Delphine Merlot, Eurostar (main sponsor)

4 5 10

ANNUAL GALA DINNER with Dame Carolyn McCall DBE, CEO of easyJet, as guest speaker The first CROSS CULTURAL QUIZ EVENING hosted by Peter Alfandary, Chair of the Cross Cultural Relations Forum, provided the occasion to announce the Intercultural Trophy Winner 2015: ESCP Europe

HIGHLIGHTS

53 events 2,780 participants 84 sponsors & partners 3

LUXURY DINNER - Lucy Yeomans, Editor-in-Chief of Porter Magazine and Content Director of Net-A-Por ter.com as guest speaker with Bertrand Michaud, Managing Director of Hermès GB and Chair of the Luxury Club

ANNUAL FINANCIAL LUNCH with Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, Chairman of the Board of Societe Generale, as guest speaker

DÎNER DE LA RENTRÉE with Vincent de Rivaz CBE, Chief Executive of EDF Energy, as guest speaker

WOMEN, INSPIRATION AND LEADERSHIP debate between Estelle Brachlianoff, Senior Executive Vice-President UK & Ireland, Veolia and Helena Morrissey, Founder of the 30% Club & CEO of Newton Investment Management

FROM SCRATCH TO SUCCESS: BUSINESS STORIES debate between Bernard Liautaud, Founder of Business Objects & General Partner at Balderton Capital and Antoine Flamarion, Founder of Tikehau Capital & Chairman of Tikehau Capital Advisors, moderated by Eric Albert, City Correspondent for Le Monde

An inspiring programme of Forum & Club activities 1

416 member companies were involved in our Forums & Clubs in 2015

NEW

Women’s Business Network 4

FIRST BRAINSTORMING LUNCH OF THE WOMEN’S BUSINESS NETWORK with guest speaker Chantal Gaemperle, Group Executive Vice President Human Resources & Synergies at LVMH and Member of the LVMH Executive Committee

LEGAL LUNCH on ‘The Significance of Magna Car ta to our Present Age’ with The Right Honourable Dominic Grieve QC MP as guest speaker, introduced by Olivier Morel, Chair of the Legal Forum

Joint CLIMATE CONFERENCE with the French Embassy and the European Commission Representation on ‘The Business View and the Regulatory Environment’

ECONOMIC UPDATE on How would Brexit impact businesses and the economy in the UK and in Europe? with Andy Bagnall, Director of Campaigns, CBI moderated by Philippe Chalon, Chair of the Economic Update

LUXURY CLUB COCKTAIL ‘Celebrating the best of French and British Luxury’ organised by the Luxury Club in partnership with the Financial Times and Walpole

Innovation Award for the HR Guide

HIGHLIGHTS

Business-focused publications A Practical Approach to Human Resources in the UK The HR Guide was singled out for the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;quality of its content, and its practical and innovative approachâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

350 copies distributed

The ever popular Cross-cultural booklet Practical Reflections on the French and British in Business

750 copies sold 5,800 in total

A new design for INFO magazine

+ 23% online views per issue

An expanding offer of business support services > 259 >

clients

250 companies met in France

> 3,660 payslips generated by our Accounting/ Payroll outsourcing Service >

23 placements by our Recruitment Service

> New service: Construction Industry Scheme Management for businesses in the construction sector

A ONE-STOP SHOP FOR START-UPS ‘The French Chamber helped me to grow my business in the UK market from my first days in London, assisting me with the first steps such as my UK bookkeeping. The French Chamber also helps entrepreneurs to expand their network in the UK by introducing partners and potential customers’ Jules Minvielle, Founder & CEO Mozoo ‘The Chamber has provided great visibility for La Belle Assiette over the past year. We partnered with it for many events and were proud to win the Franco-British Business Start-up Award in 2015. On top of being a fantastic networking community, the Chamber has been innovative in its collaboration with start-ups, which I feel is visionary in their industry’ Stephen Leguillon, CEO - La Belle Assiette

he French Chamber has always supported small companies through its range of services, but in 2015, we decided to focus on star t-ups because more and more French entrepreneurs were crossing the Channel. As a result of this, the Chamber has been attracting innovative start-ups and now has more than 40 amongst its members. In order to better answer their needs, we brought them together to identify key areas in which they require specific support, ranging from legal, fiscal and financial advice, to attracting talent, finding investors and getting support for fast-changing logistical requirements. Based on their feedback, we then sought members with the relevant expertise to provide mentorship, and the idea of creating a ‘Start-up Lab’ was born.

NE W

OUR OFFER FOR START-UPS > Network widely and access large corporates Take part in more than 50 events per year, including ‘Small meets Big’ events, which are opportunities for star t-ups to meet relevant contacts within big organisations, expand their networks and ultimately develop their businesses.

> Gain recognition and visibility Enter the Star t-up & SME category at the FrancoBritish Business Awards organised by the Chamber.

Pitch competition Selected star t-ups among our members will be invited to par ticipate in pitch competitions in front of a jury of mentors, who will select the start-up(s) they are best suited to help in their development.

> Workshop with peers

Mentors

Join our Start-up & SME Club which meets six times a year and focuses on transversal issues/challenges (see page 23).

The following members have kindly agreed to join the pool of mentors:

> Get exposure

Christophe Chazot, Group Head of Innovation, HSBC

Through ar ticles or interviews in INFO, stands at events and par ticipation as speakers at events.

> Use our business services Take advantage of the Chamber’s wide range of professional services at all stages of their development, for very competitive fees: • Recruitment (special package for start-ups) • Registered address and company set-up assistance • All-inclusive desk rental • Accountancy and payroll services.

Gilles Avenel, Par tner, Visconti Coaching Jean-François Cecillon, Founder, Universal Matrix Alexandre Covello, Founder & CEO, Angelscube Olivier Decanniere, Head of Ardian UK, Ardian Serge Harry, Member of the Executive Committee, London Stock Exchange Group Maxime Holder, Chairman, PAUL George Merrylees, Associate Solicitor, Irwin Mitchell LLP Jean-Pierre Mustier, Par tner, Tikehau Capital Olivier Njamfa, President & CEO/Co-Founder, Eptica Marc Reboux, Senior Director, CBRE Jonathan Snade, Par tner, Corporate & Finance, Thomas Eggar Louise Tingström, Managing Par tner, Chandos Communications

G ROW YO U R NE TWORK A ND YOUR BU S IN E S S IN G R E AT BR ITA IN ‘We have been hugely impressed with the calibre of the members and the quality of the events, forums and briefings that the Chamber facilitates. It’s an invaluable forum for discussion and knowledge enhancement. Based on our extremely positive experience to date, we have recently upgraded as a Patron Member of the Chamber and are looking forward to being part of the Mentoring Programme for Start-ups’ George Merrylees, Associate Solicitor, Irwin Mitchell

he Membership Department plays a pivotal role in connecting businesses, thereby fostering development, within the French Chamber’s network of nearly 600 member companies. Its dedicated team strives to understand members’ needs, suppor ts members in their strategic projects and helps members create business oppor tunities through personal introductions during events. In 2015, a Survey conducted by Ipsos MORI, as well as Focus Groups chaired by Ken Ramirez, Senior Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, G9, Renault and Jeanne Monchovet, Founder of Olystix, have given valuable insights to fur ther develop services that are in line with our members’ expectations. The focus groups brought together 30 member companies, small and big, across the three levels of membership – Active, Corporate and Patron.

MEMBERSHIP

MEMBERSHIP- as at December 2015

KEY FIGURES >

586 member companies including 76 Patron members 98 Corporate members 412 Active members

3,000 representatives > 4 new Patron members in 2015: >

Christie’s, Havas, KPMG and Turenne Consulting

SURVEY KEY FIGURES

FOCUS GROUP FEEDBACK

83% are satisfied with the Chamber’s performance in providing a platform to network, share expertise and best practice in the UK

> More organised business networking

84% would recommend membership to a colleague/peer company

> More thematic/industry events

> Greater access between categories of members

> The Chamber should have a stronger PR voice on behalf of its members

80% are satisfied with networking events, Forums, Clubs and publications

MEMBERSHIP PROFILE With a large, diverse and multicultural membership base, we are able to help existing and future members benefit from current growth and business opportunities in Great Britain. Our 586 member companies, from small businesses to global organisations, are represented by 3,000 representatives at ‘decision-making’ level.

68% represented at the highest level of Management

A multicultural network: 41% of main representatives are non French

29%

33%

17%

44% Services

5% 5% 9%

14%

44%

Food, Drink, Hotels & Restaurants

14% Banking, Financial Services

& Insurance

14% 14%

Retail & Consumer Goods

15% Chairmen & CEOs

Industry, Technology, Transpor t & Energy

15% Directors, Heads of Depar tments

Construction & Engineering

Health, Pharmaceuticals & Cosmetics

17% Executive Staff 17%

English 29% English 29%

A wide range of sectors

17% Founders, Owners

15%

59%

12% Other Other 12%

33% MDs, GMs, Par tners 15%

59% French French 59%

12%

Other C-Level positions

FORUMS & CLUBS TO DEVELO P YOUR E XP E RTIS E A ND S H A R E WIT H F E L L OW ME MBE R S

‘Our Forums and Clubs are the perfect platform for exchange, keeping our members up to date on topical and relevant issues. I can only encourage you to attend as many as possible’ Estelle Brachlianoff, Senior Executive Vice-President, Veolia Uk & Ireland & President of the French Chamber

ur 9 Forums and Clubs bring together business leaders and experts drawn from our membership and the Franco-British business community at large. Under the leadership of Chairs and Deputy Chairs, most of them host four to six roundtable discussions/working sessions every year, often with guest speakers giving presentations on topical themes.

OUR FORUMS

As exclusive learning, sharing, benchmarking and networking opportunities, the Forums and Clubs aim to be reliable and influential information providers. Themes are proposed by the members and can be adapted to current affairs.

Climate Change

Human Resources

Cross-Cultural Relations

Legal

Membership of Forums and Clubs is by invitation only, apar t from the Economic Updates and annual events (CrossCultural Quiz Evening, Cross-Cultural Relations Debate, Women, Inspiration and Leadership debate, Annual Financial Lunch, Annual Luxury Dinner and From Scratch to Success: Business Stories). However, all members can sample the wealth of information, knowledge and advice that is disseminated in most Forum and Club sessions through repor ts in INFO and online. Most presentations given by speakers are also accessible online as it is important for Forum and Club members to share their expertise with the wider Chamber membership. Our Annual General Meeting is an oppor tunity for members to hear directly from the Chairs about the achievements and perspectives of each Forum and Club.

OUR CLUBS

Working sessions of the HR, Legal, Finance and Climate Change Forums attract between 15 and 20 participants, while Economic Updates and annual events, which are open to all members, draw larger crowds.

Finance

Luxury

Start-up & SME

OTHERS Economic Updates Women’s Business Network

2015 KEY FIGURES 40 Forum & Club sessions > 36 guest speakers and experts invited > 932 participants overall > 416 member companies involved (70%) >

This high attendance reflects the range and the quality of the business-related topics covered and the excellence and diversity of the speakers.

THANKS We would like to thank all the Chairs and Deputy Chairs for their time and commitment. In 2015, we welcomed: Rob Guyler, CFO of EDF Energy, as Co-Chair of the Finance Forum; Jeanne Monchovet, Founder of Olystix and Advisory Councillor of the French Chamber, as Co-Chair of the Start-up & SME Club; Jean-Philippe Verdier, then Managing Director of Jefferies International, as Deputy Chair of the Climate Change Forum Michael Whitlow, Human Resources Director Europe of International SOS, as Chair of the HR Forum. Special thanks go to all the speakers, the sponsors and members for their involvement and contribution to the quality of the debates and discussions.

> Women’s Business Network the first business networking platform for female

executives within the Franco-British context

> Cross-Cultural Quiz Evening

moderated by Peter Alfandary, celebrating Franco- British cultural knowledge in a spirit of friendly rivalry

FORUMS & CLUBS

NEW

COVERAGE IN INFO AND ONLINE: 29 ar ticles in 2015

New Chamber website to be launched in 2016

ANNUAL CHAIR LUNCH Chaired by Richard Brown OBE, then President of the French Chamber At The Connaught (June) Once a year, the Chamber organises a lunch bringing together all the Chairs and Deputy Chairs. It is an oppor tunity for them to share best practice and discuss topics for the year ahead as well as potential synergies between the different Forums and Clubs.

OUTLOOK 2016 Launch of a Digital Transformation & Innovation Forum co-chaired by Christophe Chazot, Group Head of Innovation at HSBC and Lucien Boyer, CMO of Vivendi. This Forum is aimed at Chief Digital Officers, Chief Marketing Officers, Heads of Innovation and Heads of Strategy of big companies as well as innovative star t-ups. Publication of a leaflet by the Climate Change Forum with tips for SMEs and star t-ups on becoming ‘climate change ready’.

WOMEN’S BUSINESS NETWORK (WBN) Launched in 2015 Aimed at female CEOs, CFOs and women with global positions based in the UK. By invitation only Chaired by Estelle Brachlianoff Senior Executive Vice-President, UK & Ireland of Veolia, President of the French Chamber

‘A forum for sharing ideas and experience, the Women’s Business Network gives women the opportunity to enlarge their networks and meet others from diverse backgrounds. It was a pleasure to inaugurate it in September 2015’ Chantal Gaemperle, guest speaker at the first WBN brainstorming session The Women’s Business Network (WBN) is the very first business networking platform for female executives within the Franco-British business context to discuss the issues and challenges they face in their businesses from the perspective of female leaders. The WBN meets quarterly over lunch and hosts the ‘Women, Inspiration and Leadership’ annual event open to all members, including men!

WOMEN MEAN BUSINESS WBN’S INAUGURAL LUNCH

Speaker : Chantal Gaemperle, Group Executive Vice President Human Resources & Synergies at LVMH and Member of the LVMH Executive Committee Sponsored by Louis Vuitton At Delaunay restaurant (September) Citing numerous statistics and with the premise that women are not a minority group, Chantal highlighted the impact that women have on performance in the business versus their still significant absence in top positions.

WOMEN, INSPIRATION & LEADERSHIP DEBATE BETWEEN ESTELLE BRACHLIANOFF AND HELENA MORRISSEY Speakers: Estelle Brachlianoff, Senior Executive Vice-President UK & Ireland, Veolia and Helena Morrissey, Founder of the 30% Club & CEO of Newton Investment Management. Moderated by Marc Roche, then Correspondent at Le Point Sponsored by Chanel, which provided each participant with a bottle of perfume.

NEW

FORUMS

CROSS-CULTURAL RELATIONS Launched in 2009 Aimed at all members interested in cross-cultural management issues and working in multicultural business environments Chaired by Peter Alfandary Head of French Team, Reed Smith LLP, Senior Vice President of the French Chamber

‘In times of increasing political and economic uncertainty, as well as instability worldwide, cross-cultural understanding takes on renewed and even more critical importance. I hope that, in its very modest way, our Forum at the Chamber can play its part in strengthening still further cross-border business relationships’ Peter Alfandary Unlike other forums, the Cross-Cultural Relations Forum does not hold working sessions. It hosts two major annuel events: a CrossCultural Debate bringing together two business leaders with multicultural backgrounds and a Franco-British Cross-Cultural Quiz Evening, at which the Intercultural Trophy is awarded. This Forum also published in 2012 a highly acclaimed booklet Light at the End of the Tunnel: Practical Reflections on the French and British in Business.

LAUNCH OF THE CROSS-CULTURAL QUIZ EVENING

NE W

Sponsored by PwC At PwC Embankment Place (February) Congratulations to MOMENTUM, winner of the 1st edition

The evening was also the occasion for the presentation of the Intercultural Trophy Sponsored by AXA, awarded in 2015 to ESCP Europe

Momentum’s team celebrating their well-deserved victory!

Yves Masson (AXA), Peter Alfandary, Chris Halliburton (ESCP Europe), Arvinda Gohil and Michael Heap (Emmaus UK, 2014 winner)

CROSS-CULTURAL DEBATE

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

Speakers: Tanuja Randery, Zone President UK & Ireland, Schneider Electric, and Warner Rootliep, General Manager UK & Ireland, Air France KLM Moderated by Peter Alfandary Sponsored by Russell-Cooke. At the French Residence (November)

PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE FRENCH AND BRITISH IN BUSINESS

The key messages were the importance of self-awareness combined with a deeper understanding of different cultural norms. The impact of embracing diversity in all its forms makes for culturally aware and capable companies.

750 copies sold in 2015 5,800 in total

CLIMATE CHANGE FORUM Launched in 2011 Aimed at CEOs, experts, heads of sustainability and business leaders in the field of climate change Co-chaired by Richard Brown OBE Chairman, Department for Transport Franchise Advisory Panel, Vice-President of the French Chamber and Jean-Philippe Verdier

‘Never has a topic united so many heads of state, scientists, economists, NGOs representatives from 200 countries; that is what COP21 delivered in Paris last December, which in itself is no mean feat. More importantly it demonstrates that climate change, as a humankind and business topic, is getting increasing attention. The impetus to fix what was derailed or avoid more dramatic effects is only going to grow over the next few years’ Richard Brown OBE and Jean-Philippe Verdier The ambition of this Forum is to become the Franco-British think tank of reference on this critical issue by being recognised as a legitimate, credible and leading voice. A major theme for 2015 was looking ahead to the COP21 Climate Change Summit in Paris in December. As par t of this, the Forum co-organised a Conference open to all members, with the French Embassy and the European Commission Representation to discuss ‘The business view and the Regulatory Environment’ The Forum also conducted a survey on climate change across member companies. In 2015, the sessions looked at: innovation in energy storage; tidal lagoon power, transpor t systems’ resilience to climate change and more frequent extreme weather ; and progress in reducing the environmental impact of travel in London. We also visited SaintGobain’s impressive Innovation Centre.

5 S E S S I O N S A N D 1 SI T E V I SI T Reducing the environmental impact of passenger travel in London (February) Speaker : Lilli Matson, Head of Delivery Planning Transpor t for London Energy Storage: how new batteries can unlock the renewable market (April) Speaker : Scott McGregor, CEO, REDT Energy

VISIT OF SAINT-GOBAIN’S INNOVATION CENTRE Showcasing a wide range of new low-carbon materials and products Speaker : Richard Halderthay, Director of Communications, Saint-Gobain Delegation UK, Ireland & South Africa

COP 21 (June) Speakers: Benoît Ronez, Energy and Climate Attaché, French Embassy and Robert Milnes, Manager specialised in Climate Change and Sustainability, PwC Tidal Lagoon Power: a new landscape of energy in the UK (October) Speaker : Paul Leslie, Development Director Nor thern France, Tidal Lagoon Power Transport Systems’ Resilience to Climate Change (November) Speaker : Richard Brown OBE, Chairman of Department for Transpor t Franchise Advisory Panel

‘The Climate Change Forum provides a great opportunity to liaise with representatives of leading French and British businesses around the sustainability agenda. Meetings are open, relaxed and convivial, which facilitates lively engagement and debate. I value it as a chance to develop and test my own understanding of emerging issues’ Mark Thompson, Director, Sustainability & Climate Change, PwC

FORUMS

PARIS 2015 CLIMATE CONFERENCE: ON ‘THE BUSINESS VIEW AND THE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT’ Organised with the French Embassy and the European Commission Representation in the UK. Speakers: Antoine de Saint-Affrique, then President of Unilever’s Foods category; Niall MacKenzie, Director, Energy, Materials and Agri-tech, Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) and Policy Fellow, Centre for Science and Policy; Jeremy Oppenheim, Programme Director of the New Climate Economy, Director at McKinsey & Co; Jos Delbecke, DirectorGeneral for Climate Action, European Commission; Paul Ekins, Professor at University College London; Mike Barry, Director of Sustainable Business, Plan A, at Marks and Spencer ; Jon Williams, Par tner specialised in Climate Change and Sustainability, PwC; Jacob Werksman, Principal Adviser to Directorate General for Climate Action at the European Commission. Moderator : Pilita Clark, Environment Correspondent, Financial Times Ahead of COP21, the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris in 2015, the French Embassy in par tnership with the European Commission Representation in the UK and the French Chamber organised a conference to debate and highlight the role business is playing in tackling the challenges of climate change.

HE Ms Sylvie Bermann

Richard Brown OBE presenting the Chamber’s survey results

From L to R: Jeremy Oppenheim, Antoine de Saint-Affrique, Pilita Clark, Jon Williams, Mike Barry

BUSINESS VIEW ON CLIMATE CHANGE SURVEY At the conference, Richard Brown OBE presented the results of the survey conducted across member companies, giving a snapshot of the business view on Climate Change. The clear business message was that international agreement and action to address greenhouse gas emissions are imperative and that many businesses are already working hard to develop low carbon products and services, and to reduce their own emissions.

96% indicated they were concerned or very concerned 55% are more concerned than they were three years ago when the first survey was conducted 80% of businesses are working to reduce their carbon footprint and half of those are doing more than is legally required

AftER COP 21: iS yOuR buSinESS ‘CliMAtE ChAngE REAdy’? 10 PRACtiCAl tiPS fOR SMES

OUTLOOK 2016 Topics include: lessons from COP21, smart cities, the science behind climate change, insurance companies’ perspective, as well as a visit of EDF Energy’s Dungeness Nuclear Power Station. Publication of a leaflet with 10 practical tips for star t-ups and SMEs on how to become ‘climate change ready’. Can be downloaded at www.frenchchamber.co.uk

Making the most of market changes 6 Engage your staff through action Employees value and want to join companies that embrace concrete action plans on climate change Design climate change initiatives such as working with a charity, communicate on the topic internally and promote employees’ personal engagement.

welcome

More on the IEMA business case

Stand out from the crowd Provide new, differentiating, climate change compliant services, or even adapt your business model Follow E-Car clubs example and consider how you can capitalise on the awareness of climate change and develop services that make you stand out from competitors. More on E-Car Club

10 Shout it from the roof-tops! Many stakeholders (in addition to customers, suppliers, employees) have an interest in or a requirement to check on your credentials Develop a sustainability reporting system with clear KPIs. More on the Global Reporting Initiative

This leaflet has been developed by members of the “Climate Change Forum (CCF)” of the ‘Chambre de Commerce Française en Grande Bretagne (CCFGB)’, under the coordination and editing of Jean-Philippe Verdier (Deputy Chair of the CCF, and investment banker by profession). Particular thanks go to Veolia, Renault, EDF Energy and PwC for their dedication, valuable input and perspectives, without whom this initiative would not have been possible.The CCF is Chaired by Richard Brown CBE, Former CEO & Chairman of Eurostar, Chairman of the Department for Transport Franchise Advisory Panel. Visit www.ccfgb.co.uk for an interactive PDF version, a more detailed leaflet and information on the Forum activities.

2/2

FINANCE FORUM Launched in 2012 Aimed at CFOs and senior representatives of financial institutions

Co-chaired by Rob Guyler, CFO, EDF Energy and John Peachey, Managing Director - CFO, Global Market HSBC Bank Plc

‘The world of finance is broad, constantly evolving and can be misinterpreted. We believe that a forum bringing together finance professionals (CFOs, treasurers, finance directors and financial experts) to share their views and experiences as well as debate issues privately is very compelling’ John Peachey

The Finance Forum provides a confidential and collaborative environment that facilitates open discussion on the financial sector. In 2015, the Forum was re-launched with Rob Guyler, CFO at EDF Energy, taking on the role of Co-Chair and bringing in a business view. Members have shown a desire to give a new impetus to the Forum, enabling it to become a strong networking platform, which will provide tools, foresight and a broad understanding of how finance can help develop business. The Annual Financial Lunch, which is open to all members, will celebrate its 20th year anniversary in 2016.

1 S E S S I O N A N D T H E F I N A N C I AL L U N C H What does a CFO worry about? (December) Speaker : John Peachey, Managing Director - CFO Global Markets, HSBC Bank Plc

ANNUAL FINANCIAL LUNCH WITH LORENZO BINI SMAGHI Looking ahead for Europe. At the Berkeley (November) Speaker : Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, Chairman of the Board of Societe Generale Sponsored by Societe Generale Corporate & Investment Banking

OUTLOOK 2016 Continue to tackle themes such as ‘How to promote business from a Finance perspective with key stakeholders’ and Digital Finance Open some sessions to members of other Forums and Clubs, such as the Star t-up & SME Club, when relevant

FORUMS

HR FORUM Launched in 2009 Aimed at HR Directors and HR professionals

Chaired by Michael Whitlow Human Resources Director, Europe, International SOS

‘From the use of technology and social media, to the expectations of new generations of employees and customers, the world of work is undergoing a change as fundamental as the industrial revolution. The HR Forum provides a perfect opportunity to try and understand how these changes will impact our organisations and how we can best adapt to the changes, both personally and professionally’ Michael Whitlow The HR Forum hosts regular sessions inviting speakers and experts, encouraging open discussion and the exchange of experience from a wide range of industries on people-related subjects such as flexibility, social media or fostering innovation. In 2015, the HR Forum has provided an excellent range of presentations on a variety of thought-provoking topics. The topics covered ranged from the issues faced by companies in moving people internationally to the impact that cultural differences have on organisations and leadership, and what companies are doing to foster a culture of diversity and inclusiveness.

6 S E S S I O N S A ND 1 P U B L I C AT I ON International mobility (February) Speakers: Jennifer Westen, Group Director, Human Resources, International SOS, Lee Scott, Senior Manager, Global Compensation Services, EMEIA Tax Center Human Capital, EY and Alexis Friedlander, Consultant, Global Compensation Services, EMEIA Tax Center - Human Capital Flexible working (March) Speakers: Melanie Stancliffe, Partner, Thomas Eggar LLP and Sarah Churchman, Human Capital Director, Head of Diversity & Inclusion and Employee Wellbeing, PwC The implications of cultural differences for HR Managers (April) Speaker : Peter Alfandary, Head of French Team, Reed Smith LLP

THE HR GUIDE A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO HUMAN RESOURCES IN GREAT BRITAIN In 2015, the Forum published a guide that provides an overview of HR practices and law in the UK, aimed at French businesses that have or are intending to set up in the UK.

Innovation Award given by CCI France International in 2015 350 copies were distributed

The role of human resources in promoting Corporate Social Responsibility (June) Speaker : Richard Karmel, Business & Human Rights Par tner, Mazars LLP Diversity in the workplace (September) Speakers: Vinay Kapoor, Head of Inclusion & Diversity at BNP Paribas and Edouard de Broglie, CEO, Dans le Noir Ltd – Trade Connection Setting the agenda for 2016 (November)

OUTLOOK 2016 Publish the French version of The HR Guide in 2016 Host sessions focusing on themes such as the generational differences in the workplace, the challenges in attracting, engaging and retaining talent, and the difficulty in driving cultural differences

LEGAL FORUM Launched in 2013 Aimed at General Counsels / Heads of Legal Departments and Senior Representatives of law firms of Corporate and Patron member companies Chaired by Olivier Morel Partner, Cripps, Vice President of the French Chamber and Deputy-Chaired by Ken Morrison, Legal Director, Eurotunnel

‘2016 will be remembered as the year of THAT referendum. Whilst not purely an Anglo-French legal issue, the role the law plays in the relationship between Britain with the rest of the European Union is vital, and we cannot ignore the fact that the United Kingdom is bound to the rest of the Union by a treaty, which is a legal instrument’ Olivier Morel The Legal Forum aims to foster exchange and cooperation on current legal issues and to deliver a programme of activities that mobilises and attracts key players of the Franco-British legal community. In 2015, the Forum held sessions on diverse themes, always presented from a Franco-British perspective. The Annual Legal Lunch on the significance of Magna Carta with guest speaker Dominic Grieve QC MP was a highlight.

5 S E S S I O N S A ND T H E L E G A L L U N C H Data Protection: a practical Franco-British perspective (May) Speakers: Krysia Sturgeon, Solicitor, PwC and Laurie-Anne Evra-Ancenys, dual-qualified Avocat à la Cour & Solicitor, Gide Loyrette Nouel LLP

Cross-border mergers and schemes of arrangement (Feb) Speaker : Paul Lester, Partner at Cripps Anglo-French employment issues (March) Speakers: Michael Ryley, Partner, Weightmans LLP and François Vergne, Partner, Gide Loyrette Nouel LLP

Brainstorming session (December)

Director’s Duties (September) Speaker : Olivier Morel, Partner, Cripps LLP and Alain Levy, Par tner, Ayache Salama

ANNUAL LEGAL LUNCH WITH THE RT HON DOMINIC GRIEVE QC MP The significance of Magna Carta to our present age At The Connaught (November) 2015 marked the 800th anniversary of the Magna Car ta, the historic document that underpins democracy, human rights and the rule of law. But how did this ancient char ter come to be so significant in the modern age? This was the question that the Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC MP, Attorney General from May 2010 to July 2014, addressed as guest speaker at the third Annual Legal Lunch organised by the Chamber.

OUTLOOK 2016 Publish two booklets on Directors’ Duties and Litigation Tackle themes with a comparison between the legal systems of both countries Focus on attracting a well-balanced membership composed of general counsels and senior representatives of law firms

FORUMS

ECONOMIC UPDATES Launched in 2011 Aimed at all members and alumni of Chamber partner schools

Chaired by Philippe Chalon, Director of External Affairs, International SOS & Managing Director of the Cercle d’outre-Manche

‘Over the past three years, the UK has faced three major polls with the Scottish referendum, the General Elections and now the EU referendum. It is essential for our Franco-British business community to meet and debate with high profile economic experts and opinion leaders. Our forum is a reader’s digest and ultimately, this helps our businesses make informed decisions’ Philippe Chalon

This Forum invites experts to present their views and analysis on current and for thcoming economic issues impacting the FrancoBritish business community. Its aim is to give all members access to relevant information as well as insights and mid- to long-term perspectives on topical issues. In 2015, the Forum held three sessions, sponsored by HEC, each with leading British and French exper ts in their field and attracting between 60 and 80 par ticipants in the unique ar t deco Mediathèque of the French Institute.

3 SESSIONS GENERAL ELECTION:

Uncertainty is the only certainty. What are we voting for and how might the UK fare on 8 May?

Speakers: John Peet, political Editor of The Economist and Eric Albert, City Correspondent, Le Monde. (April)

How would Brexit impact businesses and the economy in the UK and in Europe?

How the UK and France scale up their start-ups. Is France the new Silicon Valley?

Speaker : Andy Bagnall, Director of Campaigns, Confederation of British Industry (CBI) (September)

Speaker : Frédéric Rombaut, Head of Corporate Development International, Cisco UK (November)

‘The Economic Update is a must-attend event for both professional and casual observers of the British economy. The chance to hear the views of leading UK economists is invaluable, and the debate with the audience is always informed and passionate. On top of that, the library of the Institut français is a brilliant place to network’ Alain de Cointet, Minister Counsellor for Economic and Financial Affairs, French Embassy

OUTLOOK 2016 Pay close attention to the EU Referendum and its aftermath Provide Chamber members with the opportunity to hear from high profile experts in the fields of economics and politics

START-UP & SME CLUB Launched in 2009 Aimed at founders of start-ups, MDs of SMEs and entrepreneurs Co-chaired by Arnaud de Montille, Co-Founder, Merci Maman Personalised Gifts and Jeanne Monchovet, Founder and Principal Consultant, Olystix and Advisory Councillor of the French Chamber

‘The Start-up & SME Club is very active, bringing together a very diverse group of entrepreneurs and MDs from B2B and B2C, manufacturing and services, online and offline, sole traders and medium-sized businesses. Meeting regularly at the Chamber gives us a lot of energy, new ideas and of course extra networking opportunities. Time well spent!’ Arnaud de Montille The Club provides a platform to work on case studies and transversal issues identified by its members, such as social media, the power of networking, pitching techniques, marketing strategy, and how to fund and manage growth. Aside from a very good programme with great speakers, the Club welcomed Jeanne Monchovet, Founder of Olystix as Co-Chair in 2015. Jeanne’s long experience of the Chamber and its members has already proved to be a strong asset to the work of the Club. The Club also holds an annual event, open to all: ‘From Scratch to Success: Business Stories’.

6 S E S S I O N S A ND ‘ F ROM S C R AT C H TO S U C CESS: BUSINESS STO R IES’ The power of networking: unlocking and creating business opportunities (January) Speaker : Jeanne Monchovet, Founder and Principal Consultant of Olystix Implications of cross-cultural communication in business for SMEs (March) Speaker : Pascal Monpetit, President, Transnations How to attract capital (May) Speakers: Alexandre Covello, CEO and Founder, AngelsCube & Jonathan Snade, Partner, Thomas Eggar LLP

The use of social media for SMEs: challenges and opportunities (June) Speakers: Charles Van Overmeire, then International Development Manager, Pictawall and Ben Carter, Marketing Director, notonthehighstreet.com Changes in the labour laws (September) Speaker : Gary Freer, Par tner, Bryan Cave 3 November: Brainstorming session (November)

FROM SCRATCH TO SUCCESS: BUSINESS STORIES An evening celebrating entrepreneurship with more than 150 par ticipants at the French Institute. Sponsored by HSBC Global Banking and Markets Speakers: Antoine Flamarion, Founder of Tikehau Capital & Chairman of Tikehau Capital Advisors Bernard Liautaud, Founder of Business Objects & General Partner at Balderton Capital Moderator : Eric Albert, City Correspondant of Le Monde

OUTLOOK 2016 Attract more start-up founders Hold a series of sessions offering advice and practical viewpoints from both consultants and business owners Organise visits of start-ups and SME businesses

Create a leaflet on ‘Dos and don’ts for start-ups and SMEs coming to the UK’

Launched in 2010 Aimed at senior representatives of luxury brands, cultural institutions, GMs of five-star hotels and Chefs of Michelin-starred restaurants

CLUBS

LUXURY CLUB Chaired by Bertrand Michaud Managing Director, Hermès GB Ltd, Advisory Councillor of the French Chamber

The Club’s objective is to encourage the exchange of best practice, share experiences as well as celebrate savoir-faire and excellence. The Club hosts a series of breakfasts on topical issues as well as the Annual Luxury Dinner which is open to all members. In 2015, the Club also hosted a cocktail reception organised in par tnership with Walpole and the Financial Times.

ANNUAL LUXURY DINNER WITH LUCY YEOMANS

LUXURY COCKTAIL RECEPTION WITH THE FT AND WALPOLE

Speaker : Lucy Yeomans, Editor-in-Chief, NET-A-PORTER.com & Content Editor, PORTER magazine Sponsored by Societe Generale Private Banking Hambros Sponsors in kind: Hermès (a bottle of perfume for every guest), Caviar Petrossian, Pierre Hermé At Claridge’s (April)

Celebrating the best of French and British Luxury Speaker : Ben Hughes, then Chairman of Walpole and Deputy CEO of the Financial Times Par tnership with the Financial Times and Walpole At The Connaught (September)

2 L U X U RY BR E A K FAST S

The Internet of luxury things

Where does the luxury industry stand?

Speaker : Jonathan Chippindale, CEO, Holition At The Royal Alber t Hall (June)

Speakers: Nick Pope, Director, Fashion and Luxury Lead, Deloitte UK and Gordon Clark, VP Head of Commercial UK & Ireland, Global Blue. At Maison Assouline (November)

EVENTS TO EX PAN D YOUR NE TWORK A ND D E V E L O P YO U R BU S IN E S S

e offer our members networking platforms within the context of a wide range of events, from informal gatherings to prestigious occasions with high-profile guest speakers. In 2015, we encouraged the involvement of start-ups and SMEs through more ‘affordable’ events as well as those organised under the ‘Small Meets Big’ banner. The Cross-Cultural Quiz Evening was held for the first time, and its success ensured it will become an annual fixture in the calendar. Special thanks go to the speakers for their time and suppor t.

2015 KEY FIGURES > 53 events > 2,780 participants > 38 speakers > 84 partners and sponsors > 22 iconic venues

A LINE UP OF HIGH PROFILE SPEAKERS

Ed Vaizey Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy (UK)

Axelle Lemaire Secretary of State for Digital Affairs (France)

HE Ms Sylvie Bermann French Ambassador to the UK

The Rt Hon Sir John Major KG CH Former British Prime Minister

Dame Carolyn McCall DBE CEO of easyJet

Helena Morrissey Founder of the 30% Club & CEO of Newton Investment Management

Lorenzo Bini Smaghi Chairman of the Board of Societe Generale

Bernard Liautaud Founder of Business Objects & General Par tner at Balderton Capital

Pascal Cagni Founder/CEO, C4 Ventures & Apple EMEIA GP, VP (2000 - 2012)

Antoine Flamarion Founder of Tikehau Capital & Chairman of Tikehau Capital Advisors

Lucy Yeomans Vincent de Rivaz CBE Editor-in-Chief of Porter Magazine & Chief Executive of EDF Energy Content Director of Net-A-Porter.com

Estelle Brachlianoff Senior Executive Vice-President UK & Ireland of Veolia

Wilfrid Petrie Executive Vice President Energy Services business line of ENGIE & Chief Executive Officer of Cofely UK

Nicolas Petrovic Chief Executive Officer of Eurostar

Tom Meggle Managing Director UK, Ireland & South Africa of Louis Vuitton

EVENTS

VENUES, SPONSORS AND PARTNERS 22 ICONIC VENUES We only work with members and occasionally host events in venues introduced by members. Battersea Power Station, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, Bulgari Hotel, Claridge’s, Club Gascon, Emirates Stadium, Four Seasons Hotel, French Institute, French Residence, Honourable Artillery Company, Landmark London Hotel, Maison Assouline, One Great George Street, Pullman London St Pancras, PwC offices, Reed Smith offices, Royal Albert Hall, Royal Opera House, The Berkeley Hotel, The Connaught, The May Fair Hotel, The Hurlingham Club.

31 PROMINENT SPONSORS Sponsorship can take many different forms, both exclusive and multiple, ranging from £750 to £18,000, and can be tailored to align with members’ marketing needs. Sponsors can also invite decision makers, key clients and/or senior managers of their companies.

59 PRESTIGIOUS PARTNERS AND DONORS Members can provide sponsorship-in-kind to promote activities or products to par ticipants. They can also offer products to fellow members as prizes in rafﬂes organised for certain events.

Event partners 2015

Wine and Champagne partners 2015

Armorial, Aubaine, L’Atelier des Chefs, Battersea Power Station, Caudalie, La Cave à Fromage, Caviar Petrossian, Financial Times, Les 110 de Taillevent London, Ladurée, Louis Vuitton, Maison Assouline, La Maison Maille, Mi-GSO/Pcubed, PAUL UK, Pictawall, Pierre Hermé Paris, Porsche Design, PowerVote, Renault UK, Royal Albert Hall, Royal Opera House, Reed Smith, Service Point, The Exhibitionist Hotel, Wine Story, Wisembly

Auction & lot donors 2015 Air France, Caviar Petrossian, Club Med, Accor, easyJet, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, Boucheron, Caudalie, Chivas Brothers, Cirque de Soleil, Dior, Eurostar, Guerlain, Hermès, Jimmy Choo, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, La Belle Assiette, Lalique, L’Occitane, Longchamp, Louis Vuitton, La Maison Maille, Nuxe, Pullman London St Pancras, Relais & Châteaux, Royal Albert Hall, S.T. Dupont UK,The Connaught,The Landmark London

Venues, partners and sponsors contributed immensely to the success of our events and we would like to thank them for their support. 29

MAJOR EVENTS

1/3

GALA DINNER WITH DAME CAROLYN M cCALL DBE IN AID OF DOCTORS OF THE WORLD Gold sponsors: EY, HSBC Global Banking and Markets and Safran Silver sponsors: Accor, Colas Rail, EDF Energy and PSA Group Enter tainment: Revelation Avenue, Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist 2015 Charity: Doctors of the World At the Landmark London (July) The 2015 Gala Dinner was celebrated by over 350 guests with Dame Carolyn McCall DBE, CEO of easyJet, as guest speaker. Guests took par t in a silent auction for luxury items generously donated by 25 member companies, raising £18.500 for Doctors of the World. Special thanks go to Chanel for giving a bottle of perfume to every guest for the 11th consecutive year.

FRANCO-BRITISH BUSINESS AWARDS Main sponsors: Eurostar and Mazars LLP Suppor ting sponsors: Business France and Colas Rail At the May Fair Hotel (November) The last black-tie event of the year brought together the FrancoBritish community for the 16th time to celebrate the achievements of French and British start-ups, SMEs and blue-chip companies, and applaud the overall winners.

WINNERS

2015

SME/Entrepreneur Award:

La Belle Assiette Large Corporate Award:

Decathlon Jury Award:

Societe Generale From left to right: Richard Fostier (Colas Rail), David Herbinet (Mazars LLP), Estelle Brachlianoff, President of the French Chamber, Stephen Leguillon (CEO, La Belle Assiette), Ian Fisher (UK Chief Country Officer, Societe Generale), Thibault Peeters (Chief Executive, Decathlon), HE Ms Sylvie Bermann, Delphine Merlot (Eurostar), Patrick Manon (Business France)

EVENTS

2/3

FRANCO-BRITISH DIGITAL CONFERENCE: SMALL MEETS BIG Partners: French Embassy in the UK, Franco-British Council, FrenchConnect London Main sponsors: Atos, HSBC Global Banking and Markets and PwC Supporting sponsors: London & Partners and Tramonex Stands: Atos, HSBC, Linkfluence, Mycoocoon, OVH, PwC, Tramonex, Tridelity, Wisembly At One Great George Street (November)

NEW

The first Franco-British Digital Conference, which was attended by more than 150 delegates, offered a unique oppor tunity to hear from Axelle Lemaire, French Secretary of State for Digital Affairs and Ed Vaizey, British Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy as well as major digital players in France and Britain, including large companies and innovative star t-ups. Debates were moderated by Alan Rutter, Co-Founder of Clever Boxer and Alexandre Sagakian, Co-Founder & President of FrenchConnect London. Access the full programme and list of speakers on www.thefrancobritishdigitalconference.co.uk

Above: Karine Bidart gives her presentation on Paris&Co. Top right: Ed Vaizey, Minister of State for Culture and Digital Economy (UK). Bottom right: Pascal Cagni, Founder/CEO, C4 Ventures and Apple EMEIA GP, VP (2000-2012)

DÎNER DE LA RENTREE WITH VINCENT DE RIVAZ CBE Sponsored by EDF Energy At the Four Seasons Hotel Park Lane (September) 200 guests gathered to hear from Vincent de Rivaz CBE, Chief Executive of EDF Energy, who spoke about the challenges and opportunities of COP21, highlighting EDF Energy’s hopes and expectations for business action on both sides of the Channel.

‘The UK and France share common ground on climate change and both see a need for strong carbon pricing globally as a way to help move away from coal and gas’ Vincent de Rivaz CBE

3/3

ANNUAL FINANCIAL LUNCH WITH LORENZO BINI SMAGHI Sponsored by Societe Generale At The Berkeley (November) Members of the Chamber’s financial and business community came together for the 19th edition of the Annual Financial Lunch, sponsored by Societe Generale, which was addressed by Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, Chairman of the Board of Societe Generale. ‘Looking ahead for Europe’ was how Lorenzo framed his insights on the perspectives and challenges for growth in Europe. Special thanks go to Societe Generale for being the exclusive sponsor of this event since 1997.

LUXURY DINNER WITH LUCY YEOMANS Sponsored by Societe Generale Private Banking Hambros At Claridge’s (April) Guests from the most prominent luxury houses gathered to hear from Lucy Yeomans, Editor-in-Chief of Porter Magazine and Content Director of Net-A-Porter.com who engaged in a fascinating debate with Bertrand Michaud, Chairman of the Chamber’s Luxury Club and MD of Hermès GB. Special thanks go to Hermès for presenting every guest with a bottle of perfume.

Bertrand Michaud, Managing Director of Hermès and Lucy Yeomans, Editor-in-Chief of Por ter Magazine and Content Director of Net-A-Porter.com

ANNUAL LEGAL LUNCH WITH THE RT HON DOMINIC GRIEVE QC MP At The Connaught (June) The RT Hon Dominic Grieve QC MP, Attorney General from May 2010 to July 2014, spoke about the present day significance of the Magna Car ta, the historic English document that underpins democracy, human rights and the rule of law, which marked its 800th anniversary in 2015.

EVENTS

BREAKFASTS WITH... Sponsored by PAUL UK, these breakfasts are exclusive oppor tunities to hear from CEOs or Directors on their business strategies. They bring together around 80 key decision-makers from the Franco-British business community.

TOM MEGGLE, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF LOUIS VUITTON UK, IRELAND AND SOUTH AFRICA (March) In an engaging style, Tom Meggle told the story behind the establishment of Louis Vuitton as well as its relationship with London over 130 years of trading with the British capital. In 2015, Louis Vuitton relocated its HQ from Mayfair to One Pancras Square in King’s Cross.

NICOLAS PETROVIC, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF EUROSTAR (June) CEO of Eurostar since 2010, Nicolas Petrovic gave insights into running ‘the living bridge’ between three cities over 20 years, highlighting its successes as well as challenges. Ever customer-focused, he emphasised that Eurostar’s mission is to allow people to ‘enjoy the best that Europe can give’.

WILFRID PETRIE, EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT ENERGY SERVICES BUSINESS LINE OF ENGIE AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF COFELY UK (October) ‘The energy market has changed considerably in the past few years, and this is being called the energy transition. But our latest assessment is that it is more of an energy revolution!’ said Wilfrid Petrie as he expounded on the major transitions happening within the UK’s energy and services landscape.

ECONOMIC UPDATES Sponsored by HEC and held in the French Institute’s Médiathèque, the Economic Updates invite exper ts to present their views and analysis on current and for thcoming economic issues impacting the Franco-British business community.

General Election: Uncertainty is the How would Brexit impact businesses only certainty. What are we voting for and the economy in the UK and in and how might the UK fare on 8 May? Europe?

How the UK and France scale up their start-ups. Is France the new Silicon Valley?

Speakers: John Peet, Political Editor, The Economist and Eric Albert, City Correspondent, Le Monde (April)

Speaker : Frederic Rombaut, then Head of Corporate Development International, Cisco UK (November)

Speaker : Andy Bagnall, Director of Campaigns, Confederation of British Industry (CBI) (September)

FROM SCRATCH TO SUCCESS: BUSINESS STORIES WITH BERNARD LIAUTAUD & ANTOINE FLAMARION Sponsored by HSBC Global Banking and Markets At the French Institute (June) The second edition of the Chamberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s celebration of entrepreneurship brought to the stage two entrepreneurs who had built up multi-million dollar businesses from scratch: Bernard Liautaud, Founder of Business Objects & General Par tner at Balder ton Capital and Antoine Flamarion, Founder of Tikehau Capital & Chairman of Tikehau Capital Advisors. A captive audience of star t-ups, alumnis, investors and large corporates listened to their engaging debate moderated by Eric Albert, City Correspondent of Le Monde.

Antoine Flamarion, Eric Albert and Bernard Liautaud

CROSS-CULTURAL RELATIONS DEBATE Sponsored by Russell-Cooke LLP At the French Residence (November) The debate was a cultural melange with Warner Rootliep, the Dutch General Manager of Air France-KLM for UK & Ireland, and Tanuja Randery, the Indian-born, US-educated Zone President UK & Ireland of Schneider Electric. They provided some fresh, multi-faceted perspectives on the intersection of national culture, multicultural work environments and corporate culture. As moderator, Peter Alfandary, Senior Vice-President of the French Chamber and Chair of the Cross-Cultural Relations Forum, provided context with his insights into cultural intelligence.

LAUNCH OF THE CROSS-CULTURAL QUIZ EVENING

NEW

At PwC Embankment (February)

Sponsored by PwC At PwC Embankment Place Offices, February. Congratulations to MOMENTUM, winner of the 1st edition

The Cross-Cultural Quiz Evening was also the occasion for the presentation of the Intercultural Trophy, sponsored by AXA awarded in 2015 to ESCP Europe

Momentumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team celebrating their well-deserved victory!

Yves Masson (AXA), Peter Alfandary, Chris Halliburton (ESCP Europe), Arvinda Gohil and Michael Heap (Emmaus UK, 2014 winner)

EVENTS

WOMEN, INSPIRATION AND LEADERSHIP Sponsored by Chanel At the May Fair Hotel (November) 120 guests gathered to hear from Estelle Brachlianoff, Senior Executive Vice-President UK & Ireland, Veolia and President of the French Chamber, and Helena Morrissey, Founder of The 30% Club and Chief Executive Officer of Newton Investment Management. In an exciting debate moderated by Marc Roche, then Correspondent at Le Point, they spoke about the prevailing issues that women face in business and progress in overcoming them. Special thanks to Chanel for presenting a bottle of perfume to every guest.

AMBASSADOR’S BRIEFS At the French Residence. Open only to Patron members, Corporate members & Advisor y Councillors The Ambassador’s Briefs offer a unique opportunity to be updated on the latest bilateral economic and political issues by the French Ambassador to the UK, HE Ms Sylvie Bermann.

The UK elections and the UK’s place in the European Union

The consequences of the UK General Election

Introduced by Arnaud Vaissié, Vice President of the French Chamber. HE Ms Sylvie Bermann, French Ambassador to the UK, gave her perspectives on the UK elections. (January)

HE Ms Sylvie Bermann, French Ambassador to the UK, spoke about the consequences of the UK General Election on FrancoBritish relations and the European Union. (May)

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Hosted by Reed Smith (June) The AGM provided the oppor tunity for over 120 members to review the activities and achievements of the Chamber in 2014, as well as set a future course for the Chamber by electing a new President, Estelle Brachlianoff, and Deputy President Stephen Burgin. Attending her first Chamber AGM, the French Ambassador to the UK, HE Ms Sylvie Bermann praised the Chamber’s dynamism.

‘While remaining faithful to its members, old and new, the Chamber’s work is defined by an uncompromising forward-looking focus’ HE Ms Sylvie Bermann

DISCOVER YOUR FELLOW MEMBERS MEMBER-TO-MEMBER COCKTAIL & EXHIBITION Par tners: Pictawall, Powervote and Service Point At the Pullman London St Pancras (March) The 16th edition of the annual Member-to-Member Cocktail & Exhibition brought together over 230 members for an evening of extensive networking and discovery around 19 exhibition booths, where a variety of businesses were showcasing their expertise, products and services. The M2M app created by Powervote allowed guests to post on the Chamber’s social media platforms and take par t in a quiz, with six participants winning great prizes.

2015 Exhibitors: Ar telia, Asendia, CEI, Citroën, Club Med, Delahaye Moving, Four Seasons Hotel Park Lane, Institut Français, HL Trad, La Belle Assiette, La Maison Médicale, MoveInPeace, My French Communication Agency, PAUL UK, Peugeot, Pullman London St Pancras, The Wesley, Witam Prize donors: La Belle Assiette, The Wesley, Pullman London St Pancras, Merci Maman, Ar telia

DINERS DES CHEFS WITH PASCAL AUSSIGNAC & RAYMOND BLANC OBE For gastronomes, Dîners des Chefs celebrate ‘l’art de vivre’ and put the spotlight on iconic Chefs, whose restaurants have been awarded Michelin stars and who have had remarkable journeys as ambassadors of gastronomic excellence. Special thanks go to Pernod Ricard for its longstanding support providing Perrier-Jouët Champagne, Mar tell Cognac and creating cocktail pairings, and to Les Grands Crus Classés de Graves for the wine. Sincere thanks to Caviar Petrossian for treating guests to a caviar tasting and to Renault for generously providing the transportation to and from Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. CLUB GASCON with one Michelin-star Chef Pascal Aussignac (June)

BELMOND LE MANOIR AUX QUAT’SAISONS with two Michelin-star Chef Raymond Blanc OBE (September)

EVENTS

S.T. DUPONT BUSINESS COCKTAIL Sponsored by S.T. DUPONT At the French Residence (October) Over 150 par ticipants came to hear Alain Crevet, CEO of S.T. Dupont, talk about the luxury company’s commitment to innovation, which has been key to the brand’s success.

‘S.T. Dupont was delighted with the opportunity to present the brand and the “savoir-vivre à la française” to the press and key players in the UK at this fabulous event. We were very satisfied with the organisation of the evening and we wish to thank the French Chamber for its part in making it a success’ Alain Crevet

SUMMER CHAMPAGNE RECEPTION Sponsors: Banque Transatlantique, Berkeley Law and Frenger International Par tner : Vranken Pommery At the Hurlingham Club (July) More than 200 guests enjoyed summer sunshine, Champagne and networking at the exclusive and beautiful Hurlingham Club.

RENDEZ-VOUS CHEZ... Networking events, hosted at fellow members’ business premises, are an oppor tunity to find out more about their products and services, while building new business relationships in an informal and convivial atmosphere.

Porsche Design

The Exhibitionist Hotel

La Maison Maille

Aubaine (January) - L’Atelier des Chefs (February) - La Maison Maille (April) - La Cave à Fromage & Wine Story (May) - Porsche Design (June) - Pierre Hermé Paris (August) - The Exhibitionist Hotel (September) - Armorial (October) - PAUL UK (October)

PA CLUB This unique type of event for Personal Assistants took place at: Le Pain Quotidien (March) - Caudalie (May) - La Maison Maille (September) - Vranken Pommery (November)

INTERNATIONAL TASTING - WINE, SPIRITS & BEER At Church House Conference Centre (September) In par tnbership with: Crus Classés de Graves and Vranken Pommery A multicultural event organised in partnership with 12 Chambers of Commerce in the UK: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Japan, Mexico, Por tugal and Spain.

PATRON MEMBER EVENTS 11 exclusive events were organised for Patron members in 2015, ranging from amazing opera performances to football and rugby matches. One or two Patron events a year are also open to Corporate members. These events allow members to build close connections at the highest level and combine business and pleasure in an informal atmosphere. Patron members wishing to sponsor an event for their fellow Patron members are welcome to contact us.

TRADE DELEGATION TO MANCHESTER Sponsors: PwC and Swinton Insurance Par tners: Manchester City Council and MIDAS (Manchester’s Inward Investment Agency) The Trade Delegation, led by HE Ms Sylvie Bermann, French Ambassador to the UK and Estelle Brachlianoff, President of the French Chamber, gave a select group of Chamber members a unique opportunity to meet key local decision makers, including Councillor Paul Murphy OBE, then Lord Mayor of Manchester, Sir Richard Leese, Leader of the Council, as well as local business representatives.

The trade delegation, led by HE Ms Sylvie Bermann, French Ambassador to the UK and Estelle Brachlianoff, President of the French Chamber (centre) meeting Councillor Paul Murphy, then Lord Mayor of Manchester, at the Town Hall

THE GENERAL ELECTION EXPLAINED BY THE RT HON SIR JOHN MAJOR KG CH Sponsored by Crédit Suisse At The Connaught (June) Responding to questions asked by Gaël de Boissard, CEO EMEA at Credit Suisse, former British Prime Minister Sir John Major KG CH gave some thought-provoking insights into the outcome of the UK General Election and current affairs to Patron & Corporate members.

Sir John Major and Gaël de Boissard

THE UK’S INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY BY MARTIN DONNELLY CMG In par tnership with the High Commission of Canada (November) Martin Donnelly CMG, Permanent Secretary to the UK’s Business, Innovation and Skills Department addressed over 120 representatives from a dozen bilateral Chambers on the UK’s Industrial Strategy.

BREAKFAST WITH MARK PRICE At Business France (December) Patron members were invited to a breakfast organised by The French Foreign Trade Advisors (CCE) in the UK, with Mark Price, former Managing Director of Waitrose and Deputy Chairman of the John Lewis Partnerships.

EVENTS

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL KOOZA Hosted at the Royal Albert Hall

A BALLET REHEARSAL at the Royal Opera House Introduced by Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet

PCUBED RUGBY LEAGUE VARSITY MATCH – OXFORD VS CAMBRIDGE Hosted by Mi-GSO and Pcubed at the Honourable Artillery Company with Martin Offiah as guest of honour. Also open to Corporate members

PRESENTATION OF THE NEW DEVELOPMENT OF BATTERSEA POWER STATION Introduced by Lord Strathclyde, Chairman of the Battersea Power Station Advisory Board

EXCLUSIVE OPENING OF ‘LES 110 DE TAILLEVENT’ RESTAURANT Hosted by Thierry, Stéphane and Laurent Gardinier, the Gardinier & Fils Group Directors

ENGLAND VS FRANCE FOOTBALL MATCH At Wembley Stadium

ARSENAL VS MANCHESTER CITY Hosted in Renault UK private box at Emirates Stadium

BUSINESS SUPPORT SERVICES THE ONE-STOP SHOP FOR FRENCH START-UP & SME DEVELOPMENT IN GREAT BRITAIN

e suppor t French start-ups and SMEs at all stages of their development in the UK through long-term strategies and business solutions. With an experienced and dedicated team of 12, our Business Centre, Business Consultancy, Company Set-up and Recruitment depar tments work in synergy to offer a wide range of services.

2015 KEY FIGURES 259 clients in 2015 > 30 tenants > 23 placements >

BUSINESS CENTRE Our ﬂexible desk rental service, offered for daily, weekly or monthly packages, is aimed at star t-ups, entrepreneurs or SMEs, which are developing their businesses in the UK. The introduction of an all-inclusive package allowed a much more distinctive positioning and effective communication. This strategic move bore fruit in 2015, translating into a much higher occupancy rate and increase in revenue compared to 2014. With 17 desks located in the heart of London, our Business Centre offers a unique springboard for French businesses, which automatically benefit from the advantages of an Active membership at the Chamber as well as a premium working environment for their employees. From 2016, account management will be stepped up with the addition of coaching and the overall experience improved with the implementation of fibre optic Wi-Fi. Occupancy rate: 81% 17 companies hosted 2015 30 tenants

FLEXIBLE AND ALL-INCLUSIVE OFFER • Dedicated desk and phone line • Access to printers, scanners and photocopiers • 24/7 secure access and free fibre optic Wi-Fi • Unlimited, free access to meeting rooms • Use of the Chamber’s address • Free Active membership of the Chamber for contracts of 12 months minimum

‘Being based at the French Chamber has been beneficial. I have gained an insight into sectors that are very different from mine and thus gleaned useful information to consider new investments. I believe the key success factor of that fast-evolving community is its convergence of interest in finding a structured environment and broadening one’s professional culture’ Jean-Michel Sylvestre, CEO, Charmont Investment

BOARDROOM RENTAL Very competitive prices • Versatile meeting rooms with video-conferencing facilties, audio-visual equipment, plasma screens • Professional reception and technical support • Catering upon request

‘We use the French Chamber’s rooms for important meetings, training and even blogger events. The staff is very welcoming and the rooms are spacious with different set-ups possible. Its location is perfect for people arriving at or leaving from St Pancras International. We always benefit from great technology as well as nice tea and coffee!’ Sandhan Raj, Managing Director, Metro Health Distribution

The Business Consultancy Department assists and suppor ts French SMEs seeking to develop their sales across the Channel. In 2015, the team went on a series of road shows in France to promote UK business opportunities in various sectors of activity such as biotechnology, e-commerce, aeronautics and retail. 24 events were organised in 24 different French cities by local Chambers of Commerce, resulting in a total of 250 B-to-B meetings with French businesses interested in exploring the UK market.

Turnover by service

7% 8%

6% 5% 55%

81 clients 24 collective export missions on which 250 companies were met 2 Collective export missions for French regions Organisation of the 3rd edition of the

EDHEC MBA Finance Seminar

> > >

OUR SERVICES 55% Individual expor t missions

19%

2015 KEY FIGURES

BUSINESS SUPPORT SERVICES

BUSINESS CONSULTANCY

19% Collective export missions 8%

Seminars

Market research

Commercial representation

Lists of prospects

• Bespoke market research • Lists of prospects and potential clients • Organisation of B-to-B meetings with prospects • Trade visits for groups of companies in the same sector • Commercial representation and vir tual office • Seminar organisation

‘The French Chamber’s team proved to be very dynamic in its research for our market study, which quickly delivered qualitative content covering all the main topics specified. The results of this report have been essential in helping us to sharpen our development strategy in the British market’ Geoffroy Blondel de Joigny, Co-Founder, Tidoo

EDHEC MBA FINANCE SEMINAR ORGANISED BY THE CHAMBER For the third year running, as part of its Global MBA, EDHEC arranged a business trip to London on the theme ‘London, the first global financial centre’. The trip gave 26 MBA par ticipants of different nationalities exposure to the London ‘ecosystem’ and provided them with opportunities to make contacts in business finance. The week-long programme organised by the Business Consultancy team included presentations by prominent financial institutions, venture capital firms, private equity firms, consultancy groups and Chief Financial Officers.

‘Many thanks to the French Chamber for the organisation of our trip to London with the EDHEC Global MBA Finance Track. It was a pleasure working with them again on this. The French Chamber made this a hassle-free week for me and an exciting time for the students!’ Sandra Richez, Head of Global MBA Career Service, EDHEC Michelle Sisto, MBA Visiting Professor of Statistics and Research Associate at EDHEC-Risk Institute

OUTLOOK 2016 Further develop the commercial representation/shared commercial service aimed at start-ups and small businesses wanting to boost their sales but unable to afford full-time staff Promote the organisation of seminars for business schools or groups of companies interested in a specific British industry or sector of activity

ACCOUNTANCY, PAYROLL & COMPANY SET-UP SERVICES The Accountancy & Company Set-up department had an exceptionally productive year, assisting and suppor ting 50 new clients, which resulted in a 6.5% increase in revenue. Our team of bilingual professionals strives to provide high quality outsourcing services for a wide range of sectors, giving businesses the advice and support they need to star t and grow successfully in the UK. In 2015, our department launched a new service to assist construction businesses with their registration and monthly repor t obligations under the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS), implemented by HM Revenue & Customs for tax deduction from contractors and subcontractors. Company set-up clients come from a number of different sectors, with the biggest being IT/Telecoms/Electronics at 17% and Industry/Manufacturing of Industrial Equipment (13%), but there is a huge diversity of activities, ranging from Pharmaceuticals/ Cosmetics to Food & Drink, and Architecture/Interior Design to Consumer Goods.

OUR SERVICES

NE W

• ‘Journée Implantation’ (Company Set-up Day): all-in-one-day package of tailored meetings with Franco-British experts

Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) Management Assistance for businesses in the construction sector with their registration and monthly repor t obligations under the CIS created by HMRC for tax deduction from contractors and subcontractors. In 2015, we took on 7 new clients for CIS Management.

• Accountancy: bookkeeping, management accounts, sales processing and credit control, purchase and payment processing, bank reconciliation and group reporting • Payroll: processing payslips, payment and HR suppor t • Registered address and phone line • VAT Management • CIS Management

2015 KEY FIGURES >

Turnover by service 6% 33%

> >

6% 54%

54% Accountancy

33% Payroll

Domiciliation

VAT Return

‘Journées Implantation’

206 services provided to 157 clients (+50 vs 2014) 61 accountancy 89 payroll 31 domiciliation 18 VAT management 7 ‘Journées Implantation’

‘The French Chamber has provided us with administrative, finance and HR support. They managed our monthly financial reporting and processed our invoices, payments, VAT and payroll. They are now providing project-by-project reports that will prove invaluable for the business moving forward. The range and quality of services is supported by friendly and professional staff who put extra effort into helping a start-up business as much as possible’ Alex Robertson, Managing Director, Lauralu

OUTLOOK 2016 Continue to take on new clients, particularly from the construction industry, as we have in-depth knowledge of this sector’s needs and are able to provide advice and suppor t Employ additional members of staff to meet client demand and enable us to capitalise on our reputation and experience in helping French companies set up and develop rapidly in the UK market.

Our Recruitment Service is dedicated to member and non member companies with recruitment needs in the UK, whether they are already established or looking to set up and develop their business. In 2015, we made 23 successful placements, met over 240 candidates and renewed our 12 par tnerships with top business schools. We also coordinated the writing and production of The HR Guide: a practical approach to HR in Great Britain, which comprehensively covers the UK employment landscape.

2015 KEY FIGURES 23 placements > 21 clients > 1,467 candidates registered in our database and 246 interviewed > 12 partnerships with French schools and universities >

OUR SERVICES • Privileged access to high profile and bilingual professionals across a wide range of disciplines

Turnover by service

BUSINESS SUPPORT SERVICES

RECRUITMENT SERVICE

• Highly competitive fees for member companies 16%

82%

Classic Recruitment

16%

Start-up Package

Flexible Part-time Package

• Innovative and ﬂexible options - Temporary and permanent recruitment - Special rates for star t-ups

Candidates by discipline 17% 36% 22%

36% Marketing 25%

25%

Finance

22% Sales / Business

Development

17%

Business Support

‘Thanks to the French Chamber, I was supported in my job search in the UK. The team was very efficient and professional, immediately understanding my skills, values and expectations. Only a week after meeting the team, I had my first interview, and after the second interview, I was hired. I would like to thank the French Chamber for their help and support!’ Olivia Trillaud, candidate recruited through the Recruitment Service

Joblink newsletter features mini CVs of qualified candidates seeking job opportunities and ready to be interviewed. In 2016, each issue of Joblink will target one par ticular job function.

Partner Schools and Universities Arts & Métiers Paritech, EDHEC Business School, La Rochelle Business School, ESCP Europe, ESSEC Business School, INSEEC, Grenoble Ecole de Management, EM Normandie, HEC, NEOMA Business School, Sciences Po Paris, ESSCA and EISTI

‘We have been working with the French Chamber for more than three years and their Recruitment Service has always been excellent. Their understanding of our business needs and company culture enables them to provide us with high calibre candidates. I would not hesitate to recommend their service to any company looking for new talent’ Anne-Sophie Guillemot, UK Business Unit Manager, Nuxe

OUTLOOK 2016 Focus on start-ups and their needs in both recruitment and training Enrich the quality of the candidates in the database, in par ticular by increasing the number of native English speakers Maintain existing partnerships with schools and develop new partnerships with British universities such as London School of Economics, King’s College, Imperial College, etc.

PUBLICATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS TO PROVIDE YOU WITH INFORMATION AND EXPOSURE

he Publications and Communications Department is focused on providing members with topical and relevant information on both Chamber activities and Franco-British business matters. Our high quality business-focused publications and communications offer excellent opportunities for members to increase their visibility through editorial contributions and adver tising.

THE HR GUIDE A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO HUMAN RESOURCES IN GREAT BRITAIN This booklet provides an overview of HR topics, reﬂecting the strong legal basis of the UK employment landscape, and is full of valuable testimonials, tips and advice. In 2015, the Chamber received the CCI France International Innovation Award for its HR Guide. This Award was given for ‘The quality of The HR Guide’s content, its practical approach, the innovative aspect of this project as well as the possibility of it being duplicated in many countries’ (Charles Maridor, Network Director of CCI France International). Special thanks to CCI France for its financial suppor t for the production of this guide.

+ 350 copies distributed

£12

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE FRENCH AND BRITISH IN BUSINESS Written under the guidance of Peter Alfandary, Chair of the Cross-Cultural Relations Forum, this booklet contains the keys to understanding the cultural factors and differences between the French and the British in business.

750 copies sold in 2015 - 5,800 in total £6

Bilingual

THE 2016 FRANCO-BRITISH TRADE DIRECTORY Distributed to all member representatives free of charge, this Directory is a compilation of French Chamber members’ contact details and key contacts within the Franco-British community. We strongly encourage members to include as many representatives as possible in order to help with identifying relevant contacts within bigger organisations.

2,000 contacts listed THE MEMBER-2-MEMBER OFFERS BOOKLET This booklet featured 90 offers, giving members discounted rates on products and services. It also allows members to promote their products or services to fellow members. Distributed to all members free of charge.

90 exclusive offers featured All publications are available at: www.frenchchamber.co.uk

OUTLOOK 2016

The Member-to-Member offers programme goes digital! We are going digital with the member-to-member offers featured online rather than in a printed booklet. Besides being more environmentally friendly, this move will make the offers much easier to use and will be a way of attracting new clients and increasing brand exposure. This programme will give members a year’s free visibility but they will be able to upgrade their offer for enhanced exposure

In 2015, our bimonthly magazine INFO underwent a revamp in both design and content. It has a new professional, modern look and consolidated sections, include a Comment column, 5 minutes with, Business World, Focus, Lifestyle and Chamber Happenings. Published in print and online, INFO has a reputation for the quality and relevance of information it provides to the Franco-British business world. Since its launch in 1979, INFO has been a tool for the development of strong relationships between the French Chamber and its members, and also serves to broaden collaboration across the Channel.

2015 KEY FIGURES 5,000 printed copies per issue > Overall readership: 20,000 per issue > Online readership: 12,000 per issue > 280 member companies featured >

DISTRIBUTION Sent to 2,000 members’ representatives and more than 1,000 decision makers and opinion leaders Distributed in the business lounges of Air France, Eurostar and Eurotunnel in France and the UK

PUBLICATIONS & COMMUNICATIONS

INFO MAGAZINE

Editorial Committees for Focus themes For each issue, an editorial committee is convened to which we invite representatives from member companies as well as other exper ts and academics with par ticular knowledge or exper tise on the Focus topic, to discuss the content framework and ultimately contribute ar ticles. Editorial committees serve as a useful platform for us to hear directly from our members and provide networking opportunities for members operating within the same sector of activity. INFO focus themes for 2016 • Retail in the age of disruption (Jan/Feb) • From diversity to inclusion: walk the talk! (March/April) • The sharing economy: oppor tunity or threat? (May/June) • The circular economy (July/August) • Marketing in the millennium (Sept/Oct) • Disrupt or be disrupted (Nov/Dec)

STAY INFORMED AND GAIN VISIBILITY Our magazine offers members multiple and varied oppor tunities to be featured, whether through ar ticles, interviews, company news, Forum & Club and event reports, or contributions from exper ts in areas relevant to each Focus theme. The ‘5 minutes with…’ interviews gives heads of large companies the chance to talk about their company’s achievements and strategies, while in ‘Business World’, we feature news, interviews and profiles of companies large and small, including ‘Start-up Stories’ and ‘Success Stories’ of the most interesting and outstanding. In ‘Eat, Drink, Stay’ we put the spotlight on the activities of our food, drink and hospitality members with mini ar ticles and features, while ‘Chamber Happenings’ provides a comprehensive review of the Chamber’s activities within the period, including repor ts on the fascinating topics covered in the Forums & Clubs.

OUTLOOK 2016 We will undertake a reader survey to get feedback on INFO’s content and design, in order to keep our magazine informative and in line with readers’ expectations

NEWSLETTERS We have seen a significant increase in the opening and click-through rates in our newsletters, +15% and +10%, respectively, as a result of a more engaging design and improved content that meets members’ expectations. With a readership of up to 5,000, our newsletters are a way of keeping in touch with our members and par tners. Issued regularly throughout the year to different target audiences (all members, Patron members and French SMEs/star t-ups intending to do business in the UK), our newsletters are an essential source of information and an great digital oppor tunity to adver tise.

CHANNEL

PATRON NEWSLETTER

(the monthly newsletter)

(bimonthly)

Distributed to 2,000 member contacts, highlighting: • Forthcoming events and Forum & Club sessions • Recent news • Member company news • New members and Chamber news

Distributed to 1,000 Patron member representatives, highlighting:

INFO NEWS

FRANCE-UK EXPRESS

(bimonthly) Distributed prior to the printed version of INFO to 3,000 member contacts, highlighting a selection of key articles from the latest issue

• Forthcoming Patron events and Forum & Club sessions • Patron members’ news • New Patron members

(quar terly) Written in French and distributed to 5,000 French SMEs and French Chambers of Commerce in France and abroad, highlighting: • Facts and figures for the bilateral environment • UK market oppor tunities • Sectoral and regional focuses • Legal and fiscal advice • Upcoming trade fairs

SECTORAL REPORTS Written in French and edited by our Business Consultancy depar tment, these sectoral reports provide information for French companies interested in developing their business in the UK. In 2015, we created a new sectoral repor t on the Textile Industry and all the other reports were updated. Reports on the following industries are available on www.frenchchamber.co.uk • • • • • • • • • • •

Life Sciences Logistics and Transport E-commerce Automotive Industry Renewable Energies ICT Retail Pharmacy Cosmetics Alcoholic Beverages Textile Industry Medical Equipment

OUTLOOK 2016 We will launch a newsletter dedicated to Forum & Club activities in order to increase involvement and knowledge sharing between the various Forums and Clubs

We strive to provide our members with many opportunities to gain exposure and share knowledge with fellow members. All our communication tools and platforms are designed to help our members create awareness of their activities amongst our member base and across the Franco-British community at large.

NE W

Corporate video Through testimonials of Chamber members, our new video highlights how the Chamber can help businesses, whether large or small, French or British, and regardless of their stage of development, with a wide range of services, and encourages members to think of the Chamber first for any of their needs. We would like to thank all those who made this video possible, par ticularly Chamber members Olivia Penichou, CEO of O2P, and Etienne Duval, Director and Founder of Newtown Vision, for their time, dedication and advice, as well as the contributors.

Social media platforms Our social media channels allow members to increase their visibility, exchange with one another, ask questions and share information. The highlight of 2015 was a screen at our Franco-British Digital Conference, showing a live feed of tweets, which allowed participants to share their opinions and interact, generating more than 1,500 hashtags!

In partnership with

Announcing... the winners of

The

FRANCO BRITISH BUSINESS AWARDS 2015

CONFERENCE 2015

small meets big

40% followers vs 2014

31% subscribers vs 2014

12% fans vs 2014

Advertising Thanks to our various par tnerships, we were able to place adver tisements in our media par tners’ promotional tools. Our four adver tisements in the Financial Times, for example, allowed us to communicate on our ﬂagship events, including visibility for the sponsors. In 2015, the Franco-British Business Award winners were featured on a dedicated quar ter page in the Financial Times, the following day.

Organised by:

THE FRANCO-BRITISH

PUBLICATIONS & COMMUNICATIONS

COMMUNICATION TOOLS

SME / Entrepreneur Award

l a belle assiet te Large Corporate Award

Thursday 12 November 2015, 8.30am - 5pm One Great George Street, London SW1P 3AA

Decathlon Jury Award

FIRST PANEL: Digital Transformation SECOND PANEL: Scaling up: become big or join big?

societe GeneR ale

Quote “FT” for an exclusive rate. Please contact: Sonia Olsen 0207 092 6642 – solsen@ccfgb.co.uk

Find out more about the winners... www.FrenchChamber.co.uk

TheFrancoBritishDigitalConference2015.co.uk Main Sponsors

Supporting Sponsors

Main sponsors

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9/28/2015 10:18:43 AM

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Supporting sponsors

11/25/2015 10:26:33 AM

Press Relations As we continue to build strong relationships with media representatives, more journalists are spontaneously contacting us and we have had an increasing number of journalists asking to attend events and conferences. This led to a number of press reports, including pieces in the Financial Times and AFP. As part of our partnership with French Radio London, Rachel Bourlier interviews a Chamber member start-up on air every month.

London French TV interviews Carine Munch, Head of Marketing of PAUL UK

Website In 2015, we under took an assessment of the current website, surveying a number of different groups on its strengths and shortcomings as well as their expectations of a Chamber website. Based on the results, we are developing a new website that will better correspond to our members’ and/or clients’ concerns and needs.

OUTLOOK 2016: A BRAND NEW WEBSITE A brand new, more business-oriented website with practical information, additional functionality and a new look will be launched in 2016. The website will be responsive to all devices and fully connected to the CRM

ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES TO FURTHER DEVELOP YOUR VISIBILITY AND BRAND RECOGNITION ‘Renault has been a proud advertiser in INFO magazine for a number of years. As the only Franco-British business publication in the UK, it is a great means of spreading awareness of our vehicles to a relevant audience alongside great editorial content and Franco-British news updates’ Colette Casey, Manager, Brand Communications, Renault UK ‘A banner in a selection of the French Chamber’s e-newsletters presented the perfect opportunity to send a timely message to our fellow members to promote our summer schools, and it has been a great way to create awareness ahead of the application deadlines’ Elyse Michaels-Berger, Director, Summer School Programs, HEC Paris

he Chamber offers businesses many ways to develop their visibility, brand recognition and client base, whether through adver tising in our various print and digital publications, or through association with our many events (see p. 29). The different options available can be tailored to suit any member’s needs and budget, with very competitive prices, starting from £250. In 2015, we introduced an advertorial format in INFO, which enables companies to provide a more in-depth presentation of services and products.

Top 10 advertisers in 2015 Air France, Car tier, Chanel, Chivas Brothers, EDF Energy, France 24, International SOS, Renault, Societe Generale, VINCI Construction Grands Projets

YOUR ESSENTIAL DAILY READ Our award-winning journalists keep you informed on all the latest industry news, ensuring you make the best possible business decisions.

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Your support helps us to sustain the high quality of our publications for the benefit of all members 39 renewed contracts Air France, Alliance Française, Asendia, AXA, Banque Transatlantique, Boulle International, Bouygues, Browne Jacobson LLP, Bulgari Hotel & Residences, Park Lane London, Cartier, CEI, Chanel, Chivas Brothers, Citroën, CPI Colour, Delahaye Moving, ebl miller rosenfalck LLP, EDF Energy, ESCP Europe, ESSCA, Financial Times, France 24, French Radio London, HEC Paris, Hermès, HSBC, ICI Londres, Institut Français, International SOS, Le Petit Journal, Relais & Châteaux, Renault, Safran, Simplement Londres Societe Generale, SPIE, TheWesley, VINCI, Vranken Pommery 24 new advertisers AccorHotels, Atos, Aubaine, Brann Translations, Citizen Press, Colas Rail, DS Automobiles UK, Edenred, HL Trad, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Le Jet, London & Partners, MoveInPeace, My Wine Cabinet, Nantes Saint-Nazaire Development, PwC, Royal Albert Hall, S.T. Dupont, Strutt & Parker, Tax & Advise, The Connaught, The Landmark London, Tramonex, Club Wembley

MEDIA PACK Our media pack has evolved as our adver tising oppor tunities have expanded, and is now a detailed publication in its own right. With distribution figures, adver tising rates, publication descriptions, ar twork deadlines, etc., it presents a comprehensive overview of the Chamber’s promotional offers which can be adapted to individual member’s needs.

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MEM bEr ratE (pEr Month ) no n-MEMb bannEr Er rat Month E (pEr - 3 Mo ) nth s hoME bannEr pagE - 6 Mo nth s £60 0 bannEr - 12 Mo nth s £530 sEctio £80 0 ns: hoM £470 but ton E pagE, £730 EvE nts - 3 Mo nth s , rEcruit but ton MEnt, £670 - 6 Mo MEM bEr nth s £324 ship or but ton about ounts - 12 Mo us nth s £288 spEcial disc sEctio £475 ns: For uMs & £250 clu bs, £440 pub lica months tions, the first but ton £400 tisements for - 3 Mo or sho bus inEs s sup nth s nt on all adver p port sErv but ton discou 0% icEs , nEW - 6 Mo Benefit from nth s £180 s but ton s 12 space Month £160 s le adver tising £330 booking multip £140 apply when Special rates £310 RESTAURANTS

IN STORE AND ONLINE DISCOUNTS

SPECIAL DISCOUNTS AT MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION AGENCIES

FREE LEGAL AND FINANCIAL ADVICE

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FRENCH CHAMBER PUBLICATIONS

MEDIA PACK 2016

The most efficient way to target Anglo-French business and political leaders

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SPECIAL OFFERS New member discount New members can benefit from a 30% discount on all adver tisements booked during the first three months of membership. Packages Special rates apply when booking multiple advertising spaces, which allow members to communicate through different platforms according to their requirements and marketing plans. Special fees for yearly contracts in INFO To thank our loyal and committed advertisers, we offer negotiated fees for yearly contracts in INFO magazine.

ADVERTORIALS A combination of text, images and an adver tisement to highlight key aspects of the organisation or region and enhance brand recognition. Companies: for products or services that require a more in-depth description. Regions: to promote the region’s areas of excellence to attract potential investors and tourists. Le Jet and Nantes Saint-Nazaire Development adver torials both published in INFO magazine of Nov/Dec 2015

EVENT SPONSORSHIP AND ADVERTISING PACKAGES Our sponsorship opportunities combine visibility through the direct promotion of the event (in eshots, INFO magazine, online, social media, etc.) with the potential to advertise in the event programme as well as in INFO magazine. These packages offer a way to maximise the sponsorship by creating brand awareness through our different media. Sponsorship and advertising opportunities are available for different kinds of major events, ranging from lunches and dinners, to conferences and Business Club Cocktails, among others. The Franco British Digital Conference programme included a full-page advertisement for each main sponsor of the conference and a half-page advertisement for each supporting sponsor. The adver tisements for the main sponsors were also replicated in the issue of INFO magazine with a focus on ‘The Digital Imperative’, which was distributed at the conference, attended by more than 200 delegates.

T H E

M A G A Z I N E

F O R

A N G L O - F R E N C H

FRENCH CHAMBER OF GREAT BRITAIN www.frenchchamber.co.uk

B U S I N E S S

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015

The

Digital imperative IN THIS ISSUE:

Axelle Lemaire and Ed Vaizey perspectives from the French and British digital ministers ‘Europe’s digital potential is actually much higher than the US’

Pascal Cagni

Jacques Attali on creating a positive

Practical strategy Lasting results

Digital has moved every business goalpost through the disruptive forces of mobile, social media, big data and cloud. These technologies are powerful enablers to fuel topline growth and create competitive advantage but they require visionary thinking to look beyond day-to-day operations and reinvent business models along digital principles.

Whatever your digital ambitions, you will need the skills to build your vision and see it through to completion.

How will digital technology transform your world?

economy INTERVIEW:

Vincent de Rivaz, CEO of EDF Energy

Strategy& is a global team of practical strategists in the PwC network. We are leaders in digital strategy, innovation and business building helping clients to capture new digital opportunities and deliver lasting results.

The simple answer is: In every way. It will transform the way you interact with your client, the way you manage your own operations, the way your business develops and grows and the way you build your relationship with your customers.

UK on COP21, climate change and the UK’s nuclear future

£k

Imagine what you could be capable of.

At Atos and Worldline, our approach to help you on this journey is always practical, ensuring digital becomes fully integrated throughout your business.

www.strategyand.pwc.com

2,500

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2,000

Atos

HSBC

1,500

780

1,000

129 267

Full-page 500 advertisement for 781 Atos, HSBC and PwC 0 (main sponsors)

2013

16.10.2015 13:54:10

PwC

782

782 Business Support Services

131 336

131 Publications

833

LONDON 336 Events EUROPE’S NUMBER ONE LOCATION FOR BUSINESS For practical information on how to set up and scale up your business in London, visit our website or contact us to see how we can help.

www.invest.london business@londonandpartners.com @L_PBusiness

833 Member subscriptions 2014

Half-page advertisement for Tramonex and London & Partners (supporting sponsors)

Sponsors of the Franco-British Business Awards benefit from a full-page adver tisement in the programme distributed at the event. PROUD SPONSOR OF THE FRANCO-BRITISH BUSINESS AWARDS 2015

We would like to thank our advertisers in 2015 for their support, trust and valuable contribution to our publications.

The

FRANCO BRITISH BUSINESS AWARDS

2015

Bringing France and the UK closer together Mazars is a global player in the fields of audit, tax and advisory. Our clients range from start ups to thriving entrepreneurial businesses and large, listed companies on both sides of the Channel. Our diverse multicultural team blends specialist local expertise and wide commercial experience. We offer a deep understanding of the challenges facing companies with operations in the UK and France and fresh thinking to help them grow and respond quickly to new developments. We pride ourselves on working hand-in-hand with clients, providing robust insights and tailored solutions while combining technical excellence with integrity and independence.

For more information about how we can support your business needs, contact: Organised by the

David Herbinet T: +44(0)20 7063 4419 E: david.herbinet@mazars.co.uk

Elisabeth Maxwell T: +44(0)20 8661 4130 E: elisabeth.maxwell@mazars.co.uk

Our bespoke range of services includes: • Transactions services, including flotations, acquisitions and disposals • Outsourcing including accounting, company secretarial and payroll • Audit and assurance • Cross-border financial reporting and controls • International mobility and expatriate taxes • Tax planning

www.mazars.co.uk

Mazars

Eurostar

OUTLOOK 2016 Create new opportunities for advertising on our new website, such as large banner spaces at the head of pages Launch the Member Offers programme in a digital format and create new adver tising packages for those wishing to take full advantage of this yearly platform

RECRUITMENT SERVICE

You want to recruit ? Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to assist you ! Our Recruitment Department is a professional recruitment agency with expertise in Sales and Marketing, Digital, Finance and Accounting, Engineering and Support Staff We tailor our services to the needs of each client and offer privileged access to more than 1,500 high-profile bilingual and international candidates Whether your company is a member or not, we offer extremely competitive fees for all your recruitment needs

Please contact us at recruitment@ccfgb.co.uk or +44 (0) 207 092 6625

www.frenchchamber.co.uk

FINANCIAL RESULTS

by Nicolas Ribollet, Treasurer of the Chamber, Partner, Mazars

The financial highlights below are derived from the financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2015 that have been approved £K by the Directors and audited by Byrne Palmer & Co. 250 200

REVIEW OF BUSINESS

150

TURNOVER INCREASE +2.7%

RESERVES AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2015 +£817K Equivalent to 4,6 months of turnover

NET SURPLUS 100 +£16K 50

0 2015 was a good year for the French Chamber. The overall turnover increased by 2.7% as compared to 2014 and the Chamber’s surplus after tax in 2015 amounted to £16K. Some departments performed really well, par ticularly Membership, Events, Accountancy, Payroll & Company Set-up services and the Business Centre.

TURNOVER 2015: +2,7% The turnover represents the amounts receivable relating to the financial year for membership subscriptions and services provided to members and clients.

TURNOVER BY CATEGORY The turnover from membership subscriptions increased by 1.8% as compared to 2014.

£K

+2,7% £2,083K £2,139K

2000

782

781

131

128

1000

336

381

500

833

848

1500

2014

848

Member’s subscriptions

781

Business Support Services

381

Events

128

Publications

2015

The turnover of the Events department has increased by 13.4% while the turnover of the Publications department has decreased by 2.3%. The turnover of Business Support Services was stable as compared to 2014 (-0.1%).Within Business Support Services, the increases in turnover in Accountancy, Payroll & Company Set-up services, the Business Centre and boardroom rental compensated for the decreases in turnover of the Business Consultancy and Recruitment services.

6% 17,8%

39,6% Member’s subscriptions 39,6%

36,5%

36,5% Business Support Services 17,8% Events 6%

Publications

Cost of sales Cost of sales represents the equivalent of 10.9% of turnover. It has decreased from £249K in 2014 to £233K in 2015.

Expenditure Expenditure: +4.1% (£1,918K VS £1, 842K IN 2014). It has increased by 4.1% (+£76K) as compared to 2014, with the main increases being staff costs, the CRM and depreciation of tangible fixed assets.

These financial results are the outcome of the continuous support of members, partners and sponsors of the Chamber in 2015. They are also a reflection of the continued hard work and commitment of the Chamber’s staff and managers.

Patron Members of the French Chamber in Great Britain PATRON MEMBERS

L O NDO N B R A NC H

www.frenchchamber.co.uk

French Chamber of Great Britain Lincoln House, 300 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7JH t: +44 (0) 207 092 6600 - mail@ccfgb.co.uk