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
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018
Hatching innovation THE AGE OF CORPORATE / START-UP COLLABORATION
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Five minutes with Alexander Temerko, Director, Aquind Interconnector An interview with French Digital Minister Mounir Mahjoubi The latest Brexit analysis, and much more…
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EDITORIAL
Estelle Brachlianoff President, French Chamber of Great Britain Chief Operating Officer of Veolia Group
I
t has been a huge pleasure to engage with the Chamber and its members as President over recent years. It is clear that the Chamber continues to play a crucial role in the success and development of French companies in the UK, and I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to be part of it. The Chamber has gone from strength to strength, and achieved impressive results during this unsettled
time, demonstrating ever-greater value. As a new career opportunity is taking me back to France, I will be stepping down in my role as President. I am happy to report that I am leaving the Chamber as it has just recorded another successful year of operations at its AGM before the summer break. The future continues to look bright thanks to the Chamber’s very hard-working team and the collaborative nature of its membership. In the coming months the Board will be announcing a succession plan, and until that time I will remain in my role as President. The current issue of INFO is very timely. The relationship between corporate firms and start-ups has become increasingly significant in recent years, taking on greater importance in boardrooms, offices and facilities across the country. Collaborations of these types can trigger improved results and practices. Research has also shown that they lead to new business and access to new markets. In this issue, we investigate how collaboration and partnerships between large and small companies can be mutually beneficial and, in many cases, crucial to business success. Digital transformation, work/life balance, and managerial strategies, are just some of the areas where innovative start-ups are the catalyst for change and evolution within established businesses. We look at case studies from across our membership, including International SOS, Bouygues and AccorHotels. We hear from organisations working closely with start-ups and entrepreneurs like Microsoft Accelerator and French Tech London, among many others. In the context of the UK exiting the EU, we can also see that this type of partnering can help to strengthen businesses during a time of uncertainty. I wish you a pleasant autumn and an enjoyable read of this magazine. I
info
- september / october 2018 - 5
The Institut franรงais du Royaume-Uni
THE PERFECT SETTING FOR YOUR EVENT
www.institut-francais.org.uk hire@institut-francais.org.uk
Hatching innovation
30
42
36
72
22
CONTENTS
51
44 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
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018
Hatching innovation THE AGE OF CORPORATE / START-UP COLLABORATION
BUSINE S S WOR LD
8 10 17 22 22 22 29
Five minutes with... Alexander Temerko, Aquind Interconnector Brexit: Analysis and Insight Business News Big Idea: Facebook SME profile: FD Platinum Start-up story: Qare Reports & research
FOCUS | HATCHING INNOVATION
30 Introduction 32 Infographic 34 Strength of the start-up Simon Bergeron, Impulse Partners 35 Start-up France Interview with Mounir Mahjoubi 36 Collaboration in London Lauren Quigley, London & Partners 37 Case Study French Tech London 38 Pitfalls of collaboration Philippe Chalon, International SOS 39 The Start-up formula Antoine Baschiera, Early Metrics 40 Co-working and collaboration Andrew Jackson, Opus 4 41 Networking for success Albin Serviant, FrenchConnect 42 Business acceleration Kevin Monserrat, Microsoft ScaleUp 43 Internal Incubators Michael Niddam, Kamet Ventures 44 The Blue Lab Jean-Benoit Ritz, EDF Energy 46 'Intrapreneurship' Bouygues Construction 47 Digital diversification Thibault Viort, AccorHotels
48 50 51 52
Lean digital Fabrice Bernhard, Theodo Scaled-up collaboration Joachim Fritsch, Devialet Chamber Event: LeBridge What's Next ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Five minutes with Alexander Temerko, Director, Aquind Interconnector An interview with French Digital Minister Mounir Mahjoubi The latest Brexit analysis, and much more…
CULTUR E AND LIFE S T YLE
53 56 57 58 59
Culture: What's on Book reviews Fitness: Pret-a-Train Whiskey: Greenwood Distillers Wine Story by Thibault Lavergne
Managing Director: Florence Gomez Editor: Jakob von Baeyer Cover & Graphic Design: Katherine Millet Acting Editor & Production Manager: Suzanne Lycett
AT THE CHAMBE R
61 62 63 65
Contributors: Angela Hepworth, Neil Sherlock, Anne Roques, Gill Prates, Hugo Fry, Lisa Bate, Simon Bergeron, Lauren Quigley, Philippe Chalon, Antoine Baschiera, Andrew Jackson, Albin Serviant, Kevin Monserrat, Michael Niddam, Jean-Benoit Ritz, Aude Caussemille, Morgane Jossic, Thibault Viort, Fabrice Bernhard, Joachim Fritsch, Thibault Lavergne
Introduction by Florence Gomez Chamber News Business Services: Lauralu New Members
FORUMS & CLUBS
66 67 68
Retail Forum One year anniversary Luxury Club The AllBright Club Forthcoming Forums & Clubs
Advertise in INFO: Please call our sales team on +44 (0)207 092 6651. Alternatively, please email: advertising@ccfgb.co.uk
CHAMBER EVENTS
70 72 73 74 75 76
INFO is published every two months Printed by: CPI Colour
Annual Gala Dinner Guest speaker: Lionel Barber Summer Champagne Reception Past event highlights Tartuffe Behind the Headlines At the Institut Français Breakfast with... Simone Rossi, EDF Energy Forthcoming events
Distribution: French Chamber members, Franco-British decision makers, Business Class lounges of Eurostar, Eurotunnel and Air France in London, Paris and Manchester
INFO is published by: French Chamber of Great Britain Lincoln House, 300 High Holborn London WC1V 7JH Tel: (020) 7092 6600 Fax: (020) 7092 6601 www.frenchchamber.co.uk info
- september / october 2018 - 7
Five minutes with...
Alexander Temerko Director, AQUIND Interconnector
INFO speaks with the company director about the UK’s energy needs and the sector’s post-Brexit future What does AQUIND do? AQUIND is a private company developing a new power interconnector between the UK and France. It is a subsea
the UK and establish a new export channel for France. AQUIND Interconnector has been classed as a ‘Nationally
and underground electric power transmission link between
Significant Infrastructure Project’ in the UK, which is also
the south of England and Normandy in France. This is a very
very important. It means that the decision on the project will
powerful interconnector with a capacity of 2,000 MW, equal to
be taken at the national level, which includes consenting to
that of a nuclear power station but cheaper to install. At the
installation of the cable and construction of the converter
estimated development cost of £1bn, AQUIND Interconnector
station in the UK. At the same time, local authorities will play
can be considered a mid-scale energy project.
an important role in the development of the project and will be thoroughly consulted throughout the process.
Why is this type of interconnector so important to France and the UK?
How will Brexit affect the energy sector in the UK?
Coal power stations made up 32 percent of the electricity mix
The UK Government has published the Chequers papers and
just a few years ago, but with the UK scrapping these stations,
the White Paper setting out its position on the continued
we need to find a substitute source of electricity. The two
relationship with the EU, which involves staying in the internal
feasible alternatives are renewable energy and nuclear power.
EU electricity market. Today we are trying to improve this
A nuclear power station costs tens of billions of pounds to
position further. I am actively participating in meetings with
build and generates roughly 1,000-2,000 MW per reactor.
the European Commission and the UK government to ensure
AQUIND Interconnector offers comparable capacity paired
that UK and EU businesses are protected and continue
with lower development costs and higher efficiency. Our
developing after Brexit. We have requested a meeting with the
plan is to finish construction in 2022. Nuclear power stations
Commissioner for Energy next month and will work together
normally take much longer to build. The volume of electricity
with the French government and the British government
transmitted by our interconnector each year would represent
to make the exit deal as soft as possible, unless Brexit is
approximately 6 percent and 3 percent of the total electricity
reversed. It is very important for the UK energy sector to
consumption in Great Britain and France respectively.
remain integrated at the European level and that translates into more interconnectors between the UK and the rest of
AQUIND Interconnector has recently been recognised by
Europe. That should be the red line for the UK government.
the European Commission and the UK government. What affect has this had?
You are an outspoken supporter of Remain and continue
We have been awarded the ‘Project of Common Interest’
to lobby against Brexit. What is the role of companies and
status by the European Commission, with the European
company directors opposed to leaving the EU?
Parliament supporting the decision by a significant majority
I support a political movement for the UK to remain closely
vote. It really is a project of common interest, being one of the
aligned with Europe. Other prominent companies need to
most powerful and longest interconnectors in Europe. The
do more to prevent a bad Brexit and fight against it. If we
project will have a positive impact on the price of electricity in
stand united against a hard Brexit, we will get results. The
8 - info - september / october 2018
F I V E M I N U T E S W I T H . . . A L E X A N D E R T E M E R KO
We will work together with the French government and the British government to make the exit deal as soft as possible, unless Brexit is reversed. It is very important for the UK energy sector to remain integrated at the European level and that translates into more interconnectors between the UK and the rest of Europe
government needs to think of the welfare and economic
and to offer them new accommodation and further education
benefits of continuous trade with the EU, especially as it is
opportunities. We had to reduce the number of officers in
fundamental to securing many good business opportunities
our army. In the early 2000s, I served as deputy chairman
today. It would be very unwise to lose economic and business
of Yukos Oil Company with overall responsibility for an oil
opportunities because of political uncertainty.
pipeline between Russia and China, which was one of the largest infrastructure projects in the world at the time. That
What other challenges does the energy industry in the UK
was a huge project. Every project I was involved in was not only
face?
a major business in economic terms but also in terms of social
The UK energy sector today is a very attractive market for
responsibility. And all such projects require considerable level
investment. There is a really high demand for new capacity
of political engagement.
and infrastructure. And the reality is that while this is a good
Today, all of my business interests are in the European
opportunity, it is also a huge problem. We need to restore our
Union and the UK in particular. Currently, the UK economy
nuclear power programme, we need to substitute coal power
is 78 percent services and 12 percent industry. I think that is
stations with renewable energy facilities and consider ways of
profoundly wrong. We need to rebalance the industrial sector.
connecting this new generation capacity to the grid. We need
But this would be impossible to do without electricity, as it is
more interconnectors, and this drives up the demand for
the lifeblood of any industrial project.
cables and converter stations. We need to extend the energy infrastructure. At the same time, we plan to build 300,000 new
What does being a Patron member of the French Chamber
homes. We plan to build new hospitals. Where is the electricity
mean to AQUIND?
for these buildings going to come from when the UK is already
I feel that the Chamber does an excellent job connecting
close to its capacity? It is a huge opportunity for European and
businesses from both sides of the Channel, disseminating
UK investors.
information about each business, regularly arranging very interesting and informative events and helping businesses
How has your background led to involvement in this
in both countries to realise new opportunities. The French
project?
Chamber is able to facilitate dialogue between influential
I have a business background and political experience in the
bodies in the UK and France, which I consider very important,
UK and previously in Russia. My original background is in
especially in these turbulent Brexit times. Experts as well
electrical engineering. I love industry; it is my passion. In the
as serving and former politicians can help us navigate
times of the Soviet Union, I was one of the youngest directors
complicated issues between France and the UK. I find
of a company assigned with renovating environmental
the French Chamber a very useful body and would urge
equipment across the Soviet Union countries. One of the
all members of the business community looking for new
first tasks for me, as a junior minister in the first Yeltsin
opportunities to consider involvement with the Chamber’s
government in Russia, was to relocate 3 million military
activities. I
personnel from Europe and other countries back to Russia
Interview by JVB
info
- september / october 2018 - 9
Analysis and look ahead INFO looks at the latest news on Brexit and its impact on the Franco-British community
D
eal or no deal? Place your bets. Liam Fox, UK international
Brexit. Stephen Martin, IoD Director General, says: ‘When it
trade secretary, rates the chance of a no-deal Brexit at
comes to knowing what to plan for and when, firms have been
‘60-40.' Latvia’s foreign minister, Edgars Rinkēvičs, and Kristian
left in the dark.’
Jensen, Danish finance Minister, say it is ‘50-50’. Credit rating
To increase clarity, the government plans to release industry
agency Fitch says a ‘disruptive no-deal Brexit’ is ‘a real possibility.’
advice on how to prepare. This will be in the form of at least
No-deal would have a ‘significant short-term impact’ and be
70 technical notices. The EU is one step ahead, having already
a ‘mistake we would regret for generation,’ says Jeremy Hunt, UK Foreign Secretary, including a sharp fall in sterling.
released ‘Brexit Preparedness Notices’ per industry. In the background of this ongoing debate, the Brexit effect
Contingency plans are needed, but opinions diverge. Brexit
is taking hold. EU funding for British universities has started
Secretary, Dominic Raab says the government plans to ensure
to slide (25.47% in 2017 to 24.22% in May 2018), according to
‘adequate food supply’ in the event of no-deal; the National
the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Farmers’ Union estimates that Britain could run out of food
Britain’s manufacturing industry has fallen behind France to
by August 2019. Mathew Hancock, UK Health Secretary, says
ninth place.
the NHS will stockpile medicine and blood; the British Medical Association says preparations will be ‘too little, too late.’ The Institute of Directors surveyed 800 business leaders. Less than a third has carried out contingency planning on
ONS figures show that EU nationals employed in the UK have fallen by 86,000, to 2.28 million people, since last year. However, in the event of no-deal, have no fear: EU citizens will not be ‘turfed out’ of the UK, says Raab. I Suzanne Lycett
Key dates Conservative Party Conference
EU Summit
Settled Status
(3-5 October 2018)
(18-19 October 2018)
(March 2019)
Two weeks before the EU summit, Brexit
Conclusion of negotiations on new EU-
Applications open for EU Citizen Settled
is expected as a key topic of discussion
UK trade relationship
Status Scheme
If we are realistic, I want to reach an agreement on the first stage of the negotiation, which is the Brexit treaty, within six or eight weeks MICHEL BARNIER, EU Chief Negotiator, on 10 September
Psychologically, [peace] has transformed the landscape and allowed identity to breathe more freely. Protecting this precious achievement, a backbone to our hard-won peace, is the only motivation in prioritising Northern Ireland in the Brexit negotiations SIMON COVENEY, Deputy Prime Minster of Ireland, on 8 September
10 - info - september / october 2018
Sponsored by
Recapping Brexit The co-chairs of the Brexit Forum, Angela Hepworth, Corporate Policy and Regulation Director, EDF Energy, and Neil Sherlock, Senior Adviser, PwC, reflect on recent sessions
T
he summer holidays are rightly a time for reflection. This year,
Brexit negotiations will be much in the thoughts of French and British business leaders, officials and politicians as the sun shines. Indeed, there has been a recent push by the British Government to engage the French Government as the Brexit clock ticks, including the early August meeting at the medieval fortress of Fort de Bregancon between the President and the Prime Minister.
Neil Sherlock, Senior Adviser, PwC
Angela Hepworth, Corporate Policy and Regulation Director, EDF Energy
All of this activity underlines the importance of the Brexit Forum of the Chamber which has always been ahead of events, not least with the first meeting being on the day Theresa May triggered Article 50. The Forum
The stakes are high, business is determined to influence the outcome and the Brexit Forum will continue to play its full part to inform and engage
identified the key topics to address right at the beginning - labour and mobility,
countries. Additional tariffs and non-
mean. Many businesses have said that
movement of goods and regulatory
tariff barriers could add time and cost
in the absence of a clearly defined
issues - and has been meeting regularly
to manufacturing processes. Many
framework at this stage, they are
to analyse progress. There has been
businesses worry about requirements
planning for a ‘worst case scenario’, with
an outstanding range of speakers
to comply with different regulatory
implications for investment decisions.
from both Governments as well as
regimes in different jurisdictions. The
There are concerns that the talk of
businesses in manufacturing, finance,
multi-Chamber Ipsos MORI business
no deal is increasing and recognition
beauty, professional services and the
survey launched by the French Chamber
that diplomacy and negotiations are
automobile sector.
clearly showed that businesses see
intensifying with the hope that this can
more advantages in having common
deliver a pragmatic outcome.
Recent events have included joint sessions with the Climate Change and
regulatory regimes between the UK and
Sustainability Forum, considering the
EU, rather than seeking divergence for
give clarity about UK withdrawal; clarity
future of environmental frameworks
the UK.
on the time frame of transition; clarity
once the UK leaves the EU, and a joint
The beauty industry is a case in
A pragmatic outcome would ideally
on the role of business to engage and
meeting with the HR Forum, looking at
point, where it may be necessary for
inform. However, there is a genuine
the potential impact of Brexit on staff
systems and packaging to be changed
sense that getting this wrong, as recent
mobility, the availability of talent and
to comply with a different regulatory
OECD figures show, would lead to the
the education sector. It has proved
framework. In both the beauty and
winners not just being on either side of
particularly valuable to take a ‘deep dive’
automotive sectors, there is a risk that
the Channel but in other parts of the
look at the implications of Brexit on
additional requirements could result
world.
particular sectors.
in less choice and higher prices for UK
Some common concerns have emerged about the implications of
consumers. A further concern for many
Brexit on complex and integrated
businesses is that there is still significant
supply chains, which span multiple EU
uncertainty about what Brexit will
The stakes are high, business is determined to influence the outcome and the Brexit Forum will continue to play its full part to inform and engage. I
info
- september / october 2018 - 11
BREXIT: the employee impact Anne Roques, Founder of Evolution Coaching, explains the impact of Brexit on the individual in the world of work
I
In 2016, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
conducted a survey which found that 44 percent of working adults admitted feeling pessimistic about the future as a direct consequence of the UK’s referendum result to leave the EU. One in five of those surveyed felt that their jobs were less secure as a result. More recently, surveys demonstrate that this uncertainty and pessimism has not improved. Personal Group, a leading UK provider of employee services, undertook a survey published in February 2018 highlighting that 32 percent of UK employees believe that Brexit will have a negative impact on their current employment. The American HR provider ADP
implementing coaching in light of Brexit, which opened
recently monitored a 6 percent drop in optimism since 2016
the door for the chief Risk Officer to take on the role of
amongst employees.
European Head of Risk.
‘The UK’s departure from the EU continues to cause
The French employee's role will grow and his British
uncertainty for many UK employees, with many not knowing
counterpart’s
what it means for them or their current role. This fear can quickly
political games as well as the external is part of coaching
lead to a loss of productivity and a reduction in workplace
conversations. Internal staffing changes and promotions
happiness,’ says Mark Scanlon, Chief Executive Officer of
like these can bring up issues, including British colleagues
Personal Group.
feeling that their ‘power of influence’ is shifting to the
This fear is exacerbated amongst EU nationals based in the
role
will
not.
Managing
the
internal
continent.
UK. With only a recent announcement from the government regarding a ‘settlement scheme’ for EU citizens, uncertainty is
2. Team dynamics: A team in a Franco-British company is
still high.
split, with a French working on the continent and a British based in the UK. In examining team dynamics, a French
The expat perspective
employee says he is concerned that he does not know if
Anne Roques, Founder of Evolution Coaching, has an
his British colleagues have voted for or against Brexit. He
overarching view of the sentiment and experience of French
says that if the British have voted for Brexit, the French
expats working in London, both as an expat herself and through
could ‘feel unwelcome.’ What is emerging is a potential
her coaching expertise. She gives two example situations from
rift in the workforce due to personal views of Brexit and it
her experience as a professional coach.
perceptions – completely aside from the official corporate positions taken on this issue. For individuals, acknowledging
1. Growth versus stasis: A French chief risk officer works
these tensions can lead to a stronger connection to working
for the French branch of an international organisation with
together.
headquarters in London. He has two bosses: the French CEO based in Paris and the global Head of Risk based in
Corporate pressures and tensions
London. In September 2017, the Global Head suggested
Those two examples illustrate the subtle challenges that Brexit
12 - info - september / october 2018
The departure from the EU continues to cause uncertainty for many UK employees, with many not knowing what it means for them in their current role
creates at the personal and professional level within workplaces.
creating unspoken divisions which could build unnecessary
Global organisations, especially in the finance sector, are
tensions and overall inefficiencies, at times where the overall
shifting activities and jobs on the continent to prepare for
financial results should not diminished.
Brexit. At a human level, the British do not want to let go of their
Additionally budget and resources are being allocated
'power' and are looking for new opportunities. For example,
in preparation for Brexit in terms of processes and IT
people based in the UK fluent in more than one language are
infrastructure. However, as the way forward is still not clear in
being identified for key roles and already getting geared up for
Brussels and at the political level, this is creating ambiguity and
roles with more responsibilities.
lack of 'mobilisation or interest for the future’ of Brexit.
The French are not really seeking that power or influence
Group and team facilitation and individual coaching around
and they feel uncomfortable. The French, or others from the
these issues can name and acknowledge the realities of those
continent, do not really believe in being promoted due to Brexit
challenges. This then permits a better alignment to move
and they feel it is unhealthy. At an organisational level, this is
forward and unlock the ‘non dit’ of Brexit in the workforce. I
BREXIT EMPLOYMENT SURVEY 2017
BREXIT IMPACT ON WORKFORCE TRENDS 2017
250 skilled workers from the EU were surveyed by Baker McKenzie:
• 55% said that they were likely or highly likely to leave the UK before the outcome of the Brexit negotiations is known • 69% believe uncertainty on the status of EU27 residents would affect their ability to secure a mortgage or other bank loan • 70% feel more vulnerable to discrimination since the Brexit referendum
1,068 people surveyed by the CIPD:
• Over half (53%) of employers say their organisation is up skilling their existing workforce in order to improve their future talent pipeline • Around one in five (21%) employers report that they are investing in the organisation’s brand to attract a broader or younger set of applicants • 70% feel more vulnerable to discrimination since the Brexit referendum
• 26% have little confidence in their job security • 55% have been offered no support from their employer
(Baker McKenzie, Brexit Employment Survey 2017)
• Popular relocation destinations among those firms that report they are considering moving their operations overseas include the Republic of Ireland (18%), Germany (15%) and France (13%) (CIPD, Brexit impact on workforce trends 2017)
info
- september / october 2018 - 13
The Security Landscape The risk and security industry has an important role to play in post-Brexit planning says Gill Prates, Head of Marketing & Communications, Europe at The Scutum Group, a leading safety and security company
T
he European Union has benefited from high levels of peace, prosperity
and an increase in life expectancy. But there also growing concerns in many EU countries over terrorism and migration. There
are
also
concerns
Further interconnectivity and diplomacy will be required between the UK and France in particular to tackle the evolving threat from the Islamic State, conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan and West Africa, Russia's actions in the Baltics and Ukraine and refugee camps in Calais
about
bureaucracy (as all diverse member
conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan and West
and the willingness of the European
states must agree when approving
Africa, Russia's actions in the Baltics and
Commission to ‘make an example out of
proposals and reforms), differing tax
Ukraine and refugee camps in Calais.
the UK.’
systems,
and
The good news is that the Anglo-French
Nonetheless, the UK is predicted to
sluggish economic growth in comparison
relationship has been strengthened by a
have the second largest GDP Per Capita
with the rest of the world in 2017.
growing
public
debt,
milestone summit in June 2018 between
in Europe after Germany, and be in the
the
British Prime Minister Theresa May and
10th position in the global economy
European Union, expected to happen
French President Emmanuel Macron,
as emerging economies (China, India,
on 29th March 2019, has thrown up a
building upon the 50 year defence deal
Indonesia, Russia and Brazil) step ahead
host of issue specific British industry and
(Lancaster House agreement of 2010).
(The World in 2050 by PwC, 2018). With
The
UK’s
departure
from
society. A no-deal agreement could lead
The Scutum Group is experienced
this forecast, we also also remain positive
to increased prices on goods, services,
in managing and predicting different
that a deal that benefits both the UK and
job losses, reduced foreign investment,
kinds of risk, protecting people, data,
EU member states will be sought after
difficulties for businesses in finding
infrastructures and goods as one of the
and achieved.
labour and many other adversities. And
leading safety and security companies in
We aim to take a balanced outlook
in this context, the risk and security
Europe, originated in France. The UK is
on Brexit which, as an unprecedented
industry is therefore of heightened im-
a key business destination and it’s also
scenario,
portance.
Scutum’s second largest market outside
unforeseen
France, representing 24 percent of our
technologies of tomorrow such as
Security and defence
turnover, where we also employ nearly
Artificial Intelligence that we have started
It is imperative to focus on sustaining
300 employees around the country.
to embrace and incorporate into our
the existing levels of safety and defence
We certainly believe that there will
business processes in order to predict
collaboration between the UK and the EU
be challenges following the transition
different kinds of risks to protect people,
to safeguard a smooth transition period.
phase, with an enormous amount of
data, infrastructures, and goods. I
This means ensuring that legislation
regulations, trade agreements, borders
such as the recent GDPR (The General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679), European Arrest Warrant and access to Europol, Prüm Convention on DNA data and the European Criminal Records Information Exchange System (ECRIS) are fully accessible by the UK going forward to continue to deter criminal activity. Further
interconnectivity
and
diplomacy will be required between the UK and France in particular to tackle the evolving threat from the Islamic State, 14 - info - september / october 2018
offers
threats
opportunities,
but like
also the
Ensuring our medical supplies Hugo Fry, Managing Director, Sanofi UK, details the challenges to ensuring a consistent medical supply post-Brexit
S
ince the UK voted to leave the European Union on 23 June 2016, we have been in unchartered territory. In the 45
years since the UK joined, no member state has tried to leave and the challenges of untangling the UK from the EU have become startlingly clear over the last 2 years. Along with the majority of life science companies and UK trade bodies, Sanofi supported the ‘Remain’ position. However, political decisions are entirely a matter for the electorate and our approach since the referendum has been to make sure that anyone who needs access to our medicines and vaccines can do so from 29 March 2019 with no disruption. This means ensuring against a negative impact on regulatory capacity, processes and time-frames for new and existing medicines
we had to pre-emptively make this decision to ensure there is
and vaccines reaching people across the UK and Europe. To
no disruption for people taking our medicines across the EU.
ensure we are fully prepared, we heeded the advice of our
We have also made arrangements for additional resources
European and UK trade bodies and have planned for a worst
to manage changes to customs or regulatory processes. We
case scenario; a hard Brexit, where the UK leaves the EU
have already prepared to increase our UK inventory, where
without a negotiated settlement.
global supply allows, with an additional months’ worth of stock
Medicines and vaccines are currently regulated at an EU
based on our own internal assumptions of potential delays
level. Manufacturing and supply chains are complex, world-
around a ‘no deal’ scenario. We will review this in line with
wide and dependent on frictionless movement between EU
recent advice from the UK Government.
countries. While the draft Withdrawal Agreement does indicate
Sanofi ultimately believes there should be continuing
there will be transitional arrangements in place until December
collaboration between the European and UK regulators, the
2020, there is no certainty that this will be the case until the
European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Medicines and
Withdrawal Agreement is ratified later this year. From the
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). As the EMA
first day of Brexit, Sanofi’s priority is to ensure that we can
relocates to Amsterdam, we would expect it to do all it can
continue to supply our medicines to all patients who need
to ensure minimal disruption to processes and timescales to
them in the UK, the EU and rest of the world. Because of
prevent unnecessary delays in the EU and UK.
the time required to put in place complex contingencies, such
It is also essential that Brexit does not disrupt clinical trials,
as moving essential functions to EU countries and stockpiling
international research collaborations or impact Sanofi’s ability
medicines to prevent disruption in supply, we were unable to
to invest in early-stage research, development or discovery of
wait until the Withdrawal Agreement had been ratified to take
innovative medicines and vaccines for the benefit of people
appropriate action.
around the world. We believe in the benefits of collaboration
Earlier this year Sanofi announced to employees that
and the movement of expertise to help solve global health
we would transfer some activities from our Haverhill
issues and develop the next generation of transformative
manufacturing facility in Suffolk to alternative sites in the
medicines and vaccines.
EU27. We need to adhere to the regulatory requirement for
Whatever the outcome of the Brexit process, Sanofi
medicines used in the EU to be Qualified Person released and
remains committed to ensuring that people across the UK and
Quality Control tested in an EU country. Transferring these
the EU, continue to have access to the medicines and vaccines
activities takes more than 12 months so it was inevitable that
they need, when they need them. I
Sanofi’s priority is to ensure that we can continue to supply our medicines to all patients who need them in the UK, the EU and rest of the world info
- september / october 2018 - 15
Exceptional bilingual education 700
100%
35
50%
8:1
44
students aged 5 to 15
success at Brevet (97% with honours)
teaching time in French (primary)
student-to-staff ratio
nationalities
after-school activities
Sign up for our Open Morning on 6 October at cfbl.org.uk
L'interconnexion AQUIND Reliera les réseaux électriques britannique et français afin de rendre les marchés énergétiques plus efficaces, de sécuriser l’offre et de réduire les émissions de carbone http://aquind.fr/
2000 MW
16 TWh
5%
3%
CAPACITÉ NOMINALE
ÉLECTRICITÉ TRANSPORTÉE CHAQUE ANNÉE
DE LA CONSOMMATION TOTALE DE LA GRANDEBRETAGNE
DE LA CONSOMMATION TOTALE DE LA FRANCE
http://AQUIND.fr
NEWS
A ND
A N A LY S I S
Business tax: physical vs. digital retail An imbalance in business rates between physical stores and online businesses prompts alternate proposals from high street trade organisations
International corporate tax principles need updating for the digital age to ensure they reflect the new ways businesses create value
R
ecent figures for the high street paint a grim picture. BBC 5
‘[The current system] provides online retailers with an
Live’s Wake Up to Money show says that 7,000 high street
unfair advantage and a 90 percent discount in an already
jobs have been lost in 2018. The professional services firm
struggling bricks and mortar retail environment,’ says Sir Peter
PwC found in a recent report that while 4,000 shops opened
Rogers, Chairman of NWEC.
in 2017 on the high street, 5,800 closed, making a deficit of 1,800. The rise in online retailers is a frequent consideration in accounting for these difficulties. ‘Many retailers are increasingly feeling the impact of the acceleration of online shopping,’ says Lisa Hooker, Consumer Markets Leader at PwC.
Business rate revision
The BRC proposed instead a ‘two-year freeze’ on any increase in business rates. This would avoid complications for businesses with both physical stores and a strong online presence. All are not in agreement. ‘Punishing forward-thinking retailers for offering customers convenient ways of shopping in an increasingly digital world flies in the face of innovation – and only serves to prop up a status quo in bricks and mortar
Brick and mortar retail representatives are calling for
retail that isn’t resonating with customers like it used to,’ says
additional business rates to be applied to online businesses
Ivan Mazour, Chief Executive of Ometria, a tech platform.
to even the playing field.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond has rebutted
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) says that retailers
proposals, saying ‘property-based taxes [are] easy to collect,
pay 26 percent of overall business rates, but comprise only
difficult to avoid, relatively stable compared to other taxes.’
6 percent of UK GDP. This equates to retailers contributing
The government will instead look for ‘fair’ alternatives. ‘We
around £8bn in business rates per year. Online businesses pay
need to find a better way of taxing the digital economy,’ says
approximately one tenth of this, with lower tax rates on the
Hammond.
distribution centres and warehouses from which they operate. An investigation by advisory services firm Altus Group has
A global concern
revealed that Amazon alone pays £38m in business rate tax
At the EU level, a tech-tax has been proposed, headed by
on its 189 UK sites. This is only £2m more than The House of
Emmanuelle Macron, President of France. This aims to temper
Fraser, which has 59 physical stores and annual revenue 11
the negative public sentiment over large tech companies
times less than Amazon.
avoiding low tax bills with a 3 percent tax on revenues.
The New West End Company (NWEC), a partnership of
‘International corporate tax principles need updating for
retailers and restaurant, hotel and property owners in Central
the digital age to ensure they reflect the new ways businesses
London, recently released research indicating that ‘a revenue
create value. It is right that we make further progress on this
based tax for businesses that are wholly or largely online’
issue before considering the implications for the wider tax
at only 1 percent could raise over £5bn. This could alleviate
system, including business rates,’ says Hammond. I
pressures on brick and mortar stores, allowing the government
Suzanne Lycett
to reduce rates at no additional cost to the Treasury.
info
- september / october 2018 - 17
KPMG LLP and International SOS announce collaboration KPMG LLP and International SOS have signed an agreement which will see the two organisations working together to help clients streamline their travel risk management processes. The collaboration will enable clients to better support employees before, during and after short and long-term travel or assignment. They will collaborate across services, including high quality medical and security advice and assistance (provided by International SOS) and expertise in cross-border taxation, social security, immigration and HR policy (by KPMG). I
Bristows receives award for AGILE working
Airbus’s BelugaXL successfully completes maiden flight
The first of five BelugaXL aircraft to fly has landed at Toulouse-Blagnac, France after successfully completing its first flight lasting four hours and 11 minutes. Following the first flight, the BelugaXL will undergo some 600 hours of flight tests over 10 months to achieve Type Certification and entry into service later in 2019. The BelugaXL programme was launched in November 2014 to address Airbus’ transport capacity requirements in view of the A350 XWB ramp-up and Single-Aisle production rate increases. Five aircraft will be built between 2019 and 2023 to gradually replace the five BelugaST.
The Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion (ENEI) has awarded Bristows with the Agile Working prize at their annual ceremony. Bristows was recognised for its achievements in adopting an inclusive approach to agile working and
implementing steps to ensure that the new policy was a success for employees and the firm. I
Dassault Systèmes supports aviation innovators
Dassault Systèmes today announced at the Farnborough International Airshow the launch of Reinvent the Sky, its industry solution experience for aerospace and defence. Based on Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform, Reinvent the Sky accelerates the development of light aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles, from concept to working prototype. The programme enables startups, new entrants and small original equipment manufacturers to invent sustainable air mobility experiences that will transform today’s aviation market. I
18 - info - september / october 2018
Credit Suisse invests in fintech
SVC Ltd., an investment vehicle of Credit Suisse in Switzerland, is investing in Assetmax AG, an asset management service provider based in Zurich and Lugano. This is SVC's second investment in a fintech after providing Tradeplus 24 AG with growth capital in the fourth quarter of last year. SVC has a total of 130m Swiss francs available for investments in Swiss SMEs, 30m of which is specifically for fintech.
BNP Paribas Group named best for sustainable finance
For the first time, BNP Paribas has been named as the ‘World’s Best Bank for Sustainable Finance’ for 2018, by Euromoney, a leading publication in the international finance field. BNP Paribas took 3 other prestigious awards at the ceremony held in London.
BUSINE S S WOR LD – NE WS AND ANALYSI S
Sopra Steria and Symphony Ventures announce strategic alliance
easyJet introduces its new Airbus
Sopra Steria has announced a strategic alliance with Symphony Ventures to address the easyJet celebrated the delivery of its first A321neo aircraft
growing Intelligent
with a flight into Farnborough International Airshow. Just over
Automation (IA) needs of its customers across enterprise
a year ago, easyJet announced an agreement with Airbus to
and the public sector. Working together, Sopra Steria and
convert 30 existing A320neo orders to the A321neo aircraft
Symphony will offer IA with the power to transform business
with a 235-seat configuration, part of the existing easyJet
process capabilities at an enterprise level and unlock value
Airbus agreement dating from 2013. I
across the entire organisation. I
Capgemini wins Microsoft award
Capgemini Group announced that it has won the 2018 Microsoft Country Partner of the Year Award for France. The company was honoured among a global field of top Microsoft partners for demonstrating excellence in innovation and implementation of customer solutions based on Microsoft technology. I
Veolia spearheads coffee cup recycling
Veolia will collect 120 million coffee cups for recycling in 2019 - a dramatic 300 percent increase from this time last year, following a successful 12 months pioneering its in-store service across the UK with the world’s most recognised brands: Costa, Starbucks, McDonald’s and Caffè Nero. Aspirations from these leading chains have been matched by Veolia’s innovative collection and sorting solutions, where coffee cups are segregated in store to prevent contamination, ensuring a smoother, more effective process. Encouraged by the programme’s success, they will continue to work with their customers to reach as many people as possible. I
Contracts for EDF Energy’s Hinkley Point C top £1.3bn New figures released by the UK government show that companies in the South West have now won contracts worth more than £1.3bn for EDF Energy’s Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset. The updated totals show that £650m has already been spent with the region’s businesses. With more than 80 percent of contracts awarded, the project is on track to spend 64 percent of the construction value of Hinkley Point C with UK-based companies. I
info
- september / october 2018 - 19
SPIE wins luxury redevelopment contract SPIE UK has been awarded a contract for the mechanical,
electrical, public health and fire engineering services for the redevelopment of the Regent’s Crescent, which was originally built by famed architect John Nash for the Prince Regent in 1820. The works are valued at over £20m and will be completed over an 86-week period, which began in June. I
Diageo launches dynamic campaign across JCDecaux's London Digital Network
Dior on show at Harrod’s pop up
Devised by out-of-home and location marketing specialist Posterscope and Carat, in partnership with Liveposter, the portfolio campaign uses the JCDecaux LDN network and will see advertising campaigns for five of Diageo’s spirit brands. I
Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and partners announce joint venture
Harrods is hosting an Oblique canvas pop-up shop, with a window display covered in the graphic motif to entice customers. An exclusive range of Saddle, Miss Dior and CD Hobo bags will be available to purchase, alongside a new line of Diorquake pouches, clogs and silk scarves. Personalisation will also be offered for the first time to customers. I
ENGIE confirms position as leading solar operator in France As part of the fourth session of the fourth call for solar tenders organised by the Energy regulatory commission, ‘CRE 4-4’, ENGIE has won 25 photovoltaic projects in France, Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, China Southern
nearly 230 MW out of the 710 MW awarded. This is a new
Airlines and Xiamen Airlines announced the merger of their
record of wins for the same operator. The Group was placed
existing joint venture agreements. The aim is to create even
top in the 4 first sessions of the CRE4 call for tenders with
stronger links between the partners and offer customers
nearly 550 MW won in all. I
smoother, seamless travel solutions. I
Cripps and Edwin Coe property team win national recognitions Law firm Cripps has once again been recognised by the HNW as a national leader for its private client practice, while Edwin Coe’s Property team has once again been ranked for Real Estate: High Value Residential (Band 3) across the UK. I
20 - info - september / october 2018
BUSINE S S WOR LD – NE WS AND ANALYSI S
Estée Lauder partners with LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning is one of the leading online learning platforms dedicated to helping individuals and organisations achieve their personal and professional development goals. The platform is available to full-time office employees of The Estée Lauder Companies globally, as well as permanent office employees in Latin America, Europe and the U.K. I
Euronext introduces trading platform for cash markets
New traffic record for Eurotunnel Freight
Eurozone, announces that its new cash market platform
establishing a new record with more than 845,000 trucks
Optiq is now live. The new platform gives investors access to
having crossed with Le Shuttle since the start of January
trading across all asset classes available on Euronext’s pan-
2018. I
Euronext, the leading pan-European exchange in the
Eurotunnel Freight has achieved a historic half-year
European exchanges. I
Hyatt announces global effort to reduce single-use plastics
Hyatt Hotels Corporation today announced Hyatt hotels around the world plan to eliminate single-use plastic straws and drink picks. After 1 September 2018, straws and picks will be available on request only, and eco-friendly alternatives will be provided where available.
Saint-Gobain fits TF1 with smart glass
The new TV news set of French national network TF1 is fitted with Saint-Gobain electrochromic glass. SageGlass Blue dynamic glass, which tints or clears on demand while remaining transparent, was chosen by TF1 as an elegant, premium visual component for its new TV set.
American Express GBT acquires Hogg Robinson
American Express Global Business Travel has successfully completed the acquisition of Hogg Robinson Group plc, a global B2B services company specialising in travel management. The combined group is expected to offer clients and travellers a wider range of products and services, bringing together the best of both businesses including technology, people and a comprehensive geographic footprint.
info
- september / october 2018 - 21
The Age of Discovery Brands are leveraging new techniques and technology to increase their online reach, says Liza Bate, Client Partner, Luxury Apparel at Facebook
S
ome months ago, shortly after an un-noteworthy yet
percent of passive shoppers who currently are not.
unappealing birthday, I was excited to read about a skin
From Birchbox’s parcels full of beauty products, Heist’s
cream enriched with a new wonder-ingredient. Whilst
designed-to-perfection tights, to Hello Fresh’s precisely
scrolling through Instagram, I had spotted a post describing
proportioned meal-time ingredients – these are businesses
a cream that promised to change my life, offering the same
that have disrupted their respective categories. Although
benefits as an expensive chemical peel but in a £25 jar. My
they’re different from one another, they all have one thing in
skin would be left rejuvenated, glowing and crucially, youthful.
common. They’re built on discovery. More specifically, they’re
I know what you’re thinking because I thought it too, surely this
built on discovery via mobile.
is the solution to all of my problems? I wonder what you’ll be thinking when I explain that this cream’s active ingredient is pure, organic snail slime.
Mobile shopping We are all familiar with the way that smartphones have supercharged the discovery of new brands and products, and of shopping more generally. We also know this is true for no one more than it is today’s millennials. Checking their phones up to 30 times a day, mobile-led shopping behaviours that are normal and ubiquitous amongst the world’s first inherently digital generation, now ripple across demographics. And the businesses paying close attention to the behaviours of this group are the ones that will succeed. The behaviours we observe of people using our platforms inform three key guiding principles that all brands should adopt when advertising on Facebook and Instagram. Advertising that’s cognisant of my gender, age, location and interests has become the expectation on our platforms. My favourite example of how powerful this can be is Zalando’s campaign, promoting the launch of Topshop on their site which starred Cara Delevingne. Cara was filmed
Today, roughly 5bn gigabytes of information are created every ten minutes. To put that figure in context, it is about the same amount of information that all of humanity created from the beginning of time until circa 2003
pronouncing the names of thousands of remote towns all across Europe and each subsequent video was targeted to the relevant locale. So if you happened to be walking down the high street in Mönchengladbach and you scrolled through News Feed, you’d see Cara Delevingne telling you that you could now shop from Topshop. You don’t have to go so far as to produce 60,000 pieces of personalised content like Zalando did. The insight that matters, and the first guiding principle for brands on Facebook
I would never have chosen to look for snail slime to rub
and Instagram, is that personalising a message even at a basic
onto my face – the snails had to come and find me. And they
level helps your advertising to become more relevant. In an
found me in the same place so many products I buy today do,
age where your content is competing with a huge amount of
on Instagram.
other available content, relevancy is critical.
It is not just obscure skin care products finding their
Today, roughly 5bn gigabytes of information are created
way into my life via Instagram. Many businesses today are
every ten minutes. To put that figure in context, it is about the
disrupting categories by exploiting a simple strategy; rather
same amount of information that all of humanity created from
than targeting the 20 percent of active shoppers already
the beginning of time until circa 2003.
engaged with their product, they’re choosing to target the 80
22 - info - september / october 2018
We’re also consuming a huge amount of content. If
BUSINE S S WOR LD – THE BIG IDE A
Many businesses today are disrupting categories by exploiting a simple strategy; rather than targeting the 20 percent of active shoppers already engaged with their product, they’re choosing to target the 80 percent of passive shoppers who currently are not
you were to print out the content that the average person consumes in their social feeds every day and stick all those printed pages next to each other, you’d see a ream of paper as long as Big Ben is tall. That is why it’s more critical than ever before to be relevant, meaningful and timely in the way you communicate. If you’re not, you won’t stand out.
The pace of business The second guiding principle for successful advertising on Facebook and Instagram is about speed. We call content that captures attention ‘thumb-stopping’ and yours should aim to stop thumbs scrolling in a matter of seconds. There is no miracle snail cream to prepare you for the
are video. Vertical scrolling behaviour means Feed is a mostly
reality of what follows, but we know that people under 30
sound-off experience, while 60 percent of Stories videos are
consume content twice as fast as people over 60. People of
played with sound on.
all ages are still watching long-form content on their phones
All of this insight points to a large and growing appetite
but today they’re becoming increasingly able to decide if they
for immersive, visually-rich content and businesses should
should even begin watching incredibly quickly. Think of it like a
take note. Instagram Stories is set to become the dominant
3-second audition.
platform to offer brands significant reach amongst an
The final lesson for businesses looking to succeed on our
important consumer demographic, with a medium that’s
platforms is to speak the dominant language, which is to say:
full-screen, visual and predominantly sound-on. Moreover,
be visual. Five years ago, most of what we shared on Facebook
Instagram Stories is ideally placed to capture the attention of
was text. Now it’s photos and videos. In five years, it’ll mostly
passive shoppers, and take them from an initial moment of
be videos and after that we believe it will be immersive content
discovery to a personal window-shopping experience in just
like VR and AR.
a couple of taps.
We’re working hard to build new ways for brands to connect
And so, back to my snails. The relevant, speedy and visual
with their potential customers on Facebook and Instagram
aspect of the Instagram post I saw made the discovery of my
more visually, and we’ve seen enormous success here with
snail-slime cream occur. I could have easily scrolled past that
Instagram Stories. People’s appetite for Stories is insatiable.
post, and I'd be £25 richer but dermatologically poorer. But by
Just over a year after it launched, the number of people using
finding me on Instagram, stopping my thumb by showing me a
Instagram Stories every day grew from 300m to 400m. We’ve
post about better skin, I now rub snail slime on my face every
also observed that people share and consume content in
day. Successful businesses aren’t waiting for customers like
Stories in a different way than they do in Feed. Although you
me to develop purchase intent. Instead, they’re on Instagram
see many static images in Feed, roughly 40 percent of Stories
right now creating it. I
info
- september / october 2018 - 23
BUSINE S S WOR LD – SME PROFILE
Moving with the times FD Platinum specialises in high-end removals for a global client base. INFO speaks to CEO Frederic Delahaye
The demographic for each person moving is different too. We are definitely seeing a shift towards a younger, more millennial, and less established employee profile
What does FD Platinum do? As a group, we are a global high-end mobility and logistics
taking on more and more levels of importance. We need to
service specialising in all sorts of services designed to move
be able to respond by continuing to focus on discretion and
individuals all around the world. This can either be moving
confidentiality, and well as meeting that need by providing
high net worth individuals and their precious household goods
vetted and checked crews and managing our contractors
and personal effects, to finding houses for graduate level
appropriately. We’re also seeing increases in the usage of
employees just starting out their new lives in a brand new city.
things like NDAs – so that security is increasingly more and more an issue for our clients.
How is your business growing? We are passionate believers in doing things differently, and
How are new technologies influencing your work?
we are growing through reputation. We provide the highest
Clients are always pushing us to embrace new technology and
levels of service in some really challenging locations, giving
make things more efficient. We have built for example a brand-
our clients a great experience, which results in them proving
new Fine Art Management system for FD Platinum which helps
us with a glowing recommendation to their friends and
us to be able to track and manage inventories. This is a great
colleagues.
innovation for Art Galleries or Private Collectors.
We are also growing another brand. Go Group supports the needs of early career stage relocators looking for a Global
How does working with the French differ from the British?
Mobility solution which reflects their busy lifestyle as they start
I find that everyone essentially has the same expectations of
on their adventure.
service when moving, and for me it is about keeping it simple. I typically find that our French clients are more direct and
What are the industry’s trends?
articulate about what they want. This means that sometimes a
The mobility industry is definitely becoming more cost
French client can respond more emotionally when things don’t
conscious, with a greater focus on agility and efficiency,
quite go according to plan. A British client however might be
whether that’s through the clever user of technology or a
slightly more reticent about something that hadn’t gone well,
focus on supplier efficiency and cost containment.
and it can be harder to get to the root of a problem. I
The demographic for each person moving is different too. We are definitely seeing more of a shift towards a younger, more millennial, and less established employee profile. Younger employees tend to move more often, have smaller
SN A PSHOT
household goods shipments and typically look for things like flat shares and less conventional areas for to live in order to be nearer to work and their social lives. We’re also seeing patterns change in terms of where people move to and from. For example, people are moving to and from more countries than just the traditional EU locations,
Group turnover: £5m Global offices: 6 (London, Paris, Cannes, New York, San Francisco, Hong Kong)
and we are seeing growth to and from new locations in Asia. How have your customer’s requirements evolved? We’re finding that what we move is different from before. On the higher end, items like security and discretion are 24 - info - september / october 2018
www.fd-platinum.com www.go-group.com
BUSINE S S WOR LD – S TART- UP PROFILE
On demand: Tele-medical care Nicolas Wolikow, CEO and Co-founder of Qare, speaks to INFO about tele-medicine services for French patients
On demand services such as Netflix, Spotify or marketplaces like Amazon connect people who have common interests in a safe, easy way [which inspired the idea] to create the equivalent for outpatient medical services
What does Qare do?
appointment with a specialist is more
specifically
Qare offers a wide range of tele-
than three months. Qare gives them
They benefit from technical training to
medicine services to French speaking
fast, easy access to more than thirty
navigate the interface, write a medical
patients around the world. Patients
different specialities.
transcript or deliver an e-prescription.
can have safe video access to more
for
tele-consultations.
They also have sessions with our three
than 120 French physicians covering 30
Why did you choose to launch in
medical directors with a strong focus on
different specialities. Patients can reach
London before France?
the medical interrogatory. Finally, they
a GP in less than five minutes or book a
I wanted to run a pilot before rolling
go through test consultations with our
specific appointment time, seven days a
out the full project, to test the viability
medical direction.
week, from 8am to 10pm.
of the model and the appetite of French patients for such a service. London was
How do the French and British
What inspired you to set up the
ideal, with a massive French community
healthcare systems differ?
business?
of 200,000 people in a market pretty
In France, patients have a treating doctor
Access to healthcare is often complex
much mature for telemedicine services.
who follows them through their entire
and fastidious. On the other hand, on
medical life and processes referrals.
demand services such as Netflix, Spotify
How do consultancies at a distance
Most medical consultations result in
or marketplaces like Amazon connect
differ from traditional healthcare?
clinical examinations performed by
people who have common interests in
Iinteractions
and
the doctor himself. The length of the
a safe and easy way. I wanted to create
physicians are very similar. A video-
consultation is not capped and a patient
the equivalent for out-patient medical
consultation will start with a medical
can ask for a medical consultation
services and offer it to everyone, not
interrogatory, a review of the patient’s
whatever the reason for his solicitation.
only to private insurance subscribers
medical history, the explanation of
Hence, French patients have a very
or corporate members of specific
the symptoms and the delivery of a
intimate relationship with their treating
organisations.
medical diagnosis, with a prescription
GP.
between
patients
or a referral, if needed. Through a
In the UK, people are assigned to
What gap in the market does this
deep review of the patient’s medical
an NHS surgery, not to a particular
solution address?
antecedents
comprehensive
GP. Most of the physical examinations
French patients living abroad do not
medical interrogatory, Qare can handle
are performed by nurses and triage
have easy access to their local medical
more than 80 percent of all medical
procedures often precede any medical
system. Qare closes that gap and
cases.
interaction with the GP. People consult
and
a
give them the opportunity to consult
for a very precise reason and have
a French doctor anytime they need.
What training do your doctors
a more transactional relationship to
For French patients living in France,
receive?
medicine which is supposed to bring
the average waiting period to book an
All our doctors and physicians are trained
them tangible solutions. I
info
- september / october 2018 - 25
Crème de la Crème accelerates UK growth
C
rème de la Crème announces a new £3m funding round led by Alto Invest and the startup's historical investors - including French entrepreneurs like Alain Thibaut and Loic Le Meur. The start-will also release the first European mobile application for freelancers in September. I
Irene Africa wins £240k grant
Ekimetrics named official Snapchat partner
E
I
kimetrics, leader in Data science and Marketing Mix Modeling in Europe, have been selected to be part of the Snapchat MMM Programme. The global consultancy was chosen as a trusted third-party dedicated to help brands better understand Snap’s impact on sales and customers’ behaviors, and provide a means for brands to benchmark their Snapchat campaigns alongside other marketing channels including TV, radio, print and digital. I
rene Africa, part of the French clean tech Irene Energy, is looking to address energy poverty in offgrid Tanzania by reducing contractual and financial frictions using its proprietary blockchain-based micropayment solution. A £240,000 funding grant by Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, will enable Irene Africa to create decentralised market places for all local electricity assets and provide better access to better electricity. I
JIN launches VR training tool
J
IN, an international communications agency specialising in PR and digital influence, launches Pitchboy, a virtual reality application, placing users in a real-life situation where they are in conversation with a consumer or client. The tool aims to train sales professionals in public speaking and the art of persuasion in order to improve their pitching skills. I
Impulse has a new location in London
F
ollowing a long search, Impulse has a new location in London. It is now in the recently opened FORA offices, right outside Borough tube station, and a stone’s throw from the historic Borough market. They chose this location due to its central location and focus on innovative design. I
ODITY acquires AreYouNet
O
DiTY, an alternative Customer Experience player, has acquired AreYouNet, reinforcing their expertise in software and data marketing solutions. The acquisition was enabled by €2m in funding raised to strengthen its position as both a service provider and a software development company specialised in Customer Experience & Marketing. I
26 - info - september / october 2018
BUSINE S S WOR LD – SME NE WS
Humanity & Inclusion opens playground in Bangladesh
W
ith support from IKEA Foundation, Humanity & Inclusion constructed and opened its first-ever inclusive playground in Teknaf district, Bangladesh. A representative from the Ministry of Social Welfare joined HI staff and several dozens of children to open the first and only playground in the region. I
Alice à Paris collaborates with Merci Maman
Lester Aldridge joins Alzheimer’s Society’s Will to Remember scheme
A
L
lice à Paris, the kids’ fashion brand with a Parisian twist, has teamed up with fellow Fulham-based start-up
Merci Maman, to create a unique personalised hand-made
eading law firm Lester Aldridge is pleased to support the Alzheimer’s Society’s Will to Remember scheme.
The scheme enables people to request a pack containing
engraved bracelet, made of iconic floral print from ALICE à
a list of local trusted solicitors, a comprehensive will
PARIS and a beautiful jewel from Merci Maman. I
guide and a voucher for £150 off the cost of making or updating their will. I
HL TRAD joins the Technicis group
T
he Technicis group, a European leader in the professional translation sector, announces today the acquisition of the translation company HL TRAD. This acquisition reinforces the group’s expertise in two areas: legal and financial. I
Coorpacademy receives LPI accreditation
Ponant celebrates 30th anniversary
T
C
adopted by 700,000 learners worldwide and which integrates
anniversary programme and looking back over the
the latest innovations in online education. I
great moments that have shaped its history, including
he UK’s leading authority on Learning & Development, the Learning & Performance Institute, has accredited
Coorpacademy for its user-centric digital learning solution
elebrating 30 years of sailing the seas of the world, Ponant, world leader in luxury expeditions and
the only French-owned cruise line, is unveiling an
two special cruise itineraries and a series of exclusive events across Europe. I
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E DUC ATION – NE WS
Interactifs designs INSEAD master's programme INSEAD, the leading international business school with campuses in Fontainebleau, Singapore and Abu Dhabi, has chosen Interactifs to design and run a course on their prestigious MBA programme. Students will navigate a series of business-critical meetings in areas such as finance, sales, HR and governance. I
ESCP Europe announces digital transformation masters ESCP Europe Business School has announced that it will launch a new Master in Digital Transformation Management and Leadership (MIDITAL) in September 2019. The programme will incorporate 11 months in class, plus seven months to complete both an industry report and a professional digital placement of at least four months. I
Sciences Po graduates remain in high demand
ESSEC launches chatbot for students
The 2018 Sciences Po graduate employability survey, which
ESSEC Business School will launch a virtual assistant able to
concerns the destinations of graduates found that, eighteen
answer recurring questions quickly and easily. The chatbot
months after graduating in June 2016, 90.7 percent of
interactions will be possible thanks to a knowledge base set
graduates were in work – with 83.7 percent having secured a
up and maintained by the various services in contact with the
job within the first six months. I
students. I
EDHEC MBA ranked 20th worldwide by the Economist In its first-ever appearance, the EDHEC Executive MBA made a high-profile entry to this ranking published by The Economist , finishing among the top 10 in Europe and 20th worldwide. I
28 - info - september / october 2018
R E PORT S & R E SE ARCH – BUSINE S S WOR LD
A selection of research papers and reports produced by Chamber member companies and partners
Boston Consulting Group: The Most Innovative Companies The twelfth edition of this annual report by BCG identifies the world’s 50 most innovative companies, based on a survey of over 1,000 senior executives from innovative organisations, covering a variety of countries and industries. They are assessed using 3 financial criteria: total shareholder return, revenue growth, and margin growth, as well as a ranking by respondents of the most innovative companies. This year’s edition covers the topic of ‘Innovators go all in on digital’, reflecting that innovation is only growing in the digital sphere: big data analytics, adoption of new technologies, mobile products and digital design. The gap is also widening between ‘strong’ and ‘weak’ innovators, defined by their ability to take advantage of digital technology. Boston Consulting Group: The most innovative companies - 2018 Available at: https://on.bcg.com/2uJKA8F
BNP Paribas: Global Entrepreneur Report BNP Paribas’s annual Global Entrepreneur report, conducted in Q3 2017, surveyed 2,700 successful entrepreneurs to understand current trends and investment practises. While previous editions focused on identifying the origins, motivations, investments and characteristics of ‘elite entrepreneurs’, the 2018 edition reveals an increased focus on social impact, across business, life and investments. Entrepreneurs increasingly evaluate their success in this area, at 39% of respondents today versus 1 in 10 only 2 years ago, although priorities for social impact differ across continents. In Europe, clean energy is the primary social cause, whereas in the USA and Middle East, job creation is at the forefront. BNP Paribas: Global Entrepreneur Report - 2018 Available at: https://bit.ly/2EFuP6n
World Economic Forum: Collaboration between Start-ups and Corporates This report, created alongside the Forum’s ‘New Concept for Europe’ paper, offers practical advice on developing mutual understandings as the premise of a successful collaboration between start-ups and corporates. Collating information taken from interviews and workshops with start-ups, corporates and digital experts, the report aims to present a ‘blue print’ for decision makers, eventually enhancing the competitiveness of Europe through collaboration. The report outlines the necessity of understanding the ‘interests, expectations, incentives, culture and work ethic’ of all parties involved in order to clearly define a format of collaboration, as well as roles and responsibilities. World Economic Forum: Collaboration between Start-ups and Corporates - 2018 Available at: https://bit.ly/2LVLnKk info
- september / october 2018 - 29
Hatching innovation THE AGE OF CORPORATE / START-UP COLLABORATION
T
he start-up economy is here to stay. Agile young companies are innovating and developing at speed. Once plucky upstarts, Apple and Amazon recently made headlines by becoming the world’s first trillion dollar companies.
According to Credit Suisse, in the 1950s the average S&P company was sixty years old.
Today, they are younger than twenty. This is attributed to complex and accelerated disruption in rapidly globalising markets. Traditional corporates are, by comparison, slow in their processes and ability to innovate. A Unilever Foundry survey recently revealed that 80 percent of large corporates believe their approach to innovation can be positively affected by start-ups. According to Kirsty Mitchell, Director of Growth at KPMG, ‘we are seeing more collaborations between large corporates and small businesses as they attempt to outpace their competition in the race for innovation to results.’ A joint study by Imaginatik and Mass Challenge found that most corporations and start-ups believe collaboration with one another to be important. Sixty percent of start-ups and 55 percent of corporates register success emanating from their collaborations. The challenges faced by corporates and start-ups who are involved in new and innovative collaboration are highlighted in this FOCUS section. Packed into these twenty pages, you will discover how corporates and startups benefit from shared knowledge, know-how and access to new markets and consumers. Much like our inaugural LeBridge event detailed on page 51, a day of corporate/start-up match-making and networking, articles in the section delve into the most innovative partnerships. Corporate accelerators, corporate incubators, internal start-ups, and investments, as well as other changes influenced by the start-up ecosystem are just some of the trends we are seeing. From an interview with France’s Digital Minister on a new partnership with the UK, to features on established players AccorHotels, EDF Energy, and International SOS, and market entrants including Early Metrics, Theodo and Devialet, our insights in this section offer an overarching view of this exciting evolution in the business landscape. I
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CORPORATE START-UP COLLABORATION
at a glance CORPORATE
START-UP
IM P O R TA N C E O F C O L L A B O R AT I O N: Short-term: Long-term:
31% 83%
Very or extremely high:
69%
MATURITY GAP 68% want to collaborate in seed/early stage, which often is too early for corporates Source: Arthur D. Little/Match Maker Ventures
Global Start-up Ecosystem Ranking
Source: EY
‘Successful collaboration depends on each side learning to understand the interests, expectations, incentives, culture and work ethic of the other. It depends on the two parties identifying the most appropriate proven collaboration model for their situation – which could be incubation, acceleration or partnership – and clearly defining roles and responsibilities.’ —World Economic Forum White Paper, 2018
32 - info - september / october 2018
INFOGR APHICS – FOCUS
Benefits of collaboration reported by start-ups and scale-ups
Source: Nesta
‘If the corporate posture of the past around innovation could be described as “not invented here” with a strong bias toward building internally, today’s corporate posture leans in a much different direction, with many thinking about how to disrupt themselves before an external party beats them to it’ —TechCrunch, August 2018
Vehicles that lead to collaboration (by percentage)
Corporate Initiative
One-off event
Accelerator/ Incubator
Corporate Venture Capital
Mergers & Acquisitions Source: Arthur D. Little/Match Maker Ventures
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The strength of the start-up Simon Bergeron, Head of Ecosystem Development at Impulse Partners, defines what makes start-ups great
O
ften shrouded in an aura of mystery, ‘start-up’ is a
but the main culprit is a fundamentally different culture.
word associated with some of the biggest and best
Start-ups exist in a culture of rapid iteration. Emulating the
innovations of the past decades, all while striking fear
evolution model in overdrive, they absorb information from the
into boardrooms the world over. Start-ups have taken the
environment and quickly try to adapt their product or service
world by storm, with an ever-increasing cohort turning to the
to better respond to these needs. This break neck pace is
fast-paced world of entrepreneurship instead of treading the
almost always out of sync with the rest of the industry. It is an
laid down tracks.
ongoing challenge for companies to put in place management
Despite its increasing impact and importance in the current business climate, the question of what a startup is often goes unanswered.
Defining the landscape As a firm that deals day in, day out with start-ups, we believe the essence of a start-up was put best by Eric Ries, entrepreneur and author of the landmark book ‘The Lean Startup.’
processes which enable efficient work with such a rapidly changing products and services. This is not to say that the start-up way is better than more traditional models. The strength of the start-up model is in its ability to find and exploit opportunities faster and more efficiently than competitors, thereby creating a massive competitive advantage.
A changing landscape: new types of start-ups
A start-up is not a college
The world of start-ups has
grad working away in the
grown dramatically in the last
basement of a building;
two decades. Today, we see more
it doesn't have to live and created from the ground up on a shoestring budget. A start-up is an organisation, according to Ries, ‘designed to create a new product or service under conditions of
‘scale-ups’:
start-ups
that have managed to define
breathe technology or be
their business models and now look to focus their efforts on growth. Large corporate groups are aware of the impact and risk that these start-ups may pose to their business. Due to this, we're seeing a
extreme uncertainty.’ A start-up can therefore exist just as
rising desire for ‘internal start-ups,’ internal business teams (or
easily within the offices of government or a large corporate
divisions) tasked with developing new products that are outside
actor, as it can within a sub-Saharan village.
the corporate’s typical markets.
Start-ups attempt to solve real problems which are outside
With the pace of technological change accelerating and
the comfort zone of normal procedures. They are an expedition
more important problems cropping up on what seems to be
into the unknown. They live in a world pressured by intense
an ever more frequent basis, the world certainly seems headed
competition and obsolescence should they be too slow. This
towards ‘conditions of extreme uncertainty.’ If you ask us, it
landscape defines the start-up imperative: finding a viable
seems start-ups are onto something. I
business model, either by finding a market niche to fill or, more radically, by creating an entirely new market.
Start-up culture Impulse Partners’ main activity is supporting corporate groups in construction, real estate, and infrastructure to scout and curate relevant start-ups, to advise on innovation strategy, and help implement innovations within their activities. These large groups have a tough time with start-ups for a variety of reasons,
34 - info - september / october 2018
The strength of the start-up model is in its ability to find and exploit opportunities faster and more efficiently than competitors, thereby creating a massive competitive advantage
HATCHING INNOVATION – FOCUS
Start-up France INFO speaks with French Secretary of State for Digital Affairs, Mounir Mahjoubi about new measures to help French start-ups and a five-year digital innovation partnership with the UK
There are a lot of French start-ups based in the UK – 169 registered through French Tech London – why do you believe this is? First, we have similar digital economies. Our ecosystems are flourishing, attracting talents and investors from all over the world. It is a priority for our two governments and we are committed to offer a favourable environment for innovation. But for me, it is also because we share strong common values. First, we both want a digital revolution that respects our ethics and we are thinking together on how to create a framework that will urge tech actors to conform to it. Second, we both want a digital revolution that leads to a more transparent and open government. We want to better digitalise our public services and create more direct interactions with citizens. Would you describe France as a start–up nation? Why? Definitely, France has a lot of assets that enable us to call it a start-up nation. For instance, France is a huge source
Mounir Mahjoubi and Matt Hancock sign the five-year partnership
In France, it is already very well regarded to partner with small start-ups: 85 percent of company directors say they are directly involved in a partnership with a start-up
organisations to pursue collaborative research in areas of shared interest. We will continue to think about solutions to improve diversity and digital regulations. We have a lot more to do to ensure that emerging technologies offer positive opportunities and minimise risks.
of cutting edge researchers globally
You recently announced 100
recognised. To continue to attract
measures to help start-ups in France.
more people to invest or innovate in
What will these measures achieve?
our country, we recently put in place
How will the UK and France work
The measures have four main goals:
the French Tech Visa, offering the
together to foster digital industry
to simplify the lives of start-ups, to
opportunity for talent from all over the
innovation?
support their funding, to facilitate talent
world to come to France.
In July, Matt Hancock [UK Digital
recruitment, and to better accompany
Minister] and I agreed a five-year
them abroad. These measures will also
is to create hubs for ecosystem actors
partnership. We will work together to
help start-ups grow and convince bigger
to meet. It is crucial to foster innovation.
improve access to digital public services,
groups to collaborate with them. In
Look for instance at Station F in Paris,
ensure digital inclusion and skills,
France, it is already very well regarded
which is the world’s biggest start-up
promote economic development in
to partner with small start-ups: 85
campus. Another instance is thecamp
an open market and ensure an open
percent of company directors say they
in Aix-en-Provence that I visited a few
democracy by committing to open
are directly involved in a partnership
weeks ago, an amazing place for people
standards. It also includes a partnership
with a start-up. I
to grow their start-ups, their ideas and
between the Alan Turing Institute
to test new ways of doing innovation.
and DATAI that will enable the two
Another thing that we do quite well
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Collaboration and growth in London Lauren Quigley, Business Growth Programme Lead at London & Partners, explains how the Business Growth Programme helps start-ups and SMEs collaborate and grow in the capital’s ecosystem
A
2017 report by Startup Genome ranked London as 3rd amongst global start-up ecosystems, behind Silicon Valley and New York. Reinforcing this ecosystem and
encouraging the continuing growth of start-ups in the region is a key objective for London & Partners, which aims ‘to champion London’s thriving SME business community.’
Businesses on the programme can benefit from building their network through others on the programme and it provides them with a sense that they are part of a larger community
‘We do this by helping to nurture businesses that are already here, both native and foreign-owned, and to create a thriving eco-system that continues to attract investment and
Internal and external collaboration
talent,’ says Quigley.
Companies are welcomed in quarterly cohorts to participate
London & Partners’ primary means by which to achieve this
in workshops, business growth advice, mentoring and
goal, the ‘Business Growth Programme’, is supported by match
opportunities across the London network. This concept of
funding from the Mayor of London and the European Regional
‘cohorts’ in which to work is key to ensuring that participants
Development Fund. This programme helps select SMEs to scale
can fully benefit from the potential rewards that the London
across London by making skills and guidance to successfully
ecosystem and the programme can offer.
grow their businesses readily accessible, for free.
‘The cohort model promotes collaboration and peer-
From the beginning, start-ups must have a clear business
to-peer support between the companies and founders in a
plan and objectives. ‘It’s not uncommon for start-ups to fail and
number of ways. As the entrepreneurs are at a similar stage
there can be many reasons why a business does not succeed
in their growth journey, they can benefit from sharing ideas
or fulfil its objectives. From my experience, the most common
and helping each other to troubleshoot common challenges,’
reasons often relate to issues around funding, access to talent
says Quigley. ‘The programme is also a great place to share the
and sometimes just bad timing in terms of entering the market,’
different experiences they have encountered and it provides
says Quigley.
an open forum for the companies to champion each other and drive-one another forward. Businesses on the programme can also benefit from building their network through others on the programme and it provides them with a sense that they are part of a larger community.’ Indicators of success include ‘increased revenue or turnover and new products [as well as] the formation of a partnership or collaboration as a result of the programme. For example, obtaining a deal or funding from a corporate involved in the programme,’ says Quigley. Not just amongst start-ups, the importance of collaboration therefore extends to connecting start-ups & SMEs with corporates at the later stage of development. I
A
s a partner to the programme, Jeanne Monchovet, Founder of Olystix and co-chair of the Chamber’s Start-up & SME Club, focuses on sales pitch coaching for the participants, transferrable to when pitching to corporates. ‘In January, we had two workshops where I was coaching twelve start-ups to go and pitch to [a large corporate]. Ten start-ups went there to pitch their businesses. London & Partners want to help the start-ups to get in front of business opportunities more and more, so they are organising pitches directly with big corporates and big groups in order for the start-ups to sell their services,’ says Monchovet. I
36 - info - september / october 2018
HATCHING INNOVATION – FOCUS
Case Study: French Tech London France has long been considered a hotbed of start-up activity. French Tech London brings this entrepreneurial spirit to the capital
F
rench Tech London is a growing and active community
organise tech-events on various topics such as Diversity in Tech,
made of French entrepreneurs, investors and start-ups in
Artificial Intelligence, How to scale-up your business, etc.
development. It was founded in 2016 by 6 organisations
The community includes entrepreneurs, corporates and
– the French Chamber of Great Britain, the French Embassy,
investors, directly involved in one of six thematic groups
Business France, French Digital and Frog Valley – and now
(Corporate Innovation, AI, IoT, HealthTech, Gaming and FinTech)
includes more than 210 start-ups and 120 investors.
organising many actions.
The organisation seeks to create a community of fledging
The organisation is part of the wider La French Tech global
start-ups, promote the internationalisation of French start-ups,
network, which includes 13 hubs in France, 22 international
and promote France in terms of technology, innovation and
hubs including San Francisco, Berlin and Hong Kong, and wider
start-up culture. They provide contacts within the tech and
communities around the world that are directly managed by
start-up community to their network, help up-coming start-
French entrepreneurs. I
ups to build their network and accelerate their settlement, and
INFO profiles two member organisations working in the start-up space in new and innovative ways
Startupbootcamp
S
tartupbootcamp supports early-stage tech founders to scale their companies by providing direct access to an international network of the most relevant mentors, partners, and investors. They operate three-month intensive programmes where specially selected start-ups work through aspects of their business, from product creation to fundraising, distribution and growth. To get on the programme, potential start-ups go through a rigorous selection process, with roughly 1,500 start-ups whittled down to a shortlist of 30. Eight to twelve are chosen to take part in the programme. ‘The final stage is two intensive days where we invite all of the shortlisted founders to put them through their paces,’ says Raph Crouan, Founder and CEO of Startupbootcamp IoT and Head of IoT at French Tech London. With programmes in major start-up hubs including San Francisco, London, Berlin, Amsterdam, New York, Singapore, Mumbai, Dubai, Chengdu or Cape-Town, the organisation takes a global perspective on start-up culture. More than 600 start-ups are still active that have participated in Startupbootcamp programmes, a success rate of more than 70 percent – way ahead of the industry average where one out of every ten startups fail in their first few years. I
Crème de la Crème
C
rème de la Crème is a platform for connecting companies with freelancers on a project by project basis. In the context of a European workforce with more freelancers than ever before, they aim to provide an assurance to clients of the bona fides of the freelancers on their books. ‘By 2025, it is estimated that fifty percent of the European workforce will be freelance,’ says David Odier, Head of Internal Growth at Crème de la Crème. ‘Our idea is to focus more on quality than quantity.’ Unlike other freelancer platforms, Crème de la Crème takes the new step of pre-approving freelancers before they can access projects by clients including AccorHotels, BNP Paribas, Decathlon, Carrefour, and Unilever. Applicants must demonstrate that their experience matches in one of three verticals (tech/data, marketing/communications or design/product), and in junior, senior or expert capacities. Currently they have more than 10,000 freelancers on their books, the majority of which are based in France (and with 3,000 in the UK.) The long-term aspiration is to re-define recruitment in the freelance space. I
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Avoiding the pitfalls of collaboration Philippe Chalon, Managing Director of think-tank ‘Cercle d’outre-Manche’ and Director of External Affairs at International SOS, outlines collaboration dos and dont's for start-ups and corporates
J
ob and wealth creation especially in countries such as France and the UK are largely driven by SMEs and scale-ups. These new jobs are mainly created by young
The WEF check list
companies – typically less than four or five years of age. Business angels, venture capitalists, universities and the public sector have essential roles to play in the development of start-ups. But corporates are crucial partners because they can meet all of the start-up’s needs, combining technical and
The World Economic Forum recently published a useful paper entitled ‘Collaboration between start-ups and corporates.'
commercial visions as well as skills. Collaboration between corporates and start-ups is a strategic imperative for investment and business development. If they are done right, these partnerships can mean big rewards and benefits for both parties. Start-ups can reap the benefits of scale, distribution and financial resources that corporates can bring, alongside credibility. Corporates can innovate more quickly and cheaply by partnering with start-ups. Disruptive products and business models usually do not come from within. However, working together comes with potential issues. In a study published last year, Accenture Research estimates the collaboration failure rate at 44 percent. A survey conducted in 2016 by Mass Challenge and Imaginatik found that 50 percent of start-ups rated their experience in interacting with corporates mediocre or worse. This is mainly due to a clash of mind-sets and cultures with different levels of appetite for risk. Corporates are not as agile as start-ups, and start-ups tend to over-commit. Corporate employees are trained to follow
Key questions for start-ups to qualify the business impact of collaboration with corporates: • Is the start-up’s budget sufficient to deliver the product and services sustainably and successfully in the professional way the corporate expects? • Who will sign the deal? Who has the power to protect against the pitfalls of the corporate environment? • Who is the amplifier in the corporate who helps you close the partnership, deal and collaboration? • What are the KPIs for a successful collaboration? Can you fulfil the expectations and deliver what was promised? • What is the target of the corporate? Why do they want to work with you?
standardised processes and can be challenged by the creative behaviour of entrepreneurs.
Transparency and alignment One major problem that both start-ups and corporates report is the lack of transparency and alignment on a clear common goal from the relationship’s beginning, leading to wasted time or painful renegotiations. Therefore, both parties should be transparent about their real objectives, and if possible they should jointly define the desired endgame. Expectations need to be aligned. Investors in start-ups tend to look too much at technology
Key questions for corporates to identify the most innovative start-ups for collaboration: • What are the benefits and long-term competitive advantage? • Why is this different from what we could build internally? • Why is the start-up interested in working with us? • Which model of collaboration will be applied? • Who are the internal stakeholders driving the process?
and not enough at markets. The fastest route to market is to sell to corporations. It is not just the invention of a new idea that is important but it is actually bringing it to the market, putting it into practice and exploiting it in a manner that leads to job and wealth creation. I
A study last year by Accenture Research found that the collaboration failure rate was roughly 44 percent, and a survey conducted in 2016 by Mass Challenge and Imaginatik found that 50 percent of start-ups rated their experience in interacting with corporates mediocre or worse 38 - info - september / october 2018
HATCHING INNOVATION – FOCUS
The start-up formula Antoine Baschiera, CEO of Early Metrics, explains the importance of assessing a venture's growth potential
B
ig corporations know it well: innovating is crucial to staying relevant in this age of lightning-
speed technological progress. Many have also learned that developing solutions in-house can be difficult, especially when burdened by legacy systems. They have therefore shifted from playing The Imitation Game with start-ups to embracing a more collaborative approach, via the partnership, acquisition or investment route. It is all well and good to want
Start-ups don’t behave like listed companies so, in order to fulfil our mission, we had to build a specific rating methodology
to foster and benefit from the innovative power of new ventures, but corporations and investors have
and corporates which means SMEs
very few tools to decide which ones to
don’t pay to get rated, ensuring greater
commit to. That is the realisation that
objectivity. A decision that proved
distributed across three pillars: the
brought Sebastien Paillet and me to
successful as it attracted clients of the
team, the product and the market.
found Early Metrics: a rating agency
calibre of Airbus, Visa, John Lewis, and
The main criteria are then subdivided
focused on assessing the growth
LVMH.
into several parameters, forming
potential of innovative start-ups and scale-ups through the analysis of nonfinancial metrics.
Tried-and-tested methodology
extent, quantitative parameters. This resulted in 50 criteria
hundreds of data points. These include the complementarity in skillset within the team, their capacity to self-assess,
Since its foundation, Early Metrics has
barriers to entry and level of innovation.
rated over 2000 international start-
Following this methodology, the analysts
ups for more than 200 clients, most of
are able to reliably give a score out of
Having both worked in blue chip
which are Fortune 100 giants looking
100 to the overall growth potential of
companies, we knew there was a real
for innovation partners. Beyond our
the start-up.
need for a service that would help
business model, the uniqueness of
decision-makers understand start-ups
Early Metrics lies in its proprietary
backtesting, the methodology has
and manage their risks without missing
methodology.
proven its accuracy as more than 80
Beyond traditional rating agencies
out on opportunities. Moreover, with
Start-ups do not behave like listed
Over time and through rigorous
percent of companies who received a
the booming of the European start-up
companies so, in order to fulfil our
top rating (75 or above) have enjoyed
scene, venture capitalists, CVC and
mission, we had to build a specific rating
steady or fast growth 12 months after
family offices have become eager to
methodology. The first decision was to
the rating.
receive high-quality deal flows.
avoid focusing on credit default risk: new ventures generally have little to no
Next steps
traditional rating agencies such as
revenue and don’t rely on debt, so it’s
Early Metrics aims to become the global
Moody’s and Fitch had a significant
unfair to rate them on their financial
reference for every decision maker
flaw in their business model. Indeed,
credentials. The next step was to involve
wanting to engage with start-ups. That
these charge the rated entities, which
psychologists, investors, entrepreneurs
is why we have already set up offices in
inevitably creates a risk of conflict of
and tech experts to develop a scientific
Paris, London, Tel-Aviv, Berlin and we
interest. As we were conscious of this,
methodology that would take into
are looking to bring our expertise to
we decided to only charge the investors
account both qualitative and, to a lesser
new regions in 2019. I
Sebastien and I also realised that
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The business of co-working & collaboration Andrew Jackson, Marketing Director at Opus 4, describes the evolution of co-working spaces for startups and corporates
T
he ‘next big thing’ for the modern
and retaining the best people from the
workplace, and the natural heir
younger demographic. Whilst salary was
to the open-plan crown, is the
once the key motivating factor behind
rise of co-working and collaborative
where people would work, the workplace,
workspaces. The co-working concept can
cultural fit, collaboration and flexibility all
be traced back to the mid 1990s, yet still
began to grow in importance. In their
more than 20 years on, we talk of it as a
2017 ‘What Workers Want’ survey, Hay’s
new phenomenon.
revealed that 62 percent of people were
Today, those ‘in the know’ will point to
prepared to take a pay cut to achieve a
the meteoric rise of WeWork. Currently
better cultural fit.
valued at $20bn, with 268,000 members
This
became
the
tipping
point
in 272 locations, the co-working giant
for bigger companies, who realised
is doubling in size and value year on
creating a workplace with co-working
year. Leasing 2.6 million square feet of
and collaborative spaces at its core
prime London commercial space makes
wasn’t an unnecessary overhead, but
WeWork the capital’s biggest occupier of
a genuine investment into the growth
office space, according to Cushman &
and development of the business.
Wakefield.
WeWork claims that companies with
Co-working spaces began life as
1,000 or more workers now account for
the ideal embodiment of office space
20 percent of their membership and 30
for start-ups, particularly those in the
percent of their revenue.
digital and tech sectors. The idea of
WeWork’s
working
for tenants) include HSBC, Barclays,
in
an
environment
where
you could collaborate with other like-
members
In London,
(their
terms
Microsoft and Salesforce.
minded businesses, sharing ideas and
One could be forgiven for thinking
passing business to one another without
the exponential growth of co-working will
the shackles of long lease tenure had
spell the end of traditional leased office
the concept leans heavily on campus
Co-working: the office of tomorrow
environments and coffee shop culture –
As the axis of the multi-generational
model and implementing it within their
the very habitat of millennials in further
workforce began to shift away from
own business. I
and higher education, who wanted to
baby boomers and gen Xers towards
feel comfortable when taking their first
millennials,
entrepreneurial steps into business.
faced with the challenge of attracting
instant appeal. It’s unsurprising that
many
businesses
deals. Instead, there’s an emerging trend of businesses taking the co-working
were
Case study: Haseltine Lake and Opus 4
T
he law firm Haseltine Lake has employed the co-working approach. They engaged Opus 4, to design and fit-out a ‘test’ co-working space at their Bristol headquarters. Maggie D'Araujo, Head of Business Support for Haseltine Lake, says: ‘We are a large patent and IP law firm and have employed a traditional approach when fitting out our offices. We became aware of the rise in co-working and collaboration and realised we needed to move with the
40 - info - september / october 2018
times if we wanted to recruit the best new law graduates.’ They initially nominated a small but busy internal department to transition to a co-working space. D'Araujo says: ‘Working with Opus 4 opened our eyes to the possibilities of co-working and collaboration and how it can benefit our business. Our plan is to roll out a refined model to the rest of our offices.’ I
HATCHING INNOVATION – FOCUS
Networking for success Albin Serviant, Co-Founder of FrenchConnect London, gives advice to entrepreneurs on how to maximise networking
P
eople consider networking a waste of time. I personally
entrepreneurs. If you are struggling to develop an idea, a proof
believe the exact opposite. As an entrepreneur, you need
of concept, or a business model, meeting the right people
to think out of the box to transition your project from a
can put you on the path to developing your business in the
local start-up into an international scale-up, and networking is
right way. By speaking with other entrepreneurs you can learn
key to taking the next step with your business.
from their successes and failures. The first step is to start the
London networking
conversation.
The city is a melting pot of CEOs, investors and business
FrenchConnect
experts with loads of experience. Many of the entrepreneurs in
Launched in 2015 by tech entrepreneurs Stephanie Bouchet,
London have succeeded in their home country and have come
Alexandre Sagakian and myself, FrenchConnect London is a
to London to scale their project faster in a truly competitive,
private club gathering digital leaders in London.
business-friendly environment. There are tons of themed meet-ups and conferences to
Our elite group of tech and media founders, C-level executives and investors have access to exclusive high-quality
learn and share in London, including those by the TechNation
events to expand their network and be inspired by successful
(former TechCity) and many others including the FrenchTech
other entrepreneurs, investors, experts and politicians.
Hub. However, it is easy to lose your way in such a jungle
For the past 3 years, we had the opportunity to hold more than a hundred intimate events (private diners most of the
of events. It is important to pick the most relevant events
time) with high-profile leaders. We have welcomed Xavier Rolet,
depending on your project. Target the ones with a clear
CEO of the LSEG, David Rowan, Editor of Wired UK, and the
theme and the right selection of speakers and moderators,
investor Pascal Cagni of C4 Ventures, among many others.
while approaching interesting contacts via platforms such
We have also hosted politicians such as Emmanuel Macron,
as LinkedIn or, ideally, by email. Be sharp and direct in your
Nicolas Sarkozy, and former French Prime Minister Alain Juppé.
questions. Networking can unlock a host of solutions, both creative
Our mission, in classic French style, is not only to encourage direct discussions with investors, but to create an
and business oriented – especially when speaking with other
atmosphere for sharing and interactions over a glass of wine. I
By speaking with other entrepreneurs you can learn from their successes and failures. The first step is to start the conversation
[London] is a melting pot of international entrepreneurs with loads of experience
info
- september / october 2018 - 41
Business acceleration and beyond Kevin Monserrat, VC Relation and Deal-flow Manager at Microsoft ScaleUp, explains the evolution of Microsoft’s accelerator programme
I
n three years, we have rebranded our programme three
USP of our accelerator activities. Microsoft itself is positioning
times, and for good reason. Our ecosystem evolves at the
its business as the main cloud provider. Other cloud providers,
speed of light. NESTA reveals that by 2017 there were 163
such as Amazon and Google, don’t have the same access
accelerators active in the UK, supporting 3,660 businesses per
to customers or B2B connections, so we refocused our
year, but, according to research by the O2, back in 2012 only
accelerator on co-selling through our unparalleled distribution
25 accelerators existed in the UK.
channels.
It is in this context that we launched Microsoft Ventures
Similarly, we realised that early-stage start-ups were not
in 2013. At that time, we were one of the first in the market,
developed enough to work with our customers. They could
and one of the first to offer an equity-free programme, taking
benefit from our customer access, but they did not have the
the risk of working with very agile companies. Our start-ups
maturity to establish customer success.
had access to free office space, and a pool of great Microsoft experts and mentors. By 2015 our mission was clear: help B2B start-ups get up-and-running and help them to build great products to better serve their customers. There was no finance involved,
Microsoft ScaleUp was therefore born in 2018, to support enterprise ready scale-ups that turnover $1m minimum and $5m ARR with the ability to co-sell with Microsoft around the world. The ScaleUp programme is the world’s most strategic
we invested time and technology. Rebranding as Microsoft
targeted enterprise co-sell programme, helping young high
Accelerator in 2016 better reflected the specifics of this
growth companies connect to Microsoft’s global customers
support.
and partners through the Co-sell initiative and, where
A changing ecosystem Throughout 2016 and 2017 business incubators and
appropriate, provide growth capital through M12 (the VC arm of Microsoft). It is not an accelerator in the usual sense; our workshops
accelerators grew like mushrooms. London improved its
DON’T teach entrepreneurs and management teams how to
global start-up position due to a highly dynamic ecosystem
run a business - we focus purely on how to sell and market to
where both entrepreneurs and investors alike were
large enterprises, and how to build a durable culture whilst
more experienced. During this high growth phase, many
doubling the team size year on year.
more corporates launched their own incubators/labs or programmes, as the understanding of how best to work with
A combination of benefits
start-ups grew.
Alongside the evolution of our activities in the accelerator, we
To counter this influx of competition, we further honed the
took the strategic decision in 2017 to position Microsoft as a key innovation partner to help small and large enterprises to achieve more. Microsoft For Startups was born, encompassing all the ingredients to accelerate start-up success including: technical and business training, a strong network of third party accelerators, Microsoft Scaleup and M12. In the UK, 95 percent of our deal flow comes from direct referrals from VCs and private equity firms: the mark of a very successful model and one which the investment community has been quick to recognise. I
Throughout 2016-17, business incubators and accelerators grew like mushrooms; Nesta research indicates that 45 accelerators were created in the UK in 2016 alone
42 - info - september / october 2018
HATCHING INNOVATION – FOCUS
Internal incubators Michael Niddam, Director of Kamet Ventures, explains the intermediary role of Kamet Ventures in connecting AXA with start-up innovation
K
amet Ventures is a start-up
The innovation process
The output
foundry created by AXA 3 years
AXA offers clear strategic guidance
Kamet’s aim is to ‘develop projects
ago, where new businesses are
on which areas of innovation are of
that could ultimately become new
developed from problems observed in
interest to them. Kamet Ventures
business and growth engines for AXA
the insurance industry. Entrepreneurs
then investigates according to these
and to ‘strengthen their business
are on-boarded and their early stage
parameters. ‘We constantly have
line.’ However, creating start-ups is an
ideas are helped to market.
between 15-30 ideas under review,’
unpredictable process and the direct
says Niddam. ‘In parallel we attract
benefits for AXA can vary.
Creating a separate entity through which to foster this type of disruptive
“entrepreneurs in residence” that join us
innovation was important for AXA
and help us to look through these ideas
purely financial, when the product
to ‘implement innovation in a more
using a structured process. Together,
evolves ‘slightly sideways to the core
pragmatic manner than a traditional
we select the projects that we believe
strategy of the Group’, or can create a
corporate,’ says Niddam.
have a business case.’
partnership or collaboration with the
‘The companies that we incorporate
The concept of ‘Entrepreneur in
AXA’s involvement can either be
start-up, to directly enhance the service
are start-ups where the vested interest
residence’ reflects the importance of the
AXA offers their customers. For the
of the founder is to make the company
start up mentality for innovation. Kamet
latter, they can invest a stake with the
successful and scaled. This mindset
Ventures includes around 250 people
intent to buy.
and engagement is very different from
working with the incubator, but only 7
that of a corporate team. The corporate
or 8 from AXA – a minority.
team has job security; they are
‘When we say “Entrepreneur
The aim for Kamet is therefore ‘a combination of financial return […], within the market ranges of early
interested in innovating but it’s different
in residence,” we mean serial
stage innovation, and strategic value
to having to do innovation for survival.’
entrepreneurs who have had some
generation, with [a small number of
Working in a start-up framework
experience in launching a business
companies becoming] strategic add-on
also allows more flexibility for innovation
from scratch. We have very few of these
partners.’
by avoiding the regulations, audits, rules
people from AXA,’ says Niddam. ‘The
and financial mechanisms inherent to a
people who join us from AXA are very
working closely with all their launched
larger structure, which can slow down
often subject matter experts [who]
businesses. ‘Even the more advanced
the decision making process.
we try to attract […] depending on the
ones who are close to closing their B
specific needs the venture will have.’
round, we don’t see us letting them
‘Creating Kamet on the fringes of
A young company itself, Kamet is still
the AXA empire to incorporate start-
go completely […] We feel very much
ups that are beyond these rules until
like parents. Even when they become
they reach a sufficient size is a way to
teenagers, they still remain our kids.’ I
provide a more protected environment for innovation,’ says Niddam.
info
- september / october 2018 - 43
Blue skies at Blue Lab Our homes are getting smarter, and Jean-Benoit Ritz, Director of Innovation and Blue Lab at EDF Energy, believes collaborative working is the key to developing the smart products customers want and need
T
he energy industry, and how we all consume energy, is
alone. We work on growing and nurturing start-ups, our
on a rapidly developing journey. A host of innovations
colleagues, corporates, students, innovators and customers of
and disruptions have changed energy more in the last
course: in fact, anyone who is passionate about new ideas.
decade than in the previous century. Five years ago in your home, there were only a small
For example, through our collaboration with Amazon, we were the first energy supplier to give customers an option to
number of smart meters installed, smart thermostats were
manage their energy via a voice assistant, with our Amazon
only just appearing, voice assistant did not exist and a
Alexa skill. It was designed to give them control and make life
sprinkling of properties had solar panels. Now all of these are
easier – but one great and surprising outcome was when a
more and more common, and the figures will only continue to
customer told us it made giving a meter reading fun.
grow. It is hard to say precisely what’s next for energy – but we
Working with start-ups also helps us to accelerate innovation. Start-ups are more agile and faster, so we want
can expect more disruption and breakthroughs, which is really
to make the most of the opportunity their agility gives us
exciting – and EDF Energy’s innovation accelerator, Blue Lab, is
to accelerate change for our customers and for our core
at the heart of that; making ideas and innovations come to life
business.
and making energy better for everyone. Digitalisation is one example of disruption. When you look
For the last two years we’ve run a challenge to identify the best people, with the best ideas, for us to work with, then
at Europe, the UK is one of the countries with the highest rates
brought them into the lab to fast track how we can work
of smart phone ownership. That means that customers expect
together on their concept. This year we worked with five start-
to be more and more connected and in control of every day
ups as part of our Pulse Awards. We don’t just run a contest
tasks including the way in which they manage their home, their
and announce a winner. They spent 12 weeks integrated with
energy. Imagine a future, where your home manages itself,
Blue Lab teams, with access to relevant staff at all of our sites,
smart meters, batteries, smart appliances, electric vehicles all
and we will continue to work closely with a number of them in
connected making your life simpler and saving you money - the
the coming months.
essence of Blue Lab is to make this a reality.
The Blue Lab
Renewables and nuclear have revolutionised a generation, but we have to revolutionise the demand side too. This year’s Pulse Awards winner, Powervault, has developed a flexible
To help us do that, we work in a vibrant and agile way. Step
way to store the power generated by domestic solar panels
into Blue Lab, near Brighton, and you might find one team
to help smooth the peaks and troughs in energy demand and
having a conversation with a voice assistant during a meeting,
supply. Another finalist, Grid Edge, uses cloud-based artificial
while another is working on virtual reality, alongside colleagues
intelligence to predict, optimise and control energy use for
sharing ideas via Slack.
large businesses, helping those companies adjust when they
We have adopted modern ways of working in a flexible space, and that is also mirrored through our partnership at
consume energy to make the best use of lower prices. No one organisation is going to make energy better
IDEA London, a post accelerator centre for start-ups in the
working in isolation. Collaborations like this are the way
heart of London’s Tech City where some of our work is based.
forward. I
We know that innovation is vital, but we cannot do this
44 - info - september / october 2018
HATCHING INNOVATION – FOCUS
Step into Blue Lab, near Brighton, and you might find one team having a conversation with a voice assistant during a meeting, while another is working on virtual reality, alongside colleagues sharing ideas via Slack
Case study: from concept to execution
I
t is vital we all keep the end user in sight, to be consumer centric. Take the Smart Home label. A home is a house with people inside. We must always remember the consumer as the people within that house. They will decide the value of the connected home products we offer them. The ultimate value will be driven by the service you generate, for the benefit of our customers, not the kits you can provide them with. A great example of a customer centric idea is Howz, one start-up to benefit from EDF Energy Blue Lab’s partnership approach to innovation, having won the first Pulse Awards the company ran. Howz uses easy-to-fit sensors that measure the use of appliances, doors and motion in the home to learn events in an individual’s day. Tracking these patterns of daily activity can help that person improve their routine, and help their family, friends or nominated carers to support them. For example, being aware that the kettle, or toaster, hasen’t been turned on at the normal time could give an early warning of a problem, but there are also longer-term behaviours that can flag up concerns. For instance, if someone is suddenly up and about more during the night, or is leaving their property less often. In September 2017, Howz offered a free trial of an initial product to 500 EDF Energy customers. All 500 kits were allocated within hours of the launch. Since then, the products on offer, and the partnership as a whole, have been further refined to ensure the best possible solution for customers and a new initiative between EDF Energy and Howz is expected in the autumn. I
info
- september / october 2018 - 45
Creating value through ‘intrapreneurship’ Bouygues Construction offers employees the opportunity to pursue ideas for new businesses within the Group. Aude Caussemille, responsible for the NewValue Intrapreneurship programme in the Human Resources department, and Morgane Jossic, Open Innovation Project Manager in the Innovation & Sustainability department, explain the initiative
A
s part of its shared innovation strategy, Bouygues Construction launched an ‘intrapreneurship’ programme, named NewValue, in June 2017, to invent and implement
solutions that meet the challenges of the 21st century. Led by the Human Resources and Innovation departments working together, and with the involvement of the Executive Committee, this programme is designed to give employees the chance to pursue new business ideas. These new businesses/products/solutions must not relate to the core activities of Bouygues Construction, but must create value or enable the group to develop a new activity. The only rule is that they must quickly deliver a profit on a breakthrough subject. First, an analysis of the idea is conducted, to make sure nothing similar already exists, in or outside the group. Then, employees present their ideas to a committee, formed of experts in innovation and marketing, and representing all the entities of the group.
were submitted, and 14 presented to the Committee of experts. Seven projects were ultimately selected, led by nine
Based on a grid of specific criteria (motivation, market
employees from different business units, different hierarchical
potential, added value for Bouygues Construction, etc.), the
levels, and different countries. Looking at subjects as varied
committee selects the ideas allowed to advance to the next
as co-living, structural calculus, asset tracking and LED, they
phase, called ‘maturation’. During this phase, thanks to a special
all shared their experience and supported each other along
training programme tailored by the Schoolab (a structure
the way, which made it a very enriching and mind opening
supporting start-ups), employees can carry out their projects,
experience for all of them.
relying on methodologies used by start-ups. From business
‘It is a very rewarding experience, which made me question
canvas to prototypes, these methodologies enable them to
myself, encouraged me to think ahead, and to question my
quickly test their ideas on the market and develop them.
inner motivations,’ says one of the intrapreneurs.
Employees who have entered the maturation phase work on
Six of them will go on to the next phase, whether as a spin-off, a
their project with dedicated time, and with the assurance that if
new business unit, or a new offer for the group.
things do not ultimately pan out, they can get their former job
NewValue’s second season will be launched in September 2018.
back in the Group. And if the project takes off? An intrapreneur might become the CEO of a brand new start-up!
Part of a global strategy
This process of acceleration of innovative projects is a
NewValue is one arm of the open innovation strategy put into
win-win process, with shared risks and benefits between the
place by Bouygues Construction, in order to tighten its links
employee and the company.
with the start-up ecosystem, but also with SMEs and other
Creating sense
large companies. By searching, on an international scale, for new solutions focusing on any aspect of the lifecycle of a
In NewValue’s first season, 30 projects from 5 different
building, Bouygues Construction aims to be an innovative, but
countries (France, UK, Singapore, Australia and Switzerland)
responsible and committed company. I
This process of acceleration of innovative projects is a win-win process, with shared risks and benefits between the employee and the company
46 - info - september / october 2018
HATCHING INNOVATION – FOCUS
Diversifying in the digital space Thibault Viort, Chief Disruption and Growth Officer at AccorHotels, details why the group has acquired over a dozen start-ups since 2016
T
he hospitality industry is rapidly
expertise, ultimately improving every
and further develop new businesses
evolving and is one of the sectors
dimension of the guest experience and
and opportunities in the travel and
most impacted by the advent of
hotelier services we provide. Through
hospitality sectors. We specifically focus
digital pure-players. As digital innovation
them we create frequent and highly
on how new technologies and innovative
accelerates, AccorHotels, a world-leading
personalized touch points and use data-
strategies can address the ever-changing
travel and lifestyle group with over 4,500
driven insights to create value for guests
needs and demands of guests and hotel
hotels and resorts across 100 countries,
and strengthen loyalty.
owners.
future changes and customer needs,
Strategic assets
works with each of the businesses to
and to be at the forefront of innovation.
We have also significantly expanded our
identify
customer and market footprint and now
within the group and make the right
benefit from a multitude of state-of-the-
connections. Our goal is to ensure that
The group’s recent acquisitions gather
art distribution channels and proprietary
they evolve autonomously both within
leading
channels
technologies. This allows us to provide
and outside the AccorHotels ecosystem,
(such as Gekko and VeryChic), new
a range of services through products
allowing them to stay close to the outside
services (such as John Paul, ResDiary,
that cover the full spectrum of hoteliers’
business world.
Fastbooking/Availpro and Adoria) and
needs on the market.
seeks to be agile enough to anticipate
Business accelerators edge
distribution
Our Disruption and Growth team and
facilitate
opportunities
new spaces to stay, play and work (such
This includes website design, direct
Last year we acquired VeryChic, an
as onefinestay and Nextdoor). These
online distribution and meta-search
upscale flash sales platform with a client
tech-based companies accelerate the
and revenue management tools. These
base of 7 million members in France.
‘augmented hospitality’ strategy of the
tools allow hoteliers (whether under the
Their platform has been connected to
group, which is to extend relevance to
AccorHotels’ franchise or independent)
the AccorHotels reservation system and
guests and hoteliers by providing new
to reach online travelers more efficiently
to Availpro, a leading booking engine and
products and services beyond the hotel
and cost-effectively.
channel manager that we acquired a year
stay. Such
acquisitions
are
business
Buy, invest, innovate
accelerators that allow us to gain time and
We select start-ups based on their
be ahead of the curve by reinforcing our
capacity to grow into international leaders
digital capabilities and personalisation
in their industry and to allow us to create
ago, and has already increased business volumes for our hotels by €18m. I
[Start-up] acquisitions are business accelerators that allow us to gain time and be ahead of the curve by reinforcing our digital capabilities and personalisation expertise
info
- september / october 2018 - 47
LEAN in the digital workplace Fabrice Bernhard, Co-founder of Theodo, explains that digital transformation is not simply about technology – it is about innovative managementv
he most successful start-ups like Amazon, Google,
T
Small start-ups have native advantages here: easy access to
Facebook are able to combine innovation and scale better
the CEO enables informal sharing of purpose, ad-hoc clarification
than corporates thanks to a different way of working from
of contribution and trust-based empowerment. Millennials are
traditional organisations. If you look into where it comes from,
also much more demanding in this regard, regularly asking their
their different management systems and methodologies can be
managers what the purpose of the organisation is and how they
traced all the way back to Toyota.
can contribute. And of course digital native start-ups design
After WW2, Toyota created TPS (Toyota Production
their services and products digital-first.
System) as a strategy to thrive in a scarce post war economy. It
On the other hand, for traditional organisations on the
combines clear purpose at every level, a continuously learning
management side, it is not as easy as adopting a new tool
organisation and tremendous agility in production. Toyota
or coaching some managers. It requires rethinking the
has been able to innovate and scale at incredible speed since,
management and decision-making culture, which is only
outperforming every other carmaker in the world.
credible with very strong buy-in from all the top-management.
When westerners started looking into it in the 1980s, they discovered that Toyota, thanks to TPS, was producing cars with a tenth of the workforce. Inspired by these findings they
And on the digital side, corporates have to cope with a legacy that had never been designed to be digital.
brought back 'lean manufacturing,' a very streamlined way of
Cross-pollination
looking at production. But there is much more to TPS than just
There are two dimensions on which start-ups can help
an efficient production system.
corporates. The first is an innovation strategy proposed by
That is what the agile movement has tapped into since the
Christensen in ‘The Innovator’s Dilemma’: use a new brand to
1990s. They looked at different areas pioneered by Toyota,
leverage existing assets on new markets. By collaborating, the
adapted them to tech and digital and popularised concepts
start-up can use its different brand and culture to address a
like scrum, continuous improvement, devops, lean start-up, etc.
new market and be bolder in its experiments.
Start-ups inspired by the agile movement ended up adopting
The second dimension is cross-pollination of tools,
ways of working very similar to 'lean management' and combined
methodologies and culture. By working closely together, the
them with the execution speed of software and the distribution
corporate can discover the number of innovations in terms
scale of digital. This combination of Lean Management with the
of tools (Trello, Github, Google Apps, etc.) and methodologies
speed and scale of digital is what I call ‘lean digital.’
(Scrum, Devops, Lean UX, etc.) that a start-up employee takes
Lean Digital naives What prevents corporates from doing the same? To understand that we need to look at three important characteristics of organisations which adopt Lean Management:
culture can be adopted at the contact point of collaboration, planting a seed in the larger organisation.
Theodo+Admiral
1. They have a clear purpose;
The collaboration between Theodo and Admiral which resulted
2. People in the organisation know how they contribute
two years later in the creation of a new brand Veygo.com is a
individually to that goal; 3. People are empowered by clear OK/KO targets and a
for granted. More generally, a more attractive, start-up like,
culture of experimentation.
48 - info - september / october 2018
good example of a successful start-up/corporate project. Admiral decided to launch a new digital product: temporary car insurance. Theodo was brought in to bootstrap the first
HATCHING INNOVATION – FOCUS
Small start-ups have native advantages: easy access to the CEO enables informal sharing of purpose, ad-hoc clarification of contribution and trust-based empowerment
version of the product. Our start-up culture means that we
The scaling was successful too, prompting this new team
naturally planned for a 7 weeks minimum viable product (MVP),
to decide what their future would look like. Identifying their
cutting out all the important corporate features that were not
start-up culture as one of their main strengths, they decided to
needed until after the business-case was proven. Once the
officialise it by adopting their own brand Veygo.com and hired
MVP was live, our capacity to upgrade the product everyday
a renowned Lean coach to help them scale in a lean digital way.
reassured Admiral that it could add the missing features fast enough.
Empower organisations
The launch was a commercial success beyond expectations,
I often hear when working with people who have adopted lean
so the collaboration continued, focusing on growing an in-
and agile ways of working: ‘I will never be able to go back.’ Beyond
house state-of-the-art digital delivery team. This ranges from
the amazing impact lean and agile has on your ability to scale
the digital-friendly tech stack (Django, React, React-Native),
fast and be more competitive than traditional organisations, the
the cloud architecture (micro services in Amazon Cloud), the
game-changer is how empowering it feels for everyone in the
transfer of the Theodo methodology (Scrum, Devops, Lean) all
organisation. It unleashes the creativity and intelligence at every
the way to hiring and training digital talent: developers, agile
level making for a much more meaningful work experience. The
coaches, etc.
transformation is hard, but it is worth fighting for. I
Beyond the amazing impact 'lean' and 'agile' has on your ability to scale fast and be more competitive than traditional organisations, the game-changer is how empowering it feels for everyone in the organisation info
- september / october 2018 - 49
Scaled-up collaboration Joachim Fritsch, Product Manager at Devialet, explores the corporate dynamics of its partnership with Sky
C
orporate and start-up collaborations are on the rise: a recent survey by Match Makers Ventures, a leading venture capital and private equity firm, revealed that 77
percent of the start-ups surveyed had developed collaborations, with 100 percent likely to do so again. But how do approaches to collaboration differ or converge for a company who has already shown its growth potential by scaling successfully?
The scale-up advantage Successfully scaled up through several funding rounds since 2007, Devialet’s PHANTOM speakers are growing in popularity, with the backing of various musical and industry heavyweights. Teaming up with Sky to produce the Sky Soundbox, an allin-one sound system incorporating Devialet’s audio technology to enhance the TV viewing experience, this can therefore more
The primary benefit of the scale-up status for Devialet was its reputation
readily be defined as a scale-up/corporate partnership. For Jo Haslam, Associate professor at IE Business School,
‘Having the chance to partner with such a major actor in
‘[…] the future is about scale-ups. It’s about people who can get
the entertainment industry and to reach millions of potential
to a certain stage on their own. Let these start-ups go, let them
customers was a massive opportunity’, says Fritsch.
prove themselves. Then you can start having the conversations.’ For this particular conversation between Devialet and Sky,
Challenges
the primary benefit of the scale-up status for Devialet was its
Even as a scale-up, not everything was plain sailing. Although
reputation. The established nature of Devialet’s activities, its
the size of Sky’s structure presented new opportunities, this
successful brand building strategy, and its ability to demonstrate
size inevitably threw up its equal share of challenges. Devialet
a working solution were key to securing the partnership,
had to demonstrate their aforementioned agility in ‘fitting with
according to Joachim Fritsch, Product Manager at Devialet.
[Sky’s] well-established processes [and] dealing with dozens of
‘We offered [Sky] access to our breakthrough audio technologies, to our know-how, to our luxury brand and to our agility as a small company,’ says Fritsch.
interlocutors on their side.’ Continuous communication was therefore crucial and constituted a means to measure the success of the collaboration.
This agility, a characteristic still valued as a scale-up, was
‘We get quarterly statements from Sky, and we work together on
present not only in their work processes but also in the product
optimising the marketing activations to reach the sales targets
they pitched. Fritsch advises that any company looking for a
established by Sky’, Fritsch says.
similar partnership should be able to ‘adjust their offering to any kind of potential partner, with agility and forward thinking.’
The scale-up in this type of collaboration should also not be afraid to put their foot down. ‘Not being afraid to make mistakes,
Even having outgrown the start-up label, the objectives of
being flexible and adaptable with big company processes, yet
the collaboration remain similar to those identified for start-ups
being firm on key requirements’ can help create a balanced
in a recent NESTA report: visibility, access to new markets, and
relationship in managing the partnership, says Fritsch.
market knowledge. On this occasion, Sky could offer ‘a massive
For the future, as the verb ‘to scale-up’ suggests, Devialet
reach, a very structured programme management frame, a
will not stop there. ‘Having a first partnership with a notorious
scalable industrial solution and a robust go-to-market strategy
company like Sky is also a great asset to win other deals in
as a large company.’
Licensing Business Development’, says Fritsch. I
50 - info - september / october 2018
Bridging the start-up corporate gap Bringing decision makers from big and small companies together, LeBridge will make collaboration happen
A
hand
was
Chamber’s
raised
during
‘Breakfast
the with
ups anticipating more collaborative work in the future.
Fabienne Viala’ by a representative
This is where the Chamber and its
of AMA Xperteye, a start-up offering
LeBridge event come into play, bringing
innovative solutions via smart glasses.
together all the key players required to
The question was simple: talking of start-up collaboration was all very well
make these collaborations happen.
but how should he get in contact with
The LeBridge concept
the relevant person at Bouygues, to
This B2B event has the goal to match-
Education is the key word. For those
make it happen? The speaker, Fabienne
make large companies with promising
corporates with little experience in
Viala, CEO of Bouygues Construction,
start-ups and their ideas, to generate
collaborating with start-ups, workshops
gave an equally simple response: see me
business. This will give corporates a
will elaborate on the options and
after the presentation.
platform to meet the innovators who
opportunities. For start-ups, potential
offer the solutions they are looking for,
takeaways will not be limited to financial
and start-ups the chance to meet the
support but will also revolve around
key stakeholders from a wide range of
partnerships, structure, administration
industry leading corporates.
and delivery.
In this brief interaction, a need was exposed.
Small meets big The growth of the start-up economy has
Company representatives will be
Attendees will be treated to bespoke
caused a revolution in the way that both
high level and relevant, to ensure a
B2B meetings, workshops for in depth
start-ups and corporates innovate and
more direct exchange of pertinent
tutoring, informal networking sessions
collaborate. Unilever Foundry forecasts
knowledge. Not limited to a single sector,
to meet with all representatives present,
that, in the next 5 year period, start-up
the assorted industries represented
as well as inspiring industry insights and
collaborations will ‘become a necessity’
will encourage a dynamic and engaging
case studies of success. I
for corporates, with around 79 percent
atmosphere in which to network and
of corporates and 78 percent of start-
learn.
I
n 2008, Microsoft was the only tech company within the top ten companies in the world. In 2018, six tech companies are in that group. Most of these companies were start-ups ten years ago. All of them disrupted their industry. Despite their current size, start-ups can have a significant influence on their ecosystem. Their innovative ideas often combine with their agility, creative approaches and attitudes that larger organisations aim to imitate. Larger organisations often have a reach and deep-
rooted expertise in execution at scale, which can benefit start-ups. Collaborations and partnerships, therefore, represent a mutually beneficial solution to fill gaps in both parties’ expertise. LeBridge perfectly embodies this spirit, bringing together players from all fields to encourage exchange and stimulate conversations.’ Sebastien Goldenberg, CEO and co-Founder of TheHouseShop.com, and co-Chair of the Start-up & SME Club of the French Chamber. I
Sponsors so far confirmed
Event partners:
Supported by:
info
- september / october 2018 - 51
INFO presents the best long-reads and long listens to sharpen your knowledge of the latest trends in business and entrepreneurship
READ Daniel Priestley: Entrepreneur Revolution: How to Develop your Entrepreneurial Mindset and Start a Business that Works (2018) A no–nonsense, implementable handbook for taking part in the Entrepreneur Revolution. This master class in gaining an entrepreneurial mindset will show how to change the way you think, the way you network, and the way you make a living. It offers new ideas for entrepreneurs starting a new business, helps you shake off old ideas and make a great, independent leap forward. Eric Ries: The Startup Way: How Entrepreneurial Management Transforms Culture and Drives Growth (2017) In this groundbreaking new book, he draws on inside stories of transformations at multinationals like General Electric and Toyota, titans like Amazon and Facebook, and tech upstarts like Airbnb and Twilio. He lays out a new framework for entrepreneurial management: a comprehensive approach that kick starts innovation.
WATCH
The Startup Grind Channel Startup Grind is a global start-up community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs. Listen here: https://bit.ly/2LjqMny
Cara Alwill Leyba: Girl Code: Unlocking the Secrets to Success, Sanity and Happiness for the Female Entrepreneur (2017) Girl Code is a roadmap for female entrepreneurs, professionals and 'side hustlers'. Blending personal stories, inspirational quotes and mantras with practical workbook sections, Girl Code will teach you how to build confidence, reconnect with your 'why', eradicate jealousy and use the power of connection. Blake Masters: Zero to One: Notes on Start Ups, or How to Build the Future Paperback (2015) The next Bill Gates will not build an operating system. The next Larry Page or Sergey Brin won’t make a search engine. If you are copying these guys, you aren’t learning from them. These are just some of the lessons contained in an abridged collection of lectures delivered by Thiel at Stanford University.
Gimlet - StartUp (2016) StartUp is a documentary series about the lives of entrepreneurs. The show has been downloaded tens of millions of times since its launch in 2014. Watch here: https://bit.ly/2LL5qvF
CLASSIC READ Clayton M.Christensen: The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail (2013) Christensen's work is cited by the world’s best-known thought leaders, from Steve Jobs to Malcolm Gladwell. In this classic bestseller—one of the most influential business books of all time—innovation expert Clayton Christensen shows how even the most outstanding companies can do everything right—yet still lose market leadership.
52 - info - september / october 2018
CULTURE – WHAT'S ON A SELECTION OF RECOMMENDED CULTURAL EVENTS
T H E N AT I O N A L GA L L ERY, LO N D O N Courtauld Impressionists: From Manet To Cézanne
© The National Gallery, London
© The Samuel Courtauld Trust, The Courtauld Gallery, London
Opening at the National Gallery this autumn, 'Courtauld Impressionists: From Manet to Cézanne' traces the development of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings through a selection of over forty masterpieces, and represents a major collaboration between the National Gallery and the Courtauld Gallery. Enjoy highlights from the Courtauld Gallery, including famous works by Cézanne, Toulouse-Lautrec, Renoir, Manet, and Seurat alongside a selection of much-loved Impressionist paintings from the Gallery’s own holdings. I From 17 September 2018 until 20 January 2019 / Members go free
Georges Seurat , Bathers at Asnières, 1884
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, At the Theatre (La Première Sortie), 1876-7
TAT E M O D ERN, LO N D O N
© The artist. Courtesy White Club, London and Paula Cooper Gallery, New York
Christian Marclay: The Clock The installation is a 24-hour montage of thousands of film and television images of clocks, edited together so they show the actual time. It is a thrilling journey through cinematic history as well as a functioning timepiece. Following several years of rigorous and painstaking research and production, Marclay collected excerpts from well-known and lesser-known films including thrillers, westerns and science fiction. He then edited these so that they flow in real time. When watching The Clock you experience a vast range of narratives, settings and moods within the space of a few minutes. The work will be shown for free during the day. Once a month the gallery will stay open overnight to allow the full 24-hour installation to be shown. Full details will be available nearer the time. I From 14 September 2018 until 20 January 2019 / Admission free
Christian Marclay, The Clock 2010. Single-channel installation video, duration: 24 hours
info
- september / october 2018 - 53
M USEU M O F LO N D O N D O C K L A N DS, LO N D O N
Last year, a Roman sarcophagus was found near to Harper Road in Southwark. What does this unique find tell us about the ancient city that 8 million people now call home? The museum has displayed the sarcophagus alongside the skeletons and cremated remains of 28 Roman Londoners found during archaeological excavations of ancient cemeteries. The exhibition also features over 200 objects from burials in Roman London, exploring how people dealt with death in Londinium. Many items were brought here from across the Empire, showing the extent of London's international connections, even at this early time in its history. I Until 28 October 2018 / Admission free
© Museum of London
Roman Dead
Grave goods from a burial with an exceptionally fine jet pendant necklace
ROYA L AC A D E MY O F A RTS, LO N D O N The Art of Making Buildings - Renzo Piano
Photo © Francois Mori/AP/REX/Shutterstock
Photo © Michel Denancé
© RPBW
This illuminating exhibition follows Piano’s career, from the influence of his Genoese heritage and his rise to acclaim alongside friend and collaborator Richard Rogers, to current projects still in the making. Focusing on 16 key buildings, it explores how the Renzo Piano Building Workshop designs buildings ‘piece by piece,’ making deft use of form, material and engineering to achieve a precise and yet poetic elegance. Marvel at rarely seen drawings, models, photography, signature full-scale maquettes and a new film by Thomas Riedelsheimer that show how inspiring architecture is made. At the heart of the exhibition is an imagined ‘Island,’ a specially designed sculptural installation which brings together nearly 100 of Piano’s projects. I From 15 September 2018 until 20 January 2019 / Tickets available from £14
Photo © Enrico Cano
Above: Italian architect Renzo Piano poses at his workshop in Paris, 2015 Above left: Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Jérôme Seydoux Pathé Foundation, Paris, 2014 Left: Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Centro Botín, 2017
54 - info - september / october 2018
CULTUR E – WHAT ' S ON
D ES I G N M USEU M , LO N D O N Beazley Designs of the Year 2018 Now in its eleventh year, Beazley Designs of the Year is the Design Museum's celebration of the most original and exciting products, concepts and designers in the world today. The international awards and exhibition showcase design projects from the previous 12 months, across six categories: Architecture, Digital, Fashion, Product, Graphics, and Transport. Design experts, practitioners and academics from across the world are asked by the Design Museum to suggest potential projects, from which the museum selects over 70 for nomination and display in the exhibition. A specially selected jury chooses a winner for each category and an overall winner – to be announced in November 2018. I From 12 September 2018 until 6 January 2019 / Tickets available from £8.20
BA RB I C A N, LO N D O N Wetwang Slack – Francis Upritchard
Photograph by Anna Arca
© Francis Upritchard, courtesy Kate MacGarry, London
This autumn, New Zealand born artist Francis Upritchard will create a new series of sculptural interventions in the Curve to transform the space into three ‘galleries’, each with its own vibrant collection of materials and figures. Known for her array of archetypal figures in varying sizes from medieval knights to meditating hippies, painted in monochromatic or distinct patterns and decorated with bespoke garments and objects, Upritchard has conceived of the gallery as a spectrum in which to play with scale, colour and texture that shifts as you move through the space. I From 27 September 2018 until 6 January 2019/ Admission free
Left: Seraphina Purple Kiss, 2016 Middle: Mandrake, 2013 Right: Lemon Waistcoat, 2016 All by Francis Upritchard info
- september / october 2018 - 55
LIFE S T YLE – BOOK S
THESE BOOKS, RECENTLY PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH, WERE SELECTED BY THE FRENCH INSTITUTE IN THE UK
NOW, NOW, LOUISON
INHUMAN RESOURCES
by Jean
by Pierre
Fremon Published by Les Fugitives Translated by Cole Swensen Original title: Calme-toi, Lison
Lemaitre
Published by MacLehose
Press Gordon Original title: Cadres noirs Translated by Sam
Progressing by image and word associations, Frémon evokes
Alain Delambre is a 57-year-old former HR executive, drained
Bourgeois's history and inner life, bringing a sense of fascinating
by four years of hopeless unemployment. All he is offered are
and moving proximity to the internationally renowned artist.
small, demoralizing jobs. He has reached his very lowest ebb,
Bourgeois is the art world’s grande dame and its shameless
and can see no way out. When a major company finally invites
old lady who spun personal history into works of profound
him to an interview, Delambre is ready to do anything, borrow
strangeness. She speaks out with her characteristic insolence
money, shame his wife and his daughters and even participate
and wit, and comes to vibrant life again through the words of a
in the ultimate recruitment test: a role-playing game that involves
most discrete, masterful writer.
hostage-taking. Delambre commits body and soul in this struggle
The book covers periods from her childhood in France
to regain his dignity. But if he suddenly realised that the dice
to her exile and life in America, to her death, including her
had been loaded against him from the start, his fury would be
relationships to her family and her young assistant, her views on
limitless. And what began as a role-playing game could quickly
landmark male artists, and the genesis of her own work. This is
become a bloodbath. I
a phosphorescent account of Bourgeois’s life, as could only be captured by the imagination of one artist regarding another. I
TELL THEM OF BATTLES, OF KINGS, AND ELEPHANTS
TROPIC OF VIOLENCE
by Mathias
by Nathacha
Appanah Published by MacLehose Press Translated by Geoffrey Strachan Original title: Tropique de la violence
Enard
Published by Fitzcarraldo Translated by Charlotte Original title: Parle-leur
Mandell de batailles, de
rois et d'éléphants
Marie, a nurse on the island of Mayotte, adopts an abandoned
In 1506, Michelangelo—a young but already renowned
baby and names him Moïse, raising him as a French boy. As he
sculptor—is invited by the Sultan of Constantinople to design a
grows up, Moïse struggles with his status as an "outsider" and to
bridge over the Golden Horn. The sultan has offered, alongside
understand why he was abandoned as a baby. When Marie dies,
an enormous payment, the promise of immortality, since
he is left alone, plunged into uncertainty and turmoil, ending up
Leonardo da Vinci’s design had been rejected.
in the largest and most infamous slum on Mayotte, nicknamed
Michelangelo, after some hesitation, flees Rome and
"Gaza". Narrated by five different characters, Tropic of Violence is
an irritated Pope Julius II—whose commission he leaves
an exploration of lost youth on the French island of Mayotte in the
unfinished—and arrives in Constantinople for this truly epic
Indian Ocean. Shining a powerful light on problems of violence,
project.
immigration, identity, deprivation and isolation on this island
Tell Them of Battles, Kings, and Elephants—constructed from
that became a French département in 2011, it is a remarkable,
real historical fragments—is a story about why stories are told,
unsettling new novel that draws on the author's own observations
why bridges are built, and how seemingly unmatched pieces,
from her time on Mayotte. I
seen from the opposite sides of civilisation, can mirror one another. I
56 - info - september / october 2018
LIFE S T YLE
THE FITNESS M INDSET Romain Gherardi, Director and Founder at Pret-a-Train, takes a holistic view of the role of exercise in the workplace
P
ret-a-Train is a fitness company whose goal is not just to give you that buff body. It aims to improve people’s lives both inside and outside of the gym.
‘We want to provide advice on nutrition and motivation, and self development talks, in addition to training adapted to the client,’ explains Gherardi. This sort of outlook requires a long term view. ‘We are helping the planet by taking care of ourselves and others. We train parents, and future parents, who are raising and will raise kids, which will be a route to a new world,’ says Gherardi. ‘Parents and clients relearn how to eat, train and think positively, mindfully. This step by step approach is important for our future world. In Pret-a-Train we have strong values that we share with the people around us and with whom we work.’ In the workplace Gherardi emphasises it is feasible to balance work with being healthy, through making time for yourself. ‘I meditate a bit every day, early in the morning and get my body moving 3 to 5 times a week, from 30 minutes to an hour. On top of that, I really take care of how I feed myself and I make sure I drink enough water daily, a key point,’ he says. Pret-a-Train plans to evolve its services and offers, such as a soon to be launched ebook). It also aims to engage more with companies to enhance their productivity through group classes. Research has demonstrated the link between exercise and enhanced productivity – a study by Bristol University found that after exercise, concentration at work increased by 21 percent, and 41 percent felt more motivated to work. ‘Exercise is really important to being in a good mood, it’s as easy as that,’ says Gherardi. ‘When you exercise, your body produces good hormones which give you a positive mindset and the right energy to motivate the team around you. You can think more clearly to make good decisions.' 'It can make your overall health so much better, because everything is connected, from personal life to work.’ A question of timing Fitting exercise around the work day does not need to be demanding. It is a question of finding a time that fits you. ‘I
Source: Apartment Butler
think the right times are the ones that we prioritise to make it a regular occurrence. It can be before work, during lunch time, in the evening after work or even before sleeping. As long as it is convenient and as long as you can be consistent,’ says Gherardi. And for food, should we eat as the British, with a large meal in the evening, or the French, with a main meal at midday? ‘Think about it for one minute and ask yourself. Do you prefer to sleep with your body digesting? We have to eat proper food consistently during the day to ensure we are full of energy. Do we need a lot of energy before sleeping?’ says Gherardi. Nobody said it would be easy! I
Everything is connected, from personal life to work. If your personal life and your overall health are good, work and business will follow info
- september / october 2018 - 57
An extraordinary tipple Barthelemy Brosseau, Executive Vice-President at Greenwood Distillers, explains how a passion for Scotch whisky led to the creation of a distillery in a derelict farm
A
meeting with master distiller Andrew Rankin was a
courtyards adding an experiential dimension to classic distilling.
seminal moment in the founding of Greenwood Distillers,
'Where walling was beyond repair it has been carefully
a new luxury spirits company. The native Scotman was
dismantled and rebuilt to match the original stonework. New
a former Chief Blender and Director of Operations at Morrison
buildings such as the still house have incorporated salvaged
and Bowmore, with more than 35 years at the helm of successful
stone to match the existing walling to reinforce the overall
whiskey brands. Barthelemy Brosseau, EVP, explains that it was
character of this beautiful group of buildings,' says Brosseau.
Rankin's experience specifically that clinched the idea to launch
The project is also an eco-conscious one. 'The group is
a new single malt, and led Greenwood Distillers down the path
ensuring that woodland and biodiversity priority habits are
to producing other high end spirits like blended whiskey and gin.
protected – safeguarding and enhancing Loch Dubh and
'From the onset the intent was to build a company that
protecting the local wildlife. The development will also restore
would reflect Andrew’s experience as a Scotsman working for
two long derelict cottages back to residential use related to the
Scottish companies within a French then a Japanese structure -
distillery helping repopulate the glen.'
Pernod Ricard and Suntori respectively,' says Brosseau. The investment group behind the project proceeded to look
Liquid assets
for a castle to add an experiential dimension to classic distilling.
Greenwood's single malt brand will aptly be called Ardross. ‘We
In this process they fell in love with Ardross Mains, a derelict
have chosen to distil our new single malt spirit to incorporate
19th century farm located in the area of Loch Dubh already
some Speyside characteristics which will give us a spirit that not
owned by Greenwood. The investment group also invested in
only has incredible smoothness but a richness and complexity
aged rare scotch whisky stocks and a bonded warehouse, which
which will appeal to existing experienced whisky drinkers as well
will also house a bottling line and dry goods centre.
as being a great spirit to encourage new drinkers to the single malt category,’ says Rankin.
The story of the spirit
The Distillery will also produce a limited ‘Peated’ Single Malt
The investment group's real estate background and history
Spirit. ‘Our rationale for producing the two variants of spirit is
of meticulously restoring aging buildings to reinvigorate ‘the
to have a product that we think will appeal to the majority of
splendour of their past’ are evident at the Ardross Mains
existing & new whisky drinkers as well as a limited amount of
site, which boasts an almost cloister-like feeling, arches and
‘heavier' style whisky that will appeal to the aficionados and experimenters within the category,’ explains Rankin. ‘Curiosity led us to venture into other niche categories of the market, Mezcal and Armagnac, both with a fantastic heritage and strong taste credentials,’ says Brosseau. The distillery also plans to launch a premium gin brand inspired by the lost civilisation of the Picts. ‘When having to describe Greenwood Distillers, I often use a metaphor: it is a timeless and beautiful house that you would come across after strolling deep in the forest,’ says Brosseau. ‘Once you have pushed open the doors, the house is full of creativity and experimentation.’ I
The bare bones of the distillery, prior to restoration
A spirit that has not only incredible smoothness but a richness and complexity which will appeal to existing experienced whisky drinkers and new drinkers to the Single Malt category 58 - info - september / october 2018
LIFE S T YLE – WINE
THE CORSI CAN Wine Story Corsican wines have hit their stride, since a rebirth of local vineyards
T
hanks to Air Corsica, which has flown directly from London Stansted to Corsica since last spring, the well-nicknamed ‘Ile de Beauté’ has never been so accessible. Like many residents of the South-East of England, I embarked to the sunny Mediterranean island this summer, and in less than two hours was enjoying the local delicacies, such as the famous local cured meats and
cheeses (like the splendid Brocciu used in many recipes). Corsica has been influenced by Mediterranean civilisations such as the Phoenicians, the Greeks and the Romans. The Corsican’s Pancetta, Coppa, Salamu and Lonzu are very similar to the ones from Italy and it may have been influenced by the Genoese who occupied the Island from the XIII to the XVIII century. The most famous local cured meat has to be the Figatellu (the liver sausage with strong flavours). It is also not unusual for rural families to grow wine grapes and olive trees. At my first job in a Parisian wine shop in the late 1990s, a Corsican colleague introduced me to the Figatellu which he used to receive by post from his mum in the Cap Corse. Each year we took part in a Corsican wine month and listed dozens of local Corsican wine producers in our shop. The man behind this wine organisation was Christian Imbert from Domaine Torraccia, also the founder of the ‘UVA Corse’ trade group and the Vin de Corse-Porto-Vecchio AOC. Mr Imbert originally came from Chad and, like many French of North African origin, arrived in the 1960s to develop the Corsican viticulture. The Skalli familly from Algeria established a large vineyard in the North-East coast of the Island. A new workforce massively expanded the land but, with a few exceptions, the local wines still did not enjoy a great reputation. When a new generation of winegrowers took over in the 90s, Corsican wines restored their reputation and today there is a very good standard of quality and diversity from the Northern part of the Island, including AOC’s Patrimonio, Muscat Cap Corse and Calvi, and Porto-Vecchio, Ajaccio, Figari and Sartene to the South. Local temperatures are high, but thanks to the mountains, the sea and the local wind, the wines are well-balanced. White wines from the Vermentino grape, for exemple, have enough freshness to match the Oysters from the Etang de Diane and the iconic local sea urchins. In red, the great wines are mostly a blend of the two main local grapes: the powerful Niellucio often compared to the Toscan Sangiovese, and the elegant Sciacarellu. There are too many good producers to name today, so I will only mention my last two discoveries – two vineyards who produce very elegant wine in white and red and ideal with the local cuisine – The Domaine d'Alzipratu, located in the Balagne region just south of Calvi, and Sant Armettu close to Propriano in the South. If I have given you the idea to visit Corsica, I encourage you to stop at a deli in Ajaccio called ‘Le Chemin des Vignobles,’ where owner Nicolas Stromboni will introduce you to the Corsican food and wine specialities. I Thibault Lavergne
TO ORDER THE ABOVE-MENTIONED WINES AND OTHERS, CONTACT: E: thibault@winestory.co.uk T: +44 (0)7921 770 691 W: www.winestory.co.uk
info
- september / october 2018 - 59
A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO HUMAN RESOURCES IN GREAT BRITAIN
New to HR in the UK?
ÂŁ15
Whether you are working within a large HR team, operating as an external advisor or are a business leader with responsibilities for the HR aspects of your organisation, this guide will help you to prepare for the challenges you face when working with employees in the UK. This guide is also much appreciated by the senior management and HR staff of UK subsidiaries of French companies. Millennials, working conditions, salaries or payroll, the guide provides an overview of all the topics that relate to managing a workforce in Great Britain. It is the reference tool to do HR in the UK! Areas covered include: How to recruit - The legal framework - What salary and benefits? - Payroll, taxation and other charges - Recruitment on the internet - Working conditions
Buy our practical guide on: www.frenchchamber.co.uk
Translated by HL TRAD
AT THE CHAMBER
I
am very happy to be back at the
do not know how to say no. Be careful.
Chamber after some time away. I
Make your mental health a priority. And
to meeting all of the members in the
come back renewed and refreshed,
don’t forget the most important advice
coming months. I am so pleased to
and I am energised to be back meeting
of all – take time to breathe!
report that we have an incredible line
members, working with the team, and
In my absence the team was
I am very much looking forward
up of meetings and events scheduled
continuing to build on the successes of
supervised by Stephen Burgin, Deputy
for the second half of the year. Please
the Chamber over the past six months.
President of the Chamber, who I
see pages 68 and 76 for details.
Some of you may have heard that
would like to thank for stepping in for
I conclude this editorial by
I suffered a burn out. It took me by
me at short notice and for all of his
announcing very sad news. One of
total surprise. I needed to take some
efforts. The team did an incredible
our most valued members and dear
time away to rest and to recalibrate the
job, managing both the day-to-day
friend Jean-Noël Mermet passed
way I approach the demanding job of
operations and stepping up to create
away in August. Those who knew him
running the Chamber.
new opportunities for growth. I am
will remember him as someone with
very proud of them. I would also like
great energy and even greater sense
talking openly about mental health, but
to thank the Board for their support of
of humour. We will miss him greatly. I
it is very important that we talk about
me and the team. Lastly, I would like to
extend my deepest condolences to his
it in our working lives. I am happy to
thank my friends who have helped me
family. I FG
give advice to others who might be
personally through these tough times –
workaholics like I had become or who
I couldn’t have done it without them.
There is often a stigma attached to
Jean-Noël Mermet succumbed to a battle with cancer in August 2018. He was a Patron member of the Chamber for more than thirty years, as the Founder and Managing Director of Frenger, a leader in international business development. As an Advisory Councillor, sponsor of the Franco British Business Awards, and winner of the Intercultural Trophy, Jean-Noël was a very active member of the Chamber. He attended many events and was highly regarded amongst the membership and the team. The Chamber extends their deepest sympathies to his family.
info
- september / october 2018 - 61
NE WS – AT THE CHAMBE R
Estelle Brachlianoff promoted to Chief Operating Officer for Veolia Group
L
eading resource management company,
competencies of Veolia thanks to new
Veolia, has promoted Estelle Brachlianoff
innovative municipal contracts for water,
(President of the French Chamber) to Chief
energy and waste, despite the uncertainty
Operating Officer for Veolia Group based
surrounding Brexit.
in Paris. She has been succeeded by Gavin
The French Chamber is grateful for
Graveson as Executive Vice President of UK
the dedication and support of Estelle as
& Ireland for Veolia.
President of the Chamber since 2015. We
In a mature and competitive market, Estelle Brachlianoff rebuilt the traditional
wish her all the best for her new role across the Channel. I
Sylwia Radzio appointed new Head of Recruitment at the Chamber
F
ormerly Recruitment Consultant at the French Chamber, Sylwia Radzio replaces Emmanuelle Thomas as Head of Recruitment. Before joining the Chamber, Sylwia worked for Nuxe UK, French luxury cosmetic brand, as a Training and Retail Manager. She will be responsible for maintaining relationships with partnering schools, as well as helping the most qualified job seekers to promote and present their profiles on a wide scale. We wish her all the best in her new role. I
Entrepreneurial spirit
T
he Chamber is proud to have helped foster the start-up mentality of two employees. Former Accounts Assistant Angie Ortega has returned to France to focus on her crowdfunding start-up, Wizwee. Launched in 2017 to help small companies finance their commercial operations, she was the first money lender on the platform, and won the competition for best ‘Co-opter’ shortly after. She will be responsible for accounts and business development. Staying closer to home, Anne-Claire Lo Bianco, previously Deputy Head of Events, has joined member company Microsoft Scale Up as Community and VC Manager. She will be searching for start-ups to welcome onto the accelerator programme as well as developing venture capital engagement. Both exciting, new chapters in their professional careers! I
Anne-Claire Lo Bianco
Angie Ortega
Bruno Deschamps takes on advisor role at CD&R
T
he Chamber congratulates Bruno Deschamps on his new role at the private investment firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice as an Operating Advisor to CD&R funds. I
62 - info - september / october 2018
NE WS – AT THE CHAMBE R
GROWING IN THE UK M ARKET:
The Implantation Service
The French Chamber’s Implantation and Accountancy department helps companies set up, develop and succeed in the UK. INFO speaks with one of our clients: Alex Robertson, Director at Lauralu UK
What does your company do?
salaries to employees, National Insurance contributions and
Lauralu UK supplies demountable industrial buildings for
year end P11Ds. We have a dedicated Chamber contact and
businesses that require speedy and cost effective additional
this makes life a lot simpler.
space for their manufacturing, warehousing, workshops or
In addition, we utilise the central telephone landline
logistics activities. Our products are made in Saverdun south
number as our main contact number and the calls are re-
of Toulouse by Lauralu SAS and the UK business was set up
directed to one of our staff.
in December 2014. How has working with the Chamber helped your business What initially brought you to use the services of the
in the UK?
French Chamber?
The services provided by the French Chamber have meant
As a start-up business with limited working capital, one
Lauralu UK as a start-up business could focus on business
challenge is to set up the supporting activities a company
development right from the start. The use of the office
must have while minimising fixed overheads. We also needed
facilities - everything from holding meetings at the Chamber
a registered address. Lauralu SAS was working with the
to having use of the landline telephone number - has been
regional council and the French Chamber was recommended.
hugely beneficial.
In the initial meeting, it seemed that the Chamber’s
It is only after 3 years in business, with an established
team understood these challenges and provided a range of
revenue stream, that we were then able to open our own
activities they could help Lauralu UK with. The team gave us
depot and office. However, even now we still utilise the
the confidence that we could out-source these activities and
financial services offered by Naser, Mariam and the team.
did not need to recruit expensive resources ourselves. This has allowed Lauralu to focus working capital on sales and business development. The location of the Chamber in central London also works
The business model is not simple. We not only sell but rent out the buildings and the UK also rents buildings from France. The team at the Chamber now understand our
well as, when colleagues come over from France by Eurostar
‘modus operandi’ – although this did take a bit of time to
or plane, the Chamber provides convenient meeting facilities
grasp initially!
(and Carla always looks after us very well with refreshments!) Would you recommend our services to other companies? What are your main areas of activity with us?
I certainly would recommend the Chamber as the services
The French Chamber provides us with a range of support
are professional and efficient. Any company can be confident
services. The main service is a full accounting function
that behind the scenes the wheels are in motion and you can
package: producing invoices, monthly management of
rely on the team at the French Chamber to do the leg work.
accounts including profit and loss and balance sheet, debtors
As well as the functions they provide, the people are always
and creditors reports and VAT returns. In addition, they
exceptionally friendly and supportive. I
provide a complete salary package which pays monthly
Any company can be confident that behind the scenes the wheels are in motion and you can rely on the team at the French Chamber to do the leg work info
- september / october 2018 - 63
THE BUSINESS CENTRE: A SPRINGBOARD INTO THE UK Aimed at French Start-ups, entrepreneurs and SMEs that are developing their businesses in the UK, the French Chamber’s 20desk Business Centre is currently home to 11 companies. Meet Nabil Maillard, Sales Developer UK and Ireland at Ponant Yacht Cruises & Expeditions.
Nabil Maillard, Sales Developer UK and Ireland, PONANT YATCH CRUISES & EXPEDITIONS What does your company do? We are a French luxury ocean cruise line company, allowing passengers from around the world to discover the beauties of the earth by sea. Thanks to our small-scale Yachts (5 but soon expanding to 12), we visit almost 500 ports each year. These figures mean we are world leader in Luxury Expeditions and world leader in Polar Zones (Antarctica, The Arctic, etc.). Our new smaller Yachts, with the world-first, on-board multi-sensorial underwater lounge called ‘Blue Eye’, represent the fact that we always try to offer novelty to our guests with a real spirit of discovery. We undertake all of this with our French savoir-faire and Art de vivre. We work with Mr Alain Ducasse’s team (3 stars Michelin Chef) for our haute cuisine, have French products on-board (Bordier butter, etc.), all our officers are French (and fluent in English), and we were created by a French maritime officer 30 years ago who is still in charge of the company. Why did the company decide to come to the UK? The UK market is the second most important European market in terms of number of cruisers in all of Europe, with Germany as the first country. But more than just numbers, we do know that there is a real passion for and history about sailing and navigation in the UK. How did you hear about the Chamber’s Business Centre? On the Internet - my company was trying to find an easy way to settle PONANT in the UK as well as a nice and friendly place for me to work. Why did you choose the Chamber’s Business Centre? My boss thought that it would be easier for me to settle in at the Chamber, being in a French atmosphere with French people, and to facilitate my personal integration in my new city. We did not really look at the other options as I was happy with this decision. How has the Centre helped you expand in the UK? Being in central London is nice and people know the address on my business card, which is always useful to begin a discussion. I also spoke with the other business developers from different companies that are based at the Chamber, and it helped me to understand the UK market more quickly and to skip some of the potential difficulties of arriving in a market that you don’t know. What would be your top tip for French companies entering the UK? From my personal experience with PONANT, I would say to be proud of being French if it is a real point of differentiation for your company. My second tip would be to not take a ‘yes’ for a definitive ‘yes’; the British are always very nice, but you will understand soon enough that they would rather say yes so as not to offend you, than tell you what they really think. Bearing that in mind can save you time, energy and, above all, some business. I
To find out more about the Chamber’s Business Centre, please contact Sophie Bosc, Business Consultancy Project Manager, sbosc@ccfgb.co.uk or 0207 092 6628
64 - info - september / october 2018
NEW MEMBERS 1 NEW PATRON MEMBER MCKINSEY & COMPANY – Management Consultancy Represented by Matthieu Lemerle, Senior Partner
McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm, deeply committed to helping institutions in the private, public and social sectors achieve lasting success. For over eight decades, our primary objective has been to serve as our clients' most trusted external advisor. With consultants in more than 120 offices in 60 countries, across industries and functions, we bring unparalleled expertise to clients anywhere in the world. We work closely with teams at all levels of an organisation to shape winning strategies, mobilise for change, build capabilities and drive successful execution. www.mckinsey.com
2 NEW CORPORATE MEMBERS BARNES ROFFE LLP Auditing, Accounting, VAT, Payroll, and Tax Advice Represented by Duncan Stannett, Partner Barnes Roffe is an independent firm of Chartered Accountants and business advisors. We have been providing audit, accountancy, bookkeeping, VAT and payroll, consulting, financial advisory, risk management and tax services to owner-managers and corporates since 1899. We are one of the UK’s top 40 accounting firms, with over 20 partners and more than 150 employees, all committed to delivering outstanding value to our clients. www.barnesroffe.com WILD YAK / BELKA PRODUCTIONS Live & Recorded Arts Production Company Represented by Oliver King, Director London based Wild Yak is an independent production and general management company, working across the live and recorded arts. The company was founded in 2016, and specialises in bringing international work to new audiences, and developing new writing, with our roots in theatrical production. We are currently producing Tartuffe, the first bilingual show in West End history. www.wildyak.co.uk
9 NEW ACTIVE MEMBERS L’Atelier Des Chefs Ltd – Cooking School - www.atelierdeschefs.co.uk - Represented by Raphaël Rivoire, Venue Manager Jimmy Fairly UK Limited – Optical and Sunglasses - Represented by Antonin Chartier, President Joffe & Associes – Commercial Law Firm (London/Paris) - www.joffeassocies.com Represented by Stéphanie Milano, Managing Partner Meridian Currency Ltd – Foreign Exchange and Treasury Solutions Provider - www.meridiancurrency.com Represented by Joseph Sim, Managing Director Quarterback – Events, Sports Marketing, Hospitality - www.quarterback.fr - Represented by Antoine Borgey, Director Sopexa – International Communication & Marketing Agency - www.sopexa.com Represented by Frédéric Dersigny, Managing Director UK & Ireland Sutton Winson – Insurance Broker Risk Managers - www.suttonwinson.com - Represented by Karine Genevee, Private Clients Account Handler Toulouse Business School London Ltd – Education: French School of Management - www.tbs-education.fr Represented by François Bonvalet, Dean Welsh Government – Working for a Fairer & more Prosperous Wales - tradeandinvest.wales - Represented by Rachel Randall, Business Development Manager
info
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RETAIL FORUM
Celebrating one year The French Chamber of Great Britain was delighted to celebrate the first year anniversary of the Retail Forum at the L’Occitane & Pierre Hermé Paris Flagship Store in Regent Street in May 2018
S
ince its creation in May 2017, the Retail Forum has organised 6 remarkable sessions and addressed thought-provoking topics such as property challenges and drivers, the future of Retail (trends, bricks and mortar vs. digital, disruption, HR
management, customer experience) and the disposal of old stock. At the Forum’s one year anniversary celebrations, co-chairs Alain Harfouche, Managing Director UK, Ireland and Southern
Europe of L’Occitane, and Catherine Palmer, Legal & Administrative Director, Joseph, gave a speech welcoming participants. All 46 attendees, including our wonderful guest speakers, had the opportunity to network and enjoy delicious Pierre Hermé Paris macarons, a glass of wine thanks to Maison de la Région Occitanie, tasty sushi from KellyDeli, and hand massages offered by L’Occitane’s dedicated team. I
Left: Participants gather at the L'Occitane store launch Right: Retail Forum co-chairs Catherine Palmer and Alain Harfouche
L'OCCITANE'S FIRST LONDON FLAGSHIP STORE
T
his level of collaboration was replicated in the launch of the L’Occitane flagship store itself in February 2018, with member companies A Sprinkle of Deco and Art, Devialet, Merci Maman, Pierre Hermé & VDM UK all involved. Recent research from professional services firm PwC outlined that 73 percent of consumers surveyed highlighted customer experience as a key factor in their purchasing decisions. In real terms, the potential ROI from investments in customer experience could be over 16 percent. ‘Products are becoming increasingly available at the touch of a button, sometimes even with the convenience of being delivered on the same day. This is why there is a need for customer experience on the High Street; a reason for a customer to put their phone down and walk into a store,’ says Harfouche. ‘On top of this, the Instagram culture of today is all about experiences – something that looks fun and engaging to followers. This is why we created experiential touch points across the whole of the Flagship Store; from beauty to gifting, there is always a way to experience our products and experience L’Occitane. I
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LUXURY CLUB
Future of Luxury Retail A breakfast meeting with Anne Pitcher, Managing Director of Selfridges, and Stephanie Phair, Chief Strategy Officer of Farfetch
O
n the morning of 12 July, thirty-five members of the Luxury Club convened at The AllBright,
a private club in a 5–storey Georgian townhouse, with an eclectic and charming style. Normally open exclusively to working women, the venue bent the rules to welcome both the men and women of the Club on this occasion. Tom Meggle, Chair of the Luxury Club, welcomed the guests and explained the aim of the Club to share best practice and discuss the challenges that those within the Luxury sector encounter. Anne Pitcher, Managing Director at Selfridges, and Stephanie Phair, Chief Strategy Officer of Farfetch, Board Member for Moncler and Chairwoman of the British Fashion Council, were guest speakers and spoke on the topic of the ‘Future of Luxury Retail’, under Chatham House rules.
About the speakers Stephanie Phair is responsible for leading Farfetch’s global strategic direction, innovation, M&A and for incubating new businesses. Stephanie was previously founder and President of TheOutnet.com and was part of the Executive team of The Net-a-Porter Group from 2009 to 2015. Most recently, she was appointed Chairman of the British Fashion Council for a three year tenure. Anne Pitcher has been Managing Director of Selfridges since 2011, having joined as Buying
Top: The club welcomed both men and women to the event Above: Speaker Anne Pitcher, Anna Jones of the AllBright, Luxury Club chair Tom Meggle, and speaker Stephanie Phair
and Merchandising Director in 2004. During her time with the business, Selfridges has been voted Best Department Store in the World by the Intercontinental Group of Department Stores on four occasions. Under her stewardship Selfridges has continued to raise the bar with market leading fashion and by setting industry standards in leading
Thirty-five members of the Luxury Club convened at The AllBright, a private club in a five-storey Georgian townhouse with an eclectic and charming style
customer experiences. I
Launched in 2010, the Club aims to celebrate craftsmanship, excellence and art in the luxury sector through hosting regular exclusive breakfasts, cocktails and visits. Are you a senior representative of a luxury brand? Interested in participating? Get in touch: forumsandclubs@ccfgb.co.uk
info
- september / october 2018 - 67
FORTHCOMING FORUMS & CLUBS By application only
25
CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABILIT Y FORUM
Sept
‘Construction: looking at retrofitting & refurbishment to quickly and efficiently 08.30 - 10.30 lower carbon footprint’ Guest speakers: Hervé Mariage, Heat Pump Sales Manager at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group, and second speaker TBC Co-chairs: Richard Brown CBE, Chairman of the Franchise Advisory Panel for the Department for Transport and former CEO and Chairman of Eurostar, and Jean-Philippe Verdier, Founding Partner, Verdier & Co, Corporate Advisory
26
RETAIL FORUM
‘Champions of e-commerce and social media’ Venue: Browne Jacobson LLP, 6 Bevis 08.30 - 10.30 Marks, London EC3A 7BA Guest speakers: Julien Callede, co-founder, MADE.COM and other speaker TBC Co-chairs: Alain Harfouche, General Manager, L’Occitane, and Catherine Palmer, Legal & Administrative Director, Joseph Sept
27
HUMAN RESOURCES FORUM
‘Innovative Employee Engagement Practices’ Sept Guest speakers: Yves Duhaldeborde, Senior 08.30 - 10.00 Director - Talent & Rewards, Willis Towers Watson, and Anne Donald, Associate, Evolution Coaching Europe LTD Co-chairs: Pia Dekkers, Human Resources Director, Chanel, and Melanie Stancliffe, Partner - Employment, Irwin Mitchell LLP
4
DIGITAL TR ANSFORMATION & INNOVATION FORUM
‘Cyber Security’ Guest speakers: TBC Co-Chairs: Christophe Chazot, Managing Director, HSBC Bank Plc, and Lucien Boyer, Chief Marketing Officer, Vivendi Sponsored by ESCP Europe Business School Oct
08.30 - 10.30
10 Oct
08.30 - 10.00
31 Oct
FINANCE FORUM ‘Shaping the future: Embracing fintech to develop and thrive’ Guest speakers: TBC Chair: John Peachey, Managing Director CFO Global Markets, HSBC Bank Plc
CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABILIT Y FORUM
‘Food and Carbon Footprint: a cocktail event’ Venue: Home House Guest speaker: Raymond Blanc, OBE Co-chairs: Richard Brown CBE, Chairman of the Franchise Advisory Panel for the Department for Transport and former CEO and Chairman of Eurostar and Jean-Philippe Verdier, Founding Partner, Verdier & Co, Corporate Advisory 18.00 -20.00
6
Nov
START-UP & SME CLUB 'Brainstorming Session for 2019' Guest speakers: TBC
08.30 - 10.30
7
Nov 08.30 -10.30
RETAIL FORUM / LUXURY CLUB What does Luxury mean? Venue: Yen Restaurant Guest speaker: Tom Meggle, Chair of the Luxury Club
20
CLIMATE CHANGE & SUSTAINABILIT Y FORUM
22
HR FORUM
'Transport: climate change and drilling on the use of hydrogen + Brainstorming 08.30 - 10.30 session for 2019' Guest speaker: Mike Muldoon, Head of Business Development & Marketing, Alstom UK&I Nov
Nov
08.30 -10.00
'Moving From Diversity to Inclusion' Guest speaker: Jane Ayaduray, Head of Diversity and Inclusion UK, BNP Paribas
All sessions, excluding the Retail Forum, Luxury Club and the Women's Business Club, take place at the French Chamber. For more information, please contact: Ophélie Martinel at: omartinel@ccfgb.co.uk or 0207 092 6634
68 - info - september / october 2018
e
RP
m
P r
o
w a r d
R
e
g r a m
To thank our members who act as ambassadors for the French Chamber we are pleased to announce our new Reward Programme
Reward programme For introducing a new Active member: 1 free ticket for a ‘Rendez-Vous Chez’ For introducing a new Corporate member, choose from: 1 free ticket for a ‘Breakfast With...’ 1 free ticket for a ‘Current Affairs Update’ a classified advertisement in INFO magazine For introducing a new Patron member, choose from: 1 free ticket for a ‘Dîner des Chefs’ exclusive access to a Patron Event 1 month free advertising banner on the Chamber’s website Please do get in touch with the Membership team at: membership@ccfgb.co.uk / 020 7092 6600
Reward is redeemable upon completion of new member’s membership, further terms and conditions may apply.
ANNUAL GALA DINNER 2018 The Annual Gala Dinner welcomed guest speaker Lionel Barber, Editor of the FT, and musical acts Ecco and Jean-François Zygel, for an unforgettable night of celebration and entertainment
T
he Landmark Hotel London was once again the setting
the charity.
for the French Chamber’s largest black tie dinner of
The French Ambassador to the UK, Mr HE Jean Pierre Jouyet,
the year. In the impressive central courtyard boasting
was next to the stage. In a brief speech, he demonstrated his
towering palm trees and lofty glass ceilings, nearly 350 guests
support of a continued strong relationship between France and
gathered to sip Vranken Pommery Champagne and engage in
the UK. He also recounted a lasting friendship he has had with
conversations with colleagues and peers.
the guest speaker, dating back to Barber’s time as a journalist
With this year’s event falling on the same day as the French
in Paris.
Fête de la Musique, once guests were seated in the grand
Following the starter, the guest of honour, Lionel Barber,
ballroom the dinner departed from tradition and opened in
Editor of the Financial Times, gave a thought provoking,
style with the singer and pianist, Ecco. At only 17, her powerful
amusing, and enlightening speech, on the topic of ‘Britain’s new
vocals reflected her run to the semi-finals in France’s The Voice
relationship with Europe’.
singing competition. Peter Alfandary, Senior Vice President at the Chamber, next took to the stage to welcome guests, thank all sponsors and
He described Brexit as ‘the biggest demerger in history. An unprecedented exercise which involves resetting relations steeped in European law.’
partners, and comment on the importance of the Chamber’s
‘Britain’s relations with Europe as well as the future of Europe
voice on behalf of its members, and the Chamber’s role in
itself will be shaped by geo-political and economic trends
supporting start ups.
beyond its borders,’ he says. These include ‘the unstoppable
He introduced the charity partner of 2018, EPIC, represented
shift in economic power towards Asia, the rising influence of
by Myriam Vander Elst, Vice President Europe, who then spoke
China over world affairs, the belligerence and unruliness of
about EPIC’s mandate to enable giving to support children
Russia and Turkey, as well as violence in the middle East, north-
and youth globally. A silent auction saw participants bidding
Africa and sub Saharan Africa which has triggered the biggest
throughout the evening on tablets, each striving to win the lots
wave of migration since the late 1940s.’
donated by our generous donors and, in turn, raise money for
‘These trends have consequences which are as great if not
[On Brexit] we are not talking about paradise lost, but paradise postponed –Lionel Barber
Gold Sponsors
70 - info - september / october 2018
Silver Sponsor
E VE NT S – AT THE CHAMBE R
greater than the earthquake vote in Brexit Britain but they have
bidders to loosen their purse strings and give generously for
barely featured in the debate in this country about our future
the worthy cause, egged on by fellow guests.
relationship,’ he said.
Despite this entertaining interlude, the final performer,
As for the EU, he said ‘there has been woefully little attention
Jean-François Zygel, was not to be outdone. He created four
to the question of how Brexit will affect the EU itself. Will it
compositions on the spot, even reaching into the body of the
encourage greater joint action and integration or will it signal
grand piano to pluck at its internal strings. As he says: ‘You don’t
the slow dissolution of the ties that bind the 28 member states?
know exactly what you are going to hear and I don’t know what
[…] Brexit will leave the non euro members more isolated and
I’m going to play.’
without their chief advocate at the negotiating table.’
All of this, and still the dessert and coffee remaining to round
He outlined three scenarios for when Britain leaves the
off the evening, as well as the announcement of the £12,472
EU: hell, which he describes as ‘no deal and we just crash out’;
raised for EPIC. It was truly an event that brought something to
heaven, whereby ‘we can have a free trade agreement with the
the table for everyone.I
United States inside a year – this is not going to happen’; or purgatory, where the future of the relationship relies on making a ‘good deal’. Continuing the metaphor, he closed on a lighter note: ‘We are not talking about paradise lost, but paradise postponed.’ A gastronomic dinner followed, complemented by fine wines from Conseil des Vins du Médoc and Les Vins de PessacLéognan. Guests were also treated to a bottle of perfume from Chanel, as well as a selection of delicacies from chocolatier, Pierre Marcolini. The live auction of five lots added a sense of theatre and excitement to proceedings. Isabelle Paagman, Senior Director, European Head of Private Sales, Contemporary Art at Sotheby’s, was the auctioneer whose witty repartee helped encourage
Left: Jean-François Zygel performs an improvisation Above left: Guests were greated with a performance by singer Ecco Above right: Peter Alfandary, Senor Vice President of the Chamber, presents a cheque to Myriam Vander Elst, Vice President of EPIC
Partners
info
- september / october 2018 - 71
PAST EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS
SUMMER CHAMPAGNE RECEPTION 2018 The Serpentine Pavilion in Hyde Park played host to the annual Summer Champagne Reception
F
or the 2018 edition of the Summer
Le Blevenec said: ‘The Summer
exhibitions that we hold in the cellars
Champagne Reception on 2 July,
Champagne Reception is always an
under the Vranken-Pommery Monopole
the famously temperamental British
enjoyable evening, come rain or shine,
estate. The Serpentine Galleries
weather complied with the theme
and Banque Transatlantique is proud
therefore well reflects our brand
of the event for once, bathing the
to have been a sponsor since 2015. We
values,’ says Gaylord Sequeira, Finance
Serpentine Galleries’ Pavilion and the
are a truly global private bank with an
Director at Vranken Pommery UK. ‘We
130 participants in sunlight.
international network of connections for
hope that our fellow members enjoyed
our clients – what better way to develop
the experience of sipping glasses of
President of the Chamber, gave a short
our contacts further than by networking
Pommery Champagne on a warm
speech, introducing the event and
at this summertime event!’
summer’s evening.’
Peter Alfandary, Senior Vice
thanking the sponsor and partners for their support. Lizzie Carey-Thomas, Head of
On such a scorching evening, the
The Champagne was paired with a
champagne provided by partners,
delicious selection of ice cream from
Vranken Pommery, was welcomingly
Pierre Marcolini’s pop up stand, with
Programmes at the Serpentine
refreshing. With the special blend of
raspberry, mango, caramel, coconut
Galleries, then said a few words about
equal amounts of Chardonnay, Pinot
and vanilla flavours dipped in chocolate
the galleries and pavilion for 2018. Located in the centre of Hyde Park, the pavilion itself was created this year by celebrated architect Frida Escobedo. It juxtaposes light with shadow, through the medium of reflections across the mirrored ceiling and a pool of water cast into the floor. The undulating cement tiles creating the walls of the enclosed courtyard allow tantalising glimpses
- participants would have been forgiven
Champagne was paired with a delicious selection of ice cream from Pierre Marcolini's pop up stand - participants would have been forgiven for thinking their holidays had already begun
through to the green surroundings.
for thinking their holidays had already begun! Once opened, the queue for the tempting treats didn’t abate until late into the evening. Mathew Demetriou, saxophonist, provided the entertainment, adding to the relaxed atmosphere in which participants could network and explore the gallery itself, open for a private, after hours viewing.
Gwenolé Le Blevenec, General
Noir, and Pinot Meunier, Pommery Brut
Manager at Banque Transatlantique,
Royal NV is a rounded, rich, but delicate
the sponsor, Banque Transatlantique,
sponsors of the event, thanked
wine that lingers in the mouth.
and partners: Vranken Pommery for the
everyone for attending and wished everyone an enjoyable evening. Commenting after the event,
72 - info - september / october 2018
The Chamber would like to thank
‘Pommery has a long history
Champagne, the Serpentine Gallery for
of being associated with art, not
hosting the event, and Pierre Marcolini
least through the contemporary art
for providing the delicious ice creams. I
E VE NT S – AT THE CHAMBE R
PATRON EVENT -
A BILINGUAL TARTUFFE
Sponsored by
Patron members’ ribs were tickled with a revamped, bilingual performance of Molière’s famous play, Tartuffe
T
wenty Patron member representatives were treated to an innovative, bilingual version of Molière’s classic comedy
version of Tartuffe. The play, which played in both English and French, chimed well with the Chamber’s Franco-British crosscultural sensibilities. Gathering first in the Royal Retiring Room, Stephen Burgin, Deputy President of the French Chamber, thanked Wild Yak, the production company behind this staging of the play, for their kind hosting of the event. Oliver King, Producer at Wild Yak / Belka Productions, spoke on the eccentricities of producing a bilingual show, and staying true to the comic roots of the play. As the first dual language theatre production on the West End, surtitles were displayed on screens dotted throughout the theatre across the different levels for the audience to follow the performance, as the actors jumped between languages.
A post-performance meeting with the stars of the show
mount such a show. The lead actors reflected the bilingual
The interval saw guests enjoying treats kindly provided by PAUL UK.
nature of the play, with the British Paul Anderson, best known for starring in Peaky Blinders, playing Tartuffe, and Audrey
Post performance, a further treat lay in store: a meet and greet with the cast of the play and a backstage tour, giving a behind the scenes glimpse into the preparation required to
Fleurot, of Spiral and Kaamelott fame, as Elmire. Professional photographers were made momentarily redundant, as the evening ended with a smattering of selfies. I
We exist to serve our clients and develop a long-term, trust-based and valued relationship with them. Our mission is to meet their strategic needs by offering practical and implementable solutions Jean-Philippe Verdier established Verdier & Co. after 20+ years of corporate finance career
The team at Verdier & Co. assists multinationals, SMEs and highgrowth companies, mainly with French or English roots. Key sectors
and having led over £20bn/ €25bn of completed
comprise of:
transactions when with BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, Greenhill & Co. and Jefferies
• Technology (Software, Hardware, Fintech, Platform) • Industrials & Clean Technology • Healthcare (Biotechnology, MedTech, HealthTech, Pharma) “Highly Recommended” in 2017 in Décideurs & Dealmakers
+44(0)2071291443 I jpverdier@verdierandco.com I www.verdierandco.com
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Verdier & Co. is an Appointed Representative of Sturgeon Ventures LLP which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority This article is for information only
BEHIND THE HEADLINES Fifty member representatives assembled for an evening of debate and insightful commentary on the comparative state of French and British politics
From left to right: George Freeman MP, Philippe Chalon and Alexandre Holroyd
H
osted by the Institut Français in
union, but ‘does so in a way that doesn’t
warning of the creation of a ‘two
the bustling Francophone corner
undermine our mutual commitment to
tier’ Europe – a fraught relationship
of South Kensington, light from the
the French and European project or our
between the core EU member countries
impressive, arched windows in the
economic support for Europe.’
supporting a ‘genuine political economy’
library proved just as illuminating as the discussion below.
Holroyd stated that a rupture in
and countries who ‘struggle to sign into
engagement between the French and
a political union, but deeply want to be
Chaired by Philippe Chalon, Director
the British should be avoided. The
part of a free trade and economic union.’
of External Affairs at International SOS,
divorce should be approached with no
Holroyd argued that this type of EU
the speakers were Alexandre Holroyd,
judgement from the side of the EU. It
‘already exists’, but he does not believe
Member of the
French Parliament
should avoid making Brexit a bigger deal
that political and economic union can
at Assemblée Nationale and George
than it is, in the context of the 1,000 year
be disassociated. ‘If you want to fulfil
Freeman MP, Member of Parliament for
Franco-British relationship.
economic potential, you will eventually
Mid Norfolk.
On the matter of settled status,
need to go a bit further,’ he says. He
Holroyd estimates that the anxiety that
adds that this is ‘the price of economic
came off the back of the referendum
advantage which is paradoxically the
Brexit represented an ‘identity crisis’ or
has abated somewhat. However, it is still
surrendering of some of your symbolic
an expression of ‘domestic grievances’
present despite recent steps taken to
sovereignty.’
towards a perceived sense of political
define a solution, as this is dependent on
Freeman
and economic elitism and a ‘model of
the still uncertain final Brexit deal.
could have been ‘the doorkeeper’ on
Franco-British Brexit
the British economy which isn’t working
speculated
that
Britain
the peripheral to ensure that the EU
He outlined three characteristics
The economic-financial disassociation
of a potential hard Brexit. One ‘which
The question of how the EU could
Britain were to crash out of the EU with
undermines and eventually pulls down
restructure around the void left by
no deal, a security and migrant crisis
the European project’; one in which
Britain led Holroyd to comment that,
in the EU may make this suggested
Britain reorients itself away from the
‘there is a re-shifting of opinion and
structure a possibility in the future.
EU and towards the USA; or one where
balance of power. Everyone in Brussels
The Chamber would like to thank the
Brexit triggers a crisis in the UK which
is grappling with what this means for
Institut Français for hosting the event,
shrinks the state, ‘a Thatcherism 2.0.’
processes as they move forwards. The
and Philippe Chalon for chairing the
Franco-German motor will be even more
discussions. I
anymore,’ according to Freeman.
His version of Brexit would reflect the 52/48 percent split in votes, a soft Brexit
important, but not exclusive.’
whereby the UK leaves the formal political
Freeman offered an alternative view,
74 - info - september / october 2018
maintains an external perspective. He remains darkly optimistic that, even if
E VE NT S – AT THE CHAMBE R
Sponsored by
BREAKFAST WITH
SIMONE ROSSI Hosted for the first time at Sofitel St James, the 25th edition of the ‘Breakfast with…’ welcomed Simone Rossi, CEO of EDF Energy
E
DF Energy is the largest supplier of electricity in Great Britain and one of the UK’s leading renewable energy companies.
This was reflected in the topic of the speech of Simone Rossi, CEO of EDF Energy: ‘Low Carbon is the future - Decentralisation, Decarbonisation, Digitalisation for supporting customers.’ The breakfast of the title was supplied by PAUL UK as sponsors of the event since 2013. Peter Alfandary, Senior Vice President of the Chamber, invited Simone Rossi to the stage.
France vs. UK France’s use of electricity far surpasses the UK, at 500TWh Vs. 300TWh respectively, with France producing enough in excess to export to neighbours. The reason? According to Rossi, French citizens consume more than the UK due primarily to heating
nature through reliance on weather patterns. This limits its
systems reliant on electricity, in comparison to the UK’s strong
potential as a replacement for fossil fuels, due primarily to
reliance on gas.
restrictions in storage.
Despite advancements in battery
In Britain, fossil fuels constitute nearly 50 percent of energy
technology, current solutions would require the equivalent of
consumption. France’s nuclear power vastly outweighs its fossil
8,000 containers of batteries at a cost of £5bn to store one
fuel consumption at approximately 70 percent of overall energy
week’s energy from a wind farm. Until hydrogen storage on
generation. France’s geography is also more readily permissive
a large scale becomes a reality, the upper limit for renewable
of renewable energy, with access to the Alps for hydropower.
energy will be hard to overcome.
These differing approaches to energy are reflected in the carbon
For nuclear energy, Hinkley Point C is the flagship
emissions of each nation, whereby France’s carbon intensity is
development which could pave the way to future developments
only 30 percent of that in the UK.
at a lower cost. Sizewell C, for example, will already have access
Despite this disparity, these statistics reflect a concerted effort on the part of the UK to produce more electricity via renewable energy over the past 10 years. Although the UK’s
to existing gridlines, and many processes would already be in place to advance quickly with less man power.
economy has grown overall by two thirds in this period, CO2
An intelligent consumer
emissions have been cut by 40 percent.
Consumer awareness on these topics, as well as the current
The low carbon shift This percentage split between energy sources will continue to
increase in pricing protection, has led to more competition in the energy market as well as a need to save customers money and secure the energy supply.
evolve. A diverse energy mix is the future, according to Rossi, to
‘Customers are changing. They are becoming more aware
reduce carbon emissions and mediate against climate change.
of the opportunities that digital tools offer them and the
Legal regulations will stimulate this shift (the Climate Change
climate change challenges,’ says Rossi. ‘They want to contribute.
Act), with carbon targets to achieve by 2050. The UK can use
Consumers are becoming prosumers so we have to follow this
both imports, and renewable and nuclear energy to achieve
and we have to help our customers move in this direction’.
this. The mitigating factor of renewable energy is its unpredictable
Even the most traditional of industries must adapt in the face of digitalisation and the changing consumer. I
Solutions would require the equivalent of 8,000 containers of batteries at a cost of £5bn to store one week’s energy from a wind farm. Until hydrogen storage on a large scale becomes a reality, the upper limit for renewable energy will be hard to overcome info
- september / october 2018 - 75
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
3
October
RENDEZ-VOUS CHEZ L’ATELIER DES CHEFS At l'Atelier des Chefs , 19 Wigmore St, Marylebone, London W1U 1PH Cost: £25+VAT per person
18.00 - 21.00
Join us on 3 October to meet with the leader in European cooking classes, L’Atelier des Chefs, for an evening of culinary challenges! For further information, contact Wassime Haouari at: whaouari@ccfgb.co.uk or 020 7092 6642
Sponsors so far confirmed
19
October
LEBRIDGE At Microsoft Reactor, 70 Wilson Street, London, EC2A 2DB By invitation only
08.30 - 19.00
This B2B event has the goal to match-make large companies with promising start-ups and their ideas, to generate business. This will give corporates a platform to meet the innovators who offer the solutions they are looking for, and start-ups the chance to meet the key stakeholders from a wide range of industry leading corporates. A one-day conference consisting of B2B meeting, workshops, panels and case studies. For further information, contact David Johnson at: djohnson@ccfgb.co.uk or 020 7092 6636 Supported by:
22
November 18.00 - 21.00
SEMINAR WITH ECONOCOM At Microsoft London Paddington, 2 Kingdom Street, London W2 6BD Free of charge Guest speakers: Chris Labrey, Managing Director UK & Ireland, Econocom David Gregory, Head of Innovation, JTRS | Econocom Joe Varrasso, HoloLens Partner Lead – Europe – Mixed Reality Commercial Business EMEA, HoloLens Theme: Digital transformation in the business world: Econocom and JTRS will present Hololens ‘Mixed Reality as-aService’ (MraaS), an innovative project that makes mixed reality and 3D technologies accessible to companies. For further information, contact Wassime Haouari at: whaouari@ccfgb.co.uk or 020 7092 6642
76 - info - september / october 2018
In partnership with:
12
November
SAY ‘CHEESE’ AND WINE At La Cave à Fromage, 24-25 Cromwell Pl, London SW7 2LD Cost: £25+VAT per person
18.00 - 20.00
Do you fancy an evening à la française with gourmet cheeses and wine tasting? Join us on 12th November at La Cave à Fromage and discover exceptional cheeses, paired with complementary wines, while meeting up to 30 new business contacts from a wide range of industry sectors. For further information, contact Wassime Haouari at: whaouari@ccfgb.co.uk or 020 7092 6642
Sponsored by
14
November
BREAKFAST WITH BARRATT WEST At Home House, 20 Portman Square, Marylebone, London W1H 6LW Cost: £40+VAT per person ; £60+VAT – special price for two
08.00 - 10.00
Guest speaker: Barrat West, VP – MD, UK & Ireland, Tiffany & Co Barratt West leads all aspects of the UK operation including responsibility for the Retail stores in the region, as well as a vibrant e-commerce business. He has been responsible for transforming the client experience, elevating customer service and embedding clienteling as a behavioural change. He joined Tiffany in 2012 bringing with him 25 years of retail experience, much of it in the luxury sector in the UK and Europe. For further information, contact Wassime Haouari at: whaouari@ccfgb.co.uk or 020 7092 6642
Gold sponsor:
26
November
FRANCO-BRITISH BUSINESS AWARDS At the Langham, 1C Portland Pl, Marylebone, London W1B 1JA Cost: £110+VAT for members ; £160+VAT for non members ; £1,100+VAT for a table of 12.
19.00 - 22.30
In the presence of the French Ambassador to the UK and the British Ambassador to France.
FBBA 2018 THE FRANCO-BRITISH BUSINESS AWARDS Monday 26 November 2018 19.00 to 22.30 At the Langham Hotel, W1J 8LT
The Franco-British Business Awards acknowledge the accomplishments of French and British companies of all sizes, from startups to SMEs to blue-chip companies on both sides of the Channel.
For applications and general enquiries, contact Wassime Haouari at: whaouari@ccfgb.co.uk or 020 7092 6642 For sponsorship and partnership, contact Sonia Olsen at: solsen@ccfgb.co.uk or 020 7092 6641
info
- september / october 2018 - 77
CL A S SIFIE D ADS
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