2005

The Network Newsletter January 2005 I n t e r n a t i o n a l B u s in e s s & P r o f e s s i o n a l N e tw o rk a s b l (Established 1991)

The Network asbl B.P. 2304 L-1023 Luxembourg e-mail: getintouch@the-network.lu website: http://www.the-network.lu

President's Letter Dear members, The Romans knew what they were doing when they gave the first month of the year the name Janus after the god with two heads – one for looking back at the old year, the other for looking forward into the New Year.

January is also a time when many of us make resolutions, not only to help ourselves but those less fortunate than ourselves.

For me, January is a time of reflections, perhaps more poignantly this year more than most. Having spent Christmas 2003 on the Maldives, I was shocked at the tragedy that unfolded on Boxing Day 2004 and on subsequent days. For several days, I kept picturing Colin and I on the beach, and trying to work out what we would have done in such circumstances. However, of course there is no real answer. We can only hope that we learn and help make the world a safer place to live. We certainly intend to go back to the Maldives soon.

And now onto more mundane issues – how about putting into practise that New Year’s resolution to pay various membership fees on time? It is a Luxembourg legal requirement that members of an ‘asbl’ complete a membership application form on a yearly basis hence please log onto www.the-network.lu and register your membership for 2005, not forgetting to update your records. Another resolution could be to get more involved and what better way than joining the new 2005/2006 committee? If you are fired up and eager to go - please drop us a line at getintouch@the-network.lu.

Enjoy the new look newsletter and see you all at the next meeting Regards, Paola

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FOR 2005

Dear Member, As you know, membership of the Network runs from January to December. Your membership for Year 2004 has come to an end.

The Network Committee hopes that your membership has been useful to you and that you will renew membership for 2005.

The fees for 2005 are 30 Euros. Please note if your have not paid your membership dues by latest 28 February 2005, your membership and password will automatically expire on this day.

Please send a virement, indicating your name to one of the bank accounts below: Beneficiary: The Network Bank accounts: BDL LU58 0080 5333 3500 1003 or CCP LU54 1111 1100 0810 0000 Once you have made your payment, your membership will be renewed on the Network's website and you will continue to have access to restricted areas of the site, allowing you post to the notice board, to download the

monthly newsletter, to include your business/service website in the Network Members area and to make suggestions and to add articles to the Newsletter.

Looking forward to meeting you again in 2005.

The General Secretary

New Members - Welcome to the Network L i n a P e t e rs o n am Norwegian and I came to live here in Luxembourg half a year ago. That was (expectedly) really bad timing for finding a new job, (being just before the summer and the holidays) but the timing of the move had to do with the merger situation of the bank I left in Norway. After a few months of staying at home and speaking only to the cat, my enthusiasm was big when I was introduced to the Network. What a great opportunity to get to know people! I have so far been to two meetings and met an international group of really interesting women! The chats with you ladies have left me so happy, cheerful and optimistic about my future here in Luxembourg. What I find so stimulating about you all, is that you are so dedicated, capable and positive! Positive to meeting new people, to sharing of your experiences and enjoy networking while having fun at the same time! For me, it is a real vitamin booster to go to the Network meetings.

The task of finding an interesting and suitable job has proven to be a little more difficult than expected, but I am hoping that something will come up soon. How can there be so few suitable banking jobs in the banking Mecca that Luxembourg is? Maybe one of you knows of a company that is in need of a finance person?

I am 34 years old, and I have a Bachelor degree in Business Management from London, and Masters degree in International Management from Brussels. My field of work has so far been accounting and finance. My professional experience is within banking and I am hoping to find a job as a financial analyst, but I am of course open to other exciting career offers. My somewhat long and unwanted period of unemployment has been an experience in itself, and the company that ends up employing me will get a super-motivated employee!

I hope to speak to many more of you at the Network meetings in this New Year! Lina

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Chirac promises women equal pay Au t h o r : T h e G u a r d ia n , K i m W i l l s h e r J a n u a r y 1 0 t h 2 0 0 5

Pesident Jacques Chirac has ordered his government to draw up legislation to force French companies to pay equal wages to men and women.

The French leader promised tough measures after it was revealed that in some sectors, women were earning one third less than male colleagues doing the same job.

He pledged to redress the balance within five years during his traditional New Year meeting with unions and workers' associations at the Elysée Palace. He told them he would be demanding that the government draw up a law "without delay".

"Over the last year, I have called for negotiations on the equality between men and women in the workplace," he said. "An agreement that established interesting principles and objectives was drawn up. Now we all have to go much further." But he was characteristically vague on how equality could be achieved, promising only to "invent new ways" of bringing it about.

Mr Chirac's proposals were met with scepticism from members of the opposition, who approved the principle of equal pay but accused him of trying to curry favour with women voters. Yvette Roudy, a former women's rights minister for the Socialist party, dismissed the president's announcement as a gimmick.

"These laws exist already. All Jacques Chirac has to do is to apply them," she said. What both sides agree on is that the republican ideals of liberté, egalité and fraternité seem to have bypassed French industry in the last decade.

While the gap between men's and women's salaries began to close in the 1970s, the improvements ground to a halt in the mid-1990s. A 2002 report by Insee, the national institute for statistics and economic studies, found comparable female executives were being paid on average €29,500 (£21,000) a year, 30% less than their male colleagues.

The disparity was reflected at all levels of the workforce. The institute found that professional women such as teachers and nurses earned just under €20,000 (£14,200) a year on average, compared with nearly €23,000 (£16,330) for men in the same position, a 13% difference. The gap for unskilled workers was 17%.

A report by a parliamentary group published in December confirmed that a series of workplace equality laws introduced since 1972 had failed to eliminate persistent inequalities both in promotion and pay.

It said legislation introduced by the Socialist government in 2001, requiring companies to negotiate on equal pay, had been almost completely ignored: "Seventy-two per cent of companies have never organised specific talks on professional equality."

The Socialist party's economic spokesman, Eric Besson, dismissed the President's announcement as all words and no action.

"Of course, when Jacques Chirac says we have to save the planet, do away with inequality and wipe out discrimination, we totally agree," he told Le Monde. "But as usual, there's a vast different between this and his acts. The social programme of this government is one big deception."

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November Meeting Review Au t h o r : J o a n L yo n s “Are we inefficient communicators?” : Johanna von Saaben (Psychologist) Johanna, now attempting to be retired, has worked for many years in private practice as a therapist, has led workshops and has offered consultancy about this topic and others across many levels of life in Luxembourg. Her methodology is based on Transactional Analysis (TA), which is a system of individual and social psychiatry – or in other words – an excellent way to learn just how we communicate and what trips us up along the way.

This approach, which has been around for about 45 years, was first systematised by Eric Berne, an American psychologist.

Someone walks into the room and is greeted by: “Hi, how are you?”

They reply: “Hi, nice to be here, I’m fine thanks.”

This is a “transaction” and TA helps us to analyse what is happening inside ourselves (both speaker and listener) when we attempt to make transactions. Johanna helped us to understand in very simple terms that every individual communicates (i.e. makes transactions) out of one of three ego states: that of Child, Adult or Parent.

We can move between these states in the course of any conversation. Within the child state, we can operate out of our “natural” or “free” child (e.g. when we jump in and out of the waves on a sunny day at the beach), our “adapted” child (e.g. when we seek to please our “parental” figure because we have been taught that is the expected response) or our “rebellious” child (e.g.when we throw the plates across the room in exasperation – we have a temper tantrum). We operate in Adult Ego state when we look at what is actually happening in a situation – what is the reality here? We can operate out of Parental ego state either by taking a stance which is nourishing, normative, negative nourishing or negative critical. For example, to operate out of Negative Critical Parent is not to take care of ourselves, to take the martyr stance.

For good transactions to occur, Johanna encouraged us to “stay in adult, be your own parent and take care of your inner child”. Much of our learned behaviour comes from our own parents and it is useful to think about what ego state they might have been communicating out of when we analyse our own immediate responses to different situations. Once we are aware of what ego state we are in, we can then choose to change ego states so that our communication is understood as we would like it to be. For a good decision to be reached, our “parent” is satisfied with the outcome, the “adult” (more rational) sees the advantages of this decision and the “child” is happy – what more could we want?

These are communication skills which can be learned if we want to improve our relationships – they are not always second nature but the more we practise the more this becomes our preferred mode of communicating because we can immediately see the advantages. This brief introduction to what is actually a highly complex system of analysing social interaction engendered some good questions and discussion. Johanna’s down-toearth approach helped us to think about how our own communication could be improved without having a degree in psychology. She encouraged us in offering Berne’s hope for anyone using his system which is that we become:

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spontaneous able to take care of ourselves and others creative

There was no disagreement that these were not goals to which all of us at this meeting might aspire.

These skills work well in all areas of life and there was some lively discussion about how this might work in a meeting with our bosses or in our relationships with our partners. There was, inevitably perhaps, a touch of what I might dare to call gender-bashing (aimed in the male direction) and it would be interesting to see how we could use this system to help us communicate in all female environment as well as in a mixed gender situation, or indeed to be a fly-on-the-wall in an all male group at this presentation. This is a system which, if understood and applied appropriately, leads to a win-win situation – an important goal for all of us.

This was not proposed as “another way to get at your man” but a way which we could all develop our communication skills. The title suggested by Johanna for further reading, however, is: “Women as Winners” by Dorothy Jongeward (…..and why not?)

Upcoming Network Events J a n u a r y N e tw o r k M e e t i n g - P e r s o n a l T a x a t i o n To kick off our first meeting in 2005, a representative from Horsburgh AGN will speak to the Network on the topic of personal taxation so come prepared with all those tax related questions!

Due to the event's popularity last year, we have decided to limit attendance at this year's tax meeting to existing members only.

When and Where: January 19th @ The Sofitel. Registration at 19.30 with speaker at 20.00 or just after.

Future Meetings - Dates for your Diaries

Below is our meetings schedule through to March. More details are will be published on our website: www.thenetwork.lu.

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Wednesday 19th January – Personal Taxation Wednesday 16th February – Being confirmed !

Wednesday 16th March – AGM and a special surprise

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Events T s u n a m i Au c t i o n Luxassist, (a voluntary collaboration of local people), in conjunction with many local bars, is organising a series of auctions over the coming weekend of the 14th and 15th of January as a collective fundraiser in association with MÊdecins Sans Frontières to raise funds and offer immediate help.

For further information please visit the site: http://www.luxassist.com

General Information D e a d l i n e f o r t h e F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 5 N e w s le t t e r Submissions for the February newsletter should reach the Editor on or by 3rd February 2005 at editor@thenetwork.lu

Contact Details To advertise on the Network webstite, or in the newsletter, please check the details on the website.

If you would like to recommend the Network to a colleague or friend, details are published here.

For contact details of the current Network Team, click here.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions of authors expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily state or reflect those of the Network.

The Network Newsletter February 2005 I n t e r n a t i o n a l B u s in e s s & P r o f e s s i o n a l N e tw o rk a s b l (Established 1991)

The Network asbl B.P. 2304 L-1023 Luxembourg e-mail: getintouch@the-network.lu website: http://www.the-network.lu

President's Letter Dear all, As I sit at home wondering what to write, I suddenly realise that this is my penultimate letter as President of the Network. I guess I could write about how wonderful it was and how much I will miss being on the team, but maybe I ought to save that for next month's letter.

Despite the 'interesting' weather, I hope many of you have indulged in the spirit of Carnival - any excuse for a party :-) I unfortunately was not in Luxembourg this year but am looking forward to the Burgbrennen events that will be taking place all round the Grand Duchy this coming weekend. Watching the spectacle of the fiery crosses lighting up the night sky together with friends, whilst feasting on steaming soup and sausages - can't wait.

But now back to more usual things - the AGM is approaching and you should all have received the information packs - if not, let us know and we'll email it to you. Boring I know but I thought I'd remind you all to pay your membership dues (only Euro 30 for the year!) and to update your details on our website. Don't forget to enjoy using and browsing the latest addition to the website - the online directory.

As always the newsletter is jam packed full of interesting articles so I'll leave you now to enjoy it.

Looking forward to seeing you at the next meeting, Regards, Paola

Ouch - it could get pricey !

Recent changes to the Code de la Route in Luxembourg will mean higher charges for traffic infringements. Effective 1st February 2005 motorists, bus-drivers and even pedestrians could be fined anywhere between Euro 24 and 145 for various misdemeanours. And let's not forget the possibility of a few points while we’re at it. Here’s a quick overview, but please note it’s not comprehensive:

 



If you do not have at least one hand on the steering wheel, you could receive a fine of 49 Euro. You could also be 49 Euro poorer if you don’t slow down, or possibly stop, to allow a bus to pull out from a bus stop.

When caught in traffic, remember to create an emergency lane for emergency services – if you don’t and block emergency vehicles, the fine is set at 145 Euro and 2 points. The same fine applies for driving without lights in limited visibility (either day or night) and for not respecting the right of way when joining the autoroute.

If you stop/park your car in the middle of a lane (unless it’s a case of absolute emergency) you could also face a fine of 145 Euro and oh, 2 points as well. The same applies if you don’t give timely warning to other drivers of traffic jams. It will cost you 74 Euros if you breakup a Police or Army convoy – not quite sure what that one means, but I guess it means pulling in between the vehicles in convoy.

Now the bus drivers – if they let a passenger on or off the bus at any place other than a bus-stop, it will cost them 49 Euro. 74 Euro for the bus-driver who permits more passengers onboard than allowed – how do they keep count I wonder as passengers get on and off.

Pedestrians who saunter along a bicycle path and in doing so block cyclists may face a 74 Euro fine. The same amount will be charged if a pedestrian blocks clearly recognisable (by siren and blue light) emergency services.

However, if the Police or Emergency services use siren or blue lights for any other reason than an emergency, they don’t get off scot-free either: 49 Euro fine for them too.

So be warned and as always drive carefully ! (translated by DW – data from original article: Wort Luxembourg, 3rd February 2005)

Luxembourg, No smoking - before year end Au t h o r : D e i r d r e Wo lo h a n Prime minister, Jean Claude Juncker, recently announced that the Luxembourg government intends to introduce a ban on smoking in restaurants in Luxembourg by the end of the year 2005. According to the Health minister, Mars Di Bartolomeo, a new government bill will also make the sale of cigarettes to children under 16 illegal.

Tobacco currently accounts for over a half a million deaths in the EU - the single largest cause of avoidable death - according to the European Commission. It is estimated that 25 percent of all cancer deaths and 15 percent of all deaths in the EU can be attributed to smoking.

EU Health Commissioner Marcos Kyprianou said Friday that he would like to see continent-wide introduction of tough restrictions on smoking like those in force in Ireland and Italy but admitted he lacked the powers. Kyprianou revealed that he had pressed Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker to set an example by giving up smoking.

Ireland and Italy are the only two countries in the EU so far that introduced an outright ban on smoking in all public places. Other member states have so far opted for limited restrictions, while tougher measures are expected in some, like in the UK.

Movers and Groovers - Network Members N E T W OR K I N G W IT H H R AT K P M G …

Au t h o r : C h e r r y H o o p e r & K i r s t e n T e g t m e ye r Hello Ladies!

We are two international businesswomen leading the way in the HR at KPMG! KPMG Luxembourg is a really exciting and challenging place to work, particularly in the Human Resources Department where we deal with the recruitment and management of employees of nearly 500 staff of over 16 different nationalities! For that reason, the HR Team all speak a range of languages to meet the candidates' needs and this also makes communicating and learning from each other internally a lot of fun!

Kirsten and I have a perfect example of successful “networking”. When I recently attended my interview for the position of HR Assistant at KPMG, Kirsten picked up on the mention of “member of the Network” under the section Hobbies & Interests on my CV, as she was already a member herself. During the interview we discussed “The Network” amongst other items on my CV and we both agreed with the promotion of an international working women’s group and of the importance of networking together! We both enjoyed speed-networking and look forward to the next event in March at the AGM. If any Network members are interested in a career at KPMG, please consult our website www.kpmg.lu and apply for open positions in English online. And don’t be afraid to mention on your CV that you are a Network member – you never know who will be reading it!

We look forward to meeting you at the next meeting!

Cherry Hooper (British) Human Resources Assistant

Kirsten Tegtmeyer (German) Human Resources Coordinator

KPMG Luxembourg

KPMG Luxembourg

January Meeting Review Au t h o r : E l i s a L a b i a n o J e n s e n Personal Taxation in Luxembourg - presented by Aude-Marie Thouvenin of Horsburgh and Co. Some 25 Network members were able to listen to very practical and valuable information about taxes. Aude-Marie presented things clearly and concisely. Whether you file your tax returns yourself, or you have an accountant do them, it is important that you are in control and know the main laws and deductible amounts. This presentation certainly helped.

Highlights were: Lux residents are taxed on worldwide income. Residency is defined by your vital interest (so residency might be in Luxembourg if you have rental profits and salary for example) even if you don't live here.

If you earn more than 58,000 Euros you must file a tax return. If married the amount decreases to 31,000 Euro.

Deadline for filing is March 31, otherwise there is potentially an extra charge of 10 percent but usually the tax authorities allow a three month extension. If you write or phone, they could allow an additional three months. If you receive a personal reminder, then you must take it seriously, and file immediately.

We found out that if a spouse is a non resident (e.g. living in UK) then your tax class might change. Children are included in your tax class up to 21 years of age, beyond 21 if the child is in universitry. If divorced, and can't include your children, you could possibly deduct an amount for their education.

Deductions should include savings life insurance, Pension policy, and professional expenses such as courses.

Court costs and lawyer's fees for protecting your employment are also deductible!

You can even deduct up to 20,400 Euros for maintenance (alimony payment). Private pension benefits are very advantageous here and deductible (1750 euros up to 44 yrs old). The tax office will refuse deduction if you save more than your deductible amount as per your age - so two often contracts are recommended.

Investments shares deductions are now cancelled as of 2005.

Thank you to Aude-Marie for such an informative and useful meeting! Please note: Members can see the presented slides in this website which will provide you with a more detailed outline.

Note from the Editor: If you contact Horsburgh & Co for advice, please mention that you heard of them through the network event. Thanks

Upcoming Network Events F e b ru a r y N e tw o r k M e e t i n g - W o m e n i n L e a d e r s h ip Chris Garratt of Tower Training & Consultancy will come and address the Network on the evolution trend in the world of business which will give women leaders an edge over their male colleagues for the first time.

He will discuss the differences between Management and Leadership and how each of these is used in today's world and how to be effective in getting others to do things.

Chris is one of the directors at Tower Leadership Solutions and has 35 years of experience in leadership, project and change management.

When and Where: Wednesday February 16th @ The Sofitel. Registration at 19.30 with speaker at 20.00 or just after.

Future Meetings - Dates for your Diaries Don't forget the Network AGM on Wednesday 16th March. After the official procedures, which should only take about half an hour or so, we will have our second SPEED-NETWORKING event. This gives everyone the chance to meet other members, both new and renewing in a very relaxed, fun and informal way.

If you can't attend the AGM, please remember to return your proxy vote which you have received by post. It is essential that we reach a certain quota of votes, so without you there may no longer be this wonderful club!!!

Many thanks.

The first meeting after the AGM is scheduled for Wednesday 13th April, topic still being confirmed. We are also currently finalising the dates for the rest of 2005 and we'll publish them on the site as soon as they are available so watch this space.

Small Ads BED & BREAKFAST in large family home just 12 km from city centre and on major bus route. Would suit business person from Monday to Friday. Weekends by arrangement for 'overflow guests'. See website on www.ceramics.lu/bb.htm or call 308175 POTTERY/CERAMICS CLASSES - Spaces are available for adults & teenagers/secondary. There are also spaces available for childrens' classes (age 6+). Weekly lessons on Tuesdays & Thursdays by fully qualified ceramics teacher in private studio. - see www.ceramics.lu for details or call 308 175 GreenPages.lu, is being set up and hosted by www.Focus.lu. The aim is to continue the work supporting www.AfriKids.org long after the Liggers Ball is over. We are looking for therapists and companies to sponsor the website or advertise. GreenPages is a simple money-making project in aid of charity and we have an official bank account with the Fortuna Bank. If you wish to advertise on GreenPages please send Carol Thompson (see membership directory for details) your postal address and she will send you an application form and an official bank transfer (virement) form.

Note from the network team: Members are also encouraged to use the online notice board for small announcements

Events B C C - S ma l l B u s i n e s s F i n a n c i a l Af f a i r s The British Chamber of Commerce is orgainising a Small Business Seminar which will take place on Wednesday 23rd February 2005 at the Chambre de Commerce Luxembourg, 7 rue Alcide de Gasperi, Luxembourg, Kirchberg. The topic for this seminar will be “Small Business Financial Affairs - Part One, The Business Plan”.

For more details please visit www.bcc.lu

AM C H AM C o m I T 2 0 0 5 T a k e O f f e v e n t AMCHAM Com IT 2005 Take Off event will focus on the very interesting topic - “IP Telephony: Wishful Thinking or Business Reality?” on Thursday February 17th, 2005 at the TV Studio of RTL (Boulevard Pierre Frieden). Please contact Margot Parrat at +352 43 17 56 for futher details

General Information Deadline for the March 2005 Newsletter Submissions for the March 2005 newsletter should reach the Editor on or by Friday 4th March 2005 at editor@thenetwork.lu

Contact Details To advertise on the Network webstite, or in the newsletter, please check the details on the website.

If you would like to recommend the Network to a colleague or friend, details are published here.

For contact details of the current Network Team, click here.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions of authors expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily state or reflect those of the Network.

The Network Newsletter March 2005 I n t e r n a t i o n a l B u s in e s s & P r o f e s s i o n a l N e tw o rk a s b l (Established 1991)

The Network asbl B.P. 2304 L-1023 Luxembourg e-mail: getintouch@the-network.lu website: http://www.the-network.lu

President's Letter

Dear all, after two years as President of the network, the statutes are informing me that the time has come to stand down. I was on the committee for a year prior to the taking on the presidency, and the statutes only permit (re-)election for three consecutive years.

So it is both with a heavy and light heart that I write my 18th yes 18th and final President's letter. My two years as President have certainly been worthwhile and I have met so many great people and done so many different things. When I arrived in Luxembourg in July 2001 I had no idea what life woud bring. Three and a half years later, I've been involved in two committees, been interviewed on Ara City Radio's Corner Cafe and by Paperjam, done a Masters (well almost finished - just finalising the thesis), bought a house and planned a wedding. I wonder what the next three and a half years will bring. Well I know one thing's for sure, even though I'll no longer be part of the committee, I'll certainly be coming to as many network events as I can and enjoying the evening's speech as well as the few drinks at the bar afterwards.

I would like to finish by saying a great big thank you to all those who have been on the team with me these past three years as well as each and every one of the members for their support of the network. Without your support, the network would not be what it is today.

I wish you all the best for the future and above all Happy Networking :-) Regards Paola

International Women's Day

International Women's Day (8 March) is an occasion marked by women's groups around the world. This date is also commemorated at the United Nations and is designated in many countries as a national holiday. When women on all continents, often divided by national boundaries and by ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences, come together to celebrate their Day, they can look back to a tradition that represents at least nine decades of struggle for equality, justice, peace and development.

International Women's Day is the story of ordinary women as makers of history; it is rooted in the centuries-old struggle of women to participate in society on an equal footing with men. In ancient Greece, Lysistrata initiated a sexual strike against men in order to end war; during the French Revolution, Parisian women calling for "liberty, equality, fraternity" marched on Versailles to demand women's suffrage.

The idea of an International Women's Day first arose at the turn of the century, which in the industrialised world was a period of expansion and turbulence, booming population growth and radical ideologies.

For more information, please visit: http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/women/womday97.htm

New Members - Welcome to the Network G u d ru n R u mp f I am already a member (of the board) of various associations (Alumna McKinsey & Company; Alumna ETH Zurich; Chemist Association GDCh; German Association in Luxembourg etc).

However, by having joined the Network in February 2005 I strive to share my know how with great ladies living in Luxembourg to foster the Network even more. I look forward to a fruitful and fun exchanges with you on work and many many more issues.

Regarding my professional life, I work in the Innovation Relay Centre (IRC) Secretariat animating and monitoring a pan European technology transfer network. Amongst other tasks I am in charge of socio economic impact assessment of the network, co-ordination of international Working Groups, Network communication, liaison to European projects, Good Practices etc. Before I worked as project manager of a pioneer patent and licensing office in Bavaria aimed at filing and exploiting university patents. Prior to that I worked as associate consultant with McKinsey & Company on engagements in the areas of strategy, organization and operations in major chemical and health care companies. I hold a PhD in technical sciences earned at ETH Zurich and am fluent in English, French, German and Italian.

Women learn better in single -sex groups Au t h o r : S w i s s I n f o - 1 3 / 2 / 2 0 0 5 One of the world’s top business schools, IMD in Lausanne, has decided to organise a course restricted to women participants – with encouraging results.

The IMD says that companies with women in managerial posts achieve better financial results – a good reason for assisting them in their careers. The situation at the school merely reflects the general state of the business world: women managers are still a rarity, particularly in senior positions. The IMD believes this state of affairs is detrimental not only to women, but to the economy. The business school is proposing to improve the career prospects of women by running a course exclusively for them. The idea was first mooted by Martha Maznewski, a Canadian professor who teaches in the United States and at the IMD. swissinfo: For years, the emphasis has been on gender equality. With your women-only course, you are introducing a paradigm change and emphasising differences. Why? Martha Maznewski: In the world today, men and women are recognised as having equivalent value, but for different purposes. In business, only 20% of managerial positions are occupied by women. At the senior management level, the figure is a mere 5%. If in the business environment men and women were really considered as being equal, the proportions would be nearer to 50-50. These figures have not altered for 20 years, despite the changing face of society. We thought it was time to do something about it. swissinfo: What are the differences between men and women that justify your decision to offer womenonly courses?

M.M.: In business, there are two major – scientifically proven – differences. The first is that men think in a linear way; they go straight for the goal. Women have a “parallel” way of thinking; they can handle several issues at the same time. The second is to do with the way people interpret relationships. Men prefer to think in terms of hierarchy, while women are more likely to think in terms of community. One approach is not necessarily better than the other. If you consider companies and their needs, it is clear that both are necessary. swissinfo: The content of the course is not substantially different to that of the programmes you run for mixed groups. What is different when a class consists solely of women?

M.M.: The group dynamic is different. When women form a minority in a group of men, they adopt different learning strategies. The fact that they are a minority gives rise to a phenomenon called “tokenism”. A woman student feels as if she is representing all other women. Consequently, she is much more fearful of expressing her feelings or appearing stupid. The majority – men in this case – are more conscious of her weaknesses than her strengths. This is because the majority does not perceive a person as an individual, but as a representative of the entire minority group, and expectations of a group are much higher. At the IMD, we observed that when women arrive and find themselves in a minority they dare not ask the questions they would like to ask. Nor do they behave as they would normally behave as individuals. But if we put them in a group of women, they no longer need to behave as if they were representing all women; they can be individuals again. swissinfo: Was it difficult to persuade business organisations to enrol their managers in this course?

M.M.: Not at all. But it was much harder to persuade women. They felt they were being told there was something wrong with them, that they needed correcting and putting on the right track. Senior managers have understood that businesses thrive on diversity and that structures based on “masculine” norms and models need to adapt.

Moreover, a survey has shown that businesses with women in senior management positions achieve better financial results. But at the level immediately below, there is still some resistance. Middle-ranking managers do not want to change the way things are organised. Their attitude is: “The present structure has produced good results. Why change it?” swissinfo: The IMD has now run its first women-only course. What sort of results have you achieved?

M.M.: Outstanding. There was an incredible sense of energy in the classroom. On the final day, the participants said they had never been in a room where there was such diversity. The course has changed the way they see themselves as managers. They were able to see themselves as strong individuals. Usually, when a course is over, people go home, exchange a few e-mails and that’s it. With this group, it has been different. Three months down the line, they are still in close contact. They exchange messages saying how they have used what they learned on the course to achieve good results for themselves and their companies. The programme began only last autumn, so it is too soon to say what influence it has had on the workings of major companies. Feedback is just beginning to come in. But the fact that companies such as Nestlé, Philip Morris, Zurich, Swisscom and Japan Tobacco International have sent women on this course is an indication of real interest in this kind of initiative. swissinfo-interview: Doris Lucini

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Movers and Groovers - Network Members J u d y C r i t c h l e y - O f f e r i n g g o o d p ro d u c ts a t f a i r p r i c e s Judy Critchley has recently re-joined the Network after a short break after the birth of her second child. Judy is the managing director of Precis Language School and owner of the website www.onestoplanguage.net which offers language students the possibility to compare schools around the globe. In addition to this hectic schedule, Judy will be joining the Network Committee this year.

Network: So what brought you to Luxembourg?

JC: Now what would any newly married woman whose husband got a job in Luxembourg do? The answer for me and I think quite a few women I know was to follow even though I wasn’t really sure what I would do when I got here.

Network: How did you get into the career you’re in now?

JC: After teaching in various schools in the UK and then moving to Bermuda frankly for the money to pay off

student debts which I managed to do which would never have been possible in the UK on a teacher’s salary, I was a little put out to learn that if I moved to Luxembourg and attempted to teach here I was going to be earning the same as I had after I had just qualified. This didn’t seem fair to me so I decided to do something about it. The answer was to set up a language school in Luxembourg where I could pay people what I thought they deserved to be paid at the same time as offering competitive prices for our clients. This means lower profit margins but more business, so as far as my school is concerned we are very happy to run like this. We’ve grown 25% each year since we started which means we must be doing something right!

Network: So why the internet business?

JC: I decided that teachers in the classroom needed a site where they could come and get free resources and not be ripped off by people asking them for money to access things that they fundamentally needed to do their job. They after all are the people who earn the least in the business that is teaching people languages. So I decided to have the most resources of any site on the web for language teachers. I had also been the victim of a horrendous stay in Spain with a language school that lodged me with a family where the mother was due to give birth to her 5th child the same week I was there and where the children introduced me to the less attractive side of Alicante nightlife. I spoke great Spanish after those two weeks but I’m just glad that I’m here to tell you about it!!

It occurred to me that people who wanted to go and study in a foreign country had no idea of the quality of the school that they were going to and that they also had no means of finding that school easily on the internet when small language schools could not afford to have high-ranking, interactive websites. This didn’t seem fair so I created the site with e2advance where we offer everything a person might need to study a language either with us in Luxembourg or abroad, where they can compare prices and courses then book on-line under the name www.onestoplanguage.net. The schools all offer us commission but we choose to discount this commission to the student making the actual price of the school cheaper for students that book through us than going direct to the school. We’ll see if it is as big a success as the school but I honestly believe that you don’t need to ‘rip people off’ to make money but that if you give people a good product at the right price then you will succeed. Do you agree?

February Meeting Review Au t h o r : V a n e s s a R e e s Chris Garett from Tower Training was the guest at last month's Network meeting to talk about Women in Leadership. Judging from the number of successful women in the audience, I think it is easy to see that women these days are becoming leaders of companies and business without the set backs that used to hinder them in the past. More opportunities have developed for women to assume leadership roles. We have come along way since the Pankhurst sisters, not all women are content with the traditional role of mother and with many more women being forced to work due to increased living costs, we have had to adapt to new working practices often leaving men at home to cook the bacon whilst we bring it in.

The greatest strides for women in leadership have occurred in the 20th century. During the era of World War I and World War II, the number of women in leadership roles for businesses and governmental organisations increased dramatically because of necessity. Since this time, women have better prospects to become leaders in business, politics, and other areas. Some famous women in political leadership roles are Margaret Thatcher, Indira Ghandhi, Benazir Bhutto, Eva Peron, Condoleeza Rice, and Madeleine Albright. Some famous women in business and entrepreneurial leadership roles are Elizabeth Arden, Anita Roddick, Jacqueline Gold, Martha Lane Fox, Lynne Franks.

It was not until the 1970s that large-scale studies began to appear about women in leadership roles. Equal opportunity legislation and affirmative action principles helped spark the interest about women and leadership.

There is some debate about whether or not the leadership styles of men and women differ and this is where Chris gave us his insight and expertise. Some studies about the leadership styles of men and women determine that men tend to lean more towards the autocratic style of leadership and women tend to lean more towards the democratic style of leadership. Other studies about the leadership styles of men and women found men tend to be more task oriented and women tend to be more interpersonally oriented. Other studies about the leadership styles of men and women discovered that men tend to lean more towards the transactional style of leadership and women tend to lean more towards the transformational style of leadership.

It seems women posses the skills needed to become leaders in the ever changing world of business and despite the slightly stereotypical ideas put forward by Chris the women in the audience proved otherwise. It is nice to know that these days women are faced with choices, little girls can grow up wanting to be pilots, firewomen or engineers and not just nurses and secretaries.

Of course we are born leaders. How many women do you know who lead an army down stairs into battle everyday, whilst donning their own Armani armour and lead everyone safely back up the stairs to bed at night?

Upcoming Network Events M a rc h N e tw o rk M e e t i n g - AG M a n d S p e e d N e tw o r k in g The AGM is upon us once again, and this year we thought we'd give you some more insight into how the AGM functions.

Months before the AGM takes place, the committee is busy looking for new recruits for the team, in most cases simply because a current member is standing down. More often than not, the reason a member stands down is that the statutes do not only permit a member to be (re-)elected more than three consecutive times.

Once the slate of candidates has been finalised, the AGM pack is sent out to all members. The AGM pack consists of a covering letter, a slate of candidates, an agenda and most importantly a proxy vote. Proxies are important as in order for an AGM to be 'legal' a quorum needs to be attained. In our case the quorum is one quarter of the fully paid up members consisting of members physically present at the AGM and all received proxies. If you know you can't be there at our meeting, please please complete and sign the proxy form!

On the night of the AGM, the President and Vice-President have the unenviable task of ensuring the quorum is met before convening the AGM. During the AGM various points are voted on as indicated in the agenda. The voting at the AGM is done by a system of proposer and seconder from the audience, rather than by ballot or show of hands. Anyone in the audience, providing they are a fully paid up member, can propose or second an agenda point. Minutes of the AGM are drawn up and distributed to all network members within one month of the AGM. This system of voting ensures the AGM is a relatively swift event leaving lots of time for the second part of the evening - the speed networking!!! http://www.the-network.lu/Form.php?id=6 and more information on agenda etc here http://www.the-network.lu/Calendar.php?mode=event&id=35 Due to the success of our first Speed Networking event in September 2004, it has been decided that Speed Networking should become a permanent fixture in our event calendar.

Speed Networking will take place bi-annually and will offer network members the opportunity to build business & social contacts thereby expanding your network.

The definition of networking is the interaction and informal contact of an extended group of people, with similar interests or concerns, for mutual assistance or support. Speed networking is the same except in fast forward!

When and Where: Wednesday March 16th @ The Sofitel. Registration at 19.30 with speed networking straight after AGM

Future Meetings - Dates for your Diaries Ap r i l N e tw o r k M e e t i n g

April Network Meeting - Wednesday, April 13th at the Sofitel.

Isabel Page will talk on Executive Coaching and Fast Track Development.

Isabel is the managing director of Coaching4u and has many years of experience in coaching and professional training and development. She is an accredited Executive Coach by the University of Strathclyde,UK and works as a 'Conseiller en economie' and professional trainer. She has coached at managing director level in various industries as well as coached individuals wishing to improve their promotion prospects, or who have confidential issues they wish to discuss around the workplace.

As usual registration will take place from 19.30 onwards with the speaker starting approx 20.00

Notice Board - Jobs PRO-FIT S.A PRO-FIT S.A. is a training and consulting company in IT and languages. We are looking for Chinese, English, French and German teachers. Our trainers have A GOOD INSIGHT INTO THE BUSINESS WORLD and an EXCELLENT SENSE OF COMMUNICATION. They teach their NATIVE LANGUAGE and we train them to our USER CONVERSATION IN PRACTICAL SITUATIONS. 32, rue Jean L’Aveugle, L-1148 Luxembourg

8, Kierchewee, L-8552 Oberpallen Tel : 23 62 07 04 Fax : 23 62 07 05 Email: info@pro-fit-lu URL: www.pro-fit-lu.com

Events B C C - M o b i l e M a r k e t i n g : a n e w E ld o r a d o o r j u s t a n o t h e r p a r a d i g m change?

British Chamber Lunch at the Hilton Luxembourgon Friday 18 March 2005 Speaker - Daniel Eischen from Interact. More information available here

C r e a t i v e W r i t i n g C lu b o f L u x e m b o u rg (C WC ) The Creative Writing Club of Luxembourg (CWC) is pleased to invite you to the Casino Luxembourg, Contemporary Art Museum on the weekend of 19th and 20th March for an "Art Echo" tour of the current art exhibitions.

What is Art Echo?

Writers from the Creative Writer's Club have written short, original texts in English, in response to the current art exhibition at the Casino and this 'written art' will be performed in front of the artworks by actors from NWTC, Pirate Productions and by some of the writers themselves.

Art Echo Tours of about 1 hour duration will be held twice daily during the museum's open days. Entrance to the museum and to the tours is completely FREE on these days...

Tour Times are 2 pm and 4 pm on Saturday 19th March and 2 pm and 5 pm on Sunday 20th March. (Please note: there is some adult content in the artwork)

F C E L - L a F e d e r a t i o n d e s F e m me s C h e ff e s d ' E n t r e p r i s e Networking evening on Monday 21st March from 19 til 21 at the um Plateau restaurant.

Please register for this event before Thursday 17th March. For further information contact either 021 245695 or 021 775122.

General Information D e a d l i n e f o r t h e Ap r i l 2 0 0 5 N e w s l e t t e r Submissions for the April 2005 newsletter should reach the Editor on or by 4th April 2005 at editor@the-network.lu

Contact Details To advertise on the Network website, or in the newsletter, please check the details on the website.

If you would like to recommend the Network to a colleague or friend, details are published here.

For contact details of the current Network Team, click here.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions of authors expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily state or reflect those of the Network.

The Network Newsletter May 2005 I n t e r n a t i o n a l B u s in e s s & P r o f e s s i o n a l N e tw o rk a s b l (Established 1991)

The Network asbl B.P. 2304 L-1023 Luxembourg e-mail: getintouch@the-network.lu website: http://www.the-network.lu

President's Letter

Dear Networkers Spring is in the air and at the same time university applications are due for submission. As a subscriber to the website of the Ministère de l'Egalité des Chances here in Luxembourg, I recently received some information on the activities the Luxembourg state undertook around Girls’ Day, which took place on the 28th April.

This idea is based on the “Take our daughters to work-day” in the USA, which has been running for 12 years now. While inscriptions were up on last year (460 against 364 in 2004), the number of companies which took part fell from 70 to 60, and these 60 made 75 offers of employment or training. Is this enough?

Why do a Girls’ Day? It seems that even though all areas of study are theoretically open to both sexes, women are still in the minority when it comes to the sciences, technical studies and new communications technologies.

The participating companies give our future networkers a chance to study other employment opportunities they might not yet have considered. I would therefore urge those of you working in non-traditional areas for women – and I know we have a few members in this category – to put your company forward next year as a participant in this scheme. Apart from widening perspectives let us not forget that the “male” areas of employment tend to be more lucrative than traditional female ones!

With best wishes Ruth (Text partly taken from the website http://www.mega.public.lu/actualites/actu_min/2005/04/Girls__Day/index.html)

Editor's Notes Au t h o r : D e i r d r e W o lo h a n

Our attempts of finding an editor for the newsletter haven't been successful so far. So once again, could we please hear from anyone who would like to join the committee in this role.

As you know, the committee work on a voluntary basis and every bit of assistance helps promote this professional group and keep it alive. Please contact any member of the committee for further details about this role. We’d love to hear from you.

New Members - Welcome to the Network P a m T u n n e y ( B E d ; M E d Ad m i n ) Curriculum Coordinator at the International School of Luxembourg. Australian.

I have lived in Luxembourg for 7 years. Previously in Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City where I was head of the Junior School at the International School of Ho Chi Minh City for 2 years. Before that - in Australia in a wide variety of educational positions both administration and teaching.

I am currently a member of a sub-committee of the Conseil Nationale des Etrangers (Special Section Education) which advocates for non-Luxembourgish students integrating into local schools. I am married to an Australian and have 2 children - one at university in Australia and one completing the IB at the International School of Luxembourg. Interests: travel, reading, walking, bicycle riding, classical music, art history, cooking.

Women Put Noses To the Grindstone......

Au t h o r : T h e W a l l S t r e e t J o u r n a l O n l i n e .... and miss opportunities

F r o m k i n d e rg a r t e n t h r o u g h g r a d u a t e s c h o o l , s t u d i e s s h o w t h a t g i r l s o u tp e r f o r m b o ys i n g r a d e s , a d m i s s i o n s a n d e v e n e x t r a c u r r ic u l a r a c t i v i t i e s . H a r d w o r k i s t h e d r i v i n g f o r c e , a s g i rl s r e a d a n d s p e n d fa r m o r e t i m e o n h o me w o r k t h a n b o y s . B u t t h e v e r y t r a i t s t h a t p r o p e l t h e m to the head of the class - diligence, organization, a keen ability to follow instructions and to discern what te achers want - aren't e n o u g h t o c a t a p u l t t h e m u p t h e c o r p o ra t e l a d d e r , a n d ma y e v e n b e h o l d in g t h e m b a c k . W h e n i t c o m e s to l a n d i n g a c o rn e r o f f i c e o r executive title, what counts a lot more than conscientiousness is daring, a s s e r t i v e n e s s a n d th e a b i l i t y t o p r o m o te o n e s e l f - a l l q u a l i t i e s m e n m o re t yp i c a l l y d e m o n s t r a t e .

M e n a n d w o me n b u s i n e s s - s c h o o l g r a d u a t e s s e e m t o s ta r t o u t o n e q u a l f o o t i n g , l a n d i n g r o u g h l y t h e s a m e n u mb e r o f l i n e a n d s t a f f c o r p o r a t e j o b s a c ro s s i n d u s t ri e s . B u t t h r e e d e c a d e s a f t e r t h e y e n t e r e d t h e b u s in e s s w o r l d i n d r o v e s , w o m e n s t i l l a r e n ' t c l i m b in g n e a r l y a s f a s t o r a s h i g h a s t h e i r m a le c o u n t e rp a r t s . A r e c e n t s t u d y o f w o me n i n c o r p o r a t e l e a d e rs h ip b y C a t a l ys t , a N e w Y o r k r e s e a r c h o rg a n i z a t i o n , f o u n d t h a t w o m e n a c c o u n t e d f o r o n l y 1 5 . 7 % o f c o r p o ra t e - o f f i c e r p o s i t i o n s a n d 5 . 2 % o f t o p e a rn e rs a t F o r t u n e 5 0 0 c o m p a n i e s i n 2 0 0 2 .

E v e n m o re t e l l i n g , t h e v a s t m a j o r i t y o f w o m e n i n t o p j o b s a r e i n s t a f f rather than line positions, which rarely lead to the very top. Women hold o n l y 9 . 9 % o f l i n e c o r p o r a te - o f f i c e r j o b s - w h e r e t h e y w o u l d b e o v e r s e e i n g a b u s i n e s s t h a t e a r n s mo n e y f o r t h e i r c o m p a n y - c o m p a r e d with 90.1% for men.

R e s e a r c h e rs a n d f e m a l e e x e c u t i v e s c i t e a v a r i e t y o f r e a s o n s f o r t h i s m e a g e r s h o w in g : ma l e e x e c u t i v e s ' r e l u c t a n c e t o m e n t o r w o m e n , w o m e n ' s e x c l u s i o n f r o m i n f o r m a l n e tw o r k s , a h e s i t a n c y t o c o n s i d e r w o m e n f o r t h e t o u g h e s t p o s t s , a n d w o me n ' s o w n s t ru g g l e t o b a l a n c e c a r e e r s a n d f a m i l i e s - s o m e t i m e s l e a d i n g t h e m t o s e t t l e f o r l e s s - d e ma n d i n g r o l e s a t w o rk . B u t a b i g f a c to r h o ld i n g w o m e n b a c k i s t h e i r g o o d - g ir l , o r g o o d s t u d e n t , b e h a v i o r . " W o m e n w i l l w o r k t h e m s e l v e s t o d e a t h in t h e b e l i e f t h a t i f t h e y d o m o r e a n d mo r e , t h a t w i l l g e t t h e m a h e a d , w h e n i t i s n ' t s o , " s a ys T e r r i D i a l , f o r m e r v i c e c h a i r m a n o f We l l s F a r g o , a n d p re s i d e n t a n d C E O o f i t s W e l l s F a r g o B a n k . " T h e y t h i n k , ' I f I d o t h e w o rk , m y b o s s e s w i l l s e e i t a n d r e w a rd m e . ' " That may never happen. Even Ms. Dial, now an adviser to companies,

a d m i t s t h a t a s a s e n i o r e x e c u t i v e s h e to o k a d v a n t a g e o f h e r f e m a l e s u b o r d in a t e s ' w i l l i n g n e s s t o b e g r i n d s . " G o o d g i r l s d o n ' t a d v e r t i s e , o n l y p r o s t i t u te s a d v e r t i s e , " s h e s a ys . " W e f e e l d i r t y p r o m o t i n g o u r s e l v e s . " As a r e s u l t , w o m e n a r e s t i l l g e t t i n g s t u c k i n t h e m i d d l e , s h u t o u t o f " th e c l u b a t t h e to p . " L is a J a c o b s o n , C E O o f I n s p i r i c a , a N e w Y o r k h i g h s c h o o l a n d c o l l e g e t u t o r i n g c o mp a n y, a g r e e s t h a t w o me n o f t e n d o n ' t a s k f o r w h a t t h e y d e s e rv e . I n t h e 2 0 ye a r s s i n c e s h e f o u n d e d h e r c o m p a n y, n o n e o f t h e f e m a l e l a w ye r s , g r a p h i c d e s i g n e rs , p u b l i c - r e l a t i o n s e x p e r t s , a c c o u n t a n ts o r o t h e r s s h e h a s i n te r v i e w e d t o d o w o r k f o r I n s p i r i c a h a s e v e r q u o t e d h e r a s h i g h a f e e a s t h e i r m a l e c o u n t e rp a r t s . " T h e w o me n a l mo s t a lw a ys s e e m t o s a y , ' I ' m $ 1 2 5 a n h o u r, b u t f o r yo u I ' d c h a rg e $ 7 5 , w h e n t h e g u y j u s t s a ys f l a t l y t h a t h e c h a r g e s $ 3 5 0 , " s h e a d d s . W o me n mu s t l e a r n t o n e g o t i a t e a r t f u l l y, s a ys C a r o l S c h r e i b e r , a N e w H a v e n , C o n n . , e x e c u t i v e c o a c h . S h e c i t e s t h e c a s e o f a w o ma n e x e c u t i v e a t a l a r g e m u l t i n a t i o n a l w h o b e c a m e p e r t u r b e d w h e n a ma l e c o l l e a g u e w h o h a d n ' t p e r f o r m e d a n y b e t t e r s u d d e n l y g o t a p r o mo t i o n .

I n s t e a d o f r u s h i n g i n t o c o mp l a i n t o h e r b o s s w h e n e m o t i o n s w e r e h ig h , s h e s p e n t s e v e r a l m o n th s b u i l d i n g a c a s e f o r h e r s e l f , s a y s M s .

Schreiber. When the woman finally approached her boss, "she d o c u m e n t e d h e r a c c o mp l i s h m e n t s a n d t a l k e d a b o u t w h y s h e d e s e r v e d a p r o mo t i o n a n d m o re p a y" - - a n d g o t b o t h , M s . S c h r e ib e r a d d s .

T o m a k e c h a n g e s , w o m e n n e e d m e n t o rs a n d to b e c a re f u l t o s e e k a w o rk p l a c e c u l t u r e t h a t r e c o g n i z e s a n d r e w a r d s t h e i r t a l e n ts . At P i t n e y B o w e s , S t a m fo r d , C o n n . , t h e l a r g e s t p ro v i d e r o f c o rp o r a te - m a i l s e r v i c e s , a b o u t 2 4 % o f t h e t o p 3 0 0 t o 3 5 0 e mp l o y e e s a r e f e ma l e . M o re t h a n a d e c a d e a g o , t h e n -C E O G e o rg e H a r v e y n o t i c e d t h a t f e ma l e s a l e s e m p l o ye e s w e r e g e tt i n g f a r b e t t e r r e s u lt s t h a n t h e m a l e o n e s . " H e v i s i t e d s a l e s o f f i c e s a n d f o u n d t h a t t h e o n l y p e o p l e th e r e a t n i g h t w e r e w o m e n , m a n y o f t h e m f o r m e r t e a c h e rs , " s a ys J o h n n a G . T o r s o n e , s e n i o r v i c e p r e s i d e n t a n d c h i e f h u m a n - r e s o u rc e s o f f i c e r . " S o h e b e g a n i n s i s t i n g o n h i r i n g m o re w o m e n . . . a n d a l s o i n s i s t i n g o n a l e v e l p l a yi n g f i e l d , f i g u r i n g h e w o u l d n o t o n l y g e t b e t t e r p e r fo r m a n c e f r o m w o me n b u t c r e a t e c o mp e t i t i o n i n m e n a n d r a i s e t h e i r p e r fo r m a n c e l e v e l , t o o . " H e t r i e d t o e n s u r e th e m e n a n d w o m e n o n h i s s ta f f g o t e q u a l t r e a t m e n t a n d p a y. T o d a y, P i t n e y B o w e s h a s a " c r i t i c a l m a s s " o f w o m e n i n m a n a g e me n t , w h i c h h a s c h a n g e d t h e w o r k c u l t u re . " I n e v e r g o t o a m e e t i n g w h e r e t h e re i s n ' t a n o t h e r w o ma n , " s a ys M s . T o r s o n e . B u t grooming more women for top line jobs remains a challenge. "There is s t i l l a n i n v i s i b l e r e l u c t a n c e a mo n g m e n t o t r u s t w o m e n w i th t h e l i f e b l o o d o f t h e c o m p a n y, " s h e s a ys , " a n d s o m e w o me n t h e m s e l v e s h a v e b a c k e d a w a y f r o m t h e s e j o b s , w h i c h a re t o u g h a n d r i s k y. "

M a n y t h a n k s t o G u d r u n R u mp f f o r s u b mi t t i n g t h i s a r t i c l e . I f yo u w o u l d l i k e t o c o n t r i b u t e t o t h e n e w s l e t t e r s i mp l y s e n d i t t o e d i t o r@ t h e n e tw o r k . l u e d i t o r@ th e - n e tw o r k . l u o r u s e t h e o n l i n e f o r m t o s u b m i t articles or documents .

New Committee Judy Critchley Judy joins the committee as the webmaster (or mistress), a position she occupied in 2001.

Judy is the managing director of Precis Language School and owner of the website www.onestoplanguage.net which offers language students the possibility to compare schools around the globe.

Judy featured in our March 2005 newletter with more gritty information on her expanding business network.

L u z Ar e n a s

Spanish born Luz, has a communicative degree in business administration with a sustained record of achievements in the international industry, marketing and trading environments in several European companies.

Luz will fill the role of media contact on the network committee. Working with PR (Deborah Maher) Luz will investigate and implement all opportunities to promote the network in the media here in Luxembourg and on the international stage.

April Meeting Review Au t h o r : C e c i l e S o me r s For almost a month now I have a personal coach. I have never felt more focused, more determined and more in control of my life. I have a target, a strategy, no fear, and I will reach my goal. For Wednesday, April 13th, my coaching plan said 'Go ye to the Spaghetti Factory and write 2000 words.'

Instead, I found myself at the Network Meeting, raising my hand and saying 'Yes, sure, I'll take notes on tonight's talk.' Was it guilt? Stupidity? Or just a temporary sagging moment in my "Fast track development"? *** 'Fast Track Development and Executive Coaching', that was the title of Isabel Page's talk on that 13th of April. In soft-spoken tones, the coach, business woman and author gave us a tour d'horizon of the psychological models used in coaching today, and guided us through some interesting interactive exercises, pointing out tools to coach yourself.

What with globalisation, increased complexity in the work place and the Lisbon strategy - which wants Europe to be the most competitive & innovative knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010 - the pressure to perform and to perform well has increased. And so an increasing number of corporations and people have turned to (self)development tools such as consulting, training, mentoring, counselling, coaching and therapy.

As some of the psychological models discussed by Isabel Page indicate, there is quite a bit of overlap between those used in (psycho)therapy and those used in coaching:

   

Transactional analysis (Dr Eric Berne) (works with the different parent/adult/child ego states, as explained by Johanna van Sabben during her memorable talk); The Inner Game (W. Timothy Gallwey) (which works with individual mental maps) Psychosynthesis (Dr R. Asajoli) (based on Jungian conflict analysis) ["in conflict you demonize them (Camilla Parker-Bowles)" my notes say, and "if you're in conflict it tells you something about yourself"] NLP (=NeuroLinguistic Programming; Bandler and Grinder) (How do you want change, involving all the senses).

As with most things, coaching is all about what goes on in the head, about improving focus, eliminating interference, raising awareness.

The Four Seasons' exercise which we did, and which - based on a discription of the four seasons - asks you to determine what state your team is in (chilly autumn, promising spring, warm and gentle summer or downright cold winter), makes you realize that people may very well feel different about the season they're in. If you are aware of that, you have a better basis on which to approach problems or recurring aggravation.

Other practical elements proposed on the night concerned rules for coaching the self:

     

Decide on a small change Imagine how you are going to be after the change Identify when & where to push the pause button Decide on your reward (chocolate allowed) Be patient and involve a friend if necessary Keep going!

(Plus that magic 3-week rule, which says doing anything for three weeks will turn it into a habit.)

Other topics touched upon were the difference between men and women in their willingness to be coached

(women go through changes naturally, monthly, daily, while men tend to oppose change and will accept coaching only if it's offered as a workplace initiative), and how the value of coaching can be measured (through risk analysis before embarking on the journey).

All in all it was an interesting talk, giving an overview of the many possibilities training, mentoring and coaching provide, whether for personal, family or professional improvement.

One of the post-talk questions was "what's better: see a shrink, a psychotherapist or a coach?"

The answer: a coach will look forward with you, while a psychotherapist will delve back into the past. But whatever your choice in the end, change takes a long time and won't occur without empathy, support and dedication.

That, I thought as I followed my networking fellowettes into the bar for more wine and no more writing, is very true. So the next day I got back on track, slightly out of focus but totally convinced of the added value that coaching, personal or otherwise, provides.

Cecile Somers p.s. get the slides for this event here

Upcoming Network Events M a y N e tw o r k M e e t i n g - 1 1 / 0 5 / 2 0 0 5 S o f i t e l An introduction to the World of Finance When: 11/05/2005 19:30 - Where: Sofitel Dr. Yves Wagner will provide an introduction to the wonderful world of finance. He will discuss concepts such as risk and return, the need for diversification, diversification through emerging markets, alternative investments, via fund of funds and funds of hedge funds.

Dr. Wagner began his non-academic career with Banque Générale du Luxembourg where he became Director of Asset Management, before becoming the Chief Executive Office and Board member of Fortis Investments, Luxembourg.

He left the Fortis Group in order to found “The Directors’ Office”. He is the President of the Luxembourg Society of Financial Analysts and is an advisor and a lecturer at the Luxembourg School of Finance, a business school of the University of Luxembourg.

Future Meetings - Dates for your Diaries Meeting dates for the rest of 2005

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June 15th - Public Speaking - a life skill to be enjoyed, not endured!

September 21st - Speed Networking and discussion groups (members only) October 19th - Further Education in Luxembourg November 7th - Joint event with AMCHAM/ABAL - Luncheon on Promoting Gender Equality November 16th - Health, Nutrition and Excercise

General Information Deadline for the June 2005 Newsletter Submissions for the June newsletter should reach the Editor on or by 3rd June 2005 at editor@the-network.lu

Contact Details To advertise on the Network website, or in the newsletter, please check the details on the website.

If you would like to recommend the Network to a colleague or friend, details are published here.

For contact details of the current Network Team, click here.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions of authors expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily state or reflect those of the Network

The Network Newsletter June 2005 I n t e r n a t i o n a l B u s in e s s & P r o f e s s i o n a l N e tw o rk a s b l (Established 1991)

The Network asbl B.P. 2304 L-1023 Luxembourg e-mail: getintouch@the-network.lu website: http://www.the-network.lu

President's Letter

Dear Networkers The announcement by Kylie Mongue, the Australian pop singer, that she had breast cancer brought home the message that none of us are safe from the disease that is the leading cause of death for women aged 34 to 54.

So in this month's newsletter we have done some Internet based research to find some facts on breast cancer and a reminder of how to examine your breasts yourself - we all know we should not rely on that annual check up with the gynacologist!

Turning now to more Network based business I am pleased to announce that a member has come forward and offered to become the newsletter editor - thanks to Lisa McLean who will be stepping into her role from September.

Our next monthly meeting takes place on Wednesday 15th June and will be a talk by Toastmaster Dermot Murphy on Public Speaking - a life skill to be enjoyed, not endured! At this meeting we will also be making our annual charity donation, totalling EUR 4,000 this year. We are giving EUR 2,000 to Heartbeat, a South African based children's charity which member Jacqui Spence proposed,and EUR 2,000 to the Unity Foundation. As usual after the more formal part of the evening we will be gathering in the bar for some informal networking.

We will then break for the summer with the next edition of the Newsletter coming to you in early September and the monthly meeting on Wedneday 21 September, which will be another speed-networking event, so you have almost 3 months to get more copies of your business card printed or get them done if you don't have some already!

Whatever the summer months bring you, I hope they are enjoyable, sunny and successful.

With best wishes Ruth

Editor's Notes

This month's newsletter comes to you from Ruth as interim newsletter editor - Deirdre Wolohan - is busy unpacking boxes after her move out of the city into the Moselle region of Germany.

We wish her well in her new home and thanks for the hard work over the last year on the newsletter.

New Members - Welcome to the Network M a r y An n S i a r a - D e c k e r I am a Polish-American born in New York State. At present I am a trainer and project manager based in Germany. Most recently I have been training for the EU institutions in Brussels and Luxembourg. Therefore, I spend at least one week per month in Luxembourg. I really look forward to participating more in the Network and getting to know you better. Since I enjoy working in Luxembourg I would also like to explore any new challenges or training opportunities you might have.

My areas of training include: intercultural communication, multicultural teamwork, international project management, English for special purposes, EU funding and project management and EU policy issues. In addition I have extensive experience with training projects funded by such EU programmes as LEONARDO, Phare, Tacis, Bistro and IPSO in Bulgaria, Romania, Russia and the Ukraine. My languages are: English, French, German and Spanish.

Breast cancer awareness

Breast cancer - the statistics Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in the EU, despite the fact that it overwhelmingly affects women. An estimated 245,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000, representing about a quarter of all female cancers diagnosed.

The highest breast cancer incidence and mortality rates in the EU are found in the Netherlands and Denmark whereas the lowest are in Latvia and Lithuania.

How to examine yourself Check for unusual breast changes It is quite normal for most women to notice changes in their breasts during their monthly cycle but only you know what is normal for you. Breast self examination at regular intervals makes good sense. Choose either the first or last day of the month if you are post menopausal or, if you are pre-menopausal check about 7 days after the start of your period.

Check for: A change in size, contour or position of the nipple Obvious lumps or thickening, puckering or dimpling of the skin Veins which are more prominent than usual Inflammation or rash on the breast Blood or discharge from the nipple New sensation – particularly if only in one breast Check yourself When ready to bathe or shower, stand in front of a mirror, arms at sides and look at each breast. Raise arms above your head and look again. With hands on hips, press inward to tighten chest muscles, then look from the sides and underneath; lean forwards and look at the shape. When in the shower or bath, soap hands and, keeping fingers flat and together, press each breast gently and firmly moving hand over the whole breast, including into the armpit, up to the collar bone and behind the nipple.

Check it out If you notice anything unusual, see your doctor. Remember, 9 out of 10 lumps are harmless. The breast is often naturally lumpy as a result of normal glandular changes. The purpose of examining your breasts is to detect changes you haven’t noticed before.

This text taken from the Europa Donna website and more information can be found at:

http://www.cancerworld.org/CancerWorld/home.aspx?id_sito=5&id_stato=1

May meeting review Au t h o r : E l i s a J e n s e n Dr. Yves Wagner’s talk to the Network in May centered more on the historical development of finance, than on concepts such as risk and return, the need for diversification, alternative investments, via fund of funds and funds of hedge funds. While I was expecting a general review of what these terms meant, and which were important in which cases, this was possibly beyond the scope of the meeting.

Dr. Yves Wagner is a founding member of The Director's Office, which provides external executive services. A new EC directive requires that entities that currently only exist through their legal status (instead of a physical presence) now have more management, and therefore it would be beneficial to have detached directors that would not be affected by the investments.

Here are some of the people that shaped 'investment theories', and some of the other highlights that Dr. Wagner discussed: Blaise Pascal of the 17 century who tried to define risk by defining probability (and worked out risk based on gambling), and how to behave in the face of uncertainty? Daniel Bernoulli of the 18th century elaborated a decision theory, which is the best decision that maximized the expected return? The paradox of St Petersbourg, Louis Bachelier of the 19th century, wrote the theory of speculation. The random walk shows the unpredictability of prices in the stock market. Normal distributions in efficient stock markets move randomly. Alfred Cowles from Yale developed the theory: can one forecast a price if prices move randomly? Finally a global theory in decisionmaking was defined. "Buying stocks is one big chess game". John Nash of Princeton (we were reminded of the biographical movie "A Beautiful Mind") in the 90's developed this further. Mr. Markowitz was important in the development of the modern portfolio theory. He introduced diversification - how to combine different assets. Mr. Sharpe then went from portfolio management to asset pricing. Stephen Ross now has developed asset pricing theory (2 assets with same risk and same expected return - if not you can do arbitrage).

Dr. Wagner also answered some questions from the audience; and pointed out that there is more data available in the U.S. (for example GDP is calculated monthly not quarterly as in Europe). This makes the U.S. market more reactive (to react you need information). Efficiency of markets takes into account full information.

When asked on the "future of Luxembourg’s financial sector" he forecasted that the financial market is not at risk for international credit operations or even for private banking. The highest risk is in funds. He added that there are now 160 banks but the optimal number is 100.

Thank you Dr. Wagner for a very interesting presentation of the development of finance, and for showing us the complexity of this field. Let's hope our Private Bankers are linked to very good analysts, and software, that reflect all the discoveries of these Nobel Prize laureates!

Upcoming Network Events Public Speaking - a life skill to be enjoyed, not endured!

Dermot Murphy will speak on this topic at our 15 June meeting Research has shown that public speaking is one of the top three things people fear the most! But it doesn't have to be that way. Public speaking is an art form that can be mastered and enjoyed by everyone. Indeed it's a very important life skill that can change peoples lives.

No need to dread that after dinner speech, or that impromptu presentation you've been asked to give at the drop of a hat. Learn how to speak with confidence in public based on Toastmasters International's Communication and Leadership Programme and wave those jitters goodbye!"

Dermot Murphy has been a member of Toastmasters International for the past 5 years and has achieved Competent Toastmaster (CTM) status as a member of the Greenheart Club in Luxembourg. As well as following the Communication and Leadership Programme, Dermot has served on the Committee of the Greenheart Club and has also entered club competitions where he has won several awards. Dermot is currently following the advanced speaker's programme and soon hopes to achieve CTM Bronze status.

Future Meetings - Dates for your Diaries Meeting dates for the rest of 2005     

June 15th - Public Speaking - a life skill to be enjoyed, not endured!

September 21st - Speed Networking and discussion groups (members only) October 19th - Further Education in Luxembourg November 7th - Joint event with AMCHAM/ABAL - Luncheon on Promoting Gender Equality November 16th - Health, Nutrition and Excercise

Events Exchange of Business Cards - Open Day Tuesday 14th June 2005 at Rita Knott's business premises from 15-21h For more details visit http://www.coachsuche.com/home/RitaKnott/ Amcham ComIT on IT profile recruitment and management Thursday 16th June at Banque Generale du Luxembourg, Coin Bd. Royal, Rue Notre Dame at 18.30h For more details visit http://www.amcham.lu/events/ Second Hand Book Sale - Top Squash Saturday 18th June from 10 - 14h BCC - British Chambre of Commerce - Small Business Seminar "Small Business Financial Affairs" "Part Two, Obtaining Finance" WEDNESDAY 29th June 2005 at the Chambre de Commerce Luxembourg, (7 rue Alcide de Gasperi, Luxembourg Kirchberg).

For more details visit http://www.bcc.lu/ContactForm/index3.php?id=81

General Information D e a d l i n e f o r t h e S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 5 N e w s le t t e r Submissions for the September 2005 newsletter should reach the Editor on or by Friday 2nd September 2005 at editor@the-network.lu

Contact Details To advertise on the Network website, or in the newsletter, please check the details on the website.

If you would like to recommend the Network to a colleague or friend, details are published here.

For contact details of the current Network Team, click here.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions of authors expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily state or reflect those of the Network.

The Network Newsletter September 2005 I n t e r n a t i o n a l B u s in e s s & P r o f e s s i o n a l N e tw o rk a s b l (Established 1991)

The Network asbl B.P. 2304 L-1023 Luxembourg e-mail: getintouch@the-network.lu website: http://www.the-network.lu

President's Letter

Hello to everyone and welcome back after what has to have been one of the worst summers for weather for some of us at least. Despite visiting three European countries, a large black cloud seemed to follow us for large parts of the time. Unusually by the time I got back here, the good weather had decided to come to Luxembourg If like me you are struggling to get back into the swing of things, then what better than to take some time out for yourself and get along to our next meeting on 21 September. In addition to making new friends with some speed-networking, the evening will also feature a question and answer session with a panel from four recruitment companies entitled “Talking to the recruiters – what I need to know”.

To go back slightly in time, I would just like to mention the interesting initiative that network member Rita Knott took on 14th June, when she held an open doors networking event at her home. She offered a platform for many self-employed people to present their businesses and services, and it was great to see so many network members there show-casing their companies and products.

Now to go somewhat forward in time to put a date in your diaries. On Monday 7th November there will be a first event organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the Network. This will take place as a luncheon at the Hilton Hotel and the guest speaker will be Marie-Jeanne Chevremont from PricewaterhouseCoopers who will be talking about Gender Equality. Network members are of course welcome to attend this event, and more details and enrolment can be done at http://www.amcham.lu/events/detail.php?event=53 .

I was also asked to submit an article for the forth-coming Amcham newsletter, which I was delighted to do as this helps raise our profile in the business world and hopefully will attract new members for us. A copy of the article will appear in next month’s network newsletter for your information.

I hope that you enjoy reading this newsletter and do not hesitate to contact myself or any member of the committee with your ideas, suggestions or articles.

With best wishes Ruth

Editor's Notes Au t h o r : L i s a M c L e a n Hello from the desk of the editor. I would love to say from the editor’s pool side or private yacht, however, the balmy nights of summer are no more and the pool and yacht have yet to come, so it is back to the desk and the daily routine. It is apt that I mention my desk as I have been sitting here for an age now figuring out this easy-to-use software that gets your Network newsletter to you in efficient electronic form. Of course it did seem easy all those months ago when Ruth Springham explained it to me, however, I am sure that at that stage I had only said “Don’t worry if you don’t find an editor by September I’ll do it”, never thinking for a minute I would actually end up doing it. And so I sit.. and I sit…and I sit…

Meanwhile, I will introduce myself. I left Scotland 18 years ago and took the high road to Stuttgart, Germany on the trail of a German I initially thought was Dutch. Three countries, three professions and three children later and

here we are. I have been in Luxembourg for nine years and work freelance as a communications consultant. Lisa McLean Communications takes care of the marketing and public relations needs of a number of small businesses in Luxembourg. For many years I worked for the airline industry and cherish memories of cheap standby travel to the many corners of the world. These memories sustain me in the writing and painting that I do in my spare time.

I am possibly most proud of the fact that my language teachers from high school would never have believed that I have successfully mastered the two languages over which they lamented at my lack of ability and commitment.

I joined The Network a year ago after visiting as a guest a number of times and enjoying some great speakers. I know that without the hard work of the volunteer committee The Network would not be as vibrant an organisation, therefore, I am delighted to be able to contribute (assuming I get the hang of the software). Equally without active feedback from you, the members, the newsletter will be less than it could be. So keep the information coming in my direction.

Review of June Meeting - Public Speaking...to be enjoyed not endured Au t h o r : S a l l y C a r t e r Public Speaking… to be enjoyed, not endured!

Did you know that there’s a 99.9% possibility we will be asked to speak in public at some point in our lives?

Dermot Murphy was present at the June Network meeting to enlighten us. Think about it: even if this skill is not required in your day to day professional life, you could be called upon to speak at a birthday celebration, to make your point at a local group, or even to assemble and deliver the dreaded wedding speech.

Practising this skill, we were informed, can help us to overcome the nervousness (/terror!) we all naturally experience when confronted with a public speaking situation, and also to harness that fear in a positive way.

Indeed, Dermot insisted cheerfully, the whole ordeal can even be fun with the right training!

The vital ingredients for making a good impression when speaking were swiftly identified. The preparation of the speech; not merely the content, but also how you will get your point across, becomes a key factor. When preparing, it is also important to acquaint yourself with the room in which you will be making the speech, and if possible, to try to get to know your audience; both of which measures will help you to gauge the tone and volume required and will hopefully already alleviate some of your anxiety.

Next, we must all become more aware of our natural voices, and practise expression when speaking, a point cleverly established by Dermot as he manipulated his own soft Irish tones to demonstrate a wide range of pitch and clever variations of speed. Who knows, Dermot grinned wryly, with a bit of practise, we might actually learn to love our voices!

The importance of eye contact combined with facial and hand gestures were clarified next; no one likes a speaker who is afraid to address the audience fully and directly; and we were enlightened as to the use of other props for extra interest while we talked.

Public speaking can easily be practised in a number of ways: by volunteering to give talks at work, by joining a local theatre group, by getting involved with local radio, something Dermot has successfully done on a number of occasions; and we could always consider the international public speaking organisation the Toastmasters.

Toastmasters International was set up in the US in 1924 and has 200,000 members worldwide in 80 countries.

The language of the club is English, but in Luxembourg, almost half of the members are non-native English speakers. Basically, there are many different people with many different backgrounds but one common objective: To enjoy speaking in public. The club does not merely meet and give random speeches, but works on all aspects of presentation and communication skills, its members entering competitions and practising ‘off the cuff’ speaking, as well as preparing and delivering speeches.

If you are interested in joining, the Greenheart Toastmasters meet every first and third Monday of the month at 19.30 in Pizza Hut (upstairs), 277 Route d'Arlon, L-8011 Strassen, or for more info you can visit http://www.greenhearttoastmasters.org/

Upcoming Network Events S p e e d -n e tw o rk i n g a n d " T a l k i n g t o t h e re c r u i t e r s - w h a t I n e e d t o k n o w " Wednesday 21st September To kick start our autumn season at The Network we decided to start with what we do best - Networking! The first

evening takes place on Wednesday 21st of September at our usual venue, the Sofitel. Registration is from 19.30 and the meeting itself at 20.00. We will begin with a few rounds of speed-networking, so have your business cards ready!

Following this will be a session entitled “Talking to the recruiters-what I need to know”. This part of the evening takes the form of a question and answer session with a panel from four recruitments companies. The panelists are : Anita De Viell (Fast), Sinéad O'Donnell (Ajilon), Jacqueline Huisman (Rowlands), Vanessa Mahaux (Ranstad).

The panel will address various topics which have been defined based on feedback from Network members. This information can be provided via the form at http://www.the-network.lu/Form.php?id=7 and the final deadline for submission is Thursday 15th September. So come along and make it a great evening - catch-up, network or perhaps glean the information you need to make a head start on a new career.

  

October 19th - Further Education in Luxembourg November 7th - Joint event with AMCHAM/ABAL - Luncheon on Promoting Gender Equality November 16th - Health, Nutrition and Excercise

100,000 websites apply descriptive labels Few would argue that the Internet is now a mainstream facility. The majority of households in leading nations are online and rapid global adoption continues apace.

As a mass medium that children use regularly for both education and entertainment, parents and governments want to ensure that children enjoy the positive elements of the Internet - whether on a desktop or mobile device whilst avoiding unwanted activities and content.

The Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA) is an international non profit organisation that has designed a global content labelling scheme so as to empower users to make their own decisions about the type of content they want to access, whilst respecting the free speech rights of content providers.

The ICRA approach to Internet safety is divided into two core elements, Labelling and Filtering, which are the responsibilities of the content provider and the end user respectively.

1. Objective Content Labelling. Content providers check a series of descriptors in a questionnaire format. Labels are then created by ICRA that the content provider attaches to each web page as code 2. Content Filtering. Internet users can download and install an innovative filtering tool such as ICRAplus, which is downloadable for free from ICRA's website or via a trusted third party.

Once installed, the filter ‘reads’ these labels, blocking or allowing content as defined by the user. Other filtering modules, such as Artificial Intelligence or URL blocklists, can be plugged into ICRAplus for a more robust solution.

A straightforward questionnaire allows content providers to describe the type of content published. Based on this information, ICRA generates a simple, easy-to-use content label (a piece of computer code) which is added to the site in question.

The label is descriptive, rather than evaluative, containing objective descriptions of content, rather than agebased evaluations. The labels also place content within its context (i.e. art, medical, educational etc).

The ICRA system has been translated into six languages - French, German, Spanish, Italian and simplified and traditional Chinese.

The 100,000 websites worldwide which have already self-labelled include such brand names as Microsoft, AOL, Yahoo, T-Online and Hustler, representing millions of web pages.

ICRA is part funded by the European Union’s Safer Internet Programme. Visit the website or contact Stephen Balkam for more information.

Author: Stephen Balkam, CEO, ICRA Link www.icra.org Taken from Insafe saferinternet.org monthly newsletter May 2005

Events September in Review Au t h o r : H e l e n M i t c h e l l “Talking to the recruiters – what I need to know”.

Recruitment Representatives: Huisman, Jacqueline – Rowlands, De Viell, Anita - Fast O'Donnell, Sinéad-Helen – Ajilon Mahaux, Vanessa – Randstad Jacqueline Huisman of Rowlands opened with some good news- the Luxembourg market is picking up a little with an improvement on the period 2001-2003. With the financial and legal sectors still recruiting, openings are also appearing for companies domiciled in Luxembourg as they are now legally required to have more staff based here. Jacqueline stressed the importance of identifying and emphasizing the competitive advantage that you can offer, and of course mastering languages is essential in all professions. Although recent research showed the number of women in management declining, Jacqueline advised the audience to take heart from the fact that there seems to be a greater openness in employing woman, especially those reentering the market.

Sinéad-Helen O’Donnell of Aijilon took over with a look at how to position yourself on the market. She emphasized that understanding your strengths and weaknesses, recognizing your specialist skills and experiences, your past achievements and your career priorities is vital. Following this, your job market research should vary from networking and using recruitments consultants to local press and internet to ensure the best overall view of the market.

Interestingly, while the financial sector makes up 28% of the market, other sectors including sales and marketing are increasing and job-seekers should not presume that only those with experience in finance stand a chance of being recruited. Sinéad also emphasized that languages remain a priority and you can get jobs without having specific experience but you need to be clear about your transferable skills and to ensure that you can adapt both your experience and your CV to the offer. Sinéad’s caveat-Once prepared, persist and stay positive!

Vanessa Mahaux started her presentation stating that your CV is your business card, its objectives to get you both the interview and the job!! It must show your motivations, flexibility, relevant experience, communication, language and integration skills. Clarity, accuracy, honesty and action words are crucial as is adapting your CV to the job that is being offered. It is also important not to leave gaps in your experience – you need to show if you have taken parental leave or time out for other reasons. A first glance at your CV should entice the employer to delve further into the detail and having done so, to invite you for an interview so that you can impress them in person and get that job!

Luxembourg is a small place and it is important to make a good impression on everyone, according to Anita De Viell.

Top tips included being prepared – having not only a full understanding of the job, the company and what relevant skills you can offer, but turning up on time relaxed and appropriately presented.

Remember that the interview is a two-way thing. Both you and the employer have a specific need and the process of fulfilling these needs requires excellent communication. Furthermore it is important to keep in mind that different types of questions are likely to be asked in technical interviews where the discussion will be job specific experience and HR interviews where they will want to learn more about you.

Some good points to remember: don’t be too clever, digress, lie, lose your temper or slate previous employers!

At the end of the interview you should have a full understanding of the job and if not, you should ask any questions you feel important.

To avoid devaluing your experience or pricing yourself out of the job, try to keep salary questions until you have been offered the job – it’s easier to negotiate when you know they want you!

Most importantly, the company has chosen you, relax, you know yourself best!

Saturday 1 October at 9.00h British Ladies Club Grand Annual Jumble & Book Sale, Kirchberg Saturday 17 September from 15.00-17.00h Swedish fitness organisation Friske & Svettis offers free workout

sessions outdoors at Parc Pré du Roi next to Avenue de la Porte Neuve (City Parc close to Glacis).For details about this fun event visit www.friskesvettis.lu Saturday 8 October For the 3rd year Europa Donna Luxembourg are organising a Walk against Breast Cancer "Laf géint de Bröschtkriibs". For further information visit www.europadonna.lu October 21 and 22 October in Luxembourg - Conference on Male & Female Stereotypes in Education. For more details contact the Ministère de l'Egalité des chances tel: +352 478-5814 or email:info@mega.public.lu October (date to be finalised) Get Golfing with The Network at Junglinster Golf Club, visit www.the-network.lu for update.

Movers and Groovers - Network Members LÉA Jewellery moves!

As of 1 October, LÉA jewellery leaves the showroom in Hollerich and moves to 12 rue Münster in the Grund. The new premises are located opposite Mosconi. An atelier is on location and custom jewellery is realised on demand. Several designers are also exhibited offering a diversity of colours, materials and styles and classical or modern designs.

Opening hours are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 10am-6:30pm, Wednesday 10am-8pm, Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 10am-1 pm. Also, the afternoon tea tradition is continued on Wednesday afternoons from 2pm till 5pm.

Before the move, LÉA plans sales on the showroom collection, 83 rue de Hollerich, Saturday, September 12th and 17th, 2 pm till 6 pm.

On the night of October 1st, from 6.30, LÉA celebrates the grand opening with a cocktail and jewellery show. The event is by invite only and LÉA extends an invitation to all Network members. To RSVP please contact 26 10 37 30 or lea@bylea.com

M o v i n g O n ! F r o m N e tw o r k m e mb e r S a n n a F r e w I have not had the opportunity to come to The Network meetings recently as I have been travelling a lot and have recently started a new position in Baltimore, USA. I send everyone my very best regards and should I every come back to Luxembourg, I will surely join The Network again.

Best regards, Sanna Vice President Operations Hydro Aluminum North America 801 International Drive Linthicum, MD 21090 Tel: +1 410 487 8193

Future Meetings - Dates for your Diaries Meeting dates for the rest of 2005   

October 19th - Further Education in Luxembourg November 7th - Joint event with AMCHAM/ABAL - Luncheon on Promoting Gender Equality November 16th - Health, Nutrition and Excercise

General Information D e a d l i n e f o r t h e O c t o b e r 2 0 0 5 N e w s l e t te r Submissions for the October 2005 newsletter should reach the Editor on or by 4 October 2005. Our contact details are listed here.

Contact Details To advertise on the Network website, or in the newsletter, please check the details on the website.

If you would like to recommend the Network to a colleague or friend, details are published here.

For contact details of the current Network Team, click here.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions of authors expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily state or reflect those of the Net

The Network Newsletter October 2005 I n t e r n a t i o n a l B u s in e s s & P r o f e s s i o n a l N e tw o rk a s b l (Established 1991)

The Network asbl B.P. 2304 L-1023 Luxembourg e-mail: getintouch@the-network.lu website: http://www.the-network.lu

President's Letter

Dear Networkers Two articles in the press have recently come my way which deal with where women are in the corporate world today and which make interesting reading.

Did you know for example that the phrase "glass ceiling" was in fact coined by The Wall Street Journal 20 years ago? However it seems that many organisations still have not addressed these issues. A recent study by the Chartered Management Institute in the UK talks about how the glass ceiling has given way to a "skylight effect" allowing women managers to be promoted faster. Salaries however are not at the same level as male counterparts. Nevertheless one positive point was that the number of women in management roles has trebled in 10 years and women now make up almost one third of the UK's 4.5m managers.

Another article was titled "The hidden obstacles to women’s final ascent" and spoke about how thirty middle managers, men and women, had gathered for an off-site meeting to discuss their company’s new diversity programme. The facilitator began by asking them to give their respective thoughts on what it was like being a man or a woman working for the company.

The women soon began writing furiously. The men looked puzzled. The facilitator asked if there was a problem.

"I’m sorry," one of the men replied, "but I’m not sure I understand the question." Need I say more?

The article went on to explain that many of the largest companies quoted on stock exchanges are now trying to address this problem as they believe that business is losing out in terms of both competition and governance by having so little female talent and perspective at the top. And what they are doing is running mentoring projects for aspiring female directors with leading chairmen and chief executives acting as their mentors.

However women have still a long way to go to breaking that glass ceiling as in the biggest western European countries women account for only 8% of board directors and just 5% of top managers. Over in the US women fare slightly better as 14% of Fortune 500 directors are women.

Apparently there are a number of factors which prevent women rising to the top – long hours, a lot of travel, not being listened to, feeling isolated. But as one American woman vice-president puts it: "To get to the top level you need a killer instinct. I don’t want to be so aggressive that I leave dead bodies along the way. I don’t want to lose my values. This shouldn’t be the only way." Or see cartoon for an alternative take on this!

Enjoy reading the rest of the newsletter and don’t forget the final two Network meetings of 2006 on 19 October and 16 November.

Best wishes Ruth

Editor's Notes Au t h o r : L i s a M c L e a n Hi again from the desk of the editor. Well I’ve got the hang of the software and it is oh so simple! Plug and play if ever there was...which reminds me to plug e2advance for the great job and a specifically mention Deirdre of the aforementioned company for all her support in my new role. A big plug for the girl who likes to play! Furthermore, thanks to those of you who have contributed this month, especially Helen Mitchell for her review of our last meeting, I was so busy speed-networking and enjoying myself that I would have had a hard time taking notes. In other words, I have absolutely no excuse for not making a brilliant job of this Newsletter.

Some items in the local news have been of interest this past month; one in particular is a campaign by the Luxembourg police to make people aware of the dangers of Phishing emails and I have included a short article on this.

More disturbing statistics were released about the frequency of domestic violence in the Grande-Duchy; perhaps unsurprisingly women continue to be most directly affected by such violence.

On a positive note, statistics released this month show that girls are performing better than boys in Luxembourg secondary schools, with girls scoring better baccalaureate results in Classic (81% to 72% passed) and in Technique (70% to 63% passed) schools. Equally interesting is the fact that girls scored better in subjects traditionally seen as male dominated such as maths, physics and economics.

There is little left for me to say other than, enjoy… and see you at the next Network meeting.

September in Review Au t h o r : H e l e n M i t c h e l l

“Talking to the recruiters – what I need to know”.

Recruitment Representatives: Huisman, Jacqueline – Rowlands, De Viell, Anita - Fast O'Donnell, Sinéad-Helen – Ajilon Mahaux, Vanessa – Randstad The September meeting was opened with some exhilarating rounds of speed-networking. Then the event moved on to the main part of the evening "Talking to the recruiters-what I need to know". Jacqueline Huisman of Rowlands opened with some good news - the Luxembourg market is picking up a little with an improvement on the period 2001-2003. With the financial and legal sectors still recruiting, openings are also appearing for companies domiciled in Luxembourg as they are now legally required to have more staff based here. Jacqueline stressed the importance of identifying and emphasizing the competitive advantage that you can offer, and of course mastering languages is essential in all professions. Although recent research showed the number of women in management declining, Jacqueline advised the audience to take heart from the fact that there seems to be a greater openness in employing woman, especially those reentering the market.

Sinéad-Helen O’Donnell of Aijilon took over with a look at how to position yourself on the market. She emphasized that understanding your strengths and weaknesses, recognizing your specialist skills and experiences, your past achievements and your career priorities is vital. Following this, your job market research should vary from networking and using recruitments consultants to local press and internet to ensure the best overall view of the market.

Interestingly, while the financial sector makes up 28% of the market, other sectors including sales and marketing are increasing and job-seekers should not presume that only those with experience in finance stand a chance of being recruited. Sinéad also emphasized that languages remain a priority and you can get jobs without having specific experience but you need to be clear about your transferable skills and to ensure that you can adapt both your experience and your CV to the offer. Sinéad’s caveat-Once prepared, persist and stay positive!

Vanessa Mahaux started her presentation stating that your CV is your business card, its objectives to get you both the interview and the job!! It must show your motivations, flexibility, relevant experience, communication, language and integration skills. Clarity, accuracy, honesty and action words are crucial as is adapting your CV to

the job that is being offered. It is also important not to leave gaps in your experience – you need to show if you have taken parental leave or time out for other reasons. A first glance at your CV should entice the employer to delve further into the detail and having done so, to invite you for an interview so that you can impress them in person and get that job!

Luxembourg is a small place and it is important to make a good impression on everyone, according to Anita De Viell. Top tips included being prepared – having not only a full understanding of the job, the company and what relevant skills you can offer, but turning up on time, relaxed and appropriately presented.

Remember that the interview is a two-way thing. Both you and the employer have a specific need and the process of fulfilling these needs requires excellent communication. Furthermore it is important to keep in mind that different types of questions are likely to be asked in technical interviews where the discussion will be job specific experience and HR interviews where they will want to learn more about you.

Some good points to remember: don’t be too clever, digress, lie, lose your temper or slate previous employers! At the end of the interview you should have a full understanding of the job and if not, you should ask any questions you feel important. To avoid devaluing your experience or pricing yourself out of the job, try to keep salary questions until you have been offered the job – it’s easier to negotiate when you know they want you!

Most importantly, the company has chosen you, relax, you know yourself best!

Upcoming Network Events F u r t h e r E d u c a t i o n in L u x e mb o u r g The upcoming Network event is on the 19th of October at 19.30 in the Sofitel. The topic is Further Education in Luxembourg and speakers present will represent The Open University, Luxembourg Lifelong Learning Centre and the 2nd Degree.

New Members - Welcome to the Network I n t r o d u c i n g a n e w m e m b e r t o T h e N e t w o rk : J a n e t G a i g a n i s ( D r o e s s l e r ): I am 37 years ‘young’ and come from Bancroft, Iowa - a small rural farming community of 800 persons in north central Iowa. I am the youngest of 6 children. I grew up in a close-knit community and attended the local parochial school of St Johns.

After graduating high school, the last thing I wanted to do was more studying! Instead I wanted to get away and see the world so I enlisted in the US Air Force. My first tour assignment after boot camp (that was a humbling experience) in Texas and speciality training in Colorado (loved the Rockies!) was Bitburg Air Base, Germany. Alas, travelling Europe the first 2 years and frequenting Luxembourg due to proximity led to my demise as I fell in love with all things European and haven't left since 1987. In 1993, I departed military active duty after my initial 6-year obligation and joined the USAF Reserves whilst finding a job in Luxembourg with JPMorgan Asset Management (then known as Fleming Fund Management).

At JP Morgan I have worked in Transfer Agency Services, Client Services and Operations Relationship Management and am now currently Vice President, Internal Communication. Having joined the work force at such a young age I felt foolish to return as a full time student so instead I did ‘double duty’ by attending university through correspondence and evening courses during my working career. I finally ‘closed the book’ (for now) on continual studies which started in 1988 when I completed a 3 year JPMorgan company-sponsored MBA programme in 2001. I also still don my military uniform regularly throughout the year with the US Air Force Reserve as a Senior Master Sergeant attached to Ramstein AB, Germany working for Headquarters, United States Air Forces in Europe (HQ USAFE) in Logistics Readiness.

In 2000, I made an even bigger commitment to Europe by marrying Ioannis Gaiganis (Greek) and we now have three rambunctious daughters: Theodora 3 years old, Sophia 2 years old, and Elisabeth 7 months old.

Just before the birth of our third daughter in February 2005, my husband and I opened Coshoola Espresso Bar at the Glacis Business Center in Limpertsberg. We both adore a good cup of coffee as well as a good glass of wine and thought the current services landscape was missing a trendy, European-style coffee bar/bistrot by day and a wine bar by night. Visit us at www.coshoola.com.

I joined The Network to expand my circle of professional friends and colleagues and get to know more of the ladies in the English-speaking community in Luxembourg.

My interests (when time permits) include: outdoors, nature, animals, craft, and reading. I also very much appreciate a good night out with the girls over dinner and drinks discussing children, politics, religion, and women’s upper hand on men generally! .

Movers and Groovers - Network Members V i v i a n e o f f e r s I n s p ir a t i o n a n d I n f o r ma t i o n Look out for Network member Viviane Bumb at the Salon du l'enfant at the Foire Kirchberg from the 15th until the 23rd October. Vivian will be at the Messageries du Livre and the Cactus stand presenting her new book Family Guide Luxembourg.Viviane's book is the companion for parents in Luxembourg, offering inspiration and information for families-600 addresses with comments and tips about things to do and places to go. Family Guide Luxembourg is available in German and English at Messageries du Livre around town and Cactus as well as other bookstores.

Or order online at www.familyguide.lu

The Network in the Press The present committee are making efforts to gain more publicity for The Network. To this end, we were fortunate to be featured in the autumn AMCHAM newsletter. The following is taken from a Press Release that will be sent to the Luxembourg press this coming week.

The Network in Review As the age-old saying goes “necessity is the mother of invention”, and so it was in 1991 that four dynamic professional women, on determining that none of the existing social groups met their needs, founded The International Business & Professional Network; “The Network” as it is generally known.

As today’s President Ruth Springham explains; since 1991, the fundamental objectives of The Network have not necessarily changed, they have simply been redefined to keep pace with changes in Luxembourg and in particular the employment market. First and foremost the group aims to promote career and personal development for women of all nationalities within the Luxembourg community and to this end takes every opportunity to promote women as valuable contributors to the Luxembourg economy; equally the group encourages women to achieve more satisfying careers. The Network actively works to serve its members as a resource on information relating to professional development, at the same time it also aims to market the skills and expertise of its members. Through various events it fosters and encourages social, cultural, educational and philanthropic activities.

The Network fulfils its objectives in a number of ways. Most important are the monthly meetings, which are held on the third Wednesday in the month at the Sofitel Hotel. These are normally based around a talk by an invited speaker, after which networking takes place in the meeting room and bar. A monthly newsletter is also published to keep members informed of forth-coming events, other items of interest and acts as a forum for members to introduce themselves and highlight any recent career developments. Finally, The Network also runs a website which has public areas to attract new members, and members’ only areas where members can post notices, use the on-line membership directory to find a member’s detail and look up details of other relevant websites.

At present the club’s membership stands at around 150, with some 30 nationalities represented. While the language of communication is English, less than one third of members are mother-tongue English speakers.

Duped! - Don’t let it be you!

Au t h o r : L i s a M c L e a n

If you are like me, you have probably had one of these and until now have not realised that there is an actual term for them - PHISHING.emails. You know the ones I mean, the ever so polite, well written ones from an African Prince whose father was killed in a fatal accident leaving all their money frozen by the government. However, this is not the only form PHISHING emails can take, some are much less obvious. I almost fell for one that I received from someone claiming to be from eBay, thinking that my husband had set-up

an account; luckily I checked with him.

Indeed, so prolific is this activity now that the Police de Grand Ducal has issued warning statements against acknowledging them in any way. That may seem to be stating the obvious, however as criminals become more and more sophisticated in their methods, the chances that one of us will be conned increases.

According to Luxembourg’s police the most common scam is to try and get individuals to disclose confidential information such as PIN codes and Passwords to bank accounts. They advise that to ensure that you do not become a victim of PHISHING you should follow these security measures: - Make sure that in Internet Explorer your address (URL) for your bank account starts with https://; - Ignore emails or telephone calls which ask you for confidential information. Bank personnel will NEVER ask for your PIN or password – elderly people are particularly vulnerable and trusting, especially those with little or no internet experience.

- Never click on a link that is given in an emails, rather always put the web address directly in the address window of Internet explorers.

How to identify a PHISHING email:You receive an unsolicited email that seems to come from your bank of a clearing centre. In reality this is a criminal acting as your bank representative or clearing centre. They try to con you by using terms such as “Security and data protection” or “investigation of irregularities”. Often you will receive notices such as “Your account will be suspended” or “Your account must be verified” Two interesting links from Luxembourg police and the Luxembourg Association for security on the internet are: http://www.cases.public.lu/pratique/solutions/phishing_test/index.php http://www.police.public.lu/conseils_prevention/conseils_pratiques/internet/phishing/index.html

The tests on these websites are very good and explain how to recognise PHISHING with excellent “test yourself” samples (AMAZON, PayPal scams etc.) helping you to recognize the tricks. And remember people really get duped by this, even smart people! This could save you a lot of heartache and money.

Future Meetings - Dates for your Diaries The Network   

October 19th - Further Education in Luxembourg November 7th - Joint event with AMCHAM/ABAL - Luncheon on Promoting Gender Equality November 16th - Health, Nutrition and Excercise

Conferences of Interest 20 Octobre 2005: Women's Forum "Fraeforum 2005" http://www.mpf.public.lu/actualites/actu_min/2005/10/Fraeforum_-_campagne_20 05/index.html

10 Novembre 2005: Competitiveness and Diversity of Women and Men in the World of Banking http://www.mega.public.lu/actualites/actu_min/2005/11/Gender_Diversity/index .html

Other Bring and Buy Champaigne Brunch at Restaurant Reimerwee on Thursday, 1 December 2005 from 09.30 – 11.30 hours.Why not selling off your redundant formal evening gowns just in time for the holiday season? For more information contact theliggersball@hotmail.com

General Information Deadline for the November 2005 Newsletter Submissions for the November 2005 newsletter should reach the Editor on or by 4th November 2005. Our contact details are listed here.

Contact Details To advertise on the Network website, or in the newsletter, please check the details on the website.

If you would like to recommend the Network to a colleague or friend, details are published here.

For contact details of the current Network Team, click here.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions of authors expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily state or reflect those of the Network.

The Network Newsletter November 2005 I n t e r n a t i o n a l B u s in e s s & P r o f e s s i o n a l N e tw o rk a s b l (Established 1991)

The Network asbl B.P. 2304 L-1023 Luxembourg e-mail: getintouch@the-network.lu website: http://www.the-network.lu

President's Letter

Dear Networkers As I write the last newsletter article from me for 2005, we have just co-hosted our first event with the American Chamber of Commerce and the Federation des Femmes Cheffes d'Entreprises Luxembourg (FFCEL). Paul Schonenberg from Amcham invited both myself and Claudine Speltz from the FFCEL to give a brief overview of our respective associations to the some 100 women and men who attended a luncheon in the Hilton Hotel on 7th November.

With our newly printed flyers in our hands (and on as many tables as we could get them) we were keen to use this occasion to spread the word about the Network to the uninitiated! At the same time as I addressed the audience, it was encouraging to see so many know Network faces in the crowd. It was generally agreed that the event had been a successful one, and Paul Schonenberg's suggestion that joint hosting events should be become an annual fixture on all our calenders was met with general approval.

The main speaker at the luncheon was Marie-Jeanne Chevremont, Senior Tertiary Partner at PWC. She made some interesting, if somewhat controversial comments, on the impact of women in business today. My personal reaction to just one of her comments that it is not a employer's role to set up creches for its employees was that I would like to see a vote from working mothers (and fathers) on that one! She herself felt that she had met no obstacles in her way to reaching the top of her profession and was now in a position of influence in PWC. She acknowledged that at intake in her company there were equal numbers of men and women but that 5-6 years down the line, women had dropped out and measures were now being taken to combat this so that the best talent - be they women or men - stayed on.

I hope to see many of you at our last meeting of 2005 on 16th November at our usual venue of the Sofitel, when our speakers will hopefully sort us out physically and mentally for the stress of Christmas holiday time! I wish you all a happy festive season, and the first date for your diary in 2006 is January 25th with the Network.

With best wishes Ruth

Editor's Notes Au t h o r : L i s a M c L e a n As a Scot who graduated in the 1980s at the height of Margaret Thatcher’s dismanting of the Scottish economy, I have to be honest that there is something engraved at the back of my mind that reads a bit like this: “you're damned lucky to have a job and the way to get on is to show you are good at it”.

Equally anybody, female or male, working for a company located in Scotland (as opposed to headquarters in London) that had a glass ceiling would surely have the sense to just reach up and stick their fist through it. Therefore, most gender initiatives have been just a little bit too politically correct for me. However, I have to admit that there are two articles which I have included in this month’s newsletter that are really interesting and have made me reflect on the complexity of the work environment in Luxembourg. With so many different cultures working and competing, work relations are inevitably more complicated than they were in the 1980s in Scotland when it was simply a matter of “them and us”.

The first article I will draw your attention to is in the Movers and Groovers section and is about Rita Knott’s new mentoring project - “Cross-mentoring Programme for Women in Leading Positions”. I was really enthusiastic to read and write about Rita's project, first of all because it is great to see someone so motivated and taking the initiative to find a really practical solution to a problem that faces many people in today's competitive work environment, secondly because I know mentoring works for the simple reason that in pre-Thatcher days we had something like it up and running- it was called an apprenticeship!

The second article I want to draw attention to is one I have summarised from an article in the Luxembourg Wort and refers to the organisation Mobbing a.s.b.l . I first came across the term “mobbing” while living in Germany, basically it refers to bullying in the workplace, again it is something I viewed with scepticism; surely there will always be some people who don’t get on well at work. However, after reading the article in the Wort it made me think that if the number of people referring to an organisation such as Mobbing asbl is increasing to the extent that is reported, then there is a problem, even if it simply one of perception.

Obviously the “tier system” of employment that exists in Luxembourg can re-enforce these problems. For example, with the huge number of “les frontaliers” who cross the border each day, many working for salaries much less than Luxembourg colleagues doing the same job, questions have to be asked about how this affects the work atmosphere. However, most worrying is the increase of calls that the organisation has received from handicapped employees. Are we really so insecure that we are back to name calling and picking on anyone who is not quite like us?

October in Review Au t h o r : V i v i a n e B u m b

The Network Meeting, October 19th, 2005 Three representatives from different adult learning organizations in Luxembourg presented their programmes. The guest speakers were Valerie Scott of The Open University (OU), Carlo Frising of Luxembourg Life Long Learning Center (LLLC) and Debra Donckel of 2nd Degree.

Valerie Scott explained the background of the OU; it was started 35 years ago and has grown to become the world leader in distance learning, offering diploma courses, bachelor degrees and master degrees. Anyone can join the Open University without prior qualifications and there are 240 students in Luxembourg, 50% of whom are not native English speakers. The course materials for a typical OU course consist of books, CD’s and Audio-cassettes. Students are expected to be able to study 1216hrs per week; a bachelor degree is likely take years and master degree 2-3.5 years; however credits from previous courses can be gained to speed up the length of study needed. On average a bachelor degree costs 12.000 Euro and a Master 19.000 Euro, a number of companies in Luxembourg sponsor employees to do an MBA, and this should be checked on an individual basis.

Carlo Frising of the Luxembourg Life Long Learning Center (LLLC) explained that his organization was the training Department of the „chambre des employés privés“.

LLLC offers numerous evening courses in informatics, accounting and economics.

The normal duration of a course is 6-8 weeks and courses are held in a number of different languages. LLLC also offers two Bachelor programmes and two Masters Degrees, these are taught in French. Most interestingly the LLLC is a test centre for the “European Computer Driving License” certificate.

As a contrast to the first two "formal learning" organizations Debra Donckel presented the 2nd Degree. 2nd Degree was described by Debra as an Adult Continuity Program, with courses designed to allow adults to have fun and meet new people. All courses are held in English and courses run in three terms per year, normally one term lasts eight weeks. The subject range is vast and is varied to suit demand; some examples are: healthy mind & body, exotic cooking, arts and crafts,

skills & knowledge.

Upcoming Network Events N o v e mb e r M e e t in g - W e d n e s d a y 1 6 t h N o v e m b e r Looking after mind, body and soul with practitioners from the world of alternative health.

Lynsey Baxter - Food and Your Body - A brief introduction to various aspects of Nutritional Therapy covering diets and weight loss, the effects of different Vitamins on the body, who needs to take supplements, the necessity of fibre to prevent cancer, the relationship between the diet and heart disease and diabetes and good fats versus bad fats.

Carolyn Linnevers - Classical Hatha yoga: finding your inner peace and balance - Discussion of the 5 points of yoga in the Sivananda tradition as a holistic approach to well being.

The five points are: proper exercise, proper breathing, proper relaxation, proper diet and meditation and the benefits of this integrated approach. Carolyn will ask for participation from the members in some yoga warm up, stretches and breathing exercises than can be done sitting in a chair or standing in place. Carolyn is a certified yoga teacher, Sivananda Vedanta Center 2004. Reiki practitioner level 3.

Karen Graham - Complementary Health - Karen will talk about how important it is to approach one's health as an integration of mental, phyical, emotional and spiritual aspects, how over the years, we have lost our understanding of pain and healing, and how, by approaching our problems from a holistic perspective, we can regain true balance in every aspect of our lives.

Karen Graham is a therapist in Bio -Energy and the Bowen Technique. She is also qualified in Reiki and Remedial Sports Massage. She has been practising for 6 years and is particularly interested in integrating bodywork and emotional problems. She organises the Health and Healing group in Luxembourg.

Movers and Groovers - Network Members R i t a K n o t t a n d " C ro s s - m e n t o r i n g P ro g ra m m e f o r Wo m e n i n L e a d in g Positions" In October, Rita Knott launched a one year project “Cross-mentoring Programme for Women in Leading Positions”. The programme is organised in conjunction with the Ministère de l’Egalité and six organisations in Luxembourg.In a speech given at a conference launching the project, Rita highlighted the development of her involvement with mentoring over the past eight and a half years.

In 1997, while looking for information at the Women’s Information Centre to help her overcome obstacles in the male dominated world of banking, Rita made a chance discovery of a conference in Munich entitled “European mentoring workshop for women in leading positions”. Mentoring consists of the exchange of information between an experienced professional and another person, with the view to aiding and developing competencies and potential. After participating in the Munich conference Rita was inspired to take the idea further in Luxembourg. Rita approached the women’s group Zarina which embraced the idea and helped develop an external programme; there Rita also met Christel Klapper who became her mentor.

Over the years, Rita kept a close eye on developments in Germany; Deutsche Bank, Lufthansa and Commerzbank developed cross-mentoring projects across Frankfurt. Then in 2000 Rita’s company Bank Hapoalim (Switzerland) developed a project with the support of the Ministry for Equality, this led in 2001 to the bank being awarded the Female Prize; the first time this award had been given to a bank.

As Rita gained from her own experience through mentoring, her interest in sharing the experience with others grew. In her speech Rita stated: “It is not a question of men or women in leading positions, the question is to find and develop talent; of whatever gender”. Rita’s interest in mentoring also brushed with her interest in an exchange of cross-cultural information and for this reason she is delighted by the wealth of cultural diversity in the “Cross-mentoring Programme for Women in Leading Positions”. American, Luxembourg, German and Israeli business cultures come together on the same project, the companies taking past are:

Bank Hapoalim (Switzerland) Ltd. Luxembourg Branch BDO-Compagnie Fiduciaire Luxembourg

Deutsche Bank Luxemburg S.A. DuPont de Nemours (Luxembourg) s.à.r.l.et DuPont Teijin Films Luxembourg S.A. Goodyear Luxemburg Tires IEE S.A.

Rita Knott is vice-director at Bank Hapoalim (Switzerland) Ltd., Luxembourg Branch.

A brochure entitled “Mentoring for Women in Europe” can be found at www.dji.de

New Members - Welcome to the Network Au t h o r : S u z a n n a G a r d r a t G e o rg i o u Hello! My name is Suzanna Gardrat Georgiou. I was a member on the Network in the past and I served as the newsletter editor as well! However, I have been ‘out of circulation’ for a few years as I have been concentrating on my daughter who is two years old now. This has been my ‘career’ and a very difficult and rewarding one!

Now I am slowly and timidly trying to get back on the wagon, to get a job and reorganised myself. I used to work independently as a Psycho synthesis therapist dealing with every day psychological problems, career decisions and aiding people find meaning in the lives and work places. Now I think I would prefer at this point in my life to work for someone else. I have also worked for a number of years in the European Institutions so I have knowledge of the business and officialdom of this world as well. I was born and raised in Cyprus; I lived, studied and worked in different countries, mainly England and Greece but also Australia and United States. I have lived on and off in Luxembourg for the past 8 years. My husband also works here most of the time, so possibly this country will be a more permanent base for us as we like it a lot and as my daughter Anassa loves it and loves her Luxemburgish kindergarten!

I used to have a lot of hobbies, but with a demanding baby it’s difficult to keep up other interests! At night I curl up with my favourite books, often feeling guilty that I am not reading something about Child raising to mend my ways!!! Exercise is down to walking in the woods and parks with my daughter and doing a lot of housework.

Creativity is mainly in the kitchen as everybody in the family likes tasty dishes!

Still my ‘professional’ side and financial reasons for a better quality of life are pushing me to get out there and express my ‘not so long forgotten’ skills. The Network and the affiliation with the women, this unusual professional ‘warmth’ and affinity always touched me deeply; I hope I can get somewhere professionally, well, I will and the same time I am reminded that there is help and other women just like me.

Tanzanian Charity Projects: Update and Continuation

The Network recently received a letter from Mrs Diane Russell the Community Service and Action Coordinator at the International School of Luxembourg explaining the progress of the project at the girls school in Tanzania. This summer Diane travelled to Moshi, Tanzania for the dedication of the International School of LuxembourgKomakya Secondary Girls’ Halls of Residence. One wing of the dormitory has been dedicated to The Network, because the money raised from The Network's sponsored run at the 2004 City Jogging allowed the project to be completed.

This is an extract from a letter Mama Lucy Renju, community leader and project coordinator in Tanzania wrote: “The two buildings have changed the face of Komakya, given confidence to the whole village and boosted the moral of the students and teachers. Please continue to thank Mr. Lewis and his beautiful family (interpreted as the ISL community), including the honourable members of the Luxembourg Businesswomen team.

Permit me to share with you some of the comments made at the dedication ceremony by officials and perhaps you too, will be able to vicariously feel the emotion of the day: (translated from Swahili, courtesy of Dr. Peter Renju) James Ole Miliya, District Commissioner: I continue to insist that it is important now to make sure that the problems that caused you to lag behind in the past should never repeat again because they were the causes of slow progress in development for a long time indeed. First of all I want to thank our donors from Luxembourg for their great love which they have shown us the people of Kimochi, and all of us in unison, we clap our hands as a sign of great gratitude. I must say we do not have anything to pay back except they will be paid by God Himself. Personally I believe the presence of the halls that will be inaugurated today will be a big boost for girls who will be privileged to live in there to study with extra care and attention in order to achieve good education and so to achieve what is said as a matter of fact:

“When you educate a woman, then you have educated the whole family and the nation as a whole.”

God bless Tanzania! God bless Luxembourg!

Diane Russell explained that there is still much work to be done in Moshi and that a second school has been identified that needs help. Diane and students and teachers at ISL continue to look for ways to raise the funds they need to continue their support in Moshi; if any member of The Network has fund raising ideas or is willing to organise a fund raising event please contact diane_russell@islux.lu

Interesting Site?

There are loads of interesting sites out there on the world wide web. One to have a look at this this month is www.wherewomenwanttowork.com It gives interesting guidelines to think about when choosing a company: How to use the site : Step 1. Figure out what you want in your work life (e.g. flexible working, role models, equal pay, training, etc) Step 2. Locate which organisations offer what you want Step 3. Check women's comments and ratings about working there Step 4. Identify the jobs on offer at your preferred organisations Step 5. Apply for the RIGHT career with the RIGHT organisation !!

The site also lists 20 companies which have been identified as the most interesting workplaces for women.

Mobbing on the Increase In 2001 the LCGB workers union and Syprolux initiated the non profit organisation Mobbing a.s.b.l to address the increased number of reports of mobbing in the workplace. Mobbing meaning bullying in the form of being ignored or further subjected to verbal abuse. As Joe Spier of Mobbing asbl clarified, “ you do not have to be a member of a union to get help”.

Studies from 2004 show that 16.23% of people employed in Luxembourg admit to having suffered from mobbing by colleagues at work. Mobbing asbl received 2350 calls in the past year. Two thirds of these calls were from women, with 40% of the callers between 30 to 39 years of age.

In most cases Mobbing asbl only needs to offer support and advice to a caller. However, last year in 339 cases intensive counselling was given and in 149 cases a file was opened for the claimant.

Most shocking perhaps is that mobbing cases registered by handicapped employees has risen drastically from 2% of the total in 2003 to 8% in 2004.

A Woman's Place: more female managers should have a seat on the board From the Financial Times It takes an optimist to think that women are breaking through the glass ceiling. The publication of the Financial Times/FT Deutschland annual ranking of European businesswomen provides salutary examples of women who have made it to the boardroom, and even the chief executive's office, but they are in the minority.

Figures such as Ana Patricia Botin, chairman of the Spanish retail bank Banesto, and Anne Lauvergeon, chief executive of Areva, the French state-owned nuclear group, show what can be achieved. But a long-term career culminating on the board is an obstacle course that women find hard to complete for reasons ranging from family responsibilities to chauvinism.

Even diehards such as Jack Welch, the former chairman and chief executive of General Electric, concede that more should be done. In his bookWinning, co-written with his wife Suzy, Mr Welch admits that gathering GE managers in the office on Saturdays to shoot the breeze was not best calculated to achieve diversity.

As things stand, 8 per cent of directors and 5 per cent of top managers in Europe's 200 biggest companies are currently female. Only in Norway, where companies face government sanctions if they fail to meet a quota, has the proportion of women on boards risen to 22 per cent. Despite efforts by many companies to change, others

remain complacent about male dominance.

That is a missed opportunity. It is often argued that companies should have more women in senior management because they bring a different perspective or have a more consensual style. That may be true in some cases but it misses the essential point: employers that draw talent from only half of the population are making things hard for themselves.

On the surface, Norway's quotas have produced results but it is a poor example to follow. Not only are quotas a bad idea in principle but they can cause as much harm as good by creating uncertainty about whether a woman has been promoted on merit. It is more sensible for companies to monitor and modify recruitment and promotion practices themselves.

With thought, employers can make it easier for women to climb the corporate hierarchy and not to drop out.

Some barriers are cultural, from male drinking circles and golf games to assumptions about the natural characteristics of senior managers. Others are structural: many women drop out of full-time work when they have children and never rejoin the fast track.

Despite the statistics, all is not lost. Many men accept the idea of women in senior positions more naturally than their fathers did. Many companies are making greater efforts than they used to. It will be a long time before equal representation on boards becomes the norm but things are changing gradually. It is in companies' own interests to speed up this evolution.

Events Community Info Amcham is delighted to host its annual Thanksgiving lunch at the Sofitel in Kirchberg on the 30th of November at 12.00. Everyone is welcome to come along and spend time with friends and colleagues while feasting on traditional Thanksgiving dishes. Contact amcham for details.

Alcoholics Anonymous: English Speaking Meetings on Tuesdays & Thursdays 20.00 – 21.30, Sundays 10.00 – 11.30. 100, rue de Hollerich, Luxembourg City. Tel: 22 71 58

Future Meetings - Dates for your Diaries Meeting dates for the rest of 2005   

November 16th - Looking after mind, body and soul January 25 2006 - speaker to be confirmed February 22 2006 - speaker to be confirmed

General Information D e a d l i n e f o r t h e J a n u a r y 2 0 0 6 N e w s l e tt e r Submissions for the January 2006 newsletter should reach the Editor on or by 5th of January 2006. Our contact details are listed here.

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If you would like to recommend the Network to a colleague or friend, details are published here.

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Disclaimer: The comments and opinions of authors expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily state or reflect those of the Network.