Max Studennikoff, Ceo and Founder of CC Forum

European Business Magazine catches up with

Max Studennikoff

Ceo and Founder of CC Forum (www.cc-forum.com). The upcoming event will be held in Monaco on 23rd to 25th of September and is much anticipated event that will be focusing on sustainability and we will be looking at the global response to the coronavirus crisis.The event will be looking at existential challenges we are all facing today including climate change, carbon-based economies, overpopulation and poverty to name a few and so the global investment forum will be totally dedicated to sustainability connecting the brightest startups to the savviest of investors.

CC Forum started in 2018, and this year marks its 3rd event and 4th successful ediঞ on. Could you go back a li‚ le and tell us about the very beginning of the CC Forum — how was it born and what was the main ঞ pping point for it?

Indeed, the concept of CC Forum was born quite some ঞ me ago, but only materialised in 2018 with our first London ediঞ on subঞ tled "Economy. Environment. Ethics". A[ er a‚ ending and speaking at a number of conferences around the world, I have gradually come to believe that there is a sheer need for a new event. A one that would be new in its concept and approach, and so, CC Forum was conceived. The mission and the ethos of CC Forum is convening the world's movers and shakers, global transformers who are united in their zeal to make the world a be‚ er place. Getঞ ng them together for regular brainstorming sessions on some of the existenঞ al issues mankind is facing today including climate change, the current state of macroeconomy, government strategies, fi ghঞ ng poverty, social inclusion, philanthropy etc. In other words, CC Forum is a global pla orm, a club, if you want, for leading impact investors. As such we have o[ en been accused of eliঞ cism, we have even been tagged as a "green Davos" due to a dense proporঞ on of high net worth individuals a‚ ending. I personally see nothing wrong about the forum being referred to as 'elitist' as long as it helps crack down or at least approach cracking down on global problems. One should not forget that CC Forum is essenঞ ally an investment forum focusing on sustainability.

Today, CC Forum is considered to be one of the most anঞ cipated events of the year. In your opinion, what’s the secret behind the CC Forum’s success?

I do not think this would be up to me to judge. And there is hardly any secret involved at all. Whatever recogniঞ on we may have achieved, has been due to a combinaঞ on of criঞ - cal factors. First and foremost, the forum's overall vision as refl ected in our content including carefully chosen topics and cherry-picked speakers. Secondly, hard collecঞ ve work including by the team, the Organising Committee and the Advisory board alike without whose dedicaঞ on none of that would have been possible. And lastly, a bit of sheer luck, as everything should come together at the right place and at the right ঞ me.

CC Forum is known for its unique program, and this year’s program in Monaco is no excepঞ on. Could you tell us more about the process of creaঞ ng each year’s program? How do

you come up with the Forum’s workshops and decide on the venue, speakers, etc.?

Last October we held our successful London ediঞ on which saw a twoday conference and a number of networking events. These included inter alia our tradiঞ onal black-ঞ e investors' Gala and a dedicated Reception at the House of Lords of the Briঞ sh Parliament. We also received a wri‚ en royal greeঞ ng by HM Queen Elizabeth II which gave us a considerable moral boost. Creaঞ ng the content of each ediঞ on is a painstakingly careful process, but also the most exciting. One has to take into account a whole variety of aspects like the expectaঞ ons, aspirations, conceptions and misconcepঞ ons of the audience, current state of economics, modern trends etc. etc To draw a parallel, it is akin to the cra[ of a chef who is making a dish. The recipe has to be observed and all the ingredients have to come in the right proporঞ ons, the dish does not have to be either two salty or two spicy or too sweet.

What is special about the Monegasque ediঞ on of CC Forum?

In fact, everything is . Or, rather unusual. First of all, the global context. Now, as we are talking at the end of August with only four weeks to go before the event, the current

health and economic crises are clearly leaving their mark on the Monaco ediঞ on. However, there are both negaঞ ve and posiঞ ve aspects to that. The negaঞ vity is that we are anঞ cipaঞ ng a much bigger proportion of high profile speakers than usual to be zooming in. We should also see a larger amount of last minute dropouts. Any sort of governmental regulations may be introduced at any point in ঞ me. These are defi nitely the contras. However, paradoxically, it is this unprecedented global crisis that can and should be considered as a catalyst for rethinking the world's paradigm. Never in the recent history of mankind have we been able to see how interconnected and interrelated everything is. Covid19, like many other viruses, takes its deep origin in the consumerist approach humanity has, sadly, adopted towards nature. This is my profound convicঞ on. We should act accordingly and without delay if we want to preserve our planet for younger generaঞ ons. A new type of entrepreneur, a one who would be concerned with a wider agenda than making profit, has be fostered. Under the circumstances we have recently been tagged by journalists as a 'global emergency forum'. It has not been by chance that His Serene Highness Prince Albert of Monaco has been supporting CC Forum's Monegasque edition as Patron and a keynote speaker. We are extremely privileged and proud to have his backing as he has been a globally recognised fi gurehead in environmentalism and sustainability.

Could you tell us more about the programme of CC Forum Monaco?

Gladly. It is essenঞ ally a several-day event that consists of a two-day conference including a new format - the shark tank session, networking events (even though we are likely to be wearing Hitchcock-styled masks ) and our traditional black-tie Investors' Gala Dinner and Awards Giving Ceremony. We are privileged to share that the legendary Maestro Placido Domingo has been confi rmed to perform at CC Forum's Gala on Friday 25th September.

The coronavirus pandemic had an impact on many big events that were scheduled this year. What challenges did it bring to this year’s CC Forum event?

I would refer to event organising as work rather than a job. Certainly in my case, as I do not happen to have worked for any employer throught my career, but, on the contrary, both employ and hire people who take care of various aspects of our events. I am busy literally 24/24 7/7 as CC Forum global conferences encompass people from all over the world, in different localiঞ es and ঞ me zones. So, one has to be stress-proof . The biggest lesson I have learnt a[ er years of organising global events is that one should never rest on one's laurels and that it takes years to build a reputaঞ on.

Speaking about the coronavirus outbreak, you once menঞ oned that “We are now in a sensiࢼ ve phase in human development that calls for acࢼ on to be taken imme

diately.“ In your opinion, what opportuniঞ es could this recent crisis bring to our lives?

In all honesty, organising an event amid uncertainty caused by Covid19 has never been more challenging. People are sঞ ll cauঞ ous about travelling because of the pandemic, even though we have a trusted health safety partner in place - a company which will be making sure through using their patented and WHO-approved ozone technology enabling to reduce a probability of contagion to zero. So, the a‚ endees are likely to be mainly coming from within Europe. It is sঞ ll very much like walking a ঞ ghtrope .

Let’s talk about the future.

What’s your vision for the CC

Forum over the next few years?

What do you hope it will become in 10 years?

We have been working hard on making CC Forum the number 1 investment forum on Sustainability, an event that would be indispensable on the annual agenda of any leading impact investor and it is safe to assume that we have tentatively gained this goal. Our long term goals include further posiঞ oning CC Forum as a global platform for companies to make global announcements, for governments to reveal their strategies and for the brightest startups to connect to the savviest of investors. This might well take us another 10 years