HongKongEcho 91 - Healthcare: Time for a check-up

Winter/ 2018

91

HEALTHCARE

W

elcome to this festive issue of HongKongEcho!

EDITOR’S LETTER

The Chamber has had a busy few months as the working year has well and truly got under way. Starting things off was our Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Annual Dinner. I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the French Chamber Councillors and Executive Committee members who were elected at the AGM. Their input and commitment is crucial for driving the long-term strategy and vision of the Chamber.

Straight after the AGM we held our Annual Dinner which was a thoroughly enjoyable evening as always. It was just the first of a number of highlights in the past few months which have included morning talk events, roundtables, training workshops and more.

One of the more notable of these was our Luxury Symposium which took place on 5 November and which has become a true signature event for the Chamber. High-level insights, fantastic networking opportunities and a new location at K11 @Victoria Dockside were all highpoints of this 3rd edition.

The last of our news roundup is one that’s particularly important for our future activity as we announced a new official partnership with Business France for accompanying French businesses entering the Hong Kong market. Under the new #TeamFranceExport banner, this strategic partnership will further boost our mission to help French businesses expand, develop and succeed in Hong Kong.

As for this edition of the magazine, we’re looking at a topic that inevitably affects us all at some point. The multi-layered topic of healthcare in Hong Kong raises all manner of questions regarding government spending, technological innovation and ambition for a city that prides itself on being advanced in this domain.

French expertise, for its part, has always been prominent in healthcare and you’ll discover some of the actors that are making a difference for the transformation of a sector in need of re-evaluation.

After all, Hong Kong remains a beacon for healthcare expertise in the region. But that doesn’t mean we can’t ask tough questions for the future. So, join us as we check the pulse of this important sector.

Wishing you enjoyable reading during the festive season.

Sophie Leconte Executive Director French Chamber

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Contents

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Editor’s letter Contents What we're watching La Chronique

Cover Story: Healthcare

12 14 16 20 22 28 32 38

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Published by

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Healthcare happenings Vital signs A healthtech tale Payer to partner The traditional trade Research goes viral One hospital, two systems The nutrition need

French Chamber Highlights

44 49 54 59

Looking back Members' highlights New faces French Chamber Foundation

@French Chamber in Hong Kong

facebook.com/fccihk

What we're watching

new charging station

Tesla opens

in Hong Kong

Sham Shui Po in the spotlight The Hong Kong Tourism Board has launched a new HK$12 million campaign promoting the local flavours and experiences of Sham Shui Po.

Away from the bright lights and shopping extravaganza of Causeway Bay, the notably grittier neighbourhood is home to renowned street food offerings and traditional handicrafts.

Driving visitors towards such less-frequented areas is part of a strategy to discover the ‘authentic’ Hong Kong by showcasing the city’s heritage and offering more immersive experiences.

Electric car maker Tesla has unveiled a new 50-stall charging station in Hong Kong, making it the largest of its kind in Asia. The firm has seen a significant drop-off in sales following the halt in a government tax-cut program which had favoured buyers of the zeroemission vehicles.

Their eyes will be on the HKSAR Government’s 2019 Budget for indications of the city’s willingness to re-instate incentives that saw 2,000+ Teslas sold in March 2017 alone, and which could further Hong Kong’s ‘Smart City’ ambitions by promoting greener transport.

HSBC to become

first foreign company to list in China

HSBC looks set to list its shares on a mainland bourse as part of a new scheme linking the Shanghai and London stock exchanges.

If it goes ahead, the listing would be a major coup for China as it looks to open up its domestic stock market. It would also be the first time that domestic investors would be able to trade a foreign company on the Chinese market.

The scheme is scheduled for operation by the end of 2018.

New mega bridge pulls Hong Kong and the mainland closer together The much-awaited Hong Kong-ZhuhaiMacau Bridge was inaugurated on 23 October.

‘Talent list’ to target

As the world’s largest sea crossing at 55km in length, the bridge will cut commute times between the cities to bring greater connectivity to the Greater Bay Area – mainland China’s answer to Silicon Valley.

The HKSAR Government has drawn up a

The opening saw a flurry of tourist activity, but it’s hoped the bridge will also facilitate the flow of goods within the region as an alternative to shipping.

including those in FinTech, I&T and legal

However, some see the bridge as a symbol of China’s growing influence in Hong Kong, while environmentalists have raised concerns about its impact on the habitat of the endangered White Chinese Dolphin.

Such efforts are part of a comprehensive

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foreign workers

list of its 11 most-wanted types of foreign talent to facilitate their entrance to the city even if they are not yet employed.

The list aims to attract migrants who can fill gaps in specific expertise with roles domains. effort to support the shift towards a high value-added and diversified economy.

LaChronique

HONG KONG’S BIG PUZZLE! A new Asian healthcare model is on the horizon, says David Baverez, author of Paris-Pékin Express. If Hong Kong wants to be its instigator, the city needs a serious shake-up of the public-private divide.

T

wo numbers – 84.3 and 6% – make up one big puzzle: how can Hong Kong boast the highest life expectancy in the world, at 84.3 year’s old, while spending only 6% of GDP on healthcare versus close to 10% in Europe and close to 20% in the US? The first reason may go back to the ancestral business model of a Chinese doctor at the opposite end to his Western counterpart: traditionally, you payed your doctor as long as you remained in good health, but stopped paying when you fell ill until recovering thanks to their advice. A business model which is full of common sense and which the West finally seems to now be embracing; you only need to look at the new emphasis on health prevention and its impact on adjacent industries like nutrition.

The second difference touches on cultural habits, where an American will typically spend 40% of their entire

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life’s healthcare expenditure in the last eighteen months of their existence, while an elderly person in China will rather see their savings fund their grandchildren’s education.

However, this optimistic stance will still have to face future demographic pressure and I reckon future years will see the invention of a new Asian healthcare model.

Finally, in Hong Kong – like mainland China – healthcare expenditure has been historically limited thanks to what was a relatively young population, whose ageing over the next 10-15 years will be twice as fast as in the West, adding close to 20 percentage points of population to the more-than 60-year-olds.

Public and private: a new partnership

Therefore, in line with their tradition of light-touch intervention, the Hong Kong authorities could traditionally afford a relatively benign approach to the issue.

As an official put it bluntly to me one day: “Ageing population is a Western concept. I don’t care whether you die at 60 or 90 – in any case – in Hong Kong, you will still be working in the office three to six months before!”

To what extent Hong Kong will be influential in reshaping the healthcare industry will depend on the attitude of three main stakeholders.

First, the government will have to take note of initiatives from neighbouring countries like Singapore, regularly voted as the best healthcare system in the world: through a very well-thought-out publicprivate partnership, the Singaporean government has been very advanced in segmenting health services around the three layers of hospitals, local service centres and homecare. Each time with a great focus on including the private professional sector as opposed to relying solely on the limited capabilities of NGOs.

“The future healthcare system that could emerge from a ‘public-private partnership’… will be very different from the one we are accustomed to so far.”

accustomed to obeying ‘top-down’ doctor’s advice. The ‘bottom up’ empowerment of the Chinese patient, notably through social networks, has already fostered the craze for individual DNA sequencing, perceived as the cheapest gateway to a self-controlled, personalised medicine.

The West goes East

Private companies will have to take inspiration from the mainland to develop a frugal model relying on the dematerialisation of services. In regions home to only 1.5 doctors per 1,000 inhabitants, new actors like Ping An Good Doctor or Tencent’s AI Medical Innovation System have developed the concept of unmanned medical clinics, offering ‘Independent Advisory Rooms’ and ‘Smart Medicine Cabinets’ through cloud computing

doctors.

Te n c e n t ’s technology has already read 100 million images and served over 1 million patients, while Good Doctor expects to roll-out 1,000 clinics nationwide in the near future.

Last but not least, expect the Hong Kong patient to become more and more… impatient! Like in other retail activities, expect the Hong Kong – as well as Chinese – patient to behave in the opposite way to his Western counterpart

No doubt, the future healthcare system that could emerge from a ‘public-private partnership’-minded government, an AI-enabled offering and an empowered patient, will be very different from the one we are accustomed to so far.

Western companies may still have their role to play, and they need only to look into the recent past for a pertinent reminder. In 2015 Tu Youyou was the first Chinese woman to win the Nobel Prize for Medicine. Her research? How to best combine Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

David Baverez is the author of Paris-Pékin Express (Editions Francois Bourin 2017).

The views expressed are purely personal.

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HEALTHCARE HEALTHCARE HAPPENINGS (P. 12) VITAL SIGNS (P. 14) A HEALTHTECH TALE (P. 16) PAYER TO PARTNER (P. 20) THE TRADITIONAL TRADE (P. 22) RESEARCH GOES VIRAL (P. 28) ONE HOSPITAL, TWO SYSTEMS (P. 32) THE NUTRITION NEED (P. 38)

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HEALTHCARE | Healthcare happenings

HEALTHCARE HAPPENINGS Hong Kong has strong foundations in healthcare. Insurers galore, a robust hospital system, innovative startups. But the future demands more – it’s time for a muchneeded check-up.

H

ealth is a great equaliser. Young, old, rich, poor, expatriate, local. At some

point you’ll need healthcare.

Likewise, some of the strain can also be

one of its government’s more curious

eased through nutrition explains Kevin

investments: a public hospital managed

Bush, General Manager of Danone Early

with

expertise

from

Hong

Kong.

Life Nutrition for Hong Kong, Macau

Professor Chung-Mau Lo heads up the

Hong Kong, to its credit, has excelled in

and Taiwan, who explains why educating

University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen

providing care no matter your situation.

the market about early life nutrition can

Hospital which he says is providing a

But a rise in non-communicable diseases

play a role in combatting Hong Kong’s

model for other hospitals in the city

(NCDs), an ageing population and an

mounting NCD problem (page 38).

(page 32).

need to be made, according to Thalia

Research, too, is one of the less obvious

The connectivity between the two cities

Georgiou, Founder of Asia Care Group

but valuable aspects of Hong Kong’s

from a healthcare standpoint may be

(page 14). She points to rebalancing the

healthcare ambitions. The city has

in its infancy. But for Co-Founder of

public-private divide with cost controls

done surprisingly well in this domain

Evergreenland Ltd., Olivier Partrat,

and greater flexibility for doctors to

considering a historical lack of vision

Shenzhen’s classic speed advantages for

move between the two as a good start.

and funding, says Professor Roberto

product development and Hong Kong’s

overworked public system mean changes

Bruzzone, Co-Director of the HKU-

ease of business already makes for a

But managing the changing health

Pasteur Research Pole (page 28). But

vibrant HealthTech ecosystem (page 16).

circumstances

Kong’s

funding is improving, he affirms, as the

He tells us how, thanks to this, he took

population isn’t simply a question of

city launches new projects to consolidate

his indoor air quality management and

doctors and hospital beds. Etienne

its research credentials and fend off

aromatherapy system from concept to

Bouas-Laurent, CEO of AXA Hong

competition from regional rivals.

prototype in just six months.

moving away from pure reimbursement

One of those being Shenzhen, who

Finding the right remedies for Hong

and towards helping people actually get

itself is spending heavily on research.

Kong in the years ahead will be no easy

better and manage their health (page

But not only that. We dropped in to the

task. A drop of optimism, however,

20).

continually-expanding city to report on

probably couldn’t hurt.

of

Hong

Kong, says their role as an insurer is

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HEALTHCARE AT A GLANCE HONG KONG’S HEALTH GOVERNMENT SPENDING

HK$71.2 billion Allocated to public healthcare services in the 2018-19 Budget (+13.3% on previous year)

84.3

Average life expectancy – the highest worldwide (M = 81.3, F = 87.3)

95%+

Children immunised with major vaccinations

55.9%

Inadequate aerobic physical activity (by WHO’s recommendations)

AN ARM AND A LEG

HK$23,000

Daily room rate at Sanitorium private hospital’s top Suite (+HK$20,000 deposit)

HK$120

Daily rate after inpatient admission in the public system

HK$100

THE DOCTOR DIVIDE

43

Public hospitals

12

Private hospitals

0.23 Doctors

per bed in the public system

1.68 Doctors

per bed in the private system

One cup of Chinese medicinal tea Source: HKSAR Government Department of Health, Hong Kong Hospital Authority HongKongEcho | 13

HEALTH | VITAL SIGNS

VITAL SIGNS Despite a well-developed healthcare market, Hong Kong’s frailties are starting to show. Thalia Georgiou, Founder of consultancy Asia Care Group, gives the city a much needed check-up.

H

ongKongEcho: Hong Kong may have the highest life expectancy in the world, but in what kind of state is the city’s healthcare system currently?

Thalia Georgiou: Hong Kong’s challenges are quite clear. Most notably: An ageing population, an increase in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), workforce shortages and funding issues.

The reality is that Hong Kong is being hit by these trends more acutely than other developed markets.

For example (with the exception of China), Hong Kong has the fastest-

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ageing population in Asia and we’ve seen a near doubling in certain NCDs, such as diabetes, over the past two decades.

Some may say we’re heading towards a crisis in terms of the workforce shortage – my view is that we’re already there.

The public hospital system is routinely operating at 100% capacity. In contrast, private hospitals may be half-full on any given day. The resources are there, they’re simply being misused.

HKE: That inequality is a hot topic – are there any simple fixes?

TG: At the moment the dividing line between public and private is far too

rigid, although not in terms of quality.

You go from a public system which is almost free, but stretched beyond its limits, to a private system that is one of the most expensive in the world. There’s absolutely no middle ground – this is where the government should do better.

One simple way they could do this is by regulating charges in the private sector in order to bring in some cost containment.

For example, internationally it’s not normal that procedures or drug costs in a private hospital are adjusted depending on the quality of room you’re admitted into. That’s very much specific to Hong Kong’s market

“The resources are there, they’re simply being misused.”

HKE: There’s also a workforce imbalance, of course.

area where the mainland is ahead of Hong Kong?

TG: Yes and part of the problem is that doctors are unable to practice concurrently in the two systems. So increasing their mobility would help to ease some of the strain on the public system. You only have to look at the recent Children’s Hospital project which was completed this year, but which is still unable to operate at capacity because of a shortage of staff.

TG: It’s perhaps one area in healthcare where that’s the case. If you look at what’s being done by the likes of Ping An Insurance in the mainland regarding telemedicine – virtual consultations and related services – then it’s clear that China is more digitally advanced. They have better technological capability.

The other big debate is around foreigntrained doctors wishing to practice in Hong Kong. Currently they have to pass a test, which is basically designed for them to fail, administered by the Medical Council – a very powerful body of doctors who govern the standards of medical practice in Hong Kong. Because of this, the Council has faced accusations of protectionism. We should be asking the question about the level of control this body has to create barriers to entry.

Can a body with vested interests really impartially decide on issues in which they are conflicted or affected by the outcome? Probably not.

HKE: Aside from these pressing issues, what about longer-term transformative questions like the sector’s shift to digital? Is this an

However China very much looks to Hong Kong in terms of training and education in healthcare. There are also much bigger concerns about the quality of services in the mainland system and there’s often a lack of trust between patients and doctors. The two systems are at very different stages of development so it’s hard to make comparisons.

HKE: Is enough being done in Hong Kong on the digital front?

TG: I think the government has been very active with initiatives like the Hospital Authority’s eHealth records system which enables large scale electronic data sharing across hospitals – the only system of its kind in the city. They’re taking the right steps.

But generally Hong Kong is behind compared to other developed markets.

The problem in Hong Kong is that digital efforts are often poorly targeted – insurers and private hospitals are focusing on transactional uses or customer experience. Sure, developing a shiny customer portal or app may be convenient, but that’s not where you get a big return on investment. This is perhaps a symptom of Hong Kong’s consumerdriven mentality whereby healthcare is seen as something you ‘consume’.

But the real power of digital is in big data and predictive technology to prevent illnesses and ultimately ease the strain on hospitals. An incredible example from China is that roughly 80% of insurance claims costs come from 5% of claimants – people who are constantly in and out of hospital. How do we track those people and intervene in a positive way? This is where digital can be a game-changer.

The positive for Hong Kong is that we’ve actually amassed a lot of data already.

Both from the Hospital Authority and some private insurers. The challenge now is to actually use it, and use it well.

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HEALTHCARE | A healthtech tale

A HEALTHTECH TALE Hong Kong can deliver innovation and speed – with a healthcare twist. One French venture set out to harness this asset to tackle one of the city’s trickiest issues: air quality.

O

livier Partrat could talk molecules for hours. In his palm, the cofounding partner of Evergreenland Ltd picks through a handful of small translucent beads impregnated with essential oils while explaining the effect their molecular compounds can have on your neurological system. The highly-concentrated fragrance is sweet, intoxicating.

On a table at his office overlooking the steep rise of Victoria Peak sit two impressive gold and white orbs – one spectacularly large, the other about the size of a bowling ball. Far from simple objets d’art, these are the essential

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components of the soon-to-be launched Olfinity product by Evergreenland Ltd: an intelligent indoor air quality management and aromatherapy system.

founders of Olfinity haven’t got there overnight.

Follow the scent

The product will hit the shelves in the UK at Selfridges by December 2018 and customers who’ve already placed an order in Hong Kong – for a cool HK$15,000 – can expect its arrival in January 2019.

From their base in Hong Kong the French trio has spent the past 10 years perfecting Para’Kito, a mosquito repellent brand utilising essential oil molecules enhanced by their patented technologies, now sold in 40 markets worldwide.

“The easy part is about identifying a global problem: air pollution. Then it’s a question of tackling it without compromising on your objectives,” says Olivier. He and the two other co-

As part of the project, they established a laboratory in Marseille in 2012 with a top tier bio chemist team. This formed the grounding for their new health and wellbeing vision, including aromatherapy

– a way of relieving stress and anxiety, and a sleeping aid to boot. Over the years, the team of scientists developed a deep expertise regarding inflammation and oxidation mechanisms, triggering health-related issues or diseases such as asthma, cardio vascular problems, cancer, COPD (an inflammatory lung disease), or impact concentration and chronic fatigue.

Pollution is one of the main sources of inflammation and oxidation, which is amplified by an urban environment and hectic lifestyle.

Existing options on the market were good, admits Olivier, but none dealt with an underlying issue of air quality – an underreported reality of our increasingly indoor lives. Why diffuse essential oils for better health if the air is polluted anyway?

That’s just the beginning. A staggering 7 million deaths worldwide are caused by air pollution every year according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Almost half of those are caused by indoor pollution.

During the first international air pollution convention in Genova late October 2018, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, even warned that “air pollution is the new tobacco”.

Olivier Partrat, Co-Founder of Evergreenland Ltd

“Being in Hong Kong with access to Shenzhen allows us to save years on development and production time. You can’t find that anywhere else in the world.”

In Hong Kong, air pollution is well documented. The HKSAR Government HongKongEcho | 17

HEALTHCARE | A healthtech tale

set out a ‘Clean Air Plan’ in 2013 which helped to introduce measures such as a subsidy scheme to phase out diesel commercial vehicles and a requirement for ocean going vessels to switch fuel at berth. Since then, a 30% improvement across certain air quality indicators has been seen according to government data.

However the Hong Kong Clean Air Network, an NGO, points to worrying figures. It reports that Hong Kong’s annual PM 2.5 levels – a measure of very fine particle matter which is known to cause severe cardiovascular and respiratory diseases – averaged three times more than the recommended WHO guidelines across the last four years.

Worrying, yes. But we should be looking indoors, says Olivier. Cooking residue, paints, varnishes, mould, candles, incense and outdoor pollution itself all contribute to a more concerning cocktail.

“We spend most of our lives indoors and yet people don’t even consider the pollution of their homes or offices. Even if the air quality outside is good, you can still have much higher pollution levels – two to five times more – inside,” he says.

Their solution: a fully connected system of devices including an air quality monitor, an air purifier, an essential oil diffuser and a wireless connecting device called a

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‘gateway’ which enables everything to be managed at distance via a dedicated app.

Sitting on the dock of the bay In isolation, each component is relatively straight forward. Putting them together in the one system was the challenge.

“If we hadn’t been set up in Hong Kong, we would have never developed this system,” he says. As strangers to the high tech world, the team went on the hunt for developers who could create a system connecting the various devices seamlessly.

Skipping across the border to Shenzhen, they found their match. “We’re not a large company so we needed to be smart in terms of resources. If you go through a big name developer it could take years and be extremely costly. So having a place like Shenzhen Bay and its burgeoning ecosystem of developers just across the border is a huge advantage.”

Wary of exposing too much of their nowpatented system, they split the job across multiple developers with a dedicated team linking the talent in Shenzhen and the expertise of their French laboratory.

Speed was also of the essence with the initial conceptualisation of the product occurring between March 2017 and

September of that year. By January 2018 they were already able to launch a fullyfledged prototype at CES Las Vegas. They will return to the next CES edition with the finalised product and for the official launch in the US. “Being in Hong Kong with access to Shenzhen allows us to save years on production time. You can’t find that anywhere else in the world.”

The system will of course be connected to the likes of Google Home and Amazon’s Echo. But there’s little emphasis on cool gimmicks from Olivier. “I believe tech is not just about wearing a fancy gadget and monitoring everything you do. It should be about your comfort, your wellbeing.”

Tech purely at the service of your wellbeing? That’s a breath of fresh air.

The Olfinity indoor air quality management and aromatherapy system

THE INNOVATORS Innovation is reimagining healthcare as we know it. We tracked down some of the best and brightest companies making an impact in Hong Kong in their quest to shape the future of health.

Pharmagest

Hanson Robotics

Prenetics

Connected aged care

Machines of caring

Targeting the c-word

An autonomous box with the power of machine learning might just be the new carer for your ageing loved one.

Installed in the elderly person’s home, Pharmagest’s NoviaCare box is not only interactive – advising on medication for example – but it can also send alerts to caregivers when it detects any worrisome changes in living patterns. It’s the latest development from the Francebased company specialising in IT and high tech solutions for everything from pharmacy robotics to smart pill-taking reminder systems.

Human-like robots. It’s not an oxymoron, says David Hanson, Ph. D., Founder of Hanson Robotics. He moved its HQ to Hong Kong in 2014 (from Silicon Valley) to surge forward in building some of the world’s most lifelike humanoid machines. Robots that can understand and replicate the intricacies of human facial expressions are just the first step to creating “machines of caring,” according to Hanson. Combined with AI expertise, such robots could help autistic children – in practicing basic social cues like eye contact for example – as well as depressed and elderly patients.

What if you could pre-empt cancer?

Through its genetic profiling kit, Hong Kong startup Prenetics is the first local operation to bring a cancer risk test directly to the general public. The kits evaluate your susceptibility for developing eight of the most common hereditary cancers, with access to a genetic councillor to explain the results.

Prenetics already collaborates with insurers by leveraging genetic profiling to offer dietary advice (your genetic makeup might mean you need extra Vitamin C, for example) and disease screening for family planning.

Their most recognised helpful humanoid, named Sophia, has featured on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, led a meditation session with medical pioneer Deepak Chopra, and even interviewed Chief Executive Carrie Lam.

Investors already include the likes of Alibaba and Ping An Insurance Group, with the startup keenly eyeing the mainland market after recently signing a joint venture with a with Shenzhenlisted clinical genetic tests provider.

This year its NoviaCare box won both the Product of the Year and the Gold Award in the annual Hong Kong Electronic Industries Association Awards. For Hong Kong’s ageing population – could this be the next big hit?

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HEALTHCARE | Payer to partner

PAYER TO PARTNER The future of insurance lies in helping you get better. The ambition for French insurance giant AXA may sound utopian, but it’s symbolic of the new role for insurers says its Hong Kong CEO.

“T

he thing with insurance is that it’s statistically better – in the short term – to sell a strong value proposition that people never use. Traditionally, that’s how you make money,” says Etienne Bouas-Laurent, CEO of AXA Hong Kong, with genuine conviction.

“Our philosophy is a little bit different.”

It could be easy to think that it’s business as usual for the insurance giant. Hong Kong’s US$64 billion insurance market continues to grow in double digits on average over the past five years and the French multinational ranks an enviable 1st in Property & Casualty, 2nd in Health and 6th in Life Insurance in Hong Kong according to the market statistics

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published by the Insurance Authority.

Despite the numbers, the city remains curiously under-insured with less than 50% of the population benefiting from private health insurance coverage. An affordable public system and wealth disparities are principle reasons – but it’s also a question of encouraging young people to insure themselves early.

The government’s push to unclog the public system is part of the reasoning behind next year’s Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme which will provide tax deductions for the newly insured.

“It’s also about improving the trust in private insurance. Many insurance

contracts today only cover you partially, there are limits per disease and so on – it’s a nightmare. We want to move away from this,” explains Etienne.

A broader transformation is also taking place, he assures us. “Strictly speaking, our job used to be simply to reimburse you. Now it’s to partner with you and help to manage your health. It’s more human. That is a completely different proposition.”

Apps for all At the forefront of that new proposition?

Prevention and wellness, for a start. In a move echoing this, their new health

“Our job used to be simply to reimburse you.

Now it’s to partner with you and help to manage your health.”

Etienne Bouas-Laurent, CEO of AXA Hong Kong

business unit is being headed by a doctor rather than the classically appointed businessperson, says Etienne.

Among the services to reinforce this proposition – following partnerships with two leading startups – are two wellness-targeting apps: a ‘symptom checker’ (essentially an algorithm to give feedback on some initial symptoms) and a health management platform for sufferers of diabetes to manage and improve their condition. The latter will have an app which will be able to monitor the improvement of a user’s health and consequently reduce their premium over time.

“Again, we’re moving from a model where many insurers don’t want to deal with people suffering from chronic diseases to one where we’re looking at ways to help people – not just to become clients – but to actually get better.”

Likewise the much-touted wave of telemedicine is on their horizons.

Across the border in mainland China the likes of Ping An Insurance are grabbing headlines with remote doctorat-distance services, but Etienne urges some caution.

“I feel it’s not entirely convincing in a Hong Kong context. It’s very difficult for a doctor who doesn’t know you to issue a diagnostic without a face-toface consultation. There are obviously regulatory concerns as well.”

Instead their offer will specifically target cases where customers can receive e-prescriptions and recommendations for their chronic illness from their medical network specialists, for example.

better and quickening processes. But it’s really part of a broader process that goes back to humanising our insurance offer and our customer experience,” says Etienne.

A global coverage for diseases, an unrivalled hospital network, moving previously offshore customer services directly to Hong Kong – Etienne reels off examples of a humanisation beyond the world of digital.

“We often talk about digital and its implications for employment. Actually we see an increasing demand for advice and, consequently, people. Customers are increasingly demanding, but that is not just a question of technology.”

The human element “Digital is important because it allows us to do things like leveraging our data HongKongEcho | 21

HEALTHCARE | The traditional trade

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THE TRADITIONAL TRADE Ko Shing Street in Sheung Wan. Store upon store peddling the many ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine.

The shopfronts themselves are as varied as the shards of herbs, roots, leaves and seeds that are weighed and measured to be prescribed as the time-tested remedies to a multitude of maladies.

Taking a step inside the inconspicuous doorway of one store – the entrance unceremoniously crowded by a stack of cardboard boxes – you come across an entire wall of seemingly endless jarred produce. Deep browns, beige, astonishing white, and green. The dried shrapnel of another century.

From this neighbourhood hub to the bustle of Central, we visited the people keeping the traditional trade alive.

All photos by Benjamin Sieur

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HEALTHCARE | The traditional trade

春回堂藥行 Good Spring Company Limited, 8 Cochrane Street, Central

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曾福記藥行 5 Ko Shing Street, Sheung Wan

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肇海養生堂 Siu Hoi Traditional Chinese Medicine Therapeutic Centre, 265 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan

“These days, half of my clients are Westerners. Their perception of traditional Chinese medicine has shifted a lot in recent years.�

Tracy S. Y. Liu, Registered Chinese Medical Practitioner at Siu Hoi Traditional Chinese Medicine Therapeutic Centre

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HEALTHCARE | Research goes viral

RESEARCH GOES VIRAL Support for research in Hong Kong has long been sidelined. But a new injection of funds and vision is a game-changer says Roberto Bruzzone, Co-Director of the trailblazing Institut Pasteur outpost in Hong Kong.

P

rofessor Roberto Bruzzone’s swift introduction to his team of students and researchers sounds more like the roll call from a major summit of foreign dignitaries than a laboratory. Malaysia, France, India, Australia, Portugal, Hong Kong, England – that’s only half the nation’s that are represented in the nimble team of 30.

It’s clearly a winning formula for the French institution with over 100 years of heritage, numerous Nobel Prize winners amongst its alumni and a presence in 25 countries worldwide.

An Italian himself, Roberto leads the HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, Institut Pasteur’s Hong Kong research laboratory – a collaboration formed in 2000 with the University in Hong Kong (HKU). Today it’s firmly integrated into the university’s Pok Fu Lam campus, a stone’s-throw

28 | HongKongEcho

New directions “Hong Kong has always had a free market approach to research. If you were good, somehow you’d manage to find your way to the right funding and talent. That’s good to an extent, but it’s not enough.”

Hong Kong’s Research Grants Council – the body which allocates funding to basic research in universities – is less than 30 years old. “That’s quite remarkable really,” says Roberto, pointing to the city’s already strong research in such fields as chemistry, genetics and developmental biology. “There is not a century-long tradition of research here. Hong Kong has done extremely well in such a short time frame.”

from Queen Mary Hospital.

Specialising in infectious diseases, the laboratory’s aim is to advance ‘basic research’; the fundamentals of how and why viruses work their way through the cells they infect.

“The international flavour we have in the laboratory is quite unique,” he says with a friendly glance towards two students pipetting something-or-other. “The expectation for results is always very high, but we also like to give the team freedom to explore in their research – that’s where you can make interesting progress.”

Searching and researching The slow, eternal grind of basic research may not grab the headlines – but its value as a fundamental element of good healthcare is critical.

“SARS was a big turning point for the realisation of governments worldwide that infectious diseases could have such a major, and deadly, impact. It’s also a very good example of the role basic research plays,” says Roberto.

HKU researches were the first to discover the virus responsible for SARS, the SARS coronavirus, which helped to contain its spread shortly after the initial outbreak in 2003. “What needs to be remembered,” he explains in his methodical, precise tone, “is that this was only possible because there had been a team led by my colleague Malik Peiris, the Co-Director of this lab, working for years on advancing the basic understanding of respiratory diseases and how such ‘unknowns’ might develop. It doesn’t just happen overnight.”

But investment in such research has not always been a given in Hong Kong.

Now a greater focus on supporting local institutions and connecting them with recognised international actors is starting to take shape. The most notable incarnation of this is a proposed Health@ Inno Cluster – an initiative to establish Hong Kong as a centre of biomedical innovation and technology announced as part of a HK$10 billion injection in the research sector.

Institut Pasteur itself signed a Memorandum of Understanding with HKU during Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s inaugural visit to Paris early in 2018 to launch a joint research centre under this initiative at the Hong Kong Science & Technology Park.

In their sights will be such ambitious assignments as The Healthy Human Global Project (a human immunology study to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of future public health initiatives) as well as the creation of technologies surrounding the preparedness and response to emerging and re-emerging viruses, immune therapies for viral infections, and vaccine development.

HongKongEcho | 29

HEALTHCARE | Research goes viral

Professor Roberto Bruzzone

“It’s not just about the money – this is about bringing local and international partners closer together in a productive environment. This is what can give rise to greater job opportunities and what we could call ‘products’ that could be of benefit to the wider society. Let’s not forget, ultimately our everyday antibiotics are also a ‘product’ of research.”

Pure financial investment remains important though. Without it Hong Kong will lose out to regional competitors according to Roberto. “Singapore is

Institut Pasteur’s global network in numbers 130 years since its founding by Louis Pasteur in France A network of 33 institutes in 25 countries 23,000 employees 10 Nobel prizes

30 | HongKongEcho

investing heavily. Of course there’s plenty of money across the border, even in Shenzhen. You don’t even need to go to the hubs of Shanghai and Beijing.”

Hong Kong remains a far more international place than China, says Roberto. But more could be made of it.

Institut Pasteur and the newly-arrived Karolinska Institutet (a Swedish centre of medical academic research) are the only two international institutions with physical laboratories in the city. “It’s not enough. We should be aiming for 10-15 of them in the future.”

“SARS was a big turning point for the realisation of governments worldwide that infectious diseases could have such a major, and deadly, impact. It’s also a very good example of the role basic research plays.”

“That being said,” Roberto continues, “Our ability to welcome students and professors alike from all corners of the world sets us apart. On top of that, you have three of the top 60 universities in the world located in such close proximity.

This is a huge asset that few cities can boast.”

HEALTHCARE | One hospital, two systems

ONE HOSPITAL, TWO SYSTEMS Combine the best of Hong Kong and mainland China to create a model hospital. Across the border in Shenzhen, Professor Chung-Mau Lo is at the helm of a project trying to do just that.

“O

n most days, you can easily see Hong Kong from here,” remarks Professor Chung-Mau Lo as we take in the view from his seventh-floor office at the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital.

A swift 15-minute drive from the Lok Ma Chau border crossing in Shenzhen, this state-of-the art public hospital which opened in 2012 is – in fact – managed by the University of Hong Kong (HKU).

The peculiarity doesn’t escape Lo, who

32 | HongKongEcho

Patients at the HKU-Shenzhen hospital are spread across an enormous total floor area of 367,000 sqm making for a quieter experience than your average public hospital.

is one of Hong Kong’s most prominent surgeons and Chief Executive of the hospital. “My friends keep asking me what on earth I’m doing here,” he says with a slight grin.

Seeing red

The answer, he explains, lies in an opportunity. Impact the quality of healthcare for over a billion people and expand Hong Kong’s own alreadysignificant training, research and teaching capabilities.

Shenzhen to follow,” says Lo.

China can often be a chaotic affair.

Corruption, patient-on-doctor violence,

Typically it means waking up at the crack

rampant over-prescription of drugs;

of dawn to queue with dozens – if not

the existing problems of China’s public

hundreds – of others to get a handful of

hospital system are clear.

(not-so-private) minutes with a doctor.

“Our idea was to bring the quality of Hong Kong’s system, through our management, as a way of creating a model for other public hospitals in

Taking a stroll through the hospital’s mammoth central atrium, a quiet, plantfilled space that feels almost mall-like with its maze of escalators, it’s hard to imagine that a trip to a public hospital in mainland

HongKongEcho | 33

HEALTHCARE | One hospital, two systems

Inside the multi-story main building

As a fix, Lo and his team implemented a booking system, but patients simply wouldn’t come. “Even those who made appointments would come early and try to get in first,” he laughs. “We took the time to educate people and I’m glad to say now it works well – the Shenzhen government has rolled it out across all hospitals in the city.”

Likewise, the hospital faced similar resistance from patients in stamping out red packet payments.

In mainland China, a doctor’s fixed salary may make up only 30% of their income in some hospitals, according to Lo. Red packets and incentives for prescribing drugs may make up the rest. “We cut out these incentives and instead raised the fixed salary of doctors to discourage these temptations,” he says.

Endemic violence has also plagued the sector. With no official avenues 34 | HongKongEcho

for complaints and little in the way of credible insurance, it’s not unusual for patients to take matters into their own hands and seek retribution from doctors directly.

“We introduced a patient relations office right in the middle of the hospital to create a constructive dialogue with patients,” he says. Medical indemnity insurance also means there can be compensation following complications.

“The point is you can’t simply outlaw these things without improving the context of why they occur in the first place.”

The cost of change It’s lunchtime when our tour takes us to the hospital’s pharmacy. Rising above the quiet is the crisp buzz of the pharmacy’s robotics system which distributes medications to the

“Our idea was to bring the quality of Hong Kong’s system... as a way of creating a model.”

German robotics technology in the hospital’s pharmacy helps to automate the distribution of medications.

pharmacists through barcode recognition. “Here, speed is everything,” says General Manager of the Pharmacy Department, Bill Leung, a Hong Kong local with decades of experience practicing in the UK and Hong Kong.

Treating some 7,000 daily outpatients means efficiency is a priority. “We’ve cut down the distribution time for medications to around 10 minutes,” he says.

Such advances, of course, cost money.

“Balancing the budget is a headache,” admits Lo in between one of his lengthy strides. HKU simply operates the facility, he emphasises, and the hospital itself doesn’t receive additional funding compared to Shenzhen’s other public hospitals.

“We’ve introduced a ‘packaging’ model for pricing,” he says. Other public hospitals currently charge a basic 10 RMB fee for a consultation which is set by the government. “It’s ridiculously

low. Hospitals can’t be profitable so doctors overprescribe or run a plethora of unnecessary tests.” Intravenous drips for common colds, for example, have been eradicated with the Guangdong Health Bureau following the hospital’s lead in 2016 by issuing a directive for all hospitals to stop the practice.

Lo and his team have instead introduced consulting and inpatient packages which cover the most common services as way of creating a price ceiling. “Again, in the beginning nobody came because they thought we were so expensive. Over time they see that, actually, you don’t end up paying all the additional costs.”

Similar packages are offered for common surgeries, which also often incur hidden costs. “For our own budget, all these changes make us more efficient – there’s far less wastage.”

The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital in numbers Opened: 2012 Investment cost (built by Shenzhen government): 4 Billion RMB Floor area: 367,000 sqm Beds: 2,000 (as of 2018) Daily outpatient attendance: 7,000 (as of 2018) Research block (to be completed in 2023): 27,050 sqm

Meanwhile the plush private wing – we HongKongEcho | 35

HEALTHCARE | One hospital, two systems

Professor Chung-Mau Lo, Chief Executive of the HKU-Shenzhen Hospital

“The variety and severity of cases we come across at this hospital are far more beneficial from a teaching and research standpoint.”

36 | HongKongEcho

The hospital’s private wing

noticed a soon-to-be-opened Starbucks at its entrance – adds a complementary revenue stream (about 12% of total income) for those looking for a higher level of service, most notably Shenzhen’s rising expatriate population.

A unique opportunity These are admirable advances, but Hong Kong is in the midst of its own shortage in public sector doctors and questions have been raised about why HKU is putting so much effort into a Shenzhenbased project.

“It comes down to HKU’s mission to bring impact through innovation, inter nat iona lis at ion and an interdisciplinary approach,” says Lo who remains employed as a professor and continues to practice part time in Hong

Kong. It’s the same case for the other 200plus Hong Kong doctors who are shuttled back-and-forth between the cities.

Over 2,000 HKU students have visited the hospital for training since 2017, he adds. “The variety and severity of cases we come across at this hospital are far more beneficial from a teaching and research standpoint.” Certain rare diseases which may only account for a handful of cases every year in Hong Kong can be found in the hundreds in Shenzhen.

“It’s not just a unique opportunity for Hong Kong to advance its medical expertise. The changes we’ve been driving are beginning to take hold – they’re no longer that unusual. For us, that’s a huge opportunity to impact even more people in a positive way.”

HEALTHCARE | The nutrition need

THE NUTRITION NEED Improving healthcare for a population is about more than a good product, says Kevin Bush, General Manager of Danone Early Life Nutrition for Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. The real impact is in education.

H

ongKongEcho: How does Danone Early Life Nutrition fit into the healthcare equation?

Kevin Bush: As specialists in early life nutrition we have a fundamental role to play in making a positive health impact.

Of course, we sell a product that’s highly valued by Hong Kong and mainland parents – but our foundations are in combining a social responsibility with this business opportunity.

first six months after giving birth.

That’s among the lowest rate in the developed world, and very much against the World Health Organisation’s recommendations. Why? Lack of breastfeeding facilities at work, poor paid maternity leave coverage and the cost pressure of housing meaning most households need two constant incomes.

This is a major health issue in itself and it’s where we must come in with a high quality substitute or complement.

HKE: How does that translate to a Hong Kong context?

HKE: There’s also a great need across the border.

KB: In Hong Kong, as low as 1% of mothers exclusively breastfeed in the

KB: Of course. While our priority is focusing on the needs of Hong Kong

38 | HongKongEcho

mums in this market, we obviously realise there is a huge demand coming from mainland China. We currently don’t sell our product in retail stores in China – the regulations and requirements aren’t the same – so Hong Kong is where these purchases are being made.

HKE: How important is the idea of ‘trust’?

KB: Very important. As a brand we’ve invested heavily in food safety and quality, which is well recognised. But for Hong Kong, it’s true that the city benefits from a certain perception of being particularly safe and high quality.

“People are far more aware of the importance of ‘wellness’, but whether they truly understand and embrace it is another question.”

Kevin Bush, General Manager of Danone Early Life Nutrition for Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan

In reality that’s more to do with the fact that it seems international. You can see where the products are coming from; they’re traceable and quality tested.

HKE: Is there also a need to educate the market?

KB: We focus less on the product itself and more on explaining early life nutrition and the essentials for the first 1,000 days of a child’s life. Our product offer is one thing but additional services like the ability to speak to a trained nurse through our dedicated call centre team is where we can make the most impact.

What people don’t always realise is that nutrition in these first 1,000 days of a child’s life has a major impact on their future health, particularly in regards to their susceptibility to diabetes and obesity. Hong Kong is facing very high rates of non-communicable diseases

– notably diabetes – which means educating people on the importance of early life nutrition is critical.

nutrition more broadly. People generally

HKE: Do customers expect more from healthcare brands these days?

HKE: Do you see this in regards to

KB: It’s not just healthcare. All brands have to shift away from a pure product offering. It’s no longer a transaction but also an emotional consideration.

In healthcare it’s simply more obvious because the need is so strong – it’s inherently emotional.

know it’s important but there’s often a gap in understanding.

infant formula?

KB:

What’s

interesting

with

this

category is that mums in Hong Kong and mainland China are exceptionally well educated. They’re familiar with the different ingredients and know exactly what they’re looking for. That being said, the amount of options on the market

HKE: Has the understanding of ‘wellness’ also shifted?

has almost doubled in the last four

KB: Absolutely. People are far more aware of the importance of ‘wellness’, but whether they truly understand and embrace it is another question. For example, ‘organic’ – what does it actually mean? There are different standards and understandings. The same is true for

organic offerings, A2 milk, or pre and

years since I’ve been here – whether it’s probiotics. So there’s additional stress in knowing whether you’re making the right choice. Again, for us it’s why we place so much emphasis on educating parents. Ultimately they just want to be able to talk to someone they can trust.

HongKongEcho | 39

Advertorial

40 | HongKongEcho

Advertorial

China makes giant steps in healthcare

Healthcare in China has come a long way in 20 years. Dr Bruno Leraillez, French Foreign Trade Advisor (CCE) in Hong Kong and Founder of INNOLEDGE INTERNATIONAL LTD, takes a closer look at the changes that have redefined the sector.

Health management is essential and complex in any country, but even more so in a country with over one billion people. What is China’s answer to this issue?

Considering China’s population size, the diversity of weather conditions and living standards, it’s very complicated to provide affordable healthcare to everyone. For the past 20 years I have witnessed numerous reforms of healthcare systems and the emergence of reimbursement schemes in cities that now cover more than half of the total population.

The new rural and cooperative medical insurances cover the rest of the population so today almost everybody has access to healthcare reimbursement. This is a great achievement considering that in the past healthcare was provided by employers (mainly the state) and left out the large rural population. Then this service was transferred out of employers’ responsibility and hospitals became managed by the Ministry of Health. Recently the government has been promoting private hospitals.

So we must acknowledge that the reforms have improved healthcare and its financing over the past 20 years. Nowadays a countryside farmer suffering from a severe chronic disease can access good quality treatments at a reasonable price.

Last year the Health Insurance national and provincial schemes entered into a deficit forecasted to reach €100 billion by 2024.

Private healthcare is new to China, how does it manifest?

The number of private hospitals increased very fast to account for 55% of the 29,000 hospitals in the country.

Private hospital turnover is surprisingly low at only 10% of the total hospital revenue. Most private hospitals specialise in disciplines like dentistry, ophthalmology, maternity or aesthetic surgery that do not require support from large hospitals.

Patients who like to consult in private hospitals expect a less crowded environment and top quality care. Doctors can practice in both environments.

A few years ago, we saw reports in the press about patients’ dissatisfaction with doctors – why?

Until the latest reforms, doctors suffered from stress because of the high number of patients, especially in top-class hospitals (as patients could choose their hospital freely).

This resulted in high stress levels for doctors and patients, illustrated by a high number of disputes. Out of pocket expenses also continue to rise despite reimbursement (hospital services are cheap, but medicine prices are high by international standards).

Your question is an opportunity to look at the medical profession: The education of doctors has greatly improved and practicing doctors have to take tests to keep up to date with the fast evolution of medical and technological knowledge.

The Health Ministry has announced a plan to train 500,000 general practitioners (GPs). As the discipline does not exist, there is no concept of family clinic. These GPs will help decrease patient overload in hospitals for simple ailments that do not require heavy treatments.

Income wise the medical profession needs revaluation.

When comparing living standard of doctors with official salaries there is an unexplainable gap and some doctors have been arrested on suspicion of requesting compensation from patients and from vendors. The Health Ministry is working on a better remuneration scheme in relation to extra workload and expertise.

Does Chinese Traditional Medicine (TCM) have a prevalent role?

Of course, in China it’s ubiquitous and the population uses TCM or Western medicine depending on the ailment. So, we can say that for recurrent diseases many people will consult the TCM department first. But overall in China, TCM doctors account for only a quarter of all practitioners and the students for TCM has not increased in number.

Can you tell us about cooperation between China and France in healthcare management?

France has a very high long-standing reputation in China regarding medical education and the pharmaceutical industry (Shanghai No. 2 Medical University, Shanghai Pasteur Institute, Sanofi pharmaceuticals, Biomerieux diagnostics and a number of SMEs). During the last decade, China and France have cooperated on services like Mobile Emergency Units, Electronic medical files, maternity and elderly house design and management. Five years ago, a French Health Alliance in China was established and includes a number of French biotech and AI companies collaborating very actively to promote cost effective solutions that improve the quality of healthcare and insurance.

To a certain extent China is willing to adopt these new services and treatments at a faster pace than other parts of the world. China has a strong, positive attitude that healthcare can always be perfected and this should be shared by many countries.

Dr Bruno Leraillez is the Founder of INNOLEDGE INTERNATIONAL LTD., a creative venture backed by inside knowledge and corporate experience gained over 30 years of activities in Asia in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry. He brings a hands-on approach to business development in Asia, from Japan to China and Hong Kong.

HongKongEcho | 41

FrenchChamber

HongKongEcho | 44

French Chamber Highlights 44 Looking Back

· Annual Dinner goes green

· Bourgogne-Franche-Comté back in town for Wine & Dine

· The Chamber welcomes a delegation from Huawei France

· Luxury Symposium focuses in on Greater Bay Area in 3rd edition

· Renowned mathematician Cédric Villani sets France’s AI agenda

· Top executives talk optimism in difficult times

49 Members’ Highlights 54 New Faces 59 French Chamber Foundation

LookingBack

Annual Dinner goes green

FRENCH CHAMBER ANNUAL DINNER 2018 Platinum Sponsor

Gold Sponsors

With the support of

Please Enjoy Responsibly

This year’s Annual Dinner took the limelight with a distinctly ‘green’ focus. More than just an occasion to highlight the Chamber’s increasing commitment to being a more sustainable business, this was an opportunity for members and non-members alike to kick-start the new working year over a glass of much-needed champagne.

With a buffet dinner at the iconic Jockey Club at the Happy Valley racecourse, guests also had the chance to test their ‘green’ knowledge with a number of tables facing off in a highly-interactive quiz.

Held just after our Annual General Meeting, the evening brought together many of the Chamber’s all-important Executive Committee and Councillors – some of whom were beginning new responsibilities as part of the team

A thoroughly ‘green’ quiz to test our guests’ knowledge

behind the Chamber’s vision.

The dinner also marked an occasion for many of our members to meet the new Consul General for France in Hong Kong and Macau, Mr Alexandre Giorgini, and his wife, as well as Mrs Valérie Liang-Champrenault, Head of

For more photos from the evening,

the Consulate’s Economic Department.

visit our official Facebook page: facebook.com/fccihk/

Members and non-members kick-start the new working year

44 | HongKongEcho

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté back in town for Wine & Dine Hong Kong’s Wine & Dine festival brings together world class food, drinks and entertainment along the city’s iconic harbour front.

The

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

region, with its long history of producing some of France’s finest wines and produce, took the opportunity to show off the best it has to offer at the festival.

The

Chamber

was

delighted

to once again be engaged to organise their booth and help spread

the

word

about

this

unique region.

A taste of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté at Hong King Wine & Dine

The Chamber welcomes a delegation from Huawei France In October the Chamber’s Business Consulting team welcomed nine winning French startups from Huawei France’s Digital InPulse competition, along with Huawei representatives. The Chamber’s mission was to arrange a program of site visits and high-level meetings for the delegation to discover Hong Kong’s business ecosystem under the theme of ‘New Mobility’.

The whirlwind programme included trips to Hong Kong International Terminals, Hong Kong Science & Technology Park, Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals, the Blueprint accelerator as well as a visit to Shenzhen to learn more about the advances happening just across the border.

A closer look at the technology behind Hong Kong International Terminals

The delegation visits Kai Tak Cruise Terminal

HongKongEcho | 45

LookingBack

Luxury Symposium focuses on Greater Bay Area in 3rd edition Platinum sponsor

Cultural partners

Gold sponsors

A full house at K11 @Victoria Dockside

On 5 November 2018, business leaders, executives and key players

This year also marked the first edition of the Retail in Asia ‘Best Retail

from the luxury industry gathered for the French Chamber’s Luxury

Experience Award’, the prizes for which were presented at the end of

Symposium at the slick surrounds of K11@Victoria Dockside.

the half-day conference.

Now in its 3rd edition, the half-day conference continues to ask the

Up for grabs were prizes offered by the French Chamber and Retail in

tough questions for an industry in constant transformation. With a

Asia including visibility and business development services.

program devised by the Chamber’s Luxury & Retail Committee, this year’s agenda saw a close analysis of the subjects shaping the luxury

A judging panel with a range of different backgrounds and expertise

industry in Hong Kong for the years to come under a distinctly Greater

looked at various factors such as alignment between brand DNA and store

Bay Area focus. Notably: Travelling Chinese consumers, ‘new retail’ and

design, visual merchandising, uniqueness of the experience, customer

sustainability.

engagement, ambience, and quality of the material for submission.

A big thankyou to our partners for the event: Retail In Asia, GL Events, The Murray Hotel, WAN (Corporate Services) Ltd, Jing Daily and Evenium ConnexMe.

46 | HongKongEcho

To see the video of the event, visit our website: www.fccihk.com

Congratulations to the winners:

Luxury Pop-Up Store – Les Gens Asia X Nars For this category, the judges were looking for a fully engaging

Lifestyle Permanent Store – Officine Universelle Buly Hong Kong

concept able to transform retail into a one-of-its kind experience.

This category received several entries, and the competition was

With a strong focus on customer-product interaction and digital

fierce. While many brands and retailers are focusing on digital to

touchpoints, Les Gens Asia X Nars’ playful, young, energetic

revolutionise their retail experience, the winner for this category was

concept takes home the Best Retail Experience for Luxury PopUp Store.

Luxury Permanent Store – Devialet The award for this category goes to quite an exclusive concept.

able to bring customers back in time through a highly designed and detail-oriented ambience, which is able to represent the brand DNA and encapsulate the products in a unique universe. The immersive experience in Officine Universelle Buly Hong Kong’s permanent

Luxury, exclusive experience, innovation, and excellence were

store on Wyndham Street is the winner for Best Retail Experience

the recurring words used by judges to define this store experience

Lifestyle Permanent Store.

where products are displayed as if they were jewels. In line with its brand DNA, Devialet created the Best Retail Experience for the Luxury Permanent Store category.

Lifestyle Pop-Up Store – Lore Limited X TUMI For this category, the winning concept created a 360-degree

Omnichannel – Holition Ltd X Charlotte Tilbury Omnichannel has become a buzzword in the retail industry. The aim of this award was to find a way to define this practice by looking at an innovative concept able to integrate technology into an experiential

storytelling experience. From design to retail staff, from

retail space. Holition X Charlotte Tilbury created a highly customer-

workshops to customisation and events, everything was planned

oriented experience able to engage the new generation of shoppers,

to provide customers with an interactive experience in line

and provide them with a space to enjoy their spare time.

with the brand DNA. The winner for the Best Retail Experience Lifestyle Pop-Up Store is Lore Limited X TUMI.

Charlotte Judet, (VP Communications, Kering Asia Pacific and VP of the Chamber’s Luxury & Retail Committee), David Baverez (Author and business angel), Fanny Moizant (Co-Founder, Vestiaire Collective)

Damien Vernet (President, LVMH Fashion Group Asia and VP of the Chamber’s Luxury & Retail Committee)

HongKongEcho | 47

LookingBack

Renowned mathematician Cédric Villani sets France’s AI agenda AI often sounds like a promise for the future, but don’t be fooled: this revolution is happening here and now. That was the message from

Cédric

Villani,

renowned

mathematician, recipient of the Fields Medal (2010) and Deputy for the Essonne, as he delivered the findings of his taskforce on AI at a morning talk held at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Business School on 26 November.

A great turnout at HKUST Business School in Central

The French Chamber and the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong & Macau, with the support of Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAiRE), were delighted to welcome Mr Villani as he delved into the study commissioned by French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.

What’s clear is that French companies and entrepreneurs have both an immense responsibility and an unprecedented opportunity to tap into the benefits AI can bring. Our message? France is already home to a plethora of talent. It’s up to us to support this promising ecosystem!

Cédric Villani

Top executives talk optimism in difficult times Following a recent global CEO Survey conducted by PwC which revealed great faith and optimism regarding the global business environment among chief executives worldwide, we decided – in collaboration with the Dutch and Italian Chambers – to invite four prominent Hong Kong-based top-level executives to find out why.

On 21 November we welcomed the stellar panel including Leonie Valentine (Google), Yoann El Jaouhari (JCDecaux Cityscape), Diane Boogaard (Rabobank Hong Kong) and Glenn Lutz (Arcadis Asia) with Ruud Sommenhalder (PwC) asking all the pertinent questions. This included everything from what the prospects are for economic growth to the challenges in building a workforce in the modern era.

After some engaging discussion between the speakers and audience, guests Selfie time for the top executives!

48 | HongKongEcho

settled into the evening’s networking cocktail.

Members'Highlights

Adidas appoints MediaCom to drive its ‘Create the New’ strategy After a competitive and multi layered pitch process MediaCom were selected as the agency to help adidas and Reebok continue the momentum behind both brands and deliver a winning media approach.

The combined brief will be executed across all platforms with a focus on innovation aligned to the brand’s strategic business plan; ‘Creating the New’.

digitally-focused and always creating the new. This is the way we at adidas and Reebok operate. We are pleased to have found those same drivers in our new agency partner MediaCom. Through our partnership, we look forward to innovating ways of reaching and connecting to our consumers across the trend-leading cities whose influence on global culture is the key to unlocking desirability and demand.”

The strategy for adidas has been concentrated on three strategic choices; Speed, Cities, and Open Source. These have all been channelled through a core belief – “Through sport, we have the power to change lives”. This new brief will align to these areas of focus with faster media implementation than ever before, a laser focus on the capital cities of culture and commerce as well as a world class digital ecosystem, and then a continued drive behind an open source approach to fuel innovation.

Melanie Boulden, VP of Marketing at Reebok said: “After a vigorous pitch process, MediaCom stood out as an excellent strategic media partner for our brand. We feel that they are the right partner to help us achieve our goals and mission for 2020 and beyond. We are pleased to be working with them and look forward to kicking off our partnership.”

The areas of responsibility for the agency teams across the world will include full funnel media planning, integrated media consultancy and buying, consumer insight and measurement. The two hubs for the global business will be London for adidas and New York City for Reebok with MediaCom staff also positioned around key focus locations for the brands across the world.

Jocelyn Robiot, Senior Vice President Marketing at adidas said: “It is our mission ‘to be the best sports company in the world.’ To hit that mark, we need the right line-up of partners onside with us. Consumer-obsessed,

Toby Jenner, Worldwide COO at MediaCom said: “We are delighted to have been selected by one of the world’s most ambitious and iconic brands as their partner. Our teams around the world can’t wait to get cracking. adidas is a business of great people and brands with enormous e-commerce opportunities moving forward. We’re looking forward to developing brilliantly creative and highly effective campaigns, which combine their brand heat and e-commerce, alongside their other agency partners.”

www.mediacom.com/hk

Mercer invests in global talent assessment market with acquisition of Mettl in India On October 8, Mercer, a global consulting leader in advancing health, wealth,

“The combination of Mercer’s pedigree and talent-industry experience and

and career and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies,

Mettl’s leading-edge and scalable proprietary technology platform, ensures

Inc. agreed to acquire Mettl, a leader in cloud-based technology and data

companies in this region have access to world-class talent solutions as they

sciences-driven talent assessments, based in India.

prepare for the diverse future of work amidst rapid digitisation,” he added.

“We are very proud of Mettl’s success to date and joining Mercer will enable

According to Ilya Bonic, Global President of Mercer’s Career line of business,

us to fulfil our aspirations of being a global leader in talent assessments,” said

the acquisition marks Mercer’s entry into the rapidly-growing global talent

Ketan Kapoor, CEO, Mettl.

assessment market and further enhances its position as a trusted strategic talent advisor to companies.

“By leveraging Mercer’s global footprint and leadership position, we can sustainably scale our presence and reach, helping companies avoid the cost

Mettl helps companies maximise human potential by measuring talent

of suboptimal hiring decisions amidst ongoing digital disruption,” he added.

through assessments conducted in a secure and scalable software as a

The acquisition of Mettl underscores Mercer’s ongoing commitment to

service (SaaS) platform. The platform includes proprietary content to measure

helping companies build a future-ready workforce.

personality, ability and job-specific skills. Mettl also licenses its platform as a stand-alone technology for clients’ own content. According to the World

Mettl offers its multilingual assessments conducted in over 80 countries.

Economic Forum, a widening skills gap is one of the biggest challenges in the

Established in 2010, Mettl was recognised as one of the twenty most

fourth industrial revolution, and a robust assessment platform is fundamental

innovative and high-growth companies in India by London & Partners’ IE20

to the development of a skills-focused talent strategy.

list in 2017 and was retained as an assessment provider by the Government of India for their Skill Development Initiative.

“We believe that online talent assessment is a powerful tool that can help companies unlock the potential of their people. Mettl is a disruptive HR tech startup that has pioneered a robust assessment platform,” said Puneet Swani, Career Business Leader for Mercer’s Growth Markets region.

www.mercer.com

HongKongEcho | 49

Members'Highlights

Air France celebrates 80 years of flights to Hong Kong This year marked a milestone anniversary for Air France-KLM with

and China with nine destinations in Greater China and 89 flights per

a remarkable 80 years of flights between Hong Kong and Paris. The

week departing from the group’s hubs of Paris-Charles de Gaulle and

group’s maiden voyage took place between the two international hubs

Amsterdam-Schiphol.

in 1938, taking a total of six days.

“Greater China is such a huge market and we’ve managed to establish a It’s a historic route for Air France which celebrates its own 85th

very good position there, especially with the help of our strong Chinese

anniversary this year. “This shows what an important location Hong

partners,” says Balm. The group partners with China Southern Airlines,

Kong has been for us as it was one of our very first destinations,” says

China Eastern Airlines, and Xiamen Airlines to offer up to 138 weekly

Antoine Pussiau, Senior Vice President Asia Pacific for Air France-

flights to China. “The joint ventures allow us to spread into the market

KLM, who was in town to celebrate the occasion alongside colleague

and share expertise in a reciprocal manner,” he explains.

Toon Balm, General Manager Greater China.

Better yet, the group has worked hard to roll out personalised services The very best of the group’s offer, the pair explains, is in store for

for Chinese customers and the very best products and services it has

passengers on flights between Europe and Hong Kong or mainland

on offer. “We want to combine the best of our European heritage with a

China.

particular Chinese flavour for those passengers,” says Pussiau.

For example Air France’s award-winning La Première service (named

Dedicated reception staff and Chinese signage at both Paris-Charles

‘Best first class available’ in service to Greater China and Europe

de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol, in-flight teams trained in Chinese

by the Shanghai-based magazine Hurun Report) which raises the

culture, films and print media in Mandarin, as well as an array of refined

bar for meeting client expectations with its three guiding principles:

Chinese dishes to complement the regular dining offer makes for a

consideration, discretion and anticipation. From the breath-taking

thoroughly customised experience for Chinese passengers.

La Première lounge at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and chauffeur service between the gate and aircraft, to the new La Première cabin promising perfect privacy and menus planned by Michelin-starred chefs.

The China connection Air France-KLM is now the leading carrier for flights between Europe

Part of Air France's revamped lounge at Paris-Charles de Gaulle

50 | HongKongEcho

www.airfrance.com.hk

HongKongEcho | 51

Members'Highlights

Veolia Foundation involved in humanitarian emergency mission in Indonesia Under the emergency humanitarian operations organised by France’s Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs crisis centre following the earthquake in Indonesia on 28 September, the Veolia Foundation mobilised quickly: two AquaForce 2000 units and two VeoliaForce experts went on site to strengthen the rescue program and train the Indonesian Red Cross emergency teams to use the equipment.

At 6pm on 28 September an earthquake followed by a tsunami hit Indonesia. On the island of Sulawesi, the city of Palu (350,000 inhabitants) and its region were particularly badly hit with over 2,100 dead, 4,600 seriously injured, 680 missing and nearly 212,000 displaced.

According to Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Centre, over 200,000 displaced people were placed in immediate difficulty and with a need for safe drinking water, electricity, shelter and emergency medical assistance. The risk of an epidemic made the use of water purification equipment essential.

Mandated by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, two VeoliaForce experts joined France’s civil defence agency teams in Palu. They spent

two weeks training Indonesian Red Cross emergency teams to use the two AquaForce 2000 units.

Designed by the Veolia Foundation, these units purify raw water with a flow rate of 2 m3 / h. As many roads are still impassable they will be able to supply drinking water to isolated populations.

The intervention of the Veolia Foundation comes under the partnership concluded with the Quai d’Orsay to improve efficiency in emergency humanitarian situations.

www.veolia.com

52 | HongKongEcho

Saft and Socomec deliver state-of-the-art backup power system for Total’s supercomputer environment Battery leader Saft and industrial group Socomec have delivered a high-

GP UPS. Both components are modular and energy efficient so that the

performance UPS featuring lithium-ion data batteries for Total’s HPC data

UPS can be scaled to meet new additional power and energy requirements

centre which hosts one of the world’s largest industrial supercomputers.

over time. A program of functional testing and certification demonstrated the electrical performance of the system as well as the electronic control

Total’s supercomputer is a unique decision-support tool used for oil & gas

interface between the battery and Socomec’s UPS.

exploration and field management. It improves the accuracy of subsurface imaging, optimises the development and production of Total’s fields as well

Made in Europe, the lithium-ion battery system is sized to deliver 550 kW

as saves time, by shortening the duration of studies.

for up to seven minutes within the voltage window required by the UPS after an operational life of 15 years.

To protect critical information and calculations for the supercomputer, Total required a high-performance UPS and battery system. The main criteria

François Danet, Saft’s global business development manager for data

were low Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), hot-swappability and integration

centres said: “As a critical component of the UPS for Total’s data centre

with its monitoring systems. The scope also included the enhancement

supercomputer, Saft’s Flex’ion battery systems are

of the environmental performance of the data centre through increased

supporting Total’s drive towards technological innovation

energy efficiency and the ability to re-inject power from the UPS into the

and environmental sustainability.”

grid or to support other loads.

To meet these requirements, Saft and Socomec worked together to integrate a Saft Flex’ion battery system into Socomec’s DELPHYS XTEND

www.saftbatteries.com

Carrefour makes first partnership to support dairy producers in switch over to organic farming methods Carrefour and its Foundation, WWF France, dairy group Laiterie de Saint

An exemplary initiative along the whole length of the value chain

Denis de l’Hôtel and the Centre region’s milk producers association

To support growing consumer demand for organic and responsible

(APLBC) have just entered into the first partnership to support dairy

products, the partners have set themselves the target of developing an

producers switch over to organic farming methods.

exemplary value chain. The milk will be collected and transported by lorries running on biomethane fuel, meaning no fine particle emissions and

At the Open Agrifood forum in Orléans on 21 and 22 December, Carrefour and its Foundation, WWF France, LSDH and APLBC Bio will announce the launch of a major project to support milk producers as they switch over to organic farming methods. Carrefour and its partners will use this project to meet growing consumer demand for organic products and help producers to switch over by providing them with financial and technical support.

a 75% reduction in CO2 emissions.

The milk itself will be stored and sold in eco-designed packaging, minimising the cost to the environment at all stages of the packaging’s life-cycle.

The first cartons of organic milk resulting from this partnership will be on sale in Carrefour stores in 2020. Consumers will be able to identify them

Long-term support for French milk producers

easily via the special labelling, illustrating WWF France’s support.

The partnership announced by Carrefour and its Foundation, WWF France, LSDH and APLBC Bio will ensure financial support for a two-year

“As far as organic farming is concerned, this is the first partnership of its

period (the time needed to switch over to organic farming methods) for

kind. It will help us meet the expectations of our customers who want French

around 66 milk producers who are members of the APLBC Bio producers organisation. LSDH and the Carrefour Foundation will give producers in the APLBC Bio cooperative €30 and €20 respectively for every 1000 L that they produce for two years – a total of 10 million L of milk.

organic products and guarantee our supplies. Furthermore, the long-term contracts will help us establish relationships with the producers, with us committing to purchasing volumes at fair prices. This is further evidence of our commitment to the food transition for everyone!” said Laurent Vallée, Carrefour’s General Secretary.

Furthermore, at the end of this two-year period, the partnership will guarantee the producers an outlet for the volumes that they produce: Carrefour will enter into three-year contracts with them.

www.carrefour.com

HongKongEcho | 53

NewFaces

Welcome to the New Members of the French Chamber NEW PATRON MEMBER RICHEMONT ASIA PACIFIC LIMITED Richemont is one of the world’s leading luxury goods groups. The Group owns a portfolio of leading international brands or ‘Maisons’, which are managed independently of one another, recognising their individuality and uniqueness.

Alain LI Regional Chief Executive

Annie CHUNG Chief Legal Counsel, Asia Pacific

Adam IDAAZZI Marketing & Communication Director of Vacheron Constantin

Caroline LOUBATIERES Regional Marketing Service Director

NEW PATRON ADDITIONAL MEMBERS

AXA HONG KONG

Xavier LESTRADE Managing Director, AXA China Region

BNP PARIBAS

Charles GILLET APAC CIB CIO

Bruno GUILLOTON AXA Investment Managers Asia

CAPGEMINI HONG KONG LIMITED

Ludovic BAUDET CFO, APAC & ME

Alva QIEN Chief Strategy Officer, APAC & ME

Samuel LEVY-BASSE Director, Capgemini Consulting Hong Kong

54 | HongKongEcho

CLUB MEDITERRANEE (CLUB MED) HONG KONG LTD

Ceci LI PR & Communication Senior Executive

CREDIT AGRICOLE CORPORATE AND INVESTMENT BANK

Dominique BLANCHARD Head of Global Markets Division Asia-Pacific

DANONE NUTRICIA EARLY LIFE NUTRITION (HK) LIMITED

Ket Loon CHEN Director of Sales

L'ORÉAL HONG KONG LTD

Jochem ZAUMSEIL Executive Vice-President, Asia Pacific Zone, L’ORÉAL Group

SUEZ NWS

Franki WONG Senior VP

Felix FAN Managing Director of Water Operations, SUEZ NWS Limited

Joey CHIO Sustainable Development and Communications Director, SUEZ Asia

NEW CORPORATE MEMBERS CONSTANTIN SERVAL AND ASSOCIATE LIMITED

CORAVIN Coravin is changing the way the world drinks wine. Coravin, Inc. is a privately held company located in Burlington, Massachusetts focused on transforming the way wine is served, sold and enjoyed.

Constantin is one of the leading technical networks of audit and consulting firms present on the international scene.

Fleur LEPOUTRE Manager, Hong Kong Office

Michael HO Managing Deputy

Thomas QUINQUIS Partner, Asia

INSPECTORIO

LEDGER

Inspectorio is a quality and compliance verification platform, powered by artificial intelligence.

Founded in 2014, Ledger is a leader in security and infrastructure solutions for cryptocurrencies and blockchain applications.

Mariana FLOCCO Manager, Hong Kong Office

Benjamin SOONG

SOLSTICE TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

Hughes SANONER President & CEO

HongKongEcho | 55

NewFaces

NEW CORPORATE ADDITIONAL MEMBERS MBA BOLLORE LOGISTICS HONG KONG LTD

Charles JAURETT Business Development Executive

CLP HOLDINGS LIMITED

Alexandre-Jean KEISSER Managing Director, CLP Engineering Limited

CUHK BUSINESS SCHOOL, THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

Phebe LOO Director of Marketing & Communications

Tavis KAN Associate Director, Strategy, CLP Engineering

DECATHLON HK COMPANY LTD

Tancy WONG Expansion & Development Responsible

EY FRENCH BUSINESS CENTER

Guillaume PIAT

FRENCH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL 'VICTOR SEGALEN'

Arnaud LELEUX Directeur Exécutif Adjoint / Deputy Executive Director

GUERLAIN ASIA PACIFIC LIMITED

Vanessa PLESSY Travel Retail WW Key Account Manager

IDSUD ENERGY ASIA PACIFIC

Antoine ETTORI Deputy CEO

KPMG

Kevin CHHOR Manager, Advisory

LOUIS VUITTON HONG KONG

Houria OSMANI Vice President, Human Resources – North Asia

LVMH PERFUMES & COSMETICS ASIA PACIFIC LIMITED

Eve WAGNER Regional Training & Retail Performance Director

MEDIACOM

Andy CHANG APAC Business Lead – Richemont

PALO IT

Stanislas BALAY Business Manager

PWC

Tristan DEMAESENEER Associate Director

56 | HongKongEcho

NEW ENTREPRENEUR MEMBERS AMI PREMIUM

ASCENSION ASSOCIATES

AMI PREMIUM is a loyalty program with cash back for clients and rewards for the recommenders.

Ascension Associates is created with one clear purpose - to accelerate organisations implementing business strategy with the right people.

Hughes SANONER President & CEO

Larraine CHANG Managing Director

AUREXIA

CRED COMMUNICATIONS LTD

Aurexia is a global management consultancy, with offices in London, Paris, Luxembourg and Asia, dedicated solely to financial services

A boutique public relations agency that delivers big results. Our client servicing covers everything from FMCG to restaurants, wines and spirits, retail, travel, fashion and lifestyle and health and beauty.

Mandy QUEEN Managing Director

Ludovic DUFETEL Director

FINEUM ASIA

FRENCH ELIXIR LIMITED

Created by recognised professionals in the world of consulting, FINEUM Conseil is a consulting company in m a n a g e m e n t a n d o rg a n i s a t i o n , specialised in the financial industry business and corporate.

French Elixir Ltd is an olfactive studio dedicated to sharing knowledge about perfumery in Asia. We create and conduct professional conferences and workshops to educate and leverage Perfumery knowledge.

Axelle FRACHON Perfume Trainer, CEO, Founder

Io-Cheong HO Country Manager

IN SITU & PARTNERS

STOS ADVISORY

In Situ & Partners Ltd is an Interior Architecture Company, based in Hong Kong. We specialise in interior architecture and fitting-out of high-end retail, F&B and corporate spaces as well as luxury residential interiors.

Yacine BENSALEM Founder & Managing Director

Stos Advisory is expert in accounting and finance, tax and human resources in China. The founding partner has over 16 years of experience across China in various business sectors and regions.

Benoit STOS Managing Partner

THE KKLUE GROUP LIMITED KKLUE creates instantly wearable, modern pieces in 18K gold and diamonds that perfectly suit the taste and lifestyle of the discerning women of today.

Kellyn ZHOU Founder & Creative Director

HongKongEcho | 57

NewFaces

NEW ADDITIONAL ENTREPRENEUR MEMBERS

ALPADIS TRUST (HK) LIMITED

Samy REEB Managing Director

AD MEDILINK

Julien MATHIEU Co-Founder

IN SITU & PARTNERS

Gregory ERNST Operations Director

LBB ASIA LUXURY BRAND BUILDING IN ASIA

Fabienne PELLEGRIN Partner

ONTHELIST

Marie BOUXOM Business Development Executive

WORLD WIDE FOOD DISTRIBUTION

Laura ROUBERTIES E-Commerce Supply Chain Manager

NEW INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS Brice BERRARD

NEW YOUNG PROFESSIONAL MEMBERS

Frank BRUGNOT

Associate Director

Claire BALDY

Certified Teacher

Julien CAMMISANO

Industrial / Product Development / After Sales Director

Hugo BRUN

Account Manager AP

Francois CARNET

Entrepreneur & Investor

Erick GOMMEAUX

Managing Director

Tze Chin (TC) CHAN

Solicitor

Thibault RAKOTOMANANA

Thibault DEMOURES

Regional Head of Healthcare Development

Constance SALVATOR

Magali HARASSE

IT Consultant

Jobie SOO

Patricia HERAU-YANG

Entrepreneur

Genevieve MOUTIN

Senior Consultant

Mathieu PENVERNE

Sourcing Director

Christophe PIRAS Fanny RADRIGAN Anastasia SHCHETININA Sarah-Jane TASTEYRE

Avocate au Barreau de Paris - Registered Foreign Law

Anne VANLAEYS

Managing Director

58 | HongKongEcho

Account Manager AP

FrenchChamberFoundation

THE FOUNDATION & AU COEUR DU LUXE: A SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP Angela’s story – one of the Lunch Club beneficiaries After a serious accident forced a halt to her career, former Sales Manager Angela Kwok had the opportunity to meet social workers from the French Chamber Foundation, along with Au Coeur Du Luxe (ACDL), a member of the French Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. Her chance for a new start!

A sudden change When Angela suffered an unfortunate injury in 2014, after somebody carrying a box of wine accidentally hit her lower back, she didn’t immediately realise that her entire life was about to change. The bone damage that resulted from the accident meant she would need to stay in bed for months, before entering a long process of physical rehabilitation.

Prior to the accident, Angela embodied what one would call a ‘successful Asian businesswoman’. As the Sales Manager of a large Bordeaux wine reseller in Hong Kong, she was running a popular wine shop in Central and organising large-scale events, being the only female Bordeaux wine specialist in town.

When asked about her life back then, Angela remembers: “As I became unable to stand up and walk, people started to forget about me. Some of my former friends didn’t even ask for news. It was like I didn’t exist anymore. Suddenly, I was alone”.

Angela Kwok and the team at the Wan Chai Lunch Club

In order to cover her costs during the three and a half years of her treatment, she had to sell her car and subsequently her house. At that point, she wondered if she would ever get back on track again.

Finding her feet with ACDL & the French Chamber Foundation After completing her rehabilitation, Angela decided to join a governmentsponsored training in order to learn new skills. Motivated by the cause of helping people living with disabilities, just like herself, she first chose to work in a program for the elderly. Unfortunately, she found it difficult to make a substantial impact, as her body was not up to the physical strain.

The social workers of the French Chamber Foundation then introduced her to ACDL, a member of the French Chamber. After a short adaptation period, Angela became an Administrative Assistant for the Hong Kong office on a part time basis. Although challenged by staying in a seated position for long periods, she persevered and eventually reached the position of Office Manager, which enabled her to improve her salary and standard of living.

An international Education and Training Group specialised in improving retail performance of premium and Luxury brands. ACDL designs memorable customer experiences in assessing the 4 dimensions of customer experience by recommending, designing and implementing turnkey solutions to align brand strategy with customer perception.

Since 2019 they have delivered over 4,000 training programmes and over 400 E-learning modules for leading international brands across the world. www.aucoeurduluxe.com

President and Founder of ACDL, Laurence Ouaknine

Visit our website at: www.fcf.hk The French Chamber Foundation was established in 2015 as a subsidiary of the French Chamber and is registered in Hong Kong as a charity. It is governed by a Board of Directors, and relies on donations from corporates and individuals, including the funds raised during the French Chamber Gala Dinner, to fund its operations.

HongKongEcho | 59

The French Chamber of Commerce wishes to thank its Patron Members:

THE FRENCH CHAMBER 21/F, On Hing Building, 1 On Hing Terrace, Central, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2523 6818

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - C HIEF EDITOR Sophie LECONTE

communications@fccihk.com www.fccihk.com

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER - EDITOR Kieran CASH

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Philippe MASSONNET

PRINTING MAGNUM (OFFSET) PRINTING CO. LTD

HEAD OF COMMUNICATION & EVENTS Chantal ITURRIA

DESIGN MANAGER Louise HO

The views expressed in the publication are not necessarily those of The French Chamber. The editor accepts no responsibility for unsolicited material submitted.