Annual Report
2008-2009
CONTENTS 03 President’s Note 04 Executive Director’s Overview 06 Highlights 08 Who’s who at the French Chamber President & Executive Committee Council Committees Permanent Staff
12 Membership profile in 2008/2009 14 Committees’ Activities
China Committee Events and Gala Committee Human Resources Committee Infrastructure & Technology Committee Luxury & Retail Committee NTIC Committee Policy & Consultation Committee Publications Committee SME Committee Sourcing Committee Sustainable Development Committee Young Professionals’ Committee
27 Departments’ Activities
Business Development Department Events Department Membership Department Publications & Communications Department Recruitment Department
40 Institutional Partners 44 Financial Report
Throughout this difficult year, your Chamber has been actively pushing the views of French companies in Hong Kong and lobbying the Government on various issues, notably during the second part of 2008 under the French presidency of the EU. We will continue to do so, with the other European Chambers as it is of the utmost importance to develop a common approach on different topics such as relief measures for the business community, double taxation agreements, the environment, etc.
I
think you will all agree that the past year has been marked by challenging times. Over the past months, the world has seen the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression and no industry, nor any country, has been immune to its effects. We are now in a recession and the recovery will most probably take time. Despite these uncertainties and some casualties, our community of entrepreneurs should keep in good spirits as we are living in the most vibrant part of the globe.
And in this dynamic region, Hong Kong is certainly the place to be in! Indeed, our city has shown signs of weaknesses during the past year, with a rise in unemployment and a significant number of SMEs collapsing. But we all know Hong Kong’s resilience and its extraordinary capacity to rebound.
French companies also continued to demonstrate their dynamism during this tumultuous period: the SME Awards, which were presented during our Annual Gala dinner to two performing SMEs selected from many competitors, are a good illustration of the entrepreneurial spirit which prevails in our community.
The French Chamber of Commerce and Industry accomplished much this year in spite of the very difficult environment. We have reached a record number of members, a clear indication of the attractiveness of our services and events. Our committees have also been very active and were the driving force behind outstanding accomplishments such as our IP Seminar and the visit of MTRC managers in Paris to meet with French SMEs. More information on these events and other highly successful initiatives can be found within the pages of this report.
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My first thanks goes to the permanent staff of the French Chamber for their dedication under the leadership of Maryse Kraatz, our General Manager. They have been enthusiastic, proactive and professional throughout this challenging year. I would also like to thank the Committee Presidents, the members of the Executive Committee and the Councilors: their support is essential to the Chamber’s life!
Last, I wish to stress the importance of having a cohesive ‘Equipe de France’ in Hong Kong during these challenging times. I take this opportunity to thank the French Consulate-General and the French Trade Commissioner for their constant support this year and would also like to bid ‘Au revoir’ to Jean-Pierre Thébault who has been a fervent supporter of French business in Hong Kong.
Xavier Jacquemain President
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
President’s Note
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Executive Director’s Overview W
hat a year! We were witness to virtually all stages of the economic cycle in one single year, with many experts now expecting the the recovery of the economy by the end of 2009. During this time, we have kept adapting our services to the changing economic climate and have worked hard to be as close as possible to our members and to best represent their interests in Hong Kong.
Maryse Kraatz Executive Director
Despite the tumultuous period, the Chamber recorded its highest number of new members this year with more than 100 newcomers. In 2009, the Chamber has become, more than ever, a multicultural organization, with a vibrant mix of French, Hong Kong and other Western companies.
We continued to try to serve both our multinational companies, for whom Hong Kong is frequently the regional headquarters, and our entrepreneurs, heading the SMEs that they, more often than not, created here. The number of French entrepreneurs has continued to grow at an impressive rate and we feel very proud to help promote the excellence of these professionals by increasing their visibility in Hong Kong.
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Our passion for Hong Kong has helped us fulfill one of our most important missions – a mission which many members may not be aware of – to help French SMEs based in France to develop their business abroad, as well as to promote Hong Kong as an attractive business destination in France.
A great illustration of how large firms and SMEs can join forces to create a successful event is the MTRC Roadshow, organized in June by members of the French Chamber’s Infrastructure Committee: This business-matching event in Paris between MTR Corporation and French companies involved in the railway industry gave SMEs the opportunity to present their product offering to MTR while also allowing major players to strengthen already established ties with the Hong Kongbased group.
At a more internal level, the Chamber has equipped itself with more professional tools to serve you better and to enhance its image within the Hong Kong business community: We developed our first graphic chart, refurbished all our publications and introduced a new CRM linked to our new website.
In addition to our quarterly magazine, Hong Kong Echo, which now has a circulation of 6,500 copies, our website is a great platform for you to share your corporate news. You will also have the chance to update your profile directly on the website all year long and our annual Directory will be derived from your latest updates, saving us both a tremendous amount of time.
Our 12 Committees are now among the best reasons for new members to join the Chamber: While each one is different and specific, all of them have worked towards establishing a platform of discussion between members related to a given sector or industry. I would like to take the opportunity to celebrate the launch of two new Committees this year: The Sourcing Committee and our “Think Tank”, the Policy & Consultation Committee. The latter will help determine the official views of the French Chamber on government policies and initiatives in Hong Kong. Just as we have in the past on issues such as eurocodes, wine taxes and double taxation, the French Chamber is determined to continue, more than ever, to fight for you on policy, economic and environmental matters.
It is impossible for me to mention all our major events, so I hope that you’ll take the time to go through the next pages of this report for an overview of our informative seminars, successful business missions and engaging networking events. I’ll still mention a few of them: We are happy to have helped the Chamber’s luxury retailers through the co-organization, with Hong Kong Land, of the third annual Boutique Boulevard, a festive event celebrating luxury which this year involved more than 40 luxury brands.
Another major initiative in 2009 was our IP Seminar which gathered more than 160 professionals, including 15 from Mainland China, to discuss current issues in Intellectual Property Protection. The event was an outstanding success with dazzling presentations from 21 experts in the IP field.
Our Annual Gala Dinner was also hugely successful with 530 guests attending the event which was dedicated to the passion and fervour of French design.
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I also wish to mention that many of our initiatives would not have been possible without the continuous support of some of our largest member companies. Given the economic climate of the past year, their unwavering support has been particularly appreciated and I take this opportunity to sincerely thank them.
I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to our President, our Councilors and all our Committee members for their countless hours and heartfelt dedication to this Chamber.
Last but not least, let me tell you that the various actions outlined in this text are only a pale reflection of your dynamism and of the close ties you have helped us build with our Hong Kong partners during the past 23 years. I wish to thank you all for the important role that you continue to play in our organization.
Maryse Kraatz Executive Director
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Executive Director’s Overview
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Who’s who at the French Chamber President and Executive Committee
President Xavier Jacquemain (SOCIETE GENERALE) Vice-presidents Nicolas Borit (DRAGAGES HONG KONG LIMITED) Eric Douilhet (BLUEBELL ASIA LTD) Kin-Lap Ho (FOK YING TUNG GROUP) Philippe Neveu (SINO LINKER LTD) Rebecca Silli (GIDE LOYRETTE NOUEL) Victor Visot (LAGARDERE ACTIVE ASIA PACIFIC) General Secretary Eric Mayer (THOMAS MAYER & ASSOCIES) Treasurer Hélène Bayssette (CALYON) Executive Members Jacques Boissier (CLASSIC FINE FOODS HK LTD) Paul Yang (BNP PARIBAS) Honorary Presidents Richard Burton (COFACE HONG KONG) Paul Clerc-Renaud (FARGO GROUP) Bertrand Michaud (HERMES GREATER CHINA) Gérard Millet (SODICA ASIA LIMITED)
List on 30 June 2009
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Council Hélène Bayssette Jacques Boissier Nicolas Borit Richard Burton Florence Calla Frédéric Caubert Paul Clerc-Renaud Damien Dernoncourt Anne-Laure Descours Eric Douilhet Philippe Dreano Didier Dutronc Pascale Dutronc Serge G. Fafalen Jacques Hatterer Patrick-Marie Herbet Hans-Günther Herrmann Kin-Lap Ho Xavier Jacquemain Michel Jospé Bertrand Jubault Hélène Krieff Paul Levy Thibaud de Loynes Eric Mayer Gérard Millet Philippe Neveu Thierry Neveux Eric Panciulo Marie-Hélène Prevot Aurore Saglio-Thébault Jean-Christian Séguret Rebecca Silli Arnaud de Surville Eric-Jean Thomas Christopher Tung Nicolas Vanderchmitt Victor Visot Vicky Wong Paul Yang
CALYON CLASSIC FINE FOODS (HK) LTD DRAGAGES HONG KONG LIMITED COFACE HONG KONG AIR FRANCE HSBC FARGO GROUP JOHN HARDY LTD LI & FUNG (TRADING) BLUEBELL (ASIA) LTD PERNOD RICARD ASIA WAVECOM ASIA PACIFIC LIMITED GREEN & TECH S.G. FAFALEN & Co. ASIA ONE TECHNICS LTD ABACARE GROUP LIMITED PAUL, WEISS, RIFKIND, WHARTON & GARRISON FOK YING TUNG GROUP SOCIETE GENERALE CORPORATE & INVESTMENT BANKING METHONG PLASTICS HK LTD WINESHOP.HK NEUMANN PARTNERS CLESTRA LTD THE TMS WAY THOMAS, MAYER & ASSOCIES SODICA ASIA LIMITED SINO LINKER LTD INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT & SOURCING - IDS LUCKSON DEVELOPMENT LTD GOUTEN CONSULTING LIMITED CAPGEMINI BUSINESS SERVICES (ASIA) LTD LVMH ASIA PACIFIC LTD GIDE LOYRETTE NOUEL DEXTRA PACIFIC LTD THOMAS, MAYER & ASSOCIES MALLESONS STEPHEN JAQUES LPA, LEFEVRE PELLETIER & ASSOCIES LAGARDERE ACTIVE ASIA PACIFIC EPC CONSULTING LTD BNP PARIBAS
List on 30 June 2009
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French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Who’s who at the French Chamber
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Who’s who at the French Chamber Committees China Committee President: Paul Clerc-Renaud (Fargo Group) Vice Presidents: Kin-Lap Ho (Fok Ying Tung Group), Rebecca Silli (Gide Loyrette Nouel) Events and Gala Committee President: Jacques Boissier (Classic Fine Foods) Human Resources Committee President: Vicky Wong (EPC Consulting) Vice President: Hélène Krieff (Neumann Partners) Infrastructure & Technology Committee President: Nicolas Borit (Dragages Hong Kong Ltd) Vice President: Vincent Tung (Alstom Hong Kong Ltd) Luxury & Retail Committee President: Eric Douilhet (Bluebell) Vice President: Daniel Plane (Gide Loyrette Nouel) NTIC Committee President: Thibaud de Loynes (The TMS Way) Vice President: Raul Abreu (Realeyes 3D) Policy & Consultation Committee President: Rebecca Silli (Gide Loyrette Nouel) Vice President: Thomas Feld (Mayer Brown JSM) Publications Committee President: Hélène Bayssette (Calyon) Vice President: Paul Clerc-Renaud (Fargo Group) SME Committee President: Philippe Neveu (Sino Linker) Vice President: Bertrand Jubault (Wineshop.hk) Sourcing Committee President: Laurent Ruhlmann (Seb) Vice President: Antony Guinvarch (Fnac Eveil & Jeux) Sustainable Development Committee President: Christopher Tung (Mallesons Stephen Jaques) Vice President: Christophe Bongars (SustainAsia) Young Professionals’ Committee President: Orianne Rainero-Pagès (Forceten Ltd) Vice President: Nathalie Tortellier (Thomas, Mayer & Associés)
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Permanent Staff
Executive Director Maryse Kraatz Administrative Manager Grace Cheng Head of Business Development Department Maxime Bourboulon Business Development Manager Eak Hong Loui Business Development Executive AmĂŠlie Cheung Committees Manager Catherine Pielawa-Ko Events & PR Manager Caroline Boisson Membership Manager Julie Bourgeois Publications Manager Genevieve Du Sault Head of Recruitment/Training Department Sabine Bouchara (also Deputy General Manager) Recruitment/Training Consultant Cathy Blanc Administrative Assistant Ashley Pang
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French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Who’s who at the French Chamber
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Membership’s Profile At the end of our 2008-2009 financial year, the French Chamber in Hong Kong counted 625 members, an increase of 15% (100 members) compared with the previous year. The number of members has been growing constantly since the Chamber’s creation 23 years ago:
800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0
2003/2004
T
his growth is the result of the growing dynamism of the Chamber, namely:
- The initiatives undertaken by our 12 Committees - The 60 high-profile events organized by the Chamber, embracing a wide range of interests for our members - The multi-cultural nature of our membership, attracting a variety of business organizations - The increasing number of French companies established in Hong Kong, another source of new members, particularly companies relocating their headquarters to HK or entrepreneurs setting up a new company.
2004/2005
2005/2006
2006/2007
2007/2008
- The efficiency of the Recruitment Department in finding ideal candidates for our company members. - Spontaneous interest in our Chamber, thanks to its visibility in the business community and the proactive approach of some of our members in promoting the Chamber to other companies. - More awareness, since the economic crisis, of the benefits of networking opportunities, the need to increase company visibility and the advantages of sharing relevant information.
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2008/2009
Membership categories Our 625 members represent 408 companies in the following categories: - 30 Sponsor companies representing 114 people - 198 Corporate companies representing 303 people - 76 Entrepreneur companies representing 104 people - 82 Individual members - 22 Young Professionals
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Membership’s Profile
1%
22
8%
82 303
50%
5%
5%
30%
9%
8%
104
7%
36%
8%
14%
50%
9%
20%
114 Membership Categories
10% Company size
15%
14%
Services Sectors of Activity
Sectors of Activity
Corporate
Large Firms
Services
Transport & Tourism
Media
Design
Sponsor
SME’s
Fashion & Cosmetics
Industrial Goods
Legal
Property
Entrepreneur
Consumer Goods
Technology
Training
Consultants
Individual
Financial
Healthcare
HR
Young Professional
Food & Beverage
Strong representation of SMEs
Sectors of activity
We proudly count among our members the majority of large French companies in Hong Kong, though for the past several years the number of SMEs has grown, reaching approximately 50% of total membership.
The sectors of activity of our Members are representative of the leading sectors of Hong Kong’s economy.
Companies considered to be Hong Kong SMEs:
- Fashion & Cosmetics
- in the manufacturing sector, any company that employs fewer than 100 people in Hong Kong.
- Financial
- in the non-manufacturing sector, any company that employs fewer than 50 persons in Hong Kong.
Predominant sectors include: - Services
- Consumer Goods
- Food & Beverage - Transport & Tourism - Technology
These two types of members obviously have very different needs and we always keep in mind our dual function of serving both sides of the equation, and adapting our services to suit the entire spectrum of our membership base.
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With such a wide range of sectors and industries represented through its members, the French Chamber has both the legitimacy and the influence to support the French business community through a variety of initiatives.
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Committees’ Activities P.15
China Committee
P.16
Events & Gala Committee
P.17
Human Resources Committee
P.18
Infrastructure & Technology Committee
P.19
Luxury & Retail Committee
P.20
NTIC Committee
P.21
Policy & Consultation Committee
P.22
Publications Committee
P.23
SME Committee
P.24
Sourcing Committee
P.25
Sustainable Development Committee
P.26
Young Professionals Committee
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China Committee The rapidly changing macro-economic situation, the flurry of new regulations and the short-term or more structural changes now challenging our members will give us ample matter for information exchanges in the new Chamber year. Our new year already started in September with a very informative expert overview of China’s new leadership drive by Dr. Jacques Gravereau, the President of HEC Eurasia Institute. President & Vice-Presidents: Paul Clerc-Renaud (Fargo Group) Kin-Lap Ho (Fok Ying Tung Group) Rebecca Silli (Gide Loyrette Nouel)
Paul Clerc-Renaud, Alexander Pan, Vicky Wong, Xavier Jacquemain, Andrew Kwok at the Taiwan Straits Exchange & Cooperation presentation.
Objectives: The China Committee is a forum where members can exchange information and experiences about the rapidly changing Chinese business environment. Local and foreign guest speakers are often invited to present practical advice or research findings on issues and events relevant to doing business in China. Actions: The Committee continued its active participation in the Intercham PRD Committee and friendly exchanges with the CCIFC (French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China), the CEFC (French Centre for Research on Contemporary China), the HK Chinese Enterprise Association, and the various official representatives of China in Hong Kong. A first networking luncheon was held with the Chinese General Chamber in April.
The main themes on our radar will be: Macro themes - China’s energy future / Cleantech (Joint conference in October with the Sustainable Development Committee) - Domestic consumption stimulus - World Expo Shanghai 2010 - HK/Macau PRD integration (outline 2020) - Infrastructure investments Practical/Technical themes Bankruptcy law Anti-monopoly law Mergers & Acquisitions Value-added Tax reform Experience sharing / Networking Hong Kong Chinese Enterprise Association: high-level networking Experience sharing: we will continue to invite experts at our Committee meetings. The China Committee will endeavour to address these and other issues that existing or new members will raise over the new year. It will continue to put forward the views and preoccupations of its members to the relevant authorities and China business circles. A number of events were organised by the China Committee during the year 2008-2009:
The Euro-Chinese relations: Feedback on the French presidency and 2009 perspectives - 21 January 2009 Risk assessment and management in turbulent times - 25 February 2009 France and Europe: in recession, but where next? Perspectives and opportunities – Join Luncheon with the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce - 7 April 2009 Forces et fragilités de la Chine, les incertitudes du grand dragon - 4 June 2009 Crisis management, restructuring your China operations in difficult economic times - 11 June 2009 Several speakers have been invited to address various subjects during Committee meetings: Political/economical evolution of China, with Dr. Jean-François Huchet (CEFC) - 25 September 2008 China’s international relations after the Olympics, financial crisis and cross straight rapprochement, with Pr. JeanPierre Cabestan (Hong Kong Baptist University) - 12 December 2008 Administrative regulations on special tax adjustments in China - 19 February 2009 Prospects for economic and political reform further to the National People’s Congress with Dr. Willy Lam (Chinese University of Hong Kong and University of Hong Kong, and Akita International University, Japan) - 23 April 2009
Taiwan Straits Exchange & Cooperation: Now and Beyond - 18 December 2008
One event was organised with the Sourcing Committee:
Navigating through China’s land and realestate pitfalls - 8 January 2009
Will China-based manufacturing relocate? - 23 September 2008
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French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Committees’ Activities
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Committees’ Activities Events & Gala Committee President: Jacques Boissier (Classic Fine Foods) Objectives: The Gala Committee is dedicated to organizing the French Chamber Annual Gala Dinner. The Gala is the occasion for the French community to gather and celebrate its gastronomy with a Michelinawarded French Chef, its unsurpassed design and fashion houses, and its creative artists.
Actions: The French Chamber’s Annual Gala Dinner 2009 - 22 May 2009 “Heart of…Design…du Coeur” The French Chamber’s Annual Gala Dinner held on May 22, at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong was a great success. A total of 530 guests from a variety of companies such as Dragages, LVMH, Dior, SG, BNP, Ernst & Young and Brandimage took part in this memorable event. As France is the partner country of the 2009 Business of Design Week (BoDW), the French Chamber dedicated this year’s event to the passion and creative fervour of French design. A sumptuous dinner was prepared by three-star Michelin chef Christian Le Squer from Restaurant Ledoyen who flew in from Paris especially for the event. The four-course dinner was accompanied by Château Vieux Maillet wine from the Pomerol region for the red and by Domaines Paul Mas wine from the Languedoc region for the white. Musical performances by the uplifting Metro Vocal Group and by the renowned City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong, which played a contemporary piece from composer Samson Young, punctuated this memorable evening. Master of Ceremonies Margaret Kutt’s excellent impersonations also prompted many laughs from the audience throughout the evening.
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This year, the French Chamber has chosen to give all proceeds from lucky draw ticket sales to the HKU Pasteur Research Centre, a teaching and research centre dedicated to infectious diseases, and to the Fonds d’Entraide des Français, a non-profit organization that assists French people in Hong Kong with financial difficulties. The fundraising effort was a resounding success with over $170,000 raised from ticket sales, the highest amount ever collected through this initiative. We are delighted to say that guests seemed very pleased with this year’s Gala and that we received many messages of congratulations from those who attended the event. Finally, we would like to thank the permanent staff of the Chamber involved in the organization of this successful event for their excellent performance and great contribution.
Human Resources Committee Objectives: The Human Resources Committee aims to serve the French Chamber members in the areas of knowledge and experience-sharing among the corporate and professional human resources community, people-oriented organizations and executives in Hong Kong.
President & Vice-President: Vicky Wong (EPC Consulting) Hélène Krieff (Neumann Partners)
Xavier Jacquemain, Tarek Robbiati, Roger Steel, Vicky Wong at the “Prospering with Hong Kong” presentation.
Actions: 2008-2009 has been a tough and challenging year for business leaders and the HR community. The global downturn brought along drastic impacts on the HR landscape, in addition to new and dynamic issues for leaders and the HR community. How to rationalize profitability, right-size workforce, derive prospering and survival strategies for the new order? These are the crucial and perhaps life and death issues that the business community is having to face nowadays. During the past year, the HR Committee has organized the following knowledge-sharing luncheons and seminars in Hong Kong: “Adapting your Business Strategy to the Latest Compensation and Benefits Trends”, with Mr. Stephen Mosely (L’Oreal) and Ms. Deirdre Lander (Watson Wyatt Worldwide) - 29 September 2008 “Immigration Policies and Visa Applications for Foreign Citizens”, by Mr Raymond C. Y. Yeung (Immigration Officer) and Mr. Eric Mayer (Thomas, Mayer & Associés) - 14 October 2008 “Surviving and Prospering with the New World Order”, with Mr. Adam Salzer (Salzer Consulting) and Ms. Christine Lai (RBS–ABN AMRO Bank) - 15 January 2009 “Prospering with Hong Kong”, with Mr. Tarek Robbiati (CSL Hong Kong Ltd.) and Mr. Roger Steel (Sun Life Hong Kong Ltd.). - 16 April 2009
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Thanks to Maryse Kraatz, Catherine, Caroline and the Chamber team for their dedicated support and professional work. Thanks also to Helene Krieff for her drive and dynamism in making HR initiatives become reality.
2009-2010 Outlook: How to create appropriate HR strategies and innovative operation models for the new world order? These will be the major event highlights for the coming year. For the months to come, the HR Committee aims to work with the Hong Kong business community, the HR community, and the French community to regain its energy and prosper. We shall keep to our aim of contributing to the French Chamber and serving our members and the community.
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Committees’ Activities
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Committees’ Activities Infrastructure & Technology Committee
President & Vice-President: Nicolas Borit (Dragages Hong Kong Ltd) Vincent Tung (Alstom Hong Kong Ltd)
Objectives:
Other event:
The Infrastructure & Technology Committee is a forum for companies involved at all stages of the development of infrastructures in Hong Kong, Macau and China. Members are typically contractors, equipment manufacturers, material suppliers and service providers. The objectives of the Infrastructure & Technology Committee are:
Tunnel Boring Machine site visit – 9 May 2009 A large drainage tunnel is being built across Hong Kong island from Tai Hang to Cyberport, and participants visited the largest underground work on-going in Hong Kong at that time: 10,5 km of main tunnel excavated by TBM (7.3 to 8.3 m diameter), 7,8 km of drill and blast adits and 32 intakes and drop shaft (from 30m to 160m deep), bringing water from the surface to the main drain.
- Encourage participants to exchange information about projects, statutory regulations, government policies, market trends… - Organize high-level meetings with government officials, developers, operators to obtain first-hand information and promote the image of French expertise. - Provide a neutral front to suggest ideas about inadequate company policies, terms and conditions, specifications… - Meet with counterparts in other Chambers - Organize site visits
MTRC executives and Nicolas Borit at the MTRC Roadshow in Paris
Actions: Main event: MTRC Roadshow in Paris – 8-9 June 2009 The French Chamber in Hong Kong, under the initiative of its Infrastructure Committee, organised a business matching event in Paris between MTR Corporation and French companies involved in the railway industry.
Members from the Infrastructure Committee
In total, 45 companies (around 60 participants) attended a presentation by three managers of MTR Corporation who presented their projects in an exceptionally open and transparent manner, discussing their project schedule over the next five years, the competencies they are looking for, and their approach to project management and procurement. The hands-on format of the meeting was intended to facilitate future contracts, and parties, whether from the MTRC delegation or the French companies invited, were very pleased with the business-matching sessions.
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In the pipe: Training on Euro orms: Further to last year successful event on Euro norms, the Infrastructure Committee is offering its support to train the trainers of the different Hong Kong government departments involved in the implementation of these Euro norms. Roadshow on civil works: The Hong Kong government is launching huge civil works (highways, bridges, ….) and the Infrastructure Committee is ready to organise another Roadshow to introduce the relevant Hong Kong departments to French companies in the field.
Luxury & Retail Committee Actions: The Committee organised the following events during the 2008-2009 year:
President & Vice-President: Eric Douilhet (Bluebell) Daniel Plane (Gide Loyrette Nouel) Objectives: The Chamber of Commerce’s Luxury and Retail Committee (the “Committee”)’s goal is to provide the Chamber’s members, particularly managers and business people working within the luxury and retail sectors, the deepest and most extensive knowledge possible on the day-to-day challenges faced in these industries in Hong Kong and Asia. It also strives to strengthen the ability of our members to face these problems head on and to succeed in an increasingly competitive environment. In order to achieve this, the Committee focuses on organizing events, seminars and presentations involving top flight speakers in the retail and luxury goods industries who are able to share their real-world experiences, permitting attendees to obtain practical and pragmatic information on how these speakers achieved their successes and overcame their challenges. It also closely cooperates and coordinates with other Committees of the French Chamber, as well as other countries’ Chambers of Commerce in Hong Kong, in order to enlarge its network and ensure a broader and deeper view on topics of interest to our membership and the business community at large.
Market update On 4th November, the Committee organized a breakfast event in Macau entitled ‘Bets on Macau - The SocioPolitical Consequences of the Macau Economic Boom: Issues and Prospects’. Macau, once a sleepy Portuguese colony, now resembles a giant construction site. Although it is quite easy to get bleary-eyed about Macau’s prospects, this meeting reminded its attendees that the future of the city is not without its problems and pitfalls. IP Symposium On 30th March, the Committee convened the one-day IP Seminar ‘Brand Protection – Voices of Experience.’ Held at Hong Kong’s Grand Hyatt, the Seminar brought together over 20 renowned speakers in the IP Enforcement arena who shared their insights on IP Protection challenges in the Asia-Pacific market, with a special emphasis on issues unique to the luxury and wine and spirits industries. Over 140 participants attended the event.
Outlook: The Committee will focus on the following additional topics of interest to our members over the rest of the year: - Vietnam: General overview of the market and prospectives in terms of distribution - Brand developments in the fashion and jewelry industries in Hong Kong - Links between fashion and art - An additional Macau-based event, focused more particularly on the development of the consumer market there.
Over 140 participants attended the IP Symposium, a world-class event
Boutique Boulevard: So Chic, So Central The Committee was also involved in the organization of Boutique Boulevard, a festive event celebrating luxury, which involved more than 40 luxury brands from France and around the world. Outstanding business developments ‘Adidas’ Asian Race: How is its Training in Japan Helping it win in Asia?’ was a breakfast event held on 18 June. At the meeting, Christophe Bezu, CEO of Adidas in Asia, presented the Adidas Vision Asia 2008, a strategy that is the culmination of Adidas’ stellar successes in Japan starting back in 1998 and continuing on through the World Cup in Japan and Korea. Mr. Bezu described how the hard lessons learned in Japan have been successfully implemented across Asia, leading to Adidas China’s status as the leading market worldwide for Adidas.
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Christophe Bezu, CEO, Adidas Asia
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Committees’ Activities
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Committees’ Activities NTIC Committee:
Hi-Tech/Digital/IT/Media & Communication Objectives: The NTIC Committee provides a HighTech/IT/Media platform in order to gather and exchange information on the latest trends in technology and on the current challenges for Hong Kong’s bid to become an IT/Digital Content Hub in Asia. The Committee also helps members to develop business opportunities for their organizations within Hong Kong and China. President & Vice-President: Thibaud de Loynes (The TMS Way) Raul Abreu (Realeyes 3D)
The NTIC Committee regroups companies and entrepreneurs in Hong Kong working in industries related to new technologies of information and communication. The objectives are: - Gather French Chamber members in the different sectors of hi-tech, digital, IT, new media internet and mobile, media, communication and advertising; - Organize events to show the different industries and present initiatives and companies;
Participants at the “Recent Developments and Future of Barcodes” site visit and presentation
- Share best practices, support and networking for new entrants; and, - Inform on Hong Kong developments and support in related industries.
Attendees at the first Digital Petit Déjeuner
Actions: The NTIC Committee organized several events during the course of the year which were very well received by participants. One of the highlights of the year has been the Committee’s active participation in the June issue of the Hong Kong Echo whose central theme was technology and innovation. The NTIC Committee organized the following events during the 2008/2009 year: Mobility Transformation: Trends and Development, with James Wee and Pieter Zylstra (Orange Business Services Asia Pacific) - 22 October 2008 Recent Developments and the Future of Barcodes: GS1’s perspective, with Ronald Cheung (GS1, RFID Centre) and KK Suen (GS1, Principal Consultant) - 15 December 2008
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Roundtable discussion among NTIC Committee members on Hong Kong’s technology environment. An article summarizing this discussion was subsequently published in the June issue of Hong Kong Echo. Involvement of Thibaud de Loynes and Raul Abreu in the editorial content of the magazine - 27 April 2009 First Digital Petit Déjeuner event: Social Media and your brand, with Thomas Crampton (Ogilvy PR Worldwide, 360 Digital Influence). Digital Petit Déjeuner is a new breakfast series that focuses on social media. - 30 June 2009 2009-2010 Outlook: The Committee is planning to organize general interest events in addition to more industry-specific actions. Projects in the pipeline include: Continuation of the Digital Petit Dejeuner series on Social Media Events on the convergence of TV, telecom and media industries Event focusing on Green and Clean technologies Tech SMEs in Shenzhen IT trends and digital
Policy & Consultation Committee Objectives: This new committee was created to act as a think tank to help determine the strategy of the French Chamber and voice its views on government policies and initiatives in Hong Kong. External representatives may from time to time be invited to participate in the Committee’s meetings in order to get specialised advice on particular issues. More specifically, the Committee is to: President & Vice-President: Rebecca Silli (Gide Loyrette Nouel) Thomas Feld (Mayer Brown JSM)
- ascertain the French Chamber’s strategy when it comes to taking an official position on issues that may affect its members; - help other committees of the French Chamber with their lobbying needs; - write “budget recommendations” and “general policy papers” once a year; and, - participate in other Hong Kong Government consultations as and when necessary. The Committee also monitors and responds to business and tax issues that are likely to have an impact on members. The 12 committees of the French Chamber are invited to forward their concerns to the Committee in the future so that any issue impacting on the French Chamber’s members can be brought to the attention of the relevant Hong Kong authorities.
Actions: Launch of the Committee - 22 January 2009 French Chamber’s Recommendation to the Financial Secretary for the 2009-2010 Budget. - 12 February 2009 Development of a SME Financing Survey covering trade financing issues among Hong Kong-based SMEs. The survey was sent to SME members of the French and the German Chambers of Commerce. - May-June 2009 Article “ Corporate insolvency law: the stone age of Hong Kong law” by EricJean Thomas - HK Echo June 2009
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Outlook: Some of the topics that are currently under study by the Committee include: - Judiciary reform - Relief measures for Companies to sustain the crisis from the Hong Kong Government - Insolvency and corporate rescue law in Hong Kong - Comprehensive double taxation avoidance agreements - Consultation on the modernisation of the Trustee Ordinance
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Committees’ Activities
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Committees’ Activities Publications Committee
President & Vice-President: Hélène Bayssette (Calyon) Paul Clerc-Renaud (Fargo Group)
Objectives: The Publications Committee aims to provide relevant and up-to-date information to those interested in business-related issues in Hong Kong as well as in France. For over 15 years, the Publications Committee has been producing Hong Kong Echo, a highly attractive quarterly magazine, which features business-oriented articles covering a broad range of topics. The Committee is also supervising the production of the annual French Business in Hong Kong and Macau Directory and also publishes other seasonal publications and brochures. Actions: Hong Kong Echo Magazine Hong Kong Echo provides high-quality, focused editorial coverage of interest to the Hong Kong business community. Part of the publication is written by experts drawn from the membership of the Chamber and from the international business community in Hong Kong. Published in full colour, each 64-page issue focuses on a specific theme and also provides details on French Chamber news and events.
Hong Kong Echo is widely distributed to French Chamber members and other business leaders via airport lounges, select Hong Kong hotels and official French institutions. In total, 6,500 copies are distributed. Past issues of 2008-2009 No 50 - Focus on the Environment in Hong Kong and China No 51 - Hong Kong, City of Design No 52 - Special Sourcing in Greater China No 53 - Focus on Technology & Innovation in Hong Kong No 54 - Special Infrastructure Projects in Hong Kong – Circulation of 8,600 copies Coming issue for 2009 No 55 - Hong Kong: Cultural City
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Hachette Hachette has been an invaluable partner since 2001 and we take this opportunity to express our deep gratitude for the excellence of their work as well as for their continued and unfailing support. We look forward to working with Hachette again this year on the upcoming issues of the magazine. Distribution - Air France, British Airways and Cathay Pacific: 3,850 copies - French Chamber members, the French business community in Hong Kong and France, Hong Kong Echo contributors, VIP’s: 2,000 copies - Hotels and Institutional Partners: 650 copies
The French Business in Hong Kong & Macau Directory The French Business in Hong Kong and Macau Directory is a prime marketing tool for individuals and organizations working or investing in Hong Kong. It provides a detailed listing of all members of the French Chamber and includes practical information for doing business in Hong Kong. It is a constant desk reference for French companies and their associates. Outlook for other Publications “Your HR Guide to Hong Kong”: First Quarter of 2010
SME Committee
President & Vice-President: Philippe Neveu (Sino Linker) Bertrand Jubault (Wineshop.hk)
Objectives: The Small & Medium Enterprises Committee remains the place for SMEs to meet and network. Our Committee believes that diversity creates dynamism and that experience-sharing benefits each and every entrepreneur. In that respect, we organize seminars and networking events specifically targeted to members’ needs. We also coordinate informal meetings between French entrepreneurs of Hong Kong and visiting French personalities, should it be from the business community or government bodies. Actions: This year, we were happy to continue to focus on “entrepreneurial” experiencesharing with our monthly SME lunch. Interest for these practical and informative sessions on specific business topics remained high all year long, with participation averaging over 20 people each time.
SME Awards Start-up winner Etienne Gad with Christopher Jackson of HKTDC
General experience-sharing - 10 September 2008 Introduction to IT problems and buying groups - 08 October 2008 SME Awards 2009 - 12 November 2008 Supply-chain Management - 10 December 2008 Cash management and factoring - 14 January 2009
The Committee’s monthly SME lunch
How to successfully set up a business in China - 11 March 2009 Brand management and communications - 15 April 2009 The 30-minute people manager Effectiveness in Turbulent Times - 13 May 2009 Open-source solutions - 10 June 2009 Experience-sharing: How to take advantage of the downturn in economic circles? Helen Liu and Lily Ting - 20 February 2009
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SME Awards: The French Chamber presented its second SME Awards during the Chamber’s Annual Gala dinner which took place on May 22, 2009 at the Grand Hyatt. Building on the success of the first SME Awards last year, the French Chamber awarded two prizes this year: the “Excellence SME Award” and the “Start-up SME Award”. Seventeen dynamic SMEs, from various industries and with very different profiles, participated in this year’s awards. SME Support Centre: The SME Support Centre has been implemented, with two main objectives: - Providing general information on existing help and a rapid assessment of the company’s needs by the French Chamber team; and, - Meeting with established professionals in Hong Kong to get direct and practical advice from successful entrepreneurs Business Angels/Advisors working group: A ‘French Business Angels/Advisors working group’ was also recently created. Successful entrepreneurs, professionals with valuable expertise, as well as individuals who are looking to personally invest in companies, could bring support to needing companies. This support could take the form of general advice (project screening, presentation assessment, introductions...) or financial investment, whether for activity start-up or business expansion. Outlook: ‘Working together’: This concept aims to enable French SMEs and large French corporations to meet through business-matching initiatives. Such events will be organized in the coming year. The Committee will continue to focus on assisting small and medium-sized company members during this period of economic slowdown. Because SMEs create the majority of jobs and constitute over 90% of all enterprises in Hong Kong, it is imperative that we try to help them continue to thrive. As always, we welcome suggestions from members and/or members-to-be for new activities and topics.
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Committees’ Activities
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Committees’ Activities Sourcing Committee Objectives: The Sourcing & Logistics working group officially became a Sourcing Committee in May 2009. The objectives of this new committee are: - Create a platform for discussion and for sharing information and experiences relevant to sourcing across all industries;
President & Vice-President: Laurent Ruhlmann (Seb) Antony Guinvarch (Fnac Eveil & Jeux)
- Select topical issues and identify experts in the field to organise events where these experts’ viewpoints can be delivered to the sourcing community in Hong Kong. - And finally, while working towards the above objectives, to acknowledge the high proportion of regional sourcing companies in Hong Kong while accepting the significance of the PRC in this industry.
Members from the Sourcing Committee
- The supply chain: How to organize it? How to optimize capacity and quality across the supply chain? - Partnerships: How to assess and partner with companies in Asia? These topics will be discussed during committee meetings and could also be addressed through presentations whereby an industry expert is invited to share his views on a given area of interest. Clearly, this is a very exciting business and we can expect much discussion and developments in the need to share and collaborate over the next year. We do hope that French Chamber members will be interested in joining this new committee to give their input and provide ideas to support its activities for the benefit of all in the year to come.
Actions and topics of interest: The Sourcing & Logistics working group organised a very successful event on 23 September 2008 entitled “Will Chinabased manufacturing relocate?” with Dennis Yau, Director-General of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries as the speaker. Many members of the Sourcing & Logistics working group also contributed to the March issue of Hong Kong Echo magazine which was dedicated to the Sourcing industry. The newly formed committee identified during its first meeting, a number of broad topics it believes are representative of issues faced by the broader sourcing community in Hong Kong: - The importance of China as a sourcing center and other sourcing opportunities in the region - Legal issues: changes in legislation, new labour laws, taxes and lobbying initiatives - REACH and other regulations: Environmental and chemical issues, practical implementation of norms - Competitiveness: What are the right prices? Some costs are dropping – what will be the next step?
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Dennis Yau
Sustainable Development Committee The Sustainable Development Committee (“SDC”) has continued to engage members in sustainable development issues including climate change, low-carbon economy, environmental and corporate social responsibility matters. It has also worked closely with the Business Environment Council on sustainable development and environmental initiatives in Hong Kong. The SDC also provided input on policy submissions of the FCCI to the Hong Kong Government. A key project of the SDC is to coordinate and contribute to the Invitation for Response Document of the Council for Sustainable Development on Building Design for a Quality & Sustainable Built Environment.
President & Vice-President: Christopher Tung (Mallesons Stephen Jaques) Christophe Bongars (SustainAsia)
In the coming year, the SDC intends to engage members actively in SDC meetings and events to talk about their experiences in sustainability and environmental matters and to continue our work at an educational level with our children through presentations at the French International School and field trips such as the beach clean-up days which we have arranged on a regular basis over the years. The SDC held committee meetings on 20 August, 21 October, 16 December 2008, 14 July and 8 September 2009. We look forward to welcoming you to our events and activities!
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French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Committees’ Activities
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Committees’ Activities Young Professionals Committee (YPC) Objectives: One of the objectives of the Young Professionals Committee is to create networking opportunities for newcomers to Hong Kong. The committee also provides information through informative presentations and experience-sharing talks, for anyone willing to learn more about specific aspects of the local business environment and the cultural scene. Participants at the “How can you help charitable organisations in Hong Kong?” presentation
President & Vice-President: Orianne Rainero-Pagès (Forceten Ltd) Nathalie Tortellier (Thomas, Mayer & Associés)
YP Cocktail at FINDS
Actions: Over the last 12 months, the YPC organised the following events:
Outlook: Given the level of enthusiasm shown during the experience-sharing session with entrepreneurs, it appears that creating one’s own company in Hong Kong is generating a lot of interest among YPs. To this end, the YPC could work with the SME committee to help potential entrepreneurs get more information on starting a business. We will also continue to encourage networking by organizing cocktails in unusual and fun venues such as art galleries.
“Top tips on how to find a job in Hong Kong”, a seminar where HK and industry coach experts shared their views on the current job market dynamics and shared tips on how to best approach a job search in an economic downturn. - 17 December 2008, 31 participants “How can you help charitable organisations in Hong Kong?” where the following charities: Bethel, Hands on Hong Kong (HOHK), Cooking for Life and Football for Life, introduced their organization and talked about their respective mission and actions. - 13 January 2009, 20 participants “Experience-sharing with three Hong Kong-based entrepreneurs” where Olivier Burlot (Blu Inc Media), Olivier Partrat (Vega Industry Limited) and JeanBaptiste Dabadie (Asiapack) discussed their experience and gave useful tips on starting or developing a business. - 28 April 2009, 40 participants This year, great efforts have been made to promote the Young Professional membership and the number of new members in this category actually doubled from last year, thanks in part to a cocktail held at FINDS in September 2008.
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Three successful entrepreneurs, Jean-Baptiste Dabadie, Olivier Partrat and Olivier Burlot, discussed their experience on starting a business in HK
P.28
Business Development Department
P.30
Events Department
P.35
Membership Department
P.36
Publications & Communications Department
P.38
Recruitment Department
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French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Departments’ Activities
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Departments’ Activities Business Development Department Collective Missions For the first time, the French Chamber has been accredited by the French Government to set up a French Pavilion at Eco Expo Asia, which will take place in Hong Kong at the end of October 2009. This will allow us to promote French know-how in the environmental sector and to provide French SMEs with real business opportunities and relevant information about large-scale projects in the region.
Eak Loui Business Development Manager
Company Set-up / Domiciliation We built on last year’s excellent performance by incorporating 33 companies in Hong Kong this year. In addition, 62 companies have registered at our office so far, a 100% increase compared to the previous year.
Business Centre We kept our Business Centre fully occupied throughout the year with five companies sharing our premises. All our tenants are very satisfied with the support given and we shall provide even better services to them next year as we’ll have a new “state-of-the-art” Business Centre in our new premises.
Amelie Cheung Business Development Executive
Communication towards France We launched our first newsletter in French, France - Hong Kong express, circulating through all Chambers of Commerce, institutional players and clusters in France. It aims to provide updates on Hong Kong and the French Chamber, industry focus and interviews with SMEs recently settled in Hong Kong. Further, we promoted Hong Kong within different French cities including Paris, Lyon, Lille, Bordeaux, Saint-Etienne, etc.
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Relations with local players During the year, we strengthened our relationships with local institutional partners: . Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC): we work closely with them in terms of Trade Fairs in Hong Kong, Business Matching and Seminar issues. . InvestHK: we communicate on a regular basis and we appoint their key staff as speakers for some of our seminars. . French Chambers in Greater China: we’ve been working more closely with these Chambers by exchanging information on a regular basis and informing our clients about global services in the region.
Objectives for the coming year: - Continue to diversify our services and make them more professional, as well as to specialise our business sales force by sector and launch new services such as VAT Recovery for local companies travelling to France. - Develop a global package for companies willing to establish themselves in Hong Kong and keep our new Business Centre fully occupied. - Keep strengthening our relations with French Chambers in Greater China. - Keep improving our communications with France by optimizing our newsletter, making the Business Development section on the website more dynamic, and travelling to France.
Business Development Department
T
he main role of this Department is to assist and support business development between France and Hong Kong by offering a large range of services to both members and non-members, and providing relevant information to everyone.
Maxime Bourboulon Head of Business Development Department
One of the main missions of the Chamber is to help French SMEs based in France to gain a better understanding of the Hong Kong and Greater China region. We are part of the “Equipe de France de l’export” and try to help the French government achieve its objectives of “10,000 new SMEs in export”. This is done through export & sourcing missions, individual and collective missions, searching for the right partner/distributor/ supplier and helping French SMEs get established in Hong Kong.
Overview of the Department’s activities The Department was impacted by the economic crisis in terms of business missions as we witnessed a drop in demand. However, commendable results in our “Aide à l’implantation” services allowed us to achieve a good performance. 2008/2009 Highlights: - Improvement in our communications with France thanks to the new quarterly newsletter: France – Hong Kong Express. - Outstanding results in our “Company Set-up / Domiciliation” service - Fully occupied Business Centre throughout the year - Strengthening of our relationships with local institutions (HKTDC, InvestHK and French Chambers in Greater China) - Promotion of Hong Kong within French regional centres Achievements for the year 2008/2009 Individual Missions We assisted small and large SMEs in their expansion in Hong Kong (55% sourcing, 45% export), with very good feedback from clients, and in various sectors of activity: - Real Estate - Construction - Jewellery - Textile - Food & Beverage - Tableware - Art
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French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Departments’ Activities
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Departments’ Activities Committees Department
O
ur Chamber offers 12 dynamic and business-oriented committees that give access to targeted information by industry sector and focus on the business interests of our members, discussing relevant issues within their industry or business area. Joining a committee gives our members the opportunity to share professional experience and obtain industry updates, thus acquiring valuable business information first-hand. They also benefit from other committees’ expertise through cross-committee involvement and communication.
Catherine Pielawa-Ko Committees Manager
When appropriate, priorities raised can be relayed by the Policy & Consultation committee to the relevant government office through the French Chamber’s various lobbying initiatives.
The Committees Department is here to provide the logistics support needed by the Committees to carry out their activities in the most efficient – yet least time-consuming for their members – way. The Committees Manager also takes part in regular events or meetings held by other organizations in Hong Kong, and tries to establish links with them, with a view to helping the committees in their activities by, for example, recommending speakers, subjects, etc of interest to them. The Department also tries to keep up with the latest news and gather relevant information for the Committees.
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The Committees Department is in charge of nine out of the 12 committees, and organized more than 40 committee meetings this year, all of them different in the way they are carried out: some Committees prefer to emphasize experience-sharing, some invite keynote speakers to inform the committee members on hot subjects, and others focus on the organization of key events.
The Committees Department also helped the Committees organize 20 events, mostly breakfast events, as well as bigger fare such as a one-day seminar on Intellectual Property that attracted more than 140 participants. There was also a two-day business matching meeting in Paris, with a view to promote French excellence in railway, and bearing in mind the huge infrastructure projects to be launched in Hong Kong in the next five years.
The implementation of the French Chamber’s new website provided Committees with a very useful tool on which to promote their activities,as well as publish documents: minutes of committee meetings, reports, studies, audio documents, video files, etc. The Committees Department is in charge of feeding the Committees webpages, and updating them.
Committees Department Finally, and in accordance with the strong dedication of the French Chamber towards its SME members, the Committees Department is also in charge of:
The SME Support Centre The assistance is two-fold: Welcome centre within the French Chamber: This centre will provide advice and information on the types of assistance available to the SMEs (Hong Kong government, French government, financial institutions, etc) and may also help candidates fill out forms to obtain financial help through existing French or Hong Kong schemes.
Counseling to help the company choose and implement the right solution: When a SME comes to the French Chamber for help, a short assessment of the company situation is conducted. Should there be a need for further information and assistance, the candidate is referred to the best ‘qualified’ member of the SME Support Centre (depending on his sector or the problems he faces). Our 40 counselors have agreed to provide onehour counseling for SMEs.
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The Committees Department met several companies in that respect this year, most of them start-up companies looking for funding schemes.
The Business Angels/Advisors working group The idea is that successful entrepreneurs, professionals with valuable expertise, as well as individuals who are looking to personally invest in companies, can bring support to companies that need it.
This support could take the form of: - general advice (project screening, presentation assessment, introductions, etc) - or financial investment, whether for activity start-up or business expansion.
Though the Business Angels/Advisors working group was only launched at end of May, it has already met twice with applicants and the Committees Department has since received information requests from other companies. This working group is already meeting the needs of some SMEs in Hong Kong, and in that respect is already providing a useful service that was previously lacking.
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Departments’ Activities
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Departments’ Activities Events Department
I
n a dynamic and fast-changing market such as Hong Kong, the Public Relations and Events Department, with the support of the 12 committees of the French Chamber, tries to embrace this change by organizing a wide range of large and small corporate events focused on topical subjects.
Caroline Boisson Events Manager
Through a series of events which are practical and targeted to its members’ needs – such as corporate seminars, workshops and social gatherings – the Events Department provides opportunities to facilitate business development and networking. Our goal is to provide a platform on which members can forge better relationships with the business community. We aim to keep members informed of developments in their field of interest and provide opportunities for them to meet with other people and promote their business. Below is a breakdown of the different types of events organised during the past year: Seminars
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Large-scale events
4
SME Committee lunches
9
Cocktails, receptions or networking gatherings: Delegations or business missions outside Hong Kong:
12 3
In 2008-2009, the Events Department organised a total of 73 events alone or through cooperation with our institutional partners: - 51 events initiated by committees of the French Chamber
These events were: Seminars 30 July 2008: Business Environment Council Financial innovations for a sustainable future Speakers: Paul Yeung - Division Director, Commercial Banking, HSBC Simon Chan - Principal Trade Officer, Trade and Industry Department Binh Quoc Nguyen - Associate Investment Officer, IFC, Global Financial Markets Moderator: Dr. Thomas Tang - Executive Director, Global Institute for Tomorrow (GIFT)
20 August 2008: Joint event organized by the Canadian Chamber Adapting to a carbon-constrained world Session 3: Manufacturing Speakers: Raymond Cheng - General Manager, Supply Chain - Environment, for Swire Beverages Ms. Karen Ho - Business Engagement Leader of the Climate Programme for WWF Hong Kong Mr. Dodie Hung - Associate Director of Marketing and Communications at Esquel Group Mr. Kevin O’Donnell - Regional Environmental Engineering Manager for Nike, Inc.
17 September 2008: French Chamber How deep will Asia be hurt? Speaker: Carl Berrisford - Equity Analyst (Theme-based equity research for APAC) Wealth Management Research, UBS
- 10 events organized jointly with other chambers in Hong Kong - 6 events with “InterCham” - 7 events co-promoted with local institutional partners: (BCE, BEC, EUBIP, Invest HK)
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23 September 2008: Sourcing workgroup & China Committee Will China-based manufacturing relocate? Speaker: Dennis Yau - Director-General of The Federation of Hong Kong Industries
Events Department 29 September 2008: Human Resources Committee Adapting your business strategy to the latest compensation and benefits trends Speakers: Mr. Stephen Mosely - Managing Director, L’Oréal Hong Kong. Ms. Deirdre Lander - Head of Human Capital Group, Hong Kong/Director, Organization Measurement, Asia Pacific, Watson Wyatt Worldwide. 14 October 2008: Human Resources Committee Immigration policies and visa applications for foreign citizens Speakers: Mr. Raymond C. Y. Yeung - Acting Assistant Principal Immigration Officer Mr. Eric Mayer - Managing Partner with Thomas, Mayer & Associés (law firm) and Secretary General of the French Chamber of Commerce. 16 October 2008: French Chamber Annual General Meeting 17 October 2008: Joint Business Community Luncheon with Donald Tsang Speaker: Hon. Donald Tsang 22 October 2008: NTIC Committee Mobility transformation: Trends & Developments Speakers: Mr. James Wee - Orange Business Services (AsiaPac) Mr. Pieter Zylstra - Orange Business Services (AsiaPac) 4 November 2008: Luxury and Retail Committee Bets on Macau - The socio-political consequences of the Macau economic boom: Issues and Prospects Speakers: Mr. Eric Sautede - coordinator of the Licentiate in government studies at the Inter-University Institute of Macau (IIUM) and of research for the university Mr. Daniel Bettembourg - senior advisor of the executive committee of CEM
11 November 2008: French Chamber “Structuring foreign investments in China” How to optimize its investment vehicle and minimize transactional costs? Speakers: Mr. Paul-Emmanuel Benachi - Lefèvre Pelletier & associés, Partner of Asia Offices Mr. Nicolas Vanderchmitt - Lefèvre Pelletier & associés, Senior Associate in Charge of Hong Kong Office Ms. Fanny Nguyen - Lefèvre Pelletier & associés, Senior and Tax Legal Adviser
10 December 2008: French Chamber Optimiser la gestion de votre patrimoine pendant votre expatriation Speakers: Mr. Hervé Guinebert et Mr. Gaël Berticat, Direction de la Gestion Privée et de l’International de CIC-Banque Transatlantique
18 November 2008: French Chamber Dunkerque Harbour Speakers: Mr. Francois Soulet de brugiere Chairman of the Board of Directors (Dunkirk Port Authorities); Managing Director of SRS; Foreign Trade Advisor Mr. Daniel Deschodt - Commercial Director Mr. Yvan Gomel - Director of Development (Dunkirk Port Authorities) Mr. Christophe Laurent - Far East Director (Dunkirk Port Authorities)
17 December 2008: Young Professionals Committee Top tips on how to find a job in HK Speakers: Ms. Sabine Bouchara – Head of Recruitment Services, Deputy General Manager, French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in HK Ms. Betsy Chan – Manager, Banking Division and Central Branch, Adecco Personnel Ltd Ms. Vicky Wong – Managing Consultant - Hong Kong & China, EPC Consulting LTD; Human Resources Committee Chairman & Councillor of French Chamber
24 November 2008: Hong Kong Business Coalition on the Environment The Hon Edward Yau, Secretary for the Environment Speaker: The Hon Edward Yau, Secretary for the Environment 25 November 2008: French Chamber Prominent Speakers’ Series “The banking crisis that never was” The view from Asia Speaker: Dr. Andrew F. Freris - Senior Investment Strategist, Asia BNP Paribas Wealth Management 28 November 2008: Joint event organized by the Swedish Chamber What price property in Hong Kong Weathering the Storm Speaker: Mr Nicholas Brooke Chairman, Professional Property Services Limited
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15 December 2008: NTIC Committee Recent developments & future of barcodes from GS1’s perspective Speaker: Mr Ronald Heung - Senior Project Manager, GS1 Hong Kong
18 December 2008: China Committee Taiwan Straits exchange & cooperation: Now and Beyond Speaker: Mr. Alexander Pan, the chairman of Asia Pacific Taiwan Federation of Industry & Commerce and the CEO of Union Asia Pacific Group 8 January 2009: China Committee Navigating through China’s land and real-estate pitfalls Speaker: Ms. Rebecca Silli - Partner of Gide Loyrette Nouel, in charge of the Hong Kong office 13 January 2009: Young Professionals Committee How can you help charitable associations in Hong Kong? Speakers: Bethel, Hands On Hong Kong (HOHK), Cooking for life and Football for life
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Departments’ Activities
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Departments’ Activities Events Department 15 January 2009: Human Resources Committee Surviving and prospering wih the new world order Speakers: Mr. Adam Salzer - Chief Executive Officer, Salzer Consulting Ms. Christine Lai - Executive Director, Head of Human Resources, RBS–ABN AMRO Bank
21 January 2009: China Committee The Euro-Chinese relations: Feedback on the French Presidency and 2009 perspectives Speaker: His Excellency Mr. Hervé Ladsous, French Ambassador to China
3 February 2009: Intercham PRD Committee Cleaner Production Partnership Programme Speaker: Mr. K. L. TSANG - General Manager, Environmental Management Division of the Hong Kong Productivity Council
5 February 2009: Intercham PRD Committee Update: Macau with Paulo Azevedo of Macau Business Speaker: Mr. Paulo A. Azevedo Executive Director Macau Business
20 February 2009: SME Committee How to take advantage of the downturn in economic circles? Speakers: Ms. Lily Ting Ms. Helene Liu - Founder and lead trainer of The MasterMinds
25 February 2009: China Committee Risk assessment and management in turbulent times Speakers: Mr. Xavier Farcot - Deputy Regional Managing Director for Greater China, Coface Mr. Steve Vickers - President and Chief Executive Office of International Risk
26 February 2009: Joint event organized by the German Chamber Overcoming Counterfeits Speaker: Mr. Alfons Futterer - co-founder of NanoMatriX International Limited in Hong Kong
9 March 2009: Intercham Committee Joint Business Community Luncheon: 2009-2010 Budget Speaker: The Hon. John Tsang – Financial Secretary of the HKSARG
12 March 2009: Joint event organized with the Swedish Chamber China into the future - What comes next? A political and economic overview Speakers: Mr. W. John Hoffmann - Co-Founder & Principal, Exceptional Resources Group, XRG and China Dialogues Network – CDN Mr. Michael J. Enright - Professor of Business Administration, School of Business, University of HK and Director, Enright Scott & Associates.
24 March 2009: French Chamber Retailing Crisis: When customers and designers are reshaping our retailing environment Speakers: Mr. William To - Project Director of Hong Kong Design Centre Mrs. Caroline Le Gloan - Managing Director of Volcan-Les Marchands
2 April 2009: InterCham PRD Committee Funding scheme for SMEs - How to Apply for a SME Funding Scheme? Speakers: Ms Belinda Kwan - Assistant DirectorGeneral, Trade and Industry Department Mr Robert Agnew - Managing Director, Matrix Services Limited & outgoing chairman of the Irish Chamber of Commerce
7 April 2009: France and Europe: in recession, but where next? Perspectives and opportunities – Join Luncheon with the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce
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16 April 2009: Human Resources Committee Prospering with Hong Kong Speakers: Mr. Tarek Robbiati - Chief Executive Officer of CSL Hong Kong Ltd Mr. Roger Steel - Chief Executive Officer of Sun Life Hong Kong Ltd
28 April 2009: Young Professionals Committee 3 entrepreneurs share their experience in Hong Kong Speakers: Mr. Olivier Burlot - Managing Director of Blu Inc Media (HK) Ltd Mr. Jean-Baptiste Dabadie - Managing Director of Asiapack Ltd Packaging & Logistics Mr. Olivier Partrat - Managing Director of Vega Industry Ltd
8 May 2009: EU Business Information Programme (EUBIP) Europe & Asia: Partners or Competitors?
9 May 2009: Infrastructure Committee Tunnel Boring Machine Site Visit
12 May 2009: Joint event organized by the German Chamber The magic and madness of making a dream come true in China Speaker: Peter Schindler, Adventurer and Travel Guide
13 May 2009: Joint event organized by the Swedish Chamber Mr. Anders Ahnlid - Director General for Trade Policy, Sweden
Events Department
4 June 2009: China Committee Forces et fragilités de la Chine, les incertitudes du Grand Dragon Speaker: Mr. Kham Vorapheth
11 June 2009: China Committee Crisis management, restructuring your China operations in difficult economic times Speakers: Mr. Charles-Edouard Bouée, President & Managing Partner of Greater China, Regional Coordinator, Asia, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants Mr. Daniel Chan. Partner, China Corporate and Tax, DLA Piper Hong Kong
18 June 2009: Luxury and Retail Committee Adidas’ Asian Race - How its training in Japan is helping it win in Asia? Speaker: Christophe Bezu - Senior Vice President and Head of Region Asia Pacific, Adidas
19 June 2009: Joint event organized by the Canadian Chamber Who rules the internet? The internet governance forum as a new governance model Speaker: Mr. Markus Kummer Executive Coordinator of the Secretariat supporting the Internet Governance Forum, The United Nations
22 June 2009: EU Business Information Programme (EUBIP) EUBIP Full-Day Workshop: Protecting and Enforcing your IP rights in China Practical solutions from the experts
24 June 2009: Joint event organized by the Canadian Chamber New impetus for heritage in Hong Kong Speakers: Mr. Jack Chan, Commissioner for Heritage Mrs. Maggie Brooke, CEO of Specialist Real Estate Consultancy Mr. Bob Dickensheets, Preservation Specialist-Savannah College of Art and Design
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30 June 2009: NTIC Committee Digital Petit Dejeuner: Social media and your brand Speaker: Mr. Thomas Crampton - AsiaPacific Director, 360 Digital Influence, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
Large-scale events 30 March 2009: Luxury and Retail Committee IP Seminar
15 May 2009: French Chamber and Hong Kong Land Boutique Boulevard So Chic, So Central
22 May 2009: French Chamber Annual Gala: Heart of...Design...du Coeur
8-9 June 2009: Infrastructure Committee MTRC Roadshow
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Departments’ Activities
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Departments’ Activities Events Department Social Gatherings 21 August 2008: InterCham 37th Young Professionals’ Cocktail 9 September 2008: Young Professionals Committee French Chamber Young Professionals Happy Hour 16 September 2008: French Chamber French Toast French Organic Wines 22 September 2008: Invest HK The French Community Programme (Cocktail reception) 16 October 2008: French Chamber A Touch of White - Annual Dinner 30 October 2008: French Chamber New members’ cocktail
12 November 2008: InterCham 38th Young Professionals’ Cocktail
10 December 2008: French Chamber French Toast Banque Transatlantique
Events taking place outside Hong Kong 12 September 2008: Business Environment Council 14th Green China Forum 26 September 2008: InterCham PRD Committee Mission to Nansha 26 September 2008: InterCham PRD Committee Mission to Zhuhai
SME Committee Lunches 10 September 2008 General experience-sharing 8 October 2008: Introduction to IT problems and buying groups 12 November 2008 SME Award 2009 10 December 2008 Supply-chain Management 14 January 2009 Cash management and factoring 11 March 2009 How to successfully set up a business in China
12 February 2009: InterCham Committee 39th InterCham Young Professionals’ Cocktail: Valentine’s Day
15 April 2009 Communication and Brand management
17 February 2009: French Chamber French Toast Meet the Executive Committee
10 June Open-source solutions
7 April 2009: French Chamber Chinese Chamber Luncheon 18 June 2009: InterCham Committee Intercham Connecting People Cocktail
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13 May 2009 The 30-minute people manager: Effectiveness in Turbulent Times
Membership Department
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he Membership Department’s strives to meet our member’s needs all year long. The department’s target is to increase membership so that opportunities for business networking continue to grow. It is our belief that a strong membership base enhances the returns and benefits for all members.
Julie Bourgeois Membership Manager
We also seek to generate interest from non-members by enhancing our visibility in the business community. This interest has been boosted lately by several high-profile events and by the Chamber’s dynamic committees. Department representatives are present at all events to ensure that membership opportunities are maximized.
The department ensures members get the most from their membership by keeping them informed of all events and activities organized by the Chamber and by communicating these initiatives beyond the existing membership to potential new members.
With the launch of our new website this year, we have enhanced our visibility and can also keep visitors informed of our members’ latest news, thanks to new sections such as New Members, Company News and Member Spotlight. The recent implementation of our CRM which is linked to our database will help us gain an even better understanding of our members’ needs.
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The Directory, published every year in January, is also a key tool in exposing the membership beyond the Chamber and enhancing business opportunities in the community.
Last but not least, we have improved our Member’s Club programme which now offers even more attractive discounts and advantages in the areas of insurance, data services, hotels, restaurants and shopping.
Past and continued growth in membership, which rose by 18% this year, ensures that the French Chamber continues to have both the legitimacy and the influence to support the needs of our business community.
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Departments’ Activities
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Departments’ Activities Publications & Communications Department
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he Publications Department produces all the French Chamber’s publications, ensuring consistency and relevance to meet the expectations and needs of our 625 members. The Department is also responsible for communications to our members and partners, as well as with the general public and the press. Publications
Directory
Geneviève Du Sault Publications Manager
The 2009 edition of the French Business in Hong Kong & Macau Directory has been very well received both in terms of its user-friendly format and the usefulness of the information provided. The Directory also incorporated the French Chamber’s new graphic chart, giving it an updated and fresh new look. The Directory, with a circulation of 1100 copies, is used on a regular basis by our members in addition to an increasing number of non-members, that are part of the business community in HK, China, France or other countries in Asia. The 2009 directory’s net profit amounted to HK$159,000, a 15% decrease over the HK$187,000 generated last year, due to a decrease in advertising revenues.
Hong Kong Echo Magazine Hong Kong Echo is the French Chamber’s quarterly magazine. It is a business publication that aims to be informative and relevant to French Chamber members and, more generally, to business people travelling to or living in Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China. While this publication does incur significant expenses both in terms of publishing and distribution, it has managed to break even in recent years and occasionally to make decent profits. This year, however, was particularly challenging as many companies significantly reduced their advertising budgets due to the economic crisis. Advertising revenues for the Hong Kong Echo were, as a result, considerably reduced though the magazine still managed to make a small profit.
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Despite the current downturn, many companies such as BNP Paribas, Calyon, Coface, AGS Four Winds, Fung, Yu & Co, Hermès, Hong Kong Institute of Languages, Louis Vuitton, Mazars CPA Ltd and Thomas Mayer & Associés continued to show their support for the magazine. During the past year, many quality articles were written by legal, fiscal and industry experts drawn from the membership of the Chamber. The Publications Department also makes it a point to include outside contributions from academics, officials and business people from diverse backgrounds.
Hong Kong Echo currently has a circulation of 6,500, though we did increase circulation on two occasions this year to build awareness of the magazine and raise the visibility of our advertisers: The March 2009 issue went up to 6,850 copies as it was also distributed in two major sourcing trade shows and the September issue increased its circulation to 8,600 as it was also sent to consultants, construction companies and suppliers of the Infrastructure sector. About 60% of the magazines are distributed to the business lounges of Air France, British Airways and Cathay Pacific (the only chamber’s magazine to be distributed in the Business and First class lounges of CX) while over 25% is sent to members of the French Chamber, Government officials and other members of the international business community in Hong Kong and in France. The magazine is also distributed in select hotels and serviced apartments throughout the city. We are also pleased to report that the French Chamber’s NTIC and Infrastructure committees both made significant contributions to the issues that were dedicated to their respective industries this year and we hope that such partnerships will continue to take place for the upcoming issues.
Publications & Communications Department Graphic Chart + website
Flash Info
Actions:
The integration of our new corporate identity to all our communication tools ranging from the Chamber’s logo, business cards and brochures to its revamped website, has been a major action this year. We worked in close collaboration with our corporate identity consultant Brandimage for most of the year and have been very pleased with the final results. Members and nonmembers alike have also made very positive comments about our new visual identity.
Flash Info is the French Chamber’s bi-weekly newsletter that is sent to our entire member base. In addition to providing up-to-date news about our members, it also fills readers in on the French Chamber’s upcoming events in addition to other local events of interest. Flash Info also includes a Hong Kong News section that provides a selection of the latest economic news in Greater China.
It is also one of our objectives for the coming year to increase the visibility of the French Chamber within the Hong Kong business community. We hope to achieve this by keeping the general media more informed of our numerous initiatives and making our website even more interactive, more appealing and more informative which will in turn increase traffic.
The launch of our new website in May 2009 has also been a very important initiative which involved all departments of the Chamber. The Publications Department has been handling the News section of the website and is also responsible for managing the contents and presentation of the Home Page. We have been able to keep our News section filled with relevant and timely information through our partnership with AFP which has been feeding us with news since the launch of our new site.
Since May 2009, Flash Info boasts a completely redesigned format which makes it easier to read and reference. The newsletter is also automatically generated through our new website which speeds up production and increases consistency. Mailshots Due to several complaints received from members who did not wish to receive advertisements through the French Chamber, we decided to stop offering this e-mail service to companies wishing to promote their products and services to our members.
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We will also need to continue to find creative ways to enhance the advertising appeal of our magazine by increasing, for example, circulation to attractive audiences and developing packages that include other media such as our new website.
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Departments’ Activities
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Departments’ Activities Recruitment Department
Sabine Bouchara Head of Recruitment/Training services
Executive Summary
Candidates placed
cting as a recruitment agency, the Recruitment Department specialises in recruiting French speakers, multicultural and multilingual professionals for its clients in Hong Kong.
A
A total of 87 candidates presented by the Recruitment Department to its clients have been offered a job and accepted it.
The Department has achieved very good results during this fiscal year, both in terms of placements and net profit, despite adverse economic conditions and a depressed labour market. The unemployment rate increased to 5.3 percent in May 2009 compared to 3.3 percent for the same period last year.
Candidates registered
Given that the economy has yet to recover from the recession and that fresh graduates and school-leavers are expected to enter the labour market in the summer, the unemployment rate may still face upward pressure in the coming months.
In 2008/2009, 712 candidates have been interviewed face-to-face by the consultants.
The Department has two full-time recruitment consultants and uses a flexible approach to recruiting. We are committed to matching client needs to candidate aspirations to create mutual benefits for both. We have a diverse client base, ranging from SMEs to multinational companies and covering all markets, as well as a database of around 4,500 candidates.
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The Department welcomes all applications from French and local candidates looking for jobs in Hong Kong. Candidates are interviewed in order to evaluate their experience and skills. The Department is then able to fulfil quickly and efficiently the requests of its clients.
Events & Information Twice a month, the Department organizes information meetings, called Réunion d’Information sur l’Emploi, or RIE, with French-speaking candidates recently arrived in Hong Kong. This is an opportunity for the French Chamber to welcome and inform French nationals and French speakers about the working environment, visa regulations, how to adapt a CV to the local market and how to look for a job in HK.
Recruitment Department
Cathy Blanc Recruitment/Training consultant
Joblink is a bi-monthly newsletter which introduces a selection of talents ready for interview in (and around) Hong Kong. This email publication is sent to all our members and clients. It is a tool that enables local and French companies to be directly advised about our best candidates’ skills and profiles. Even if companies don’t have suitable positions open to match these profiles, Joblink helps prompt them to start thinking about their recruitment needs.
In order to continue to respond to the increasing needs of our members and clients, the Department is now working with a number of reputable business schools and engineering schools in France, including HEC, Edhec, Essec, Ecoles des Mines, Ensait, ENSEEG and Ensam.
Comité Consulaire pour l’Emploi (Committee for Employment)
An active collaboration with the French Chambers of Commerce in Guangzhou and Shenzhen has been launched because these FCC’s have experience and contacts in the Guangdong area.
This year the Recruitment Department became involved in the Comité Consulaire pour l’Emploi (Committee for Employment), which is dedicated to supporting French nationals in their job search in Hong Kong. The Department provides candidates with information about the job market and about how to look for a job in Hong Kong. Particular attention and additional resources have been allocated to French candidates who have lost their jobs in HK during this difficult year.
Fresh graduates programme Significant effort has also been made this year to reinforce our relationship with HK universities. The best example of a very good and fruitful collaboration is with Hong Kong Baptist University with whom we closely collaborate in their Local Attachment Program (LAP).
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This has enabled us to build up a large selection of fresh graduate candidates, based in France and willing to find their first job or training in HK and South China.
Training programme: The Recruitment Department is now in charge of the French Chamber’s training activities. During the year, a survey was sent to all our members to identify their needs and requirements in terms of training for themselves and their staff. Following this survey, we have selected and tested a large number of training suppliers, members and non-members, to be able to develop a catalogue and programme that will be launched in October 2009.
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Departments’ Activities
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Institutional Partners Relations with our Hong Kong and foreign partners
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he French Chamber strives to maintain constant and close relations with the Hong Kong Government and the various institutions dedicated to the promotion of Hong Kong and/or international business interests.
The Hong Kong SAR Government Over the years, the French Chamber has built strong ties with the Hong Kong authorities. A new impulse was recently given to this relationship through the creation of a Policy & Consultation committee whose primary aim is to voice the Chamber’s views on government policies and initiatives in Hong Kong. The French Chamber was recently consulted on a variety of issues such as Competition Law, Liberalization of Exchange of Information Article for Comprehensive Double Taxation Agreements, Review of the Trustee Ordinance and Related Matters and Review of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance. We submitted our recommendations to the Financial Secretary for the 20092010 Budget, and centered them around three main areas: relieve medium-sized enterprises from the cash flow pressure they have been experiencing lately, reinforce Hong Kong’s status as a prominent global financial centre, and, last but not least, increase efforts to improve the quality of the environment in Hong Kong through the implementation of incentives and measures to further integrate environmental concerns into the daily lives of Hong Kong citizens. To this end, numerous proposals were listed such as the extension of the Producer Responsibility Scheme, the introduction of green taxes, the greater use of waste disposal and water treatment charges and the adoption of air quality standards based on international guidelines such as those of the WHO.
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One of the proposals we submitted pertained to the Exchange of Information article and the subsequent extension of its CDTA network. We recommended their adoption so that Hong Kong can enhance its reputation, bring greater certainty for inward and outward investors and improve its competitiveness as a financial and investment centre in Asia. The French Chamber was most pleased to learn that this has been the position adopted by the Hong Kong government.
The International Business Committee (IBC) Our Chamber is an active member of the IBC, an organization gathering the Chief Secretary of the HKSAR government with the chairmen of the foreign chambers of commerce in Hong Kong. Various subjects are raised in this committee such as air pollution and cooperation with the mainland; waste management; education of foreign nationals in Hong Kong; goods and services tax. The committee is a unique forum in which the international business community has the opportunity to share its views with the highest levels of government. On the government side, the Chief Secretary of Administration chairs. The government pays great attention to the international business community and takes their views into account in policy formulation.
Invest Hong Kong Invest HK is one of the main partners of the French Chamber in promoting Hong Kong to French companies in France. Several collective missions were jointly organised by our two organizations as our services perfectly complement one another. Over the past year and in spite of the economic downturn, the number of French companies investing in Hong Kong has continued to rise and we believe that our combined efforts were instrumental to this increase. We have worked with Invest HK on their publications promoting Hong Kong (French version of Insight which includes French success stories) and, more specifically, in identifying those new French success stories in Hong Kong. Invest HK was also a key partner for the second edition of the SME Awards, which was held in May 2009 during our Annual Gala dinner. As the main sponsor of our Excellence Award, InvestHK presented Qeelin with the award during the event.
Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC)
The European Chamber of Commerce (ECC)
This organization is another crucial partner of our Chamber and we work with them on several fronts, with the main ones being: Promoting their trade fairs in Hong Kong to our members and to companies in France, helping them find partners for the organization of joint missions in France and acting as a natural partners when French companies come to Hong Kong.
The ECC is an association gathering the European Chambers of Commerce in Hong Kong. The ECC works closely with the Office of the European Commission in Hong Kong and Mrs Maria Castillo Fernandez, Head of the European Community office in Hong Kong.
This year we collaborated with them on several large fairs/seminars such as BODW, with France being the partner country, and Eco Expo, with the presence of a French Pavilion. HKTDC was also the main sponsor of our Start-up SME Award, an acknowledgement of the dynamism and noticeable growth of French entrepreneurs here in Hong Kong. FB Solution was this year’s SME Awards Start-up winner.
The ECC was awarded this year the EUBIP project: The European Union Business Information Programme (EUBIP) is a three-year initiative that aims to enhance business between companies from the European Union, Hong Kong and Macao. EUBIP is a partnership between the European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) and the Institute of European Studies of Macau (IEEM). It is funded by grants from the European Commission and IPIM. The French Chamber, along with our Swedish, German and Macanese partners, is part of the Steering Committee of EUBIP. Intercham Intercham is an informal group whose mission is to organize events such as the annual lunch for the business community with the Chief Executive and the Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong SAR. Intercham regularly organizes business-matching events with the business community as well as the much appreciated Young Professional cocktails. The profits generated by these initiatives are allocated to a charity, typically a scholarship fund. The French Chamber continued its active participation in the Intercham and in the Intercham PRD. A list of the events organised with Intercham is provided on pages 30-33 of this report.
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French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Institutional Partners
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Institutional Partners
Relations with our French partners in Hong Kong
T
he French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Hong Kong also coordinates actions with the different services of the French Consulate as well as with other French Institutions in Hong Kong.
The Consulate General of France in Hong Kong The French Chamber collaborates with the different departments of the French Consulate and Cultural Affairs.
The French Trade Commission
The French International School
The French Chamber and the French Trade Commission continued to work closely and through their complementary actions, contributed to the reinforcement of the French presence and its economic influence in Hong Kong. As of next year, the Chamber will work closely with the newly set-up Ubifrance in Hong Kong.
Founded in 1964, the French International School has close to 1,800 students today. This growth is the result of the excellent international reputation of the School: its outstanding results as well as its exceptional high-quality curriculum are definite factors of choice when families have to decide whether to settle in Hong Kong. The School has been able to keep up with the increase of the French population in Hong Kong and, thanks to its very close relationship with the Hong Kong government, has recently secured a fourth site at the East of Hong Kong island to welcome primary classes as soon as 2010. The French School, along with its Board and high-qualified team, is definitely a key factor of the success of the French presence in Hong Kong, thanks to its adaptability and commitment.
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French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Institutional Partners
Relations with our partners in France Union des CCI Françaises à l’Etranger (UCCIFE)
ACFCI
French Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The French Chamber is a member of UCCIFE (Association of French Chambers of Commerce Abroad). UCCIFE represents 114 French Chambers abroad in 78 countries and its mission is to act as a network coordinator, sharing information, cooperation and know-how, promoting its members to business networks in France and supporting a number of specific services. The UCCIFE network represents around 25,000 members around the world. Belonging to this network gives us the opportunity to share experiences and to help our members doing business around the world.
The French Chamber has also strong relations with the ACFCI (Association des Chambres Françaises de Commerce et d’Industrie or Association of the French Chambers of Commerce and Industry), which gathers together 155 French chambers and 20 regional chambers in France. In 2008-2009, our Chamber participated once again in Cap Chine, a group of Chambers of Commerce in France particularly involved in assisting French companies willing to tap into Greater China.
During the first six months of our fiscal year, the French Chamber stopped its “mission de service public” through which it assists French citizens in finding jobs or internships in Hong Kong.
The French Chamber participates twice a year in UCCIFE seminars, once with all the international French chambers and once with all the French chambers in Asia, for experience-sharing.
ACFCI is a strong supporter of many initiatives. In 2008, for instance, the ACFCI supported our Chamber’s specific actions towards better communication with French Chambers in France through the launch of a new quarterly newsletter.
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When we finally reached an agreement with the French Government, this service was resumed for the second part of the year. This mission to provide French citizens with services to welcome and help them find a job in Hong Kong was particularly important during the first semester of 2009. The economic crisis saw a surge in the number of candidates received and guided at the Chamber (see page 38 in “Recruitment Department”) for specific figures.
French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Financial Report
The financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2009 have been audited by Mazars CPA Limited. The Chamber’s activities were profitable during the year with a net surplus before taxation and effect of exchange rate changes of HK$394,048. The Chamber’s retained surplus amounts to HK$5,691,755 as of June 30th 2009. 1. Income of HK$10,621,548, a slight decrease of 3.9% which can be explained by: A drop in revenues for the following services, mostly due to the economic downturn: - Missions, both collective and individual, of our Business Development department fell 20%; - Advertising was down 10%; and, - Events (mainly Gala) dropped 19% (the Gala itself was fully booked with a waiting list but revenues were weighted down by the “10% early bird discount”). But these “crisis-related” results should not overshadow the exceptional performance of: - our Membership department, with revenues up 15% thanks to a record number of new members; - our Recruitment department, which was able to sustain the same record performance of last year despite adverse economic conditions; and, - the continuous growth of our “Aide à l’implantation” services. It is interesting to note that the main revenue streams of the Chamber are now Business Development (35%), Membership (27%) and Recruitment (17%).
2. Expenses of HK$10,227,500 - Direct costs, in line with the slowdown of Business Services Department services, were down 18%. - Large scale projects were put in place or finalized internally to enhance the Chamber’s image and services to its members through a comprehensive CRM system linked to a brand new website. These projects are a perfect complement to the new graphic chart. 3. The large euro position (related to our services to companies based in France) held last year (generating a mark-to-market gain of HK$223,910) had to be sold this year in a reversal trend of the currency, with a net loss of HK$396,219. It should be noted that an internal procedure has been put in place to minimize the chamber’s exposure to foreign exchange risk.
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French Chamber 2008-2009 Annual Report
Financial Report
2008/2009
Income
2007/2008
HK$ HK$
10,621,548 2,828,607
HK$ HK$
11,050,757 2,462,678
Expenses of which Direct Costs Staff expenses Other expenses
HK$ HK$ HK$ HK$
10,227,500 2,806,175 4,927,160 2,494,165
HK$ HK$ HK$ HK$
10,327,194 3,450,325 4,476,441 2,400,428
Profit/(Loss) of the year(before taxation) Taxation Profit/(Loss) of the year (after taxation)
HK$ HK$ HK$
394,048 33,032 361,016
HK$ HK$ HK$
723,563 57,046 666,517
Exchange gain/(Loss)
HK$
(396,219)
HK$
223,910
Surplus/ (Loss) of the year (after taxation)
HK$
(35,203)
HK$
890,427
Retained Profit Brought Forward
HK$
5,691,755
HK$
5,726,958
of which Membership
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