FCCS Focus May 2013 French Design in Singapore by The French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore

Cover Design May 2013_Layout 1 4/6/2013 12:05 PM Page 1

Focus

The Magazine of the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore

French Design in Singapore

May 2013

www.fccsingapore.com

Cover Design May 2013_Layout 1 4/6/2013 12:05 PM Page 2

FOCUS MAGAZINE

CONTENTS

May 2013

EDITORIAL

PATRON MEMBERS SPOTLIGHT

FOCUS MAGAZINE

An interview with a FCCS Patron Member

May 2013

SHORT NEWS

SES Signs the Largest Roll Out of Electronic Shelf Labels in Southeast Asia Etam Opens Two First Stores in Singapore Chanel 2013/14 Cruise Collection in Singapore Singapore, a Sweet Escape for Ladurée Solvay Builds Alkoxylation Facility in Singapore A*STAR and Veredus Laboratories Create Market’s 1st Lab-on-Chip Singapore News

4 4 5 5 6 6 7

PATRON MEMBERS’ SPOTLIGHT

Asltom: A Strong Commitment for a Sustainable Growth

COVER STORY - FRENCH DESIGN IN SINGAPORE

Developing Singapore into a Global City for Design MAISON&OBJET Comes to Asia A New Design Scene Singapore, a Hub for Design So Design Home Sweet Home Sustainable Design When East Meets West Behind the Doors of a Black & White French Tradition in Singapore: A Family Story Sourced in Asia to Conquer Europe: the Home Furnishing Paradox Luxury & Intelligent Wood Panels Innovative Lighting in Interior Design Design Inspiration in Singapore 5 Design Tips from an Eco-Entrepreneur in Singapore Breaking Through Innovation & Creativity With LED Design & Performance The Process of Creativity When Design Meets Tradition

14 16 18 20 21 22 23 24 24 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

FCCS HR & TRAINING SERVICES

Upcoming Training Modules, Jun-Dec 2013

FCCS BUSINESS SERVICES

They Rely on Us... and Testify on Our Services Newly Set Up Companies

37 38

FCCS & CSR

A Strong Relationship with our Members A Great Success for the 3rd Edition of Forum Travailler Ensemble

40 41

FCCS CLUB EVENTS

External Relations Committee Asia Committee Energy/Infrastucture Committee Marketing & Communication Committee Banking & Finance Committee Legal & Tax Committee Sourcing & Supply Chain Committee Business Women Network Committee ICT Committee Luxury & Premium Retail Committee Entrepreneurs Committee R&D Committee Aerospace & Defence Committee Sustainability Committee Human Resources Committee FCCS Events FCCS Gala Dinner FCCS New Members FCCS Privilege Card

44 44 45 46 46 47 48 49 50 50 51 51 52 53 54 55 56 60 64

Alstom is a world leader in power generation, electrical grid and rail transport infrastructure. With a presence in over a hundred countries and a broad range of products and services in the power generation, electrical grid and rail transport infrastructure markets, Alstom is at the forefront of economic, social and environmental progress. Alstom provides turnkey integrated power plant solutions and associated services for a wide variety of energy sources, including hydro, nuclear, gas, coal and wind; it offers a wide range of solutions for power transmission, with a focus on smart grid, and builds the fastest train and the highest capacity automated metro in the world.

COULD YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR TRAJECTORY TO THE TOP OF ALSTOM? Since I started my professional career in 1994, I have been working in four large multinational companies and the only common denominator they have is that they are all French! Despite being active in very different industries, all my employers (Havas, Matra, Alcatel and Alstom) have similarities. Their products and services are state of the art in their respective ﬁelds, the working atmosphere is stimulating and, as an employee, you are given numerous opportunities for personal development. Alstom in particular is a unique company, it is more like a family,

“

Asia is a key part of Alstom’s future growth plans.

”

and that’s remarkable when you think this company has close to 100,000 employees worldwide. As a Dutchman, I really enjoy working for French companies and I experience that my North European background is a real asset for me.

it is set to grow at the same rate as the region’s GDP which is projected to jump about 225% by 2035. There are also many opportunities for Alstom in infrastructure projects in the region for our other businesses in grid and transport.

I started working for Alstom in 2006 as VP Global Power Sales for Northern Europe. Thanks to our outstanding product offering, excellent relationships with our customers, and strong internal team work, we were able to book a number of major successes in this region. From that moment, my responsibilities steadily grew in Europe, until I was promoted in 2011 to the position of Deputy SVP Power Sales & Marketing worldwide, in charge specifically of Asia Pacific. That’s how I was nominated in Singapore. On top of this Sales & Marketing responsibility within Power, I was appointed President of Alstom Singapore, and in April 2013, SVP East Asia Pacific for Alstom International.

Asia Paciﬁc can be a challenging place to do business due to the strong cultural differences, the difference of maturity of all the markets, and very differing regulations, but Alstom has been in some of the Asian countries for over 100 years and therefore we have gathered the right experience, expertise and footprint to overcome these challenges. A large part of Alstom’s future is in APAC and therefore we are continuously growing our presence in this part of the world as well as empowering our local originations.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND CHALLENGES OF THE APAC REGION? There is a huge growth potential in APAC. According to the APEC energy outlook reports, APEC member economies already account for about 60% of the world energy demand and in the future

COULD YOU DESCRIBE BRIEFLY ALSTOM’S STRATEGY IN ASIA? Asia is a key part of Alstom’s future growth plans and we have a major long-term investment and commitment to the region. As part of this plan, Alstom announced last year a partnership with Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) to establish a state-of–the-art gas turbine reconditioning workshop in the Phu My district. This will be a ﬁrst in the country, and the ﬁrst in Alstom's network in Asia. Alstom has also recently built a new global technology centre in Tianjin, China to accelerate competence and R&D capabilities in the region. Besides our many facilities in the region,

FCCS PATRON MEMBERS

FOCUS MAGAZINE May 2013

The French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore would like to thank its Patron Members for their continuous support.

FCCS Focus Magazine is published by the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (FCCS). The views and opinions expressed in its columns do not necessarily reflect those of the FCCS members and management.

director of publication Carine Lespayandel chief editor Nicolas Avril editorial contributor Marie-Charlotte Macaud design & layout Florence Baret advertising Nicolas Avril Florence Baret colour separation & printing NPE Print Communications Pte Ltd cover photo ÂŠ shutterstock.com

May 2013 4,000 copies MICA (P) NÂ°126/09/2012

The French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore 541 Orchard Road #09-01 Liat Towers Singapore 238881 Tel: +65 6933 1350 Fax: +65 6933 1398 www.fccsingapore.com info@fccsingapore.com

FOCUS MAGAZINE

EDITORIAL

May 2013

Design & Creativity started my professional career in the cinema industry as a driver / cup bearer / odd job trainee, followed by diverse experiences in movie casting and production that finally drove me to a unit manager position. All of the feature films I contributed to were unique, complex and ambitious projects. Each one of them was a full-size company, moving daily, fuelled by the necessity to innovate and the urgency to complete the work on time. This is where I learnt the skills I value most today – the creativity, the absolute importance of planning and listening, the value of teamwork, and the crucial significance of attention to detail.

The movie arena being limited in Singapore, I took the opportunity to explore new domains. Thanks to the FCCS network, I became business development manager for Aprim, a well-known French Interior Design ﬁrm. I was amazed by the similarities with my past working experience. The designer’s creativity is the spark that initiates any ID project. The accounts and the sales secure the clients and thus the ﬁnancing of the projects. The operation team acts as a Director to coordinate the work of all stakeholders during the execution phase to deliver an outstanding result. Today, in Open D group, I am constantly in touch with immensely talented designers and creators. They design great stores! They create amazing brand universes! Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai are cities on the move, vibrant with new concepts and ideas.

Our job has become even more interesting with the rise of new technologies. Ground breaking innovations now blur the line between the real and the digital world. White walls and empty rooms can be virtually transformed into any kind of landscape or brand environment. Digital artists, light painters are now ﬂirting with interior design and architecture. The day is coming when the brick and mortar walls which surround us will be smart and able to adapt themselves to our mood and needs. Unexpectedly, I am closing the gap with my ﬁrst career and starting to work again with artists, writers and image makers. Creativity is a moving ground. That’s the magic of Interior Design today!

Olivier GROMETTO Managing Director Asia, Open D Group FCCS Luxury and Premium Retail Committee Vice President

SHORT NEWS

FOCUS MAGAZINE

French Companies in Singapore

May 2013

SES Signs the Largest Roll Out of Electronic Shelf Labels in Southeast Asia Store Electronic Systems (SES), market leader in electronic labeling systems for retailers, announced in March that its solution had been selected by one of Singapore’s largest supermarket retailers, NTUC FairPrice Co-Operative Limited. SES electronic labeling systems will be installed in more than 90 FairPrice supermarkets

and hypermarkets, which will represent the vast majority of its stores by early 2014. This roll-out of Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL) is a ﬁrst in Southeast Asia (ASEAN) within a leading retail chain in this fast growing industry with a high market potential.

Mr Gerry Lee, Managing Director (Business Groups), NTUC FairPrice, said, “The laborious manual shelf labels have been replaced by electronic shelf labels in over 20 stores so far and we are targeting to have another 70 over stores installed with this system by end this year. This would mean almost all our FairPrice stores will use this system. We have found much value in this system as it has improved shelf price labeling efﬁciency by six times and also led to higher level of accurate displayed prices which translates to higher customer satisfaction levels.“ SES has been operating directly in Singapore and Asia for seven years and, with its local partner John Chen Pte Ltd, has climbed to the top of the ESL market there. In 2013, SES will be stepping up its presence in the region by tripling its workforce across all activities (marketing, installation and customer service). F

Etam Opens First Two Stores in Singapore After a pioneering development in China, the French Lingerie brand Etam is now conquering Southeast Asia. Already present in the Philippines, the French label made its entry in Singapore last month. With Wing Tai Retail, its local partner, Etam opened two stores in rapid succession in Singaporean malls. The first Etam store in Singapore consequently opened in Wisma Atria Mall on May 3rd, while the second one opened on May 10th in the complex of Raffles City. For Etam, already well established in Europe, in the Middle East and in North Africa, this opening in Singapore represents a real growth area and also a launching pad to expand in the whole of Southeast Asia. Wing Tai Retail plans for the French brand include five new openings by 2015 throughout the country. Etam now counts 550 stores in about 30 countries and nearly 3,000 corners in China. F

FOCUS MAGAZINE

SHORT NEWS

May 2013

French Companies in Singapore

Chanel 2013/14 Cruise Collection in Singapore

Following, Venice, Saint-Tropez, Cap d’Antibes or the Bosquet des trois fontaines in Versailles, Karl Lagerfeld presented the Chanel 2013/14 Cruise collection in Dempsey Hill, Singapore. With its eternal summer, tropical vegetation and the exotic trips and journeys, Singapore is the ideal platform for this spring ritual, the Chanel Cruise collection.

Disused buildings were redesigned with an air of the “tropics before air-conditioning”, with long galleries below the roofs, black and white blinds and refreshing whitewashed walls. As night fell Karl Lagerfeld took guests on a journey through time with his collection that mixes Mademoiselle Chanel in Deauville in 1913 with a colonial style. A subtle powdered palette broken whites, blue, light pink and black create a contemporary silhouette.

Endless details seduced an audience of around 1200 people, including Chanel ambassadors Zhou Xun, Anna Mouglalis and Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, actresses Dakota Fanning, Rinko Kikuchi, Fann Wong, Lun Mei Guey, Zoe Tay and Ryeo-Wong Jung, and singers Kit Chan and Siwon Choi. The evening continued in the magniﬁcent palm tree ﬁlled garden where Bahaina, London DJs Horsemeat Disco, and Latin singer Señor Coconut performed. F

Singapore, a Sweet Escape for Ladurée Ladurée is pleased to announce its opening in Singapore, a city known worldwide for

making people dream. The evocation of its name is already a journey full of promises!

In a spirit of discovery, Ladurée is proud to settle its ﬂagship store at Takashimaya Shopping Centre, Singapore, with The Hour Glass, an incredible partner for Ladurée’s President, Mr David Holder. The major challenge was to recreate the exceptional Ladurée universe in Singapore. Mr David Holder, assisted by its partner, The Hour Glass, thought of the merest detail during the transformation of the space in order to recreate this particular atmosphere. Within this spirit, Ladurée offers to the Singaporean a small jewel, in a neoclassical style, imbued with the House’s character. Ladurée brings to Singapore its highly popular Macarons, displayed in their most beautiful boxes, along with its collection of chocolates, candies, teas, jams, perfumed candles and home fragrances. F

SHORT NEWS

FOCUS MAGAZINE

French Companies in Singapore

May 2013

Solvay Builds Alkoxylation Facility in Singapore Solvay recently announced that it will build a large-scale alkoxylation facility in Singapore which is expected to start operations by 2015 and will serve the fastgrowing Asian market in home & personal care, coatings, industrial, agrochemicals and oil & gas. The facility will be connected to Shell’s new High Purity Ethylene Oxide (HPEO) unit located in the worldclass, integrated petrochemical hub of Jurong Island. Through the alkoxylation process key monomers are produced that serve downstream surfactant development and manufacturing.

footprint in Asia, the facility demonstrates Novecare’s ambition to be the world leader in delivering innovative surfactant solutions to our customers on a global basis.” The investment comes after Solvay announced that it would build a specialty surfactant plant near Berlin, serving the Central and Eastern European markets.

“This project is part of our aggressive growth strategy in Asia and solidifies our specialty surfactant production,” said Emmanuel Butstraen, President of Solvay Novecare. “In addition to greatly expanding our alkoxylation

Solvay Novecare is already Asia’s largest specialty surfactant manufacturer with 11 production sites and two R&D centers in Singapore and Shanghai. The new plant will produce specialty alkoxylate surfactants which deliver targeted cleansing, dispersing, defoaming and emulsifying performance attributes in formulations.

“Our new facility will enable us to develop our specialty surfactant offer in Asia and use Singapore as a hub to provide highly competitive and innovative intermediates to other Novecare sites in Asia, as well as penetrating further into key Southeast Asia markets such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand,” said Pierre-Franck Valentin, Vice-President and General Manager of Solvay Novecare in Asia- Paciﬁc. F LEFT Artist impression of Solvay’s alkoxylation facility

A*STAR and Veredus Laboratories Create Market’s First Lab-on-Chip for the Detection of Multiple Tropical Infectious Diseases The Agency for Science, Technology and Research A*STAR and Veredus Laboratories, a Singapore-based majority-owned subsidiary of STMicroelectronics, announced the launch of VereTropTM, the ﬁrst

biochip in the molecular diagnostics market that can identify 13 different major tropical diseases from a single blood sample.

licensed diagnostic technology from A*STAR in the areas of inﬂuenza and malaria.

With its high level of automation, this labon-chip diagnostic kit is poised to transform the quality and efﬁciency of testing tropical infectious diseases, including dengue fever, malaria, chikungunya, and hand, foot and mouth disease, in the ﬁeld.

“Veredus and A*STAR have worked on several collaborative projects dating back to 2004,” said Dr. Rosemary Tan, CEO of Veredus Laboratories, a leading supplier of innovative molecular diagnostic tools.“This latest project on VereTrop Lab-on-Chip has combined the strengths and expertise of A*STAR, Veredus, and STMicroelectronics to create a powerful multiplexed molecular product that can rapidly detect and differentiate symptomatically similar tropical infectious diseases and enable timely proper treatment.” F

Developed with infectious disease expertise from A*STAR’s SIgN, this biochip, which operates on STMicroelectronics’ Lab-on-Chip platform, was initiated between ETPL, the technology transfer arm of A*STAR, and Veredus in 2009. Prior to this, Veredus had

FOCUS MAGAZINE

SHORT NEWS

May 2013

Singapore News

520 Record number of FCCS member companies in 2012 ! Established in 1979, and belonging to a worldwide network of 107 French Chambers in 77 countries with over 25,000 companies, the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (FCCS) is one of the leading chambers in Asia.

#1 Singapore is the Number 1 city with the best investment potential according to the 2011 BERI Report. Singapore now outranks the rest of the world as an investment destination, after coming in second for 16 consecutive years. Singapore is also the world’s easiest place to do business. According to the Doing Business 2012 Report by the World Bank, Singapore is the easiest place in the world to conduct business, partly due to the way in which administrative matters are handled. Singapore helps simplify the process of setting up by making it simple to incorporate a company and register for taxes.

56,532 US$

Singapore is the richest country per capita. A study of the world's economies has shown that Singapore had the highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the world in 2010, and will likely remain at the top spot as far as 2050. In the Wealth Report 2012, a global study on property and wealth compiled by Knight Frank and Citi Private Bank, Singapore was listed as the world's most afﬂuent with a GDP per capita of US$56,532 (S$70,450) in 2010. The report also forecasts that Singapore’s GDP per capita will more than double to about SGD $170,000 (USD $137,710).

The FCCS represents a dynamic business platform of 520 member companies, offering an extensive range of business services and giving access to people and information, with a total network of about 3,000 individuals.

14.4 million

Some 14.4 million tourists arrived in Singapore last year, a 9% increase over 2011, while tourism receipts recorded S$23 billion (US$18.4 billion), a mere 3.6% rise. In 2011, visitor arrivals and tourism receipts grew by 13% and 17%respectively. The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has forecast 14.8-15.5 million arrivals and tourism receipts of S$23.5-24.5 billion for 2013.

#2 Singapore is the 2nd most competitive country in the world. According to the Global Competitiveness Report 2011 – 2012 by the World Economic Forum, Switzerland took the top spot, followed by Singapore, Finland, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Only two other Asian countries made it to the top 10 – Hong Kong placed 9th while Japan placed 10th. Singapore is the best in the world in terms of lack of corruption and high government efﬁciency. It is also recognised for the strength of its goods and labour markets, leading globally in terms of ﬁnancial market development. The country’s competitiveness is further reinforced by worldclass infrastructure with excellent transportation facilities and a strong focus on education that provides personnel with the skills needed for a rapidly changing global economy.

FOCUS MAGAZINE

ADVERTORIAL

May 2013

Ascot Expats

Les études supérieures de nos enfants: on en parle souvent, mais quel en est le coût ? Nous sommes Conseils en Organisation Patrimoniale des expatriés français. Notre métier consiste à leur apporter une aide concrète et complète sur l’organisation de leur patrimoine en collaboration avec Ascot Consulting (membre de la Chambre des Indépendants du Patrimoine), cabinet basé en France et spécialisé dans les besoins patrimoniaux des expatriés. Notre démarche couvre l'ensemble de la situation patrimoniale du client, puisqu'elle porte aussi bien sur ses aspects financiers (organisation ou réorganisation du patrimoine, constitution de revenus, financement des études des enfants...) que fiscaux et civils, qui en sont indissociables (adaptation du régime matrimonial, rédaction des clauses bénéficiaires d'assurance-vie, choix du dispositif fiscal le mieux adapté...). Sans oublier la protection sociale, la prévoyance et la retraite. En tant que Conseils, nous remarquons bien souvent que le financement des études des enfants ne fait pas partie des premiers objectifs de nos clients. Or, il s’agit d’un poste de dépenses plus coûteux que nous ne pourrions le croire et surtout lorsque nous n’y sommes pas préparés. En France, de nombreux établissements privés réputés existent, qu'il s'agisse de classes préparatoires privées, d'écoles de commerce ou d'ingénieur. Cela implique que le coût des études est financé principalement par les parents de l’étudiant. Mais les Universités offrent aussi une large gamme de formations de qualité à un coût nettement inférieur. A l’étranger, le système privé est bien plus répandu, et le prix des études nettement plus élevé qu'en France. Le coût moyen annuel des études en France s'échelonne ainsi entre 300 € pour une université et 6 000 € pour une école privée (parfois beaucoup plus). En comparaison, les frais de scolarité d'un établissement à l'étranger s'élèvent en moyenne à 15 000 € par an. A ces frais de scolarité proprement dits s'ajoutent les frais de vie tels que : - le logement (500 € par mois) - la nourriture (400 € par mois), - le téléphone mobile (60 € par mois), - l'abonnement internet (40 € par mois), - la taxe d’habitation (500 € par an), - l’eau et l’électricité (40 € par mois), - les manuels pédagogiques (250 € par an), - les transports publics (50 € par mois), - l’argent de poche pour l’habillement et les sorties (environ 350 € par mois). Soit un total dépassant 18 000 € par an. Ces chiffres sont bien entendu de simples moyennes, de grandes variations étant possibles. S'ajoutent encore à ce budget la mutuelle étudiante (350 € par an),

voire l'assurance santé au premier euro en cas d'études à l'étranger (600 € par an). Pour optimiser le coût du logement, nombreux sont les parents qui investissent dans un appartement, souvent à Paris, en vue d'y installer leurs enfants pour la durée de leurs études puis d'en tirer des revenus fonciers au moment de la retraite. L'idée est bonne, mais peut présenter des inconvénients, dont le moindre n'est pas la grande mobilité des étudiants à l'heure actuelle. En effet, d'excellentes facultés et écoles existent partout en France : rien ne garantit donc que l'enfant fera l'intégralité de ses études dans la ville où ses parents ont investi, surtout dans le cas d'établissements avec admission sur concours. Par la suite, les stages offrent une occasion supplémentaires de mobilité... et impliquent de trouver un nouveau logement pour quelques mois seulement. Selon que l'enfant étudie à l'université en France ou dans un établissement à l'étranger, chaque année d'étude peut donc représenter un coût total (frais de scolarité + frais de vie) allant de 18 000 à 33 000 €, à multiplier par le nombre d'années d'études prévues. Face à cette charge conséquente, il existe heureusement plusieurs solutions patrimoniales permettant d'organiser au mieux cette période financière. A titre d’illustration, pour constituer sur 12 ans la somme de 18 000 € qui sera ensuite consommée, il faudrait théoriquement épargner 125 € par mois (18 000 ÷ 144 mois). Mais ce calcul part du principe que le support d'épargne a un taux d'intérêt égal à zéro. En réalité, ce n'est bien sûr pas le cas ! Par exemple, s'il rapporte 3%, il suffira d'épargner 103 € par mois pendant 12 ans pour obtenir les 18 000 € recherchés. Et 79 € seulement en s'y prenant sur 15 ans au lieu de 12, d'où l'intérêt de débuter cette épargne le plus tôt possible. Par ailleurs, remarquons qu'il existe une autre stratégie que celle consistant à constituer un capital en vue de le consommer pendant les études. En effet, on peut choisir de réaliser un investissement qui produira les revenus désirés, le capital lui-même reste intact. Ce qui permet de tirer parti de cet effort d’épargne en vue d'une future préparation de retraite. Le maître mot : l'anticipation !

Loïc SEGUIN ASCOT EXPATS www.ascot-expats.sg

PATRON MEMBERS SPOTLIGHT

FOCUS MAGAZINE

An interview with a FCCS Patron Member

May 2013

A Strong Commitment for a Sustainable Growth Interview with Wouter Van Wersch, President Alstom Singapore, SVP Alstom International East Asia Paciﬁc and SVP Alstom Power Sales & Marketing Asia Paciﬁc Alstom is a world leader in power generation, electrical grid and rail transport infrastructure. With a presence in over a hundred countries and a broad range of products and services in the power generation, electrical grid and rail transport infrastructure markets, Alstom is at the forefront of economic, social and environmental progress. Alstom provides turnkey integrated power plant solutions and associated services for a wide variety of energy sources, including hydro, nuclear, gas, coal and wind; it offers a wide range of solutions for power transmission, with a focus on smart grid, and builds the fastest train and the highest capacity automated metro in the world.

“

Asia is a key part of Alstom’s future growth plans.

”

FOCUS MAGAZINE

PATRON MEMBERS SPOTLIGHT

May 2013

An interview with a FCCS Patron Member

we have also invested heavily in our people and this has played a crucial part in our success in Asia over the years as highlighted by the Dongbu Green Power Plant, the first ultra-supercritical coal fired power plant in South Korea, the Son La power plant in Vietnam, the largest hydropower plant in SEA, the Three Gorges in China, the 1000 MW Manjung #4 and Tanjung Bin #4 coal fired plants in Malaysia, the 850MW North Bangkok 2 gas fired plant in Thailand, the 800kV UHVDC project in India, Alstom has also been a major contributor to all the MRT lines in Singapore. AS A STRONG SUPPORTER OF THE FCCS, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE ROLE THAT THE FCCS SERVES TODAY FOR FRENCH COMPANIES IN SINGAPORE? I do appreciate the wealth of activities the FCCS is setting up and I am always amazed by the dynamism that the teams are showing. I am convinced that FCCS has a key role to play in the success of French companies in Singapore. As you know, in Singapore Alstom has more than 600 employees, we have been present for almost 50 years, with major projects in execution in all our activities, not to mention, an excellent reputation on the market. As

“

I am convinced that the FCCS has a key role to play in the success of French companies in Singapore.

a large multinational, we are not one of the main beneﬁciaries of the FCCS activities, but I am convinced that it is a key organisation to help smaller French companies that want to grow in Singapore. IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT KIND OF CHARACTERISTICS AND QUALITIES MAKE A GOOD LEADER? Business is like football, one player alone cannot win, it’s always a team effort. A leader needs to make sure he has the right people around him and that the entire team is fully dedicated to achieving the same goal. A good leader must have a clear vision, a view on how to achieve it, and the charisma to make it happen. Dynamism, dedication, drive, selectivity, integrity, openness, decision-making power and communication skills, are the key assets to be a successful leader. DO YOU HAVE SOME CAREER ADVICE TO CLIMB TO THE TOP?

”

A stable but challenging working environment, and a good balance between professional and personal life are the keys to be successful. Professionally, do not hesitate to speak up and be always transparent. Hiding something that went wrong will cause much more damage to the organisation than addressing it openly. Hard work is unavoidable and full dedication to the company is a must. Do not hesitate to challenge the existing processes and think out of the box to make things progress. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE?

Mens sana in corpore sano (a healthy mind in a healthy body). F LEFT PAGE Wouter Van Wersch, President Alstom Singapore, SVP Alstom International East Asia Paciﬁc and SVP Alstom Power Sales & Marketing Asia Paciﬁc BOTTOM Manjung Coal Fired Power Plant, Malaysia

FOCUS MAGAZINE

May 2013

French Design in Singapore

COVER STORY

French Design in Singapore

FOCUS MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

May 2013

French Design in Singapore

Developing Singapore into a Global City for Design By DesignSingapore Council The design sector in Singapore has been growing healthily over the past 10 years since the government recognised the creative industries as a vital component in enhancing Singapore’s value proposition and engine of economic and social progression.

The DesignSingapore Council was established in 2003 to spearhead the development of the design sector after the Economic Review Committee identified three new economic growth sectors for Singapore, namely the Education, Healthcare and Creative industries. The DesignSingapore Council is the national agency for design and is part of the Ministry of Communications and Information. The mission of the DesignSingapore Council is to develop Singapore into a global city for design where design innovation drives economic growth and enhances the quality of life. The Council promotes and develops the design industries as a creative cluster, encourages the adoption of design by enterprises, and nurtures a climate of cocreation and innovation through design. The Council’s strategies cover two key domains: 1. Industry Development – developing and enhancing the design sector . 2. Market Development – generating and growing the demand for design services and products.

“

Design innovation growth.

drives

economic

”

NURTURING THE DESIGN INDUSTRY The DesignSingapore Council is tasked with developing and enhancing the design sector so as to position Singapore as a global design influencer. It develops strategies, policies and programmes to extend and enhance the quality of products and services offered by the design sector. In the area of capability development, the Council provides support to designers and design companies to achieve a higher level of design excellence and acquire the latest design knowledge and skills through continuing professional development programmes and overseas exposure. The Council aims to cultivate a competitive design eco-system and helps design industry associations with long-term initiatives that look into new industry capabilities, new cross-disciplinary collaborations, new in-

ternational markets and new developmental units within the associations. To enhance the international recognition of Singapore's design capabilities and competitiveness, the DesignSingapore Council funds participation in prestigious international design platforms by emergent Singapore-based designers and design companies who would be able to market themselves and gain access to wider global business opportunities. Singapore's design excellence is promoted by the Council through the President's Design Award, which represents the pinnacle of recognition in Singapore's design sector. It is a celebration of the nation's outstanding designs and exceptional designers who, through design, have forged ahead to improve our quality of life and add lasting value to businesses, thereby setting the standards for design excellence in Singapore. The DesignSingapore Council offers scholarships to groom design talents who have the creativity, drive and passion to develop Singapore into Asia's leading centre for design excellence.

DEVELOPING THE MARKET FOR DESIGN Besides supporting the designers and design companies in Singapore to grow, the DesignSingapore Council helps to generate and grow the demand for design services and products. The Council encourages the adoption of

FOCUS MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

May 2013

design by enterprises and enables them to leverage good design for innovation, productivity and business growth. It achieves this through the Design for Enterprises programme, which assists Singaporebased enterprises with different levels of design capabilities to integrate design into their business strategies. The Design for Enterprises programme was established in 2008 by the DesignSingapore Council, together with International Enterprise (IE), Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board (SPRING). It provides various education and outreach seminars, workshops, clinic sessions, business networking events, grants (Design for Business Innovation Grant and Design Engage) and tax incentives (Productivity and Innovation Credit for Design). To infuse design thinking and develop design-driven innovation capabilities in the workforce for productivity, competitiveness and sustainable growth, the Design Thinking & Innovation Academy was established by the DesignSingapore Council in 2010. The Academy provides training in design thinking methods to a broad spectrum of participants, including businesses, designers and students, and aims to nurture a climate of co-creation and innovation through design. From 2013, the Design Thinking & Innovation Academy will collaborate with the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) as a programme partner to offer Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) courses in design thinking and design-driven innovation. The Academy expects to train professionals working in the design

French Design in Singapore

“

The Centre is a hub to enable Singapore to appreciate and use design to grow our economy.

”

industry, professionals in non-design industries who manage or are involved in their organisation’s innovation process, and design educators. Each participant can receive up to 70% co-funding from WDA and a WSQ Statement of Attainment upon completion of each course. The Design Thinking & Innovation Academy also trains teachers and students from pre-school to tertiary education. The goal is to inspire creativity, provide opportunities for teachers and students to work with designers, and to help students appreciate design and design thinking. To help Singapore enterprises to bring to market new offers of innovative products and services for Asian consumers that are culturally contextualised, the Asian Insights & Design Innovation programme was formed. This helps enterprises to sharpen their existing competitive edge of Asian cultural affinity and benefit from Asia's growth by better understanding and translating the untapped needs of Asian consumers into design concepts for business growth through ethnographic research.

UPCOMING NATIONAL DESIGN CENTRE Towards the end of this year, the DesignSingapore Council will move into the National Design Centre at 111 Middle Road. The Centre is an integrated design

hub where designers and businesses can receive training and assistance, participate in design programmes, use its facilities and tap into cross-industry collaborations for creation of new products and services through design. The Centre will be a key node in the design eco-system that fosters knowledge exchange across design groups and industries, and accelerates the growth of targeted economic sectors through the support provided to businesses and designers. In addition to programmes for design capability development and business adoption of design, the Centre will also host the Design Thinking & Innovation Academy and the Asian Insights & Design Innovation programme. The business of the Centre is developmental and promotional in nature. Its resources and facilities are set up to benefit the wider community of designers and businesses – to lower the barriers to the adoption of good design, and to encourage innovation among designers – and to educate the wider public on the value of design. The Centre will house resources and facilities including a Prototyping Lab, Design Galleries and a Design Shop. The Prototyping Lab is where designers and businesses fast-track their explorations and develop concepts into tangible forms. The latest rapid prototyping tools like 3D printers and laser cutters will be available for designers to create prototypes. The Design Galleries will house a permanent Singapore Design Showcase as well as host a changing selection of design exhibitions by Singapore and international partners presenting Singaporean, Asian and international design works. The Design Shop will carry a range of Singapore design products. F Please visit www.designsingapore.org for more information. LEFT PAGE National Design Centre, Perspective of Atrium LEFT National Design Centre, Perspective of External Facade

FOCUS MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

May 2013

French Design in Singapore

MAISON&OBJET Comes to Asia By MAISON&OBJET MAISON&OBJET has chosen Singapore in the dynamic ASEAN region as its newest showcase. 150 international brands will be exhibiting in March 2014 at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre.

In only fifteen years, MAISON&OBJET has become the first global lifestyle tradeshow. With a worldwide recognition and half of its visitors coming from overseas, its reputation is firmly established. Professionals around the world would not miss the bi-annual gatherings in Paris in January and September which offer a valuable panoramic view of the market, both selective and plural at the same time. MAISON&OBJET will implement a "DNA" in Spring 2014 with its first international tradeshow in Singapore, just a few hours flight from major Asian capitals. The city-state, as a global city, has quickly established itself as a strategic geographic position. "Singapore is a very attractive city, easily accessible, familiar to many professionals exhibiting at MAISON&OBJET Paris," says Philippe

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

In January 2013, the number of visitors at MAISON&OBJET increased by 13%.

Brocart, MAISON&OBJET's director, "it is at the heart of an area with strong economic potential." With a population of 600,000 million, the ASEAN region is indeed a free trade area and a committed partner to the European Union. The number of Asian visitors at the tradeshow in Paris has considerably increased over the years. In January 2013, the number of visitors at MAISON&OBJET increased by 13%, with an increased proportion of large buyers from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, China and Japan (Harvey Nichols, Lane Crawford, Konzepp, Jut Living Development, Dream Interiors, Major International, Takashimaya, Isetan Mitsukoshi).

â&#x20AC;?

"With MAISON&OBJET Asia," says Philippe Brocart, "our goal is two-fold: we want to support our customers who want to enhance their selective presence in Asia and increase the visibility of the brand MAISON&OBJET amongst Asian visitors."

FIRST THINGS FIRST The event will take place from March 10 to 13, 2014 in the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre in Singapore, a prestigious address. The first edition covering an area of 6,500 sqm will be organised by MAISON&OBJET Paris and its subsidiary Reed Singapore. This may seem a bit shy

FOCUS MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

May 2013

compared to the 135,000 sqm exhibition surface in Paris, with some 3,000 brands, but premium selectivity, which is the hallmark of the show, will be the spearhead of MAISON&OBJET Asia. Preference will be given to originality, creativity, materials, and emotional collections. The concentration of French and international brands will undoubtedly attract specialists in decoration and design from the ASEAN region where large and multiple real estate projects and residential community developments are currently being undertaken. The prescription is in fact a milestone for MAISON& OBJET development strategy. In Paris, a third of its visitors are designers, architects and actors in the luxury hotel sector and MAISON&OBJET occupies a first class position in this international niche sector.

SIGNATURE CONCEPT Overall, the broad-based offer of MAISON&OBJET is the only one of its kind in the world. The unique signature concept of MAISON&OBJET is to bring together seasonally in one place the latest innovation in furniture, accessories, tableware, unique pieces, objects of design, outdoors, linen, textile upholstery, scents, materials. "Home decoration is a richness and real-

French Design in Singapore

ity", says Philippe Brocart who, since his arrival in 2012, wants to quickly broaden the scope of the tradeshow. Other signature elements are the Creators of the Year or thematic inspirations decrypted by the biannual MAISON&OBJET Observatory and directed by style experts like Vincent Grégoire (Nelly Rodi), Elizabeth Leriche and François Bernard. The September exhibition boosts the synergy with Paris Design Week, an extension of MAISON& OBJET that was an immediate success with a large audience.

DESIGN REINVIGORATED The "French Touch" is a valuable asset that continues to reinvent itself. This centre of excellence between luxury lifestyle and haute decoration, of which MAISON&OBJET has become an emblematic spokesman, is definitely a growth sector. Design has also become an area that has conquered all the cities. In Paris, one of MAISON&OBJET most eclectic showcase is “now!design à vivre” 1 which concentrates on innovative brands and new labels. It therefore gives an echo to the latest trends such as the inspiration of nature, geometric simplicity, the value scale, eco design or ethnic art. While the "Made

in France" extends its reach internationally, a "new wave” of French designers born from the tradeshow, has recently put the spotlight back on French design. A new generation of atypical manufacturers – Y'a pas le feu au lac, Petite Friture, Edition Sous Etiquette, Marcel By, Moustache, La Chance, Specimen Edition – has all set the tone since the beginning of the decade. These independent and dynamic entrepreneurs have been campaigning alongside young designers including Pierre Favresse, François Mangeol Constance Guisset Ionna Vautrin and Guillaume Delvigne. Together, they advocate a meaningful product, accessible and qualitative, functional and quirky, handmade and unique, which will set the rules of design for the future. Sustainable and respectful, this new wave of French designers’ products transcends borders and is brilliantly exported. F

NOTE 2013 Creators are French architects Odile Decq, Joseph Dirand and British designers Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby. 1

LEFT PAGE & TOP Exhibition from Barber&Osgerby, Designers of the Year 2013 @ now!design à vivre, © Francis Amiand

FOCUS MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

May 2013

French Design in Singapore

A New Design Scene Interview with Jennyfer Lacroix, Corporate Director Design, Raffles Hotels and Resorts, Singapore

HOW HAS THE DESIGN SCENE EVOLVED IN SINGAPORE IN THE RECENT YEARS? The design scene has undeniably evolved in the past 10 years in Singapore. Since the opening of the Esplanade in 2002, the accent given to the creative development has been increasingly obvious. An important number of schools now offer design and art education to students coming from Southeast Asia globally and even from Australia or Europe through exchange programmes. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has even supported the opening of the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), which suddenly raises the level of interest and credibility for technology and design to a business eligible discipline in the region. The tertiary education, polytechnic schools and universities have created departments with design as a root and a driver for business. In Singapore, certainly more than in any other country, the signs of changes are visible, the place being so reactive and prompt to changes. The intents are there but do not necessarily reflect the readiness of the population globally in Singapore. As stressed above the education sets the tone and knowing the reactivity of this society the changes will soon be visible in

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

There is definitely an enormous potential for design in Singapore.

term of awareness vis-Ă -vis the design discipline, but - as in most westernized societies - design is very much seen here as a vector of status and more a cosmetic distinction rather than a sustainable method to structure the pertinence of a product, a service, a concept of life, or of a business. Looking at the market for creative - I would better call it well conceived and pertinent products, Singapore remains extremely shy in daring to consider anything selfbred with personalized touches or out of the box. The explanation could be sociologic and cultural, but to put it simply it seems there is no or very few room for perfectly positioned middle to high end products, the skepticism of non-highly-branded and renowned product being epitomized. As a consequence, the landscape for design led business summarizes to either suffering companies proposing innovative or simply and basically qualitative offer, or a flourishing low or very low end and diagonally extreme high-end market, nothing really picking up in the middle. We are left with a real difficulty in identifying what

â&#x20AC;?

could trigger an instinctive interest for intermediary qualitative ranges. There is definitely an enormous potential for design, but not really an identifiable Singaporean touch in design and even less a Singaporean sensitivity to meaningful design. It seems still believed that imported European products are the excellence, especially not next to the flooding of 'replicas' of all kinds coming from the Asian manufacturing force. But there are real values and impressive outcomes from regional designers, coming up with refreshing ideas sensitivity and finesse in rightfully approaching the needs of their fellow citizens, unfortunately not enough recognized. I have always been impressed by the number of interior design companies existing in Singapore, which illustrates the fact that people understand the skills required for planning one's living space. The ability to conceptualize is understood as a skill here and translates to recognized professionalism, which is not so frequent in Europe. The distortion appears in the weakness of

FOCUS MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

May 2013

appreciation in the craft and quality of production to move from ideas to realizations. What makes a product reliable in all aspects is yet to be captured in this region and I strongly believe that it can only come with the understanding and respect of the fabrication process. That will certainly be coming with years knowing the fast pace that can be adopted here, provided this can come through the appreciation of the value of crafts, the depth of work required to perfection and longevity and the understanding of vocational skills as a talent as opposed to an undervalued chore. WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AT RAFFLES HOTEL? I am kind of the keeper of the identity of the Raffles Hotels and Resorts brand when talking of the ‘shells’ in which the guests will be hosted across the world. I look after the interface with and experience of the visitors from an interior design angle in the hotels.

French Design in Singapore

“

Design at Raffles is a subtle tuning of the strong identity portrayed initially by the Raffles Hotel Singapore, evolving to a deliberate modernity.

”

The role is vast and multiple in relationship with the supporting services of the group. It brings me to various parts of the world, to work with people of again different cultures, to tailor and design a complex product.

cated and residential privacy at every place and moment. Translating this through design together with personality and distinction is an exercise that repeats in each area of a hotel and makes my job very diverse.

It is always a renewed pleasure for me to meet and work with highly professional and creative teams, to identify and define the lead that will give each Raffles Hotel a ‘sense of location’ inspired by the local roots, and yet to give it its very own identity and refinement to become a master piece within the collection.

The functionality to be as intuitive as possible, the comfort and the refinement blended with the identity of the location are a permanent attention.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE DESIGN AT RAFFLES?

In the case of new openings my role starts long before the first operational day of the hotel, working with a team composed of external interior design consultants and the owners.

Design at Raffles is a subtle tuning of the strong identity portrayed initially by the Raffles Hotel Singapore, evolving to a deliberate modernity with the growth of the portfolio.

The position was created to support the increasing number of openings and hotels in the portfolio, to look after the coherence of the brand superimposing to the identity of each property, provided they are all different and specific to their location and in acknowledgement of the respective local culture.

To date ten hotels compose our collection and four more will open soon. They are all very different. Their spinal bone is always an extreme attention to details, in the service or in the construction made for the guests to live an unforgettable experience. The whole idea is to provide a sophisti-

Of course this is not cosmetic only and it is since the very beginning of the project a team job with our in-house professionals to get the brand standards respected and in some extents that would not necessarily qualify to what one would identify as design. But it is though where design stems, in a hotel as much as in everyday life, in identifying and creating frames and helping provide solutions and methodology to a set of problematic and constraints with people and experience being the main focus. F LEFT PAGE, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT Studio Room, Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris; Suite of the Raffles, Dubai BOTTOM, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT The magic of Lighting for New Year’s Eve yearly event, Grand Hotel d’Angkor, Raffles Siem Reap, Cambodia; Royal Panoramic Villa Suite at the Raffles Praslin, Seychelles

FOCUS MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

May 2013

French Design in Singapore

Singapore, a Hub for Design By Miaja Design When Isabelle Miaja arrived in Singapore in 1995 to establish her own company Miaja Design, the interior design industry was not as developed. She started to work mainly on residential projects such as the Goodwood Residences, Cairnhill Crest residences, Namly Hill, Four Season Residences as well as Nassim Jade to cite a few. At that time her designs were influenced by the US, principally the West Coast, so moving to Singapore from Los Angeles, where she had already garnered critical acclaim for her work in both commercial and residential projects, she was able to answer to the needs of her new clientele. With time, Singapore became more and more of a hub for design and the influence started to shift towards a more European influence. Being Franco-Spanish herself, Isabelle was able to bring in her own cultural affinities which inspired a whole new approach in her designs and worked between cities like Paris, London and Milan. Cultivating a network of suppliers and artists, The M Hotel, the Novotel and the Traders were her first foray in Singapore as a Hotel Designer before launching the company in other countries in Asia and the Middle East. Whilst the hotel industry in Singapore seems to do extremely well over the past years, it has become a very competitive

“

The East has become an inspiration for the West.

”

environment, therefore the need for inventive yet timeless design has become increasingly necessary! Design with edge in mind is what Miaja Design strives to offer to a now extremely savvy clientele, the line that separated the East from the West no longer exists and we now see a counter current happening in the design world, whereby the East has become an inspiration for the West! Isabelle is very proud to be part of the pioneers that helped build a new Asia that embraces its past and keeps moving boldly forward! Through design of new or old buildings, one should be able to read a story that keeps it alive throughout its spaces, by respecting the nature of its roots, a flow of design ideas will tie the concept together and will give it a perennial standing. Edge can be interpreted in many ways, distortion of perceptions, a new outlook on what already exists, a new take on what has been taken for granted. It takes an artist’s eye to see what is invisible behind the visible! Today’s traveller is becoming more and more curious about the idea of a hotel concept, the background and its authenticity and hence old colonial hotels will always

do well because they inherently have a story to tell. A new story can be told on different levels by, for example, integrating local artist into the design, a new take on the location (what was the area famous for?), maybe the owners family background is worth a story. The inspiration is endless! In Singapore, Isabelle is designing the Sofitel So Singapore on 35 Robinson Road, which will open later this year. The hotel will become a one-of-a-kind property, transforming an old landmark building, respecting its past, yet adding avantguard touches to another well-respected heritage building. As Isabelle says, “The essence of style is to live the art of being unique.” With that philosophy in mind, Isabelle Miaja will approach new projects and develop product designs, stretching the company's capabilities as well as her own, always striving to that next magic moment of a new and unique creation. F TOP, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT Sofitel So Singapore to open soon! The So Golden Swimming Pool!

FOCUS MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

May 2013

French Design in Singapore

So Design By Tony Chisholm, General Manager for Sofitel So Singapore, scheduled to open late 2013 A HOTEL DESIGNED FOR A NEW GENERATION OF URBAN TRAVELLERS In a world of budget contraints, increased KPIs and limited resources, corporate travel today is compressed and business travellers are expected to do so much more within a limited period of time. Despite these limitations, there is an emergence of travellers that still have an appetite for the finer things in life: they want to make the most of every travel opportunity, interact with new people, taste new cuisines and most importantly, experience the vibe and culture of the cities they visit. With time being a luxury and work increasingly a priority, these new experiences often tend to take a backseat and get ‘dropped off’ the list of ‘to-dos’. But what is overlooked is the role that a hotel can play in facilitating and enabling these experiences. Its significance is paramount, and the opportunity undeniable. While connectivity and efficiency remain priorities for many business travellers, hotel design and operations provide an opportunity to refresh and enhance the entire travel experience. As the key elements and requirements of a hotel – the lobby, a bedroom and a restaurant – remain un-

“

This third So property is Singapore’s very own version of the So label – a reflection of this country that is a melting pot of cultures.

”

changed, the challenge for designers today is to take these areas and transform them into spaces that are experiential, dramatic, and most significantly, a representation of the best the city has to offer.

unique traditions and values; espoused by our signature, personalised service and attention to detail.

PRESTIGIOUS DESIGN COLLABORATION

THE VISION BEHIND THE DESIGN As the contemporary designer of hotel label vision of Sofitel Luxury Hotels, Sofitel So personifies its latest addresses. Blending design and pleasure, style and soul, each Sofitel So property aims to express the essence of the destination. Combined with the Sofitel ‘art de vivre’, the boutique establishment will provide a ‘power stay’ for travelers to get a taste of local leisure, while adhering to the time-honoured international standards of luxury and quality that the Sofitel establishment is known for, all easily accessible. This third So property is Singapore’s very own version of the So label – a reflection of this country that is a melting pot of cultures and the country’s

To turn our vision into reality, we are working with renowned Singapore-based, French design house Miaja Design Studio with a creative cast led by Isabelle Miaja, to develop the design framework for our property, located at 35 Robinson Road – one of Singapore’s most beautiful heritage buildings. The team was tasked to take pleasure, style and the soul of Singapore and embed them into the hotel. The result is a design intent that blends the empire style of the building, with an essence of pop art that represents the true spirit of Singapore, merging the best of the heritage of this country, with its modern outlook and infrastructure. Each Sofitel So hotel embodies a personal style, entrusted to an international name from the world of fashion, the arts or design fields. In Singapore, we have partnered with an iconic designer who many have come to know as an institution in his own right – Mr Karl Lagerfeld. The revered icon of luxury will be designing Sofitel So Singapore’s emblem that will appear on a range of exclusive objects available to our guests during their stay. Mr Lagerfeld will also be designing other surprise elements around the hotel, symbolising its new and original style. Each new address marks the next chapter of the Sofitel So story, and Singapore is one that promises to be a page turner. F LEFT Sofitel So Singapore’s So Cosy room, expressing Isabelle Miaja’s design framework for the hotel

FOCUS MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

May 2013

French Design in Singapore

Home Sweet Home Interview with Maud Ferrand, Founder and Director at Maud Ferrand Interiors Originally from Paris, Maud has spent the last 12 years in Asia designing distinct interiors for clients who wish to achieve elegant and understated luxurious interiors. Maud Ferrand Interiors is an international architectural and interior design consultancy company based in Singapore which provides design works focusing on high-end residential homes, offices and retail spaces.

WHAT IS YOUR APPROACH TO HOME DESIGN? My clients always come first – no matter what. It is important to take as much time as needed to get to know them and understand their needs and requirements. Before I begin my design concept, I will meet with my clients on several occasions to ascertain their vision and expectations. Home design is a true reflection of a client's personality and lifestyle. Some clients have a clear idea of what they want, but I also persuade them to 'think outside the box' in terms of what is in vogue and explain that interiors have to be timeless. Other points I consider are the environmental surroundings, the architecture, and how best to use the space. I like to establish with my clients how much entertaining they do in their home, is it casual, formal or both? From this, I can envision seating requirements in the living and dining areas. Also, does the client have a hobby and does a specific area need to be assigned? Finally, working from home is very common in the 20th century, and many clients will need an office area/room to be designed. WHAT ARE THE MAJOR TRENDS IN HOME DESIGN IN 2013? I do not follow trends – they come and go just like fashion. When my research for a concept begins, I envision the room as a whole rather than focusing on the latest trend. I try to educate my clients into thinking an interior should be timeless and my design concept will be unique from everything else. I can be inspired by a piece of

“

Home design is a true reflection of a client's personality and lifestyle.

artwork or the color of a simple vase to begin the design process. YOUR SIGNATURE DESIGN ELEMENT? I have a distinctive use of vibrant colours and pales like sand, coral or beige. These work in beautiful harmony when combined with interesting textures such as velvet, silk, shagreen and bronze. Within every

”

room, I believe there needs to be an element of drama whether it is in determining the length of the drapery or a custommade screen inspired by an Asian theme. Artifacts can be added to emphasise and complement the focal points in a room. HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE THE FRENCH TOUCH? My interiors exude elegance and serenity. They are not typically French, but my styling will be to introduce a vintage piece whether it is in the form of artwork or sculpture, or a French lamp from the 1960s. From there, I integrate artifacts which blend harmoniously with the contemporary and understated ambience of the concept. TO CONCLUDE, SOME ADVICE ON DECORATING HOMES? One piece of advice I would like to offer is be yourself and incorporate your own personality into the concept. This can be reflected in many ways, whether it be a humoristic art piece or a treasured ornament. Clever use of space is a key element in home design as is knowledge of how best to showcase the furniture piece. A room should not be overcrowded nor feel empty. F LEFT New York State of Mind in Singapore

FOCUS MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

May 2013

French Design in Singapore

Sustainable Design By Peter Stück, Principal of Aedas Aedas is a leading international design practice which offers services in architecture, interior design, master planning, landscape, urban design and building consultancy through their 27 offices in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas. Peter is a LEED Accredited Professional and certified BCA Green Mark Manager. With rising awareness for Corporate Social Responsibility, more companies are now focusing on the interior fit-out of their office and commercial spaces. For companies, their office not only offers an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability to their clients and reduce their operational costs in the process, but also to create an office environment that can be significantly healthier and more productive than a typical office space.

“

81% of the materials used to create Autodesk’s office interior are recyclable.

green buildings developed by the US Green Building Council. In addition, Autodesk’s Solaris office also received the BCA Green Mark Platinum Award from the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA). Platinum is the highest level of certification achievable under both schemes.

PROJECT CASE STUDY Aedas Interiors recently designed Autodesk’s new corporate outfit at Solaris Building in Fusionopolis which was awarded Green Mark Platinum and LEED Platinum for Commercial Interiors, a first for a Singapore office space. Autodesk is an American software company that focuses on design software. Their Singapore office spans two and a half floors of the Solaris Building and covers over 56,000sqft.

THE ROLE OF SUSTAINABLE BUILDING RATING SYSTEMS Sustainable Building Rating Systems were introduced to provide an independent tool to verify and rate sustainable design and construction technologies in buildings and interior spaces. LEED is a rating system for

Typically, sustainable rating tools will look at criteria to reduce resource use including energy efficiency, water efficiency and material use, but also include criteria such as Indoor Environmental Quality and Sustainable Operations to provide a better work environment for the occupants by reducing harmful chemicals in finishes and guaranteeing access to natural light and improved air quality. Technical reports and documentary proofs must be submitted to substantiate the technologies and design features used in the design and will be verified after project completion and during operations by independent assessors. To receive LEED CI-2009 Platinum Certification, the facility must be an energy-efficient interior space filled with daylight and clean air, and constructed from regionally

”

sourced, environmentally-friendly materials. 81% of the materials used to create Autodesk’s office interior are recyclable. Water- and energy-efficient fixtures reduce consumption, while sustainable materials with low volatile organic compound levels maintain air quality. The use of natural light has been maximised with large, open spaces and daylight sensors, which disable overhead lighting when enough natural light is present. Employees cited improved health and wellness, as well as productivity, as key outcomes of the interior design.

HOLISTIC DESIGN APPROACH In addition to the improvements to their office environment, the clients also benefit from an integrated design process in which the consultant team works together much closer to establish and verify sustainable design targets at a very early stage. This results in a much more efficient planning process where challenges are identified and addressed early on, giving the client maximum control over the design process and often reducing the time to implement the design on site.

RETURN ON INVESTMENT While sustainable design may result in some initial cost increase due to better quality fittings and equipment, these investments can typically be recovered within a short period through operational savings on energy use and increased productivity. A sustainable office environment also helps to establish an educational process within the organisation, which can substantially support corporate ethics and staff appreciation. F LEFT Autodesk’s office, Solaris Building in Fusionopolis

FOCUS MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

May 2013

French Design in Singapore

When East Meets West We ask three questions to Delphine Leon, Director of d’apres nous D&B Pte Ltd, an interior design company established for over 10 years in Singapore and working on office, hotel, retail & residential projects. space accordingly. It will help them save some cost in renovations.

COULD YOU PLEASE DESCRIBE D’APRES NOUS D&B’S STYLE? Both directors of the company are French and the creative director studied in one of the top schools in Paris. Therefore there will always be a European influence to our design.

“When East meets west” reflects our style and vision, it embodies the fact that Interior Design is the result of a unique and sensitive response to location, architecture, and client vision. As designers, our role is to create a sense of space. Because every detail is important, our design is based on balance between space and light, materials and colours, to create sophisticated and elegant space in line with the essence of the architecture and location.

Our design solution will always be the result of our studies based on clients brief. Although we need to translate it into the project, it is our objective to add value, raise standards and enhance the brand image through the solution given. HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE TO RESPOND TO YOUR CLIENTS’ NEEDS AS WELL AS TO REFLECT THEIR PERSONALITIES? We put a lot of thought into the space planning as it is the key to a well-designed space where both staff & clients will feel comfortable. Well-designed workplace will result in an increase of staff efficiency. We help clients define their needs over a few years so they can plan their work-

YOUR FAVOURITE SPACE YOU HAVE DESIGNED? Every single one, because they all have been challenging in their own way. Challenge is what makes us progress. There is always a very personal involvement in all design concepts. F TOP CocoPrive by Coco Collection, Kuda Hithi Maldives

Behind the Doors of a Black & White Belgian handbag designer Anne-Jean Lietaer has converted her black & white house into a showroom dedicated to Belgian and French furniture and tableware brands. A distinctive element in Singapore’s architectural and cultural heritage, black-andwhite houses were built from the end of the 19th century until World War II. They were once commonly used to house European expatriate or colonial families in tropical colonies, typically the Southeast Asian colonies of the British Empire in the 19th century. The style incorporated elements of UK's Arts and Crafts and Art Deco movements as well as the need of wealthy expatriate families for airy and spacious family homes. It is in this historic setting, along Mount Pleasant Road, that Anne-Jean Lietaer decided to set up House of Anli Interiors. The house of Anne-Jean therefore became her private residence as well as showroom to

Belgian and French brands.

“This gives a unique experience to the customer who wishes to furnish his home with stylish furniture and home accessories”, explained Anne-Jean. The neo-classical furniture from Flamant and PR, both Belgian leading interior brands, creates a cozy, country-side interior that also matches with the beauty of the architectural and historical elements of the house. Other brands House of AnLi Interiors carries are Libeco, the top Belgian linen, Mathy by Bols, children furniture, and Marie’s Corner, a leading high-end designer of sofas and seating solutions for private and hospitality customers. F

FOCUS MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

May 2013

French Design in Singapore

French Tradition in Singapore: A Family Story Interview with Matthieu Frey, Asia Chief Representative at Pierre Frey Pierre Frey is a French luxury goods house which designs, creates and manufactures fabrics and wallpapers in the purest French tradition. It is still 100% family-owned. Since 2011, Matthieu Frey, grandson of Pierre Frey, has joined the family business to oversee the Asia-Pacific market. WHAT ARE PIERRE FREY‘S DESIGN CHARACTERISTICS? Pierre Frey is proud of its traditional expertise yet simultaneously has always been highly inventive and profoundly eclectic. I truly believe that Pierre Frey perfectly embodies the audacious, creative and absolutely unique. We represent the French art de vivre, with four different brands (Pierre Frey, Braquenie, Boussac and Fadini Borghi), 5,000 shades offered, 30,000 archives and more than 7,000 references. From prints to embroideries, classical patterns to collaboration with contemporary artists, Pierre Frey appeals to any type of inspiration! HOW DO YOU PRESERVE YOUR SAVOIRFAIRE AND AT THE SAME TIME ADAPT TO MODERNITY? Preserving the company's heritage lies at

“

The most interesting challenge is to have products which will appeal to the diversity of nationalities and cultures living in Singapore.

”

the heart of our philosophy: Pierre Frey has evolved with the times while remaining faithful to its roots settled in 1935 by our grand-father Pierre Frey and by our father Patrick Frey, President and Creative Director.

ing Imperial China, 18th-century France and contemporary Africa.

Although Pierre Frey is traditionally a fabric and furnishing house, it is also attuned to the modern world, which has led to the creation of equally stunning home accessories and furniture collections. The company is also adventurous in terms of style as well as products, drawing creative inspiration from a range of sources includ-

We decided to set up the new operation in Singapore due to the location of this unique city. Singapore lies at the crossroads of the Asian Pacific region. Mature markets, such as Australia and Japan, as well as Indonesia and Mainland China, with great potential, need equivalent attention.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE SINGAPORE AS YOUR ASIA-PACIFIC CENTRE OF OPERATION?

Furthermore I knew that Singapore was an essential business hub and, most importantly, concentrated the regional offices of key design agencies and some of the best interior designers in the region. WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF BRINGING FRENCH TRADITION TO SINGAPORE? It is an amazing challenge to bring the French art de vivre here in Asia, even though Singapore is a mature market with clients who understand our values and traditions. The most interesting challenge is to have products which will appeal to the diversity of nationalities and cultures living in Singapore: from Chinese, Australian to Indonesian or Japanese! F LEFT Shibao Collection 2013 by Pierre Frey

FOCUS MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

May 2013

French Design in Singapore

Sourced in Asia to Conquer Europe: the Home Furnishing Paradox by Emilie Borrel, marketing and communication consultant Denis Requis has 15 years of experience in sourcing furniture in Asia, and is the founder and managing director of Timbis. Following 10 years of collaboration with house names in the industry such as Grange, Denis Requis and his wife Jennyfer Lacroix launched their own collections under the de Muse brand. A POLARISED MARKET BETWEEN LUXURY AND FUNCTIONAL BRANDS Understanding Singaporean habits and trends in home furnishing did not take long to the founders of de Muse. They would recommend that you wander in Space, Parkmall, or Furniture Mall to get the zest of it. The emerging shopper’s behaviour splits between top designers furniture (world-famous preferably) and Ikea. Consumers get cold feet outside of choices they feel cannot be wrong. There is simply no middle range between the cheap and the luxuryious, among which a lot of made-in-China ‘replicas’ can be found! Ethnicity and culture then complete the triangle of Singapore’s buying habits, as proven by the large market share still occupied by Chinese-style furniture. Even in those flagship stores, western consumers and trade specialists may be puzzled by the offers’ lack of breadth and differentiation. But is it so surprising, when, for local consumers, furnishing ranks below items like the car or the watch? The interest for trendy furniture is still in its infancy. It was born yesterday out of the radical lifestyle change of recent generations. According to Denis Requis, evangelisation for quality and style has a long way to go before the market is more mature. Craftsmanship, beautiful material or finishing are not yet relevant selling points to the average Singaporean. Sourced in Asia thanks to Timbis, de Muse has been designed to respond to European consumers’ love for crafted and elegant furniture. Each piece beautifully reinvents classic French-style furniture with a modern soul. Whereas de Muse’s core target has always been Europe, Singapore has served as a ‘test market’. Observing the

“

Evangelisation for quality and style has a long way to go before the market is more mature.

”

response of local consumers has validated that for a high-quality, medium-price range of home furnishing to make its way to Asian consumers’ homes, a lot of time and passion will be spent on educating and sharing cultural values.

A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPERTS WITH AN ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT When most shared a narrow vision of the ‘Asian furniture’ landscape, Denis Requis already knew better. Besides the cheap and fragmented offers available from China to Indonesia, there was another potential his expertise would not miss. Ten years ago, he founded Timbis to deliver high-quality furniture to Europeans brands, from sketch to truck. Design plays a key

role in the offering as TIMBIS brick offer perfectly matches the needs of each brand.

“Having an in-house skilled designer, keeping up with furnishing styles is as important as hiring our own quality controllers. Even for our customers who have design teams, a dialogue with our designer during ‘design stage’ ensures a smooth transition to the ‘concept’ and ‘prototyping’”, says Denis Requis. Sourcing for European brands means having top-of-the-art designs travel East and implementing high-quality standards and practices in local factories. A company like Timbis is undoubtedly working towards educating both manufacturers and consumers, creating and sustaining the need for better quality furnishing at accessible price. F

FOCUS MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

May 2013

French Design in Singapore

Luxury & Intelligent Wood Panels By Philippe Plesse, APAC Representative Director, Ober Group Largest concert hall, luxury hotels and condominiums in Singapore? Intelligent decorative woods? All designed and manufactured in France by prestigious designers. Ober Group is composed of two French companies, Marotte in Paris and Oberflex in Bar le Duc. Both of them are expert in precious veneer and marquetry. Ober Group designs and manufactures luxury decorative wood panels mostly used for walls, ceilings and furniture. In addition to their main retail customers (such as Louis Vuitton, Rolex, Hermes, Clarins, etc.) for whom Ober Group selects and manufactures unique combinations of veneer, texture and finishes, Ober also cooperates with APAC architects and designers.

SINGAPORE AS A SHOWCASE Main recent projects in Singapore are the luxury condominiums Nassim Road Park and the Mark@Paterson Hill, where Ober supplied 30,000 sqm of wood panels used for living rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms. In 2012, for the Star Vista largest Concert Hall in Singapore, Ober worked closely with Aedas architects in Hong Kong and Singapore to design and manufacture custom-made Obersound tiles. Using natural American cherry glued under high pressure and high temperature, each tile is double perforated and cut with variable angles for optimum sound absorption. Overlapping each other using an installation system specially designed for this project,

“

Smartwood is 100% designed in Singapore and developed in collaboration with two other French companies.

Obersound tiles deliver the best acoustic performances and perfectly match this breathtaking architecture. In total, Ober supplied 2500 Obersound acoustic panels for this project, all manufactured in Bar le Duc, France. In 2012 Obersound acoustic tiles were also installed for the conference rooms of the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong and for the auditorium and public area of the Taipo Temple financed by Mr Li Ka-shing. With a range 150 wood species and 600 references, Ober Group is leading the market by constantly investing in technical innovation and creative design. Ober Group also cooperates with renowned designers, such as Christian Lacroix, who designed the Marotte collection last year and the 5.5. Designers who designed the Techtonique collection.

WHERE TECHNOLOGY MEETS LUXURY WOOD In the second quarter of 2013, Ober Singa-

”

pore will launch "Smartwood", an exclusive innovation mixing luxury wood and electronic. 100% designed in Singapore and developed in collaboration with IS-Smartlabs and ETN Innovation – two other French companies based in Singapore – Smartwood is the first invisible sound engine system that transforms an Oberflex panels into Hi-Fi speakers. Totally invisible, shockproof, dustproof and waterproof, this system enables a Wi-Fi connection with a wide range of compatibility (any portable device like Android smartphone, iPhone). This result is the fruit of Ober Group’s traditional savoirfaire and IS-Smartlabs’ experience in electronic integrated systems for architecture and yachting application. Thanks to its century of expertise in the decorative wood sector, Ober Group has developed a veritable culture of innovation, in aesthetic and technological terms, to meet tomorrow’s interior design needs. F TOP Star Vista Concert Hall in Singapore

FOCUS MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

May 2013

French Design in Singapore

Innovative Lighting in Interior Design By Emmanuel Clair, Director at Light Cibles Light Cibles is an independent lighting design consultancy, globally renowned for its technical expertise, rich experience and creative solutions. Light Cibles has won several awards such as IALD 2012 (International Lighting Design Awards) and IES Illumination Awards 2012. this, and not vice-versa. To be clear, we do not design thinking: “where we can place LED in a space?”; rather, we first design the place, then we choose the most appropriate technology to fit the concept. It may surprise many, but there still exists many other “older” technologies than the LED, which can be very useful and even more reliable. It just depends for what purpose!

LED OR...

“

Singapore has been very clever and forward-thinking about lighting.

LIGHTING, A KEY COMPONENT OF INTERIOR DESIGN There are many art disciplines, such as photography, painting, cinema, sculpture for which light, consequently, the artificial light is a key component. Lighting is so crucial that we cannot imagine making a movie without a lighting specialist. However, around the world, in interior design it is not so obvious: even if lighting expertise is a key point in design, many developments are still lacking in it. In the 30 years that we, at Light Cibles, have been in this niche market, we noticed that things have improved on this aspect – especially in Singapore, where the main part of the development process now involves a lighting designer. For ex-

”

ample, Singapore has been very clever and forward-thinking about lighting, because as early as in 1995, it was the first city ever in the world requesting a lighting master plan!

THE USE OF INNOVATIVE LIGHTING When I am asked about “the use of innovative lighting in interior design” (it often refers to LED), you may be surprised that it is not my first goal when it comes to innovative lighting for interior design. My first goal is to bring appropriate lighting at the correct place (so the concept takes into account the kind of mood) and to enhance the design and the materials. Basically, what you want to see, or not in some cases. Then the technology has to serve

So, if we focus only on LED, what are the good points that LED bring us in our practice? The main advantage of LED is its dimension. LED allows us to develop much more compact details than before. To integrate the light, to miniaturise the light, LED is fantastic. The possibility to hide light source is also much easier than before. As you can guess, architectural lighting has to light and at the same time hide the lighting fixture and the light source. Here, LED is strong due to its small size. But if you were to ask me about reliability, power saving and life span, I would stress not to believe everything you read, that only LED is the best. Many other technologies, even more affordable, can still do the same job. So, why is there so much involvement in LED? Because, just like your computer, it is progressing and developing strongly year after year. Each year, LED lighting becomes more and more efficient, with better colours, and better prices, and better sizes. So, in the next few years, LED will be able to realise better interior lighting design that the technology of today is not able to achieve. F TOP Hotel Rendez-Vous, Singapore / Architect: WOW / Client: Straits Development

FOCUS MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

May 2013

French Design in Singapore

Design Inspiration in Singapore By Odile Milet, Interior Designer at Aprim Interior Design. For over 20 years, Aprim Interior Design has been creating unique designs in Singapore. We asked Odile Milet, Interior Designer, to share with us where she gets her sources of inspiration from and how she applies it to interior design. Living in Singapore provides an endless source of inspiration as the country has a rich cultural and heritage with such a modern background. My inspiration can come from a colourful meal seen at a hawker center, a batik pattern, the sobriety of Black & White houses or the ever-changing windows displayed on Orchard Road. I love to explore neighborhoods and each one has such a different style, history and rhythm. Take Haji Lane for example: its charming and colourful shops and streets, its human touch and groovy attitude make it one of my favourite haunts where I can find inspiration. Recently I worked on the new premises of

“

Living in Singapore provides an endless source of inspiration.

DBS Tower in Marina Bay Financial Center. The reception offered a panoramic view on the bay. The water, the sky and the buildings in the bay inspired a curved lounge design with a “moucharabié” pattern reflecting perfectly the dotted lights from Marina Bay Sands when the night falls. Another project currently under construction is EuroFin Asia’s office renovation where I incorporated a subtle Asian touch in a modern atmosphere. I chanced upon a carpet that reminded me of Chinese lanterns with a modern twist. In fact this single piece inspired my whole design

”

process! From there I imagined the rest while respecting my customer’s corporate image and his wish to have a « WOW » factor right at the entrance. I am very thankful to Aprim for their confidence in my work and vision. Since I joined the Aprim team who worked on boutique projects and more prestigious ones such as Chanel or Crédit Agricole, I enjoy working on beautiful projects for which our customers expect a high standard. F BOTTOM Marina Bay Financial Center Project

FOCUS MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

May 2013

French Design in Singapore

5 Design Tips from an Eco-Entrepreneur in Singapore By Guillaume Garagnon, co-founder of the House of Lucide Created in 2010 by two visionary entrepreneurs, a rebellious adventurer and an eco designer, House of Lucide is the world’s first sustainable luxury house. In 2012, Lucide created an upheaval in the perfume industry and has been awarded the “Observer of Design 2013” label for its revolutionary and sustainable perfume system. When we launched Lucide, we had the crazy ambition to create the very first sustainable luxury house. Here is the lesson we learnt: sustainability and profitability can go hand in hand. But there are some very key insights into how entrepreneurs can build a successful green business. Here are five tips that might help you finally find your green idea and your way through the Asian markets.

1. MAKE THE DIFFERENCE WITH DESIGN Become obsessed with design. Become a design perfectionist freak. This is crucial. People, especially Asian people, are not going to buy your product or service just because it is green. You need to provide form and function. Form, because as human beings, we are always attracted to nice and beautiful things and function, because your product needs to be functional and work well. For that you have to drive your team nuts with your design ideas and demands. You have to push them to the limit and challenge them to deliver not only the best product but the one that will change users’ experience for the best.

2. THINK CRADLE TO CRADLE AND PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP The lifecycle of your product, and how it will be managed after use, is more important than anything. As a green business, product lifecycle management is the mother of all problems and headaches. It will become both your best ally and your worst enemy. It is more difficult to imagine, design and fabricate a product that needs fewer natural resources to produce and is sustainable and/or recyclable than to turn off the lights in your building, reduce the use of printing paper in the office

“

Become a design perfectionist freak.

or support a programme to plant trees.

3. BE TRANSPARENT AND HONEST The issue of transparency is one of the most important you are facing as a green company. The pitfall of greenwashing is just around the corner so you have to be honest. When you make green claims, the use of beautiful eco-logos is a necessity but is far from being enough. It is also critical for you to clearly communicate those claims and back them up with hard data and facts that can be checked. One of the best practice examples is the use of eco-logos and statistics that translate eco savings in an easy-to-understand and easy-to-check manner.

4. LEAD YOUR CUSTOMERS TO ASK FOR GREENER PRODUCTS When you want to change the world with crazy green ideas, you do not have to use focus groups to design great products. A lot of times, people do not really know what they want until you show it to them. This is

”

especially true in the eco-centric business and other green fields. As a green business, you need to demonstrate how much “good” can come out of being “green”. For that, you have to offer “unique” and “valuable” green products. This is how you make margin, money, and history. This is where your goals should lie. Use innovation to get there and stay there.

5. MAKE AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION BETWEEN YOUR PRODUCT AND CONSUMER We all understand that, as human beings, our first relationship with anything is an emotional one. A product is not just a sum of its functions; it is something that should make us smile, that we should love, that we should have an emotional relationship with. As a social and eco-entrepreneur, you already have a strong business case in this regard. The challenge is to bring this to your customers by creating personal bonds and stories. Whatever you do, do it with passion and drive, you will have the grit to raise your game even after downfalls. F

FOCUS MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

May 2013

French Design in Singapore

Breaking Through Innovation & Creativity With LED By Henri Bong, Managing Director of Dipline Asia Pte Ltd Dipline offers unique wireless lighting technologies based on LED that allow designers to create limitless lighting effects. Their customisable products have already been implemented in more than 22 countries worldwide since 2006 when they started their activities in France. The Singapore HQ office was incorporated in 2012 to tackle the Asian market. Going “green” and being environmentallyfriendly have been major preoccupations of the new millennium. Although Singapore claims to share these concerns, the presence of energy-saving products in interior design remains surprisingly low, maybe because there are little incentives for the “risk-averse” local mindset to switch to new technologies. However, LEDs are slowly conquering the Singaporean market through major high-tech consumers’ appliances (such as TV, computers, smartphones or even fridges) but also through general and decorative lighting. Moreover, the local government, along

“

LED is creating new design perspectives that have never existed before.

with the Building & Construction Authority, has implemented some drastic measures to push green technologies through green mark certification. For the past three years, more and more LED applications have appeared in interior design, from simple HDB flats to prestigious malls in Orchard Road. LED has become one of the fastestgrowing industries for it is right at the junction of the high-tech electronics sector and the “go-green” construction industry. Eventually, there is a strong case for using LEDs by simply considering their basic characteristics: up to 90% energy saving, eco-friendly (no mercury, no UV, no I/R), higher brightness, lifespan over 50.000 hours, price getting closer to traditional fittings. All these allow LEDs to over-match any traditional interior luminaries. But this is just the top of the iceberg, because in addition to its well-known advantages, LED is creating new design perspectives that have never existed before and are still barely known by interior designers.

”

Actually, flexibility and customisability are the strongest assets of LED. Since it is an electronic component, it can be programmed like any other chipset that you can integrate into any size or shape (bulb, spotlight, tube…) in order to create a light source. Engineers can then define angle, brightness, colour, lens and can also create a fully homogeneous and non-glaring beam. Moreover, the whole set can be electronically and even wirelessly controlled. So it is only thanks to this LED flexibility that we have been able to invent our wireless “pin and light” panel technology, allowing people to get rid of wires and, therefore, to contemplate lighting designs without any electrical points limitation. We only represent a specific illustration among the infinite possibilities offered by LED; even lighting experts cannot really predict its further innovations considering the countless on-going developments worldwide. Bearing in mind that Singapore is a multicultural platform, there are tremendous opportunities for French innovations to be implemented in the Singaporean interior design industry; especially when we know that local designers and architects are keen to recommend products in accordance with European standards in terms of quality and finishing but also creativity. In other words, the alliance of the “French touch” with LED innovations is to permanently influence local designers’ vision on interior design. F LEFT Supertree, Gardens by the Bay – partly illuminated by Dipline Asia

FOCUS MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

May 2013

French Design in Singapore

Design & Performance By Gilles Marino, Southeast Asia General Manager, Clestra Since Earl J. Hauserman founded the company in 1913, the Clestra-Hauserman Group has expanded to achieve a prominent position in partitioning, cladding and acoustic-proof interiors worldwide. Hauserman, a building contractor by trade, revolutionised the working space with the invention of the relocatable partition. In an exciting era for construction and engineering – with the development of the lift and the first modern skyscrapers – Hauserman’s revolutionary idea inspired a change in management practices and use of space. Two of the first buildings equipped with the relocatable partitioning installed by Hauserman were the iconic Chrysler Building in 1930 and the Empire State Building in 1931. Clestra today remains as innovative as it was at its inception. With offices in 26 countries and manufacturing plants in France, South Korea and now in China, Clestra’s focus for the future is firmly on capturing the growing Asian market with its joint venture partner KC Green from South Korea, while retaining its reputation for excellence in its existing markets, including North America and Europe.

‘’Our manufacturing capability in the region is an important reason for our growing success in Asia as we are able to innovate and develop customer-focused solutions,” says Gilles Marino, Southeast Asia General Manager of Clestra Singapore. The below stories are perfect illustrations of Clestra’s “can do” attitude.

OFFICE HEADQUARTERS OF SINGAPORE’S LARGEST BANK Clestra Singapore carried out the DBS Singapore Headquarters project in 2012 at MBFC Tower 3, comprising the supply and installation of more than four kilometres of pleinAir partition system for 18 floors over a challenging five-month schedule. Besides the expectation of modern and corporate aesthetics, the design required high acoustic performance as well as a challenging combination of glass and solid partitions together with the flexibility to in-

“

The design required high acoustic performance as well as a challenging combination of glass and solid partitions.

tegrate fabric boards. Clestra’s ISO 9001and 14001-certified Asia factory manufactured all the necessary pre-fabricated material which was shipped to Singapore in 75 containers. After successfully completing this major project, Clestra Singapore was contracted to supply and install the same pleinAir solution over the six floors of DBS’s new Jakarta offices, showing a recognition of Clestra’s quality and high performance standards in that part of the world too.

A NEW CLESTRA MONOBLOC PARTITION SYSTEM CUSTOMISED FOR CREDIT SUISSE SINGAPORE Credit Suisse’s custom-designed office partition system at its prestigious new One@Changi City office covers three floors and was fully designed by Clestra’s techni-

”

cal team at the Taicang factory in China, following the specifications requested by the Credit Suisse’s interior design consultants. Clestra Singapore has supplied, installed and tested onsite the new system which combines wood and glass panels (single and double-glazed) with swing or sliding doors. By using prefabricated monobloc Clestra panels, the Credit Suisse installation required minimal onsite carpentry work, and this allowed for a cleaner and faster installation. The monobloc solution also allows office spaces to be easily and economically reconfigured at a later date, resulting in increased efficiency through re-use rather than replacement. F BOTTOM Credit Suisse Changi – Clestra monobloc partitions 3D rendering

FOCUS MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

May 2013

French Design in Singapore

The Process of Creativity Design involves problem-solving and creativity. To understand the creative design process, we asked two French Design studios, Chic Maison and Why? Brand Design, to explain how they do their jobs, how they come up with ideas, and how they bring the French touch in Singapore. They illustrated their design process by explaining one of their flagship projects: Chic Maison recently developed the new brand identity of March Jewels, a Singaporean brand created by the two founders of Forever Jewels group, with the aim to reach the Chinese market. Why? Brand Design has been team-working with LUX (number one selling soap in the world) marketing team to transform the strong heritage brand into a modern beauty icon.

Every design agency adopts a unique approach when creating and developing projects. However, here are some key steps we identified from their experiences.

“

It is critical that the different creative proposals made to the clients accurately reflect the specific brand identity.

UNDERSTAND One of the most important parts of the design process is having a clear understanding of what the client is looking for. As explained by Isabelle Virag, Singapore Director of Chic Maison, prior to embarking on any creative work, a strategic review is undertaken upfront in order to set the brand values, its insights and positioning. Best practices and design features are then defined based on which creative team relies on. “It is critical that the different creative proposals made to the clients, irrespective of their format, accurately reflect the specific brand identity in order to ensure coherence and consistency over the long term.”

IDEATE & SYNTHETISE The start of a project is marked by an initial idea or inspiration that is then brainstormed, and finally developed. During this development phase, the design studio has to be creative and innovative yet at the same time has to truly respect the brand identity. For Why? Brand Design, the challenge was both to express the 88 year-old brand’s mission – e.g. to bring the best of beauty within reach to every woman in the world RIGHT The new Lux packaging identity designed by Why? Brand Design was launched in China last March.

– and to bring to life its new positioning “Fine Fragrance Skin Treats” through a unique, feminine and impactful range on the shelves. For example, precious flowers have become LUX’s main design element, associating femininity with the scent of each product. Part of the work LUX and Why? Brand Design did together was to ideate and design precious flowers to convey those two messages. Why? Brand Design also proposed a gold cap, as a symbol of premium quality and aspirational beauty to top the sleek, slender and feminine new bottle. For Florent de Maximy, Why? Brand Design Director, “this collaboration proves that beauty and

”

elegance can be combined with visibility and impact on the shelves.” Chic Maison faced a different yet interesting challenge with March. With China set to become the world’s biggest market for luxury goods by 2015, Forever Jewels group is increasing its strategic focus there. Whereas up till now it has sold its products primarily via distributors, the company now intends to open its own Chinese stores. Therefore, Chic Maison had the mission to develop the new brand identity, and focussed on giving the concept of timeless luxury a subtly yet distinctively Chinese slant. This new image will be reflected at the point of sale, in product catalogue, and most obviously in a new institutional visual.

FOCUS MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

May 2013

French Design in Singapore

RIGHT March’s flagship store in Shenzhen entirely designed by Chic Maison

Consequently, Chic Maison developed the design of the concept store and other brand spaces that it can reflect French sophistication and March’s sense of joy with subtile Singaporean and Chinese understatements. “The new institutional visual was shot and retouched entirely in our studios, and conveys the uplifting and lyrical March spirit”, explained Isabelle Virag.

EXPERIMENT At this stage, the product is tested, and from there, improvements are made. Why? Brand Design explained that they refined the look they created through qualitative and quantitative tests to achieve the right balance between elegant French simplicity, and the indulgent world of brand as well as to ensure that

consumers would not be lost with the change. “The consumers also thought the design change indicated improved formulas, for the images and colours evoked increased moisturising quality

and premium fragrance. Further, consumers appreciated the contemporary, practical flip-top gold cap, for an easier dispensing of the product”, explained Florent de Maximy. F

When Design Meets Tradition By Nicolas Aubertin, Managing Director, WIT Singapore Wine In Tube (WIT) Singapore believes that everyone should be able to taste, appreciate and enjoy premium wine every day, at an affordable price. But how can we take up this challenge?

THE CONCEPT We strive to debunk the theory that premium wine is inaccessible and the preserve of the few. The democratisation of wine is within reach, as 88% of industry experts acknowledge that consumers are demanding more interesting wine by the glass, and are willing to spend more to have a great glass of wine, rather than a bottle.

A FRENCH DESIGN WIT (Wine In Tube) is a glass jar, screen printed and crimped by a patented screw cap in aluminum. This design is the result of a successful partnership with INRA Montpellier and the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers in Paris. The challenges where not only focused on design but also on the proper conservation of wines.

The aluminum caps are recognised by winemakers as providing one of the best protections against wines oxygen during custody. The glass, meanwhile, is totally impervious to air, so the wine WIT can then be stored for a period of two to three years.

THE BOTTLING PROCESS WIT is conditioned on a site based in Gironde, France, where the transfer of wine in the tubes is done under controlled atmosphere devoid of oxygen, so that the wine is not subjected to organoleptic degradation. WIT is then encapsulated to guarantee a perfect seal over time. Thanks to its new design, WIT revolutionises the traditional wine industry and brings a lot of advantages! F

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:30 PM Page 36

FCCS HR & TRAINING SERVICES

FOCUS MAGAZINE

Training Sessions

May 2013

Upcoming FCCS Training Modules June

September

October

November

December

Fri 14

High-impact Communication and Presentation Skills Across Cultures – Trainer: Mr Jean-François Cousin, 1-2-Win Executive Coaching

Thu 20

Business Etiquette in China and Singapore – Trainer: Mr ChineseGaga International Group

Fri 21

Learning Bites: Problem Solving – Trainer: Mr Sattar Bawany, Cegos APAC

Thu 27

Mastering Budgeting & Cost Control – Trainer: Mr Jean-Yves Le Corre, Executive Director Best of Management

Thu 19

Long-Term Thinking, Strategy & Budget Building – Trainer: Mr Jean-François Cousin, 1-2-Win Executive Coaching

Thu 26

Marketing and Advertising Strategies in Asia - 4th Edition – Trainer: Mr Christophe Le Yoanc, S2M

Thu 03

Effective Negotiations – Trainer: Mrs Susanne Cupic, Globibo Singapore

Thu 10

Perfect Your Resume & Master LinkedIn to Boost Your Job Search in Singapore – Trainer: Mrs Halima Bel-Bachir & Mrs Christine Reuther, Step Up

Thu 10

Effective Networking Strategies for Job Seekers – Trainer: Mrs Halima Bel-Bachir & Mrs Christine Reuther, Step Up

Thu 07

How to Efficiently Take on New Responsibilities in Asia – Trainer: Harmony & Mobility Consulting, Open Your Eyes Consulting

Thu 21

Managing Cultural Diversity in APAC – Trainer: Ms Catherine Claudepierre, Cross-Culture Link

Thu 28

Dynamic Public Speaking At Conferences – Trainer: Ms Nicole Stinton, Stint On Stage

Thu 05

Achieving Success in China and Singapore – Trainer: ChineseGaga International Group Jobsearch/Recruitment

Personal Development

Management

NEW NEW

NEW

NEW Professionnal Skills

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:31 PM Page 37

FOCUS MAGAZINE

FCCS BUSINESS SERVICES

May 2013

French Companies in Singapore

They Rely on Us... and Testify on Our Services An interview with Marie-Eve Desboudard, Regional Sales Manager, Activeo Specialised in the area of Customer Relation Management and Call Center Technologies, Activeo is a referent and well-known company in its home market in France since 1993. Activeo helps its customers achieve immediate measurable efficiencies. The company covers three areas of expertise: - Application Software. - Technology Consulting. - Business Consulting. WHY SINGAPORE AND HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS OUR SERVICES? French clients have been successfully developing business in Asia and it was important for Activeo to extend geographical coverage from its existing market. We have chosen Singapore because of the facilities that Singapore offers regarding critieria such as administration, transport, accessibility, telecom, language, human resources, and lifestyle. FCCS was our first contact point because of its business offer. The FCCS has managed the en-

tire process of our opening in Singapore, from the set-up to the launch.

high level of quality, sensibility and reactivity.

HOW DID THE BUSINESS SUPPORT UNIT HELP YOU SET UP YOUR COMPANY IN SINGAPORE?

HOW WOULD YOU SUMMARISE YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE FCCS IN A FEW WORDS?

The process of incorporating the company was fairly easy from the bizfile standpoint. We needed to choose a suitable auditor, banking and certified accountants. All these steps were successfully covered with FCCS’ support. HOW DID THE FCCS HELP YOU WITH YOUR RECRUITMENT?

The FCCS helped us establish in Singapore in a timely and efficient way. It was a pleasant experience for us! We are now focusing on the FCCS membership’s power to increase our brand awareness and our potential business in the area. Thanks to its dynamic business platform, we are now in the way of improving our go-to-market strategy and visibility. F

The FCCS HR department helped us in searching for appropriate talents, organising interviews and with the recruitment process. Thanks to them, we appointed our Regional Sales Manager, a key role for covering the Asian market. The FCCS HR Department understood our specific positioning in the area of Customer Relation Management and Call Centre Technologies and managed the recruitment with

Contact: Ms Marie-Eve DESBOUDARD, Regional Sales Manager Email: medesboudard@activeo.com Website: www.activeo.com

Guide Réussir à Singapour à télécharger sur www.fccsingapore.com Vous trouverez dans ce Guide Réussir à Singapour un ensemble d’informations sur les grandes tendances de l’économie singapourienne, les secteurs clés et en fort développement, des conseils pratiques pour aborder le marché singapourien, quelques témoignages d’entreprises accompagnées par la Chambre de Commerce Française à Singapour (FCCS). A chaque étape de votre développement, la Chambre de Commerce Française à Singapour est là pour répondre à vos questions et vous accompagner dans vos démarches: étude de marché, prospection, implantation, recrutement, hébergement… Forte de son réseau de plus de 500 membres et de ses 30 années d’expérience, la FCCS a accompagné en 2012 plus de 170 entreprises, organisé plus d’une centaine d’événements, et accueilli près d’une vingtaine de sociétés dans son centre d’affaires.

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:31 PM Page 38

FOCUS MAGAZINE

FCCS BUSINESS SERVICES

May 2013

French Companies in Singapore

Newly Set Up Companies Over the last few months, several French companies enjoyed our services supporting their business set-up in Singapore in view of ensuring local company representation and enjoying development opportunities in the region.

MTI Aquitaine is a regular contractor of Total and has been encouraged by Total to develop its activities in South East Asia.

The concept is to develop a similar business model as MTI Aquitaine in terms of know-how, scope of activities and markets, with some possible adaptations to the local environment and opportunities.

They consider Singapore as the right place to begin their operations in the region, due to the market visibility, ease of operating business and immediate opportunities.

Contact: Mr Unsal ILHAN, General Manager Email: u.ilhan@imetal-dc.com Website: http://imetal-dc.com

The oil and energy sectors share many innovations. Consequently to MSI’s activity of mechanical sub-contracting, the company has developed technologies in collaboration with a high-quality partner network.

turing of high-tech machined parts and assemblies.

tional development of MTI Aquitaine.

iMetal was incorporated in Singapore in 2012 as a holding to support the interna-

Working with 15 countries, employing 140 staff members and generating a € 28 million turnover in 2009, the MSI Group is a reference on the international market of the integration of precision machining in the high technology sector. Producing precision mechanical assemblies, MSI answers to technological and industrial challenges that its customers have to uphold in a more and more sophisticated world.

MSI asserts itself as a key player in the ever changing world thanks to its international position and its ability to cover the entire value chain from precision machining to mechanical solution integration. For 30 years, MSI has produced high value-added parts and assemblies for the French market and export. We now possess a knowledge recognised by international industrial groups in the manufac-

Thanks to our know-how in the manufacturing of special steels, our policy to provide a service which anticipates our customers’ needs, powerful companies in the high technology sector partner MSI today. MSI continues its development and reinforces its vigilance so as to acquire a global vision of its clients’ future needs in order to optimise its ability to adapt to the ongoing market. Contact: Mr Arnaud LEPOUTRE, Manager Email: a.lepoutre@mecanicsud.fr Website: www.mecanicsud.fr

BENEFIT FROM OUR EXPERTISE TO SET UP A COMPANY IN SINGAPORE Do you wish to start a business in Singapore and set up a local legal structure? The FCCS is here to assist you and provides you with a personalised support. 30 French companies were set up in 2012 with the help of the FCCS. Please contact our business support department at bizsupport@fccsingapore.com or +65 6933 1350.

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:31 PM Page 39

BUSINESS SERVICES

FOCUS MAGAZINE

Newly Set Up Companies

May 2013

Created in 1980, Solving Efeso is a top management consultancy firm with a leading reputation for connecting strategy with action. Our mission is to support client organisations in releasing the opportunities “locked” in their value chains to raise company competitiveness and provide substantial, tangible and lasting gains. Our key strengths: - Worldwide presence and more than 30 years experience in strategy, opera-

tional excellence and successful business change. - “Strategy in Action”: the winning approach based on the combination of our strategic and operational competences in an ideal working climate to bring permanent innovation. - Strong multi-sector expertise and broad base of satisfied customers. Solving Efeso provides clients with a combination ofthree original core capabilities focused on achieving measurable results. These are delivered by a professional team that is fully integrated yet composed of true specialists.

tionships with consumers since 2006.

Synthesio helps brands and agencies listen to, understand and engage with consumers. By delivering social media data of the highest quality within 100+ countries and 50 languages, brands receive crucial intelligence and insights into their market's opinions, wants and needs. Synthesio has been driving positive business change, and building stronger rela-

Listen: - We offer global coverage, monitoring the web in 50+ languages in 100+ countries. - Discover our visually stunning and wildly efficient dashboards. Analyse: - We use a fully customised mix of cutting-edge tech, NLP and human analysis in 30+ languages. - Our proprietary SynthesioRank influence-ranking system allows you to

has never faded. From father to son, the company has taken on new dimensions and new, more sophisticated, innovative products have been created, but always with Maison Ponthier’s concern for quality and tradition.

André Ponthier founded the company that bears his name over 60 years ago in the green heart of the Limousin. His love of fruit was born in the family orchards and

Since 2001, Maison Ponthier has been established in new 10,000 m2 high-tech laboratories, from which it perpetuates a gastronomic heritage based on tradition and concern for the environment. The fruit is carefully selected from accred-

Solving Efeso’s “Strategy in Action” signature approach is based on the mantra “what to do – will to change – how to do it”. It is a continuous and dynamic process where strategic intent is synchronised with the practicalities for successful execution. Organisational efforts are aligned to the correct change agenda and communication works “top down and bottom up”. Contact: Mr Antoine DIONIS DU SEJOUR, VP Southeast Asia Email: antoine.dionis@solvingefeso.com Website: www.solvingefeso.com

easily focus on the conversations, individuals and websites that matter most to you. Engage: - Connect with consumers directly and take full control of your online customer support offering with our enterprise level engagement platform, Unity. - We offer a complete end-to-end solution. Contact: Ms Fanny MICHAUD, Head of Representative Office, Synthesio Email: fanny@synthesio.com Website: www.synthesio.com

ited growers, while the traditional recipes are based on recognised know-how. This, along with the personal commitment of Yves Ponthier and his team during tasting tests, is what awakens the senses and makes the difference. Today, the Ponthier range is popular with all chefs worldwide who are concerned about authenticity and champion traditional regional food. Contact: Ms Amélie GOMBERT, Chief Representative Email: a.gombert@ponthier.net Website: www.ponthier.net

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:31 PM Page 40

FOCUS MAGAZINE

FCCS & CSR

May 2013

Sustainability Committee

A Strong Relationship with our Members Joëlle Brohier-Meuter and Hélène Toury actively contributed to the activities of the FCCS and particularly to its Sustainability Committee which they co-chaired for almost three years. Before leaving Singapore, they give their testimonials on this experience. We thank them for their commitment and support and wish them good luck for their new adventures! “The FCCS was one of my first encounters when I moved to Singapore five years ago. I needed to register my company – a Corporate Social Responsibility Consultancy – for serving one client, the OECD. I was looking for a support that FCCS provided to me. What I did not suspect then was that this relationship would develop and lead me to become Co-President of a very dynamic and vibrant Sustainability Committee! The FCCS has been pioneering Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility in Singapore: with the Sustainability Committee, but also with CSR Trainings, the Sustainability Charter, a CSR Guidebook for SMEs, Panels etc... I have received a lot of positive feedbacks on these initiatives from Singaporean or-

ganisations. I believe they contribute to develop a positive image of French companies, and to develop business on the grounds of emerging sustainability needs and social expectations.

initiatives. The experience was very rewarding, and I am proud to have contributed to promoting Sustainability and CSR among the French business community.

Being Co-President of the FCCS Sustainability Committee for two years has been an exciting and fantastic experience. Indeed, Committee members are extremely involved. Often, they join the committee as part of their company commitment, but also as individuals with a strong will to improve sustainability in their organisation. The meeting room is most of the time full and members always respond very positively to our

Last but not least, my role as the CoPresident of the Sustainability Committee has given me credibility vis-a-vis my clients and the organisations I liaise with.

“It all started with the “Voilah! French Festival Singapore”. My company sponsored the festival and I slowly became interested in the French Chamber of Commerce’s activities.

I am now moving to Shanghai where I have already met the French Chamber of Commerce there. It is time for me to say good-bye, to cheer the FCCS and its team, and to wish all the best to the Sustainability Committee!” Mrs Joëlle BrohierMeuter, Anakout

matter of what you want to achieve being a young motivated person in a place like Singapore.

In June 2007, thanks to a few people who encouraged me, I joined the FCCS board members where I represented Veolia for six consecutive years. I was the youngest board member and to be honest, the first meetings were quite impressive…

Subsequently I became the Co-President of the Sustainability Committee that we created together with Joëlle in 2011. We worked around the “Forum Travailler Ensemble” to create a halfday event on Sustainability and CSR, organised best practice sharing, developed a Sustainability Charter signed by 40 companies, received a Communication Award 2012 from UCCIFE, etc. I am very proud of this collective project!

My primary idea was to bring something new, such as the creation of a Marketing & Communication Committee and of course to be more involved within the French business community in Singapore.

It might sound a bit too optimistic but I strongly believe that everything is possible in Singapore. If you want to develop a project and contribute to the local business scene, the doors are definitely open. It is just a

During those six years, I learned a lot with the FCCS board meetings, the projects we carried out with various industry professionals and by networking within the international business community, meeting talents, CEOs, Singapore and European stakeholders, etc. In a few words, it really was a great experience! I am now moving to new responsibilities within Veolia Middle East/Africa and I hope there will be more young French executives contributing to the local business arena through the FCCS.” Ms Hélène Toury, Veolia

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:31 PM Page 41

FOCUS MAGAZINE

FCCS & CSR

May 2013

Forum Travailler Ensemble

A Great Success for the 3rd Edition of Forum Travailler Ensemble The Forum Travailler Ensemble (Working Together Forum) is a great initiative that aims at reinforcing business links between French Small & Medium Enterprises and large groups established in Singapore. The Forum presented an enhanced edition with a morning session featuring case studies of New Trends & Cooperation with Suppliers.

HIGH-LEVEL SPEAKERS FOR AN EXCITING MORNING SESSION ON SUSTAINABILITY Singapore plays a vital role in global supply chains. Its strategic location, excellent infrastructures and financial stability make it a sought-after place for regional logistic hubs. Singapore now has an opportunity to transform itself into an enabler of social progress and sustainability in Asia. After the introduction speeches of His Excellency Mr Oliver Caron, Ambassador of France to Singapore, and Mr Pierre Verdière, President of the FCCS, we had the pleasure of welcoming our first Keynote Speaker H.E. Burhan Gafoor, Chief Negotiator of Singapore for Climate Change, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Singapore).

Then, the first panel discussion started on the topic “Pioneering sustainability initiatives in the supply chain”. Moderated by Mrs Joëlle Brohier Meuter, FCCS Sustainability Committee Co-President, and Director, Anakout CSR Consultancy, we welcomed on stage several prestigious speakers: - Mr Javier Cedillo-Espin, Vice President Communication and Loyalty, Accor Asia Pacific. - Mr Ariel Bauer, Vice President New Vision Generation, Essilor. - Mr Pakorn Thampimukvatana, Value Creation and Nature Manager, Danone Asia. In the second half of the morning, we welcomed Mr Tony Boatman, Founder of The Indela, named one of the Top Global 100 Sustainability Leaders by ABC Carbon Journal in 2012, as a keynote speaker. The panel group then discussed and focused on “How to advance Sustainability in supply chains through cooperation between SMEs & Large Companies”. Mr Eric Atton, Operations General Manager, Vallourec & Mannesmann Tubes

Asia Pacific, was the moderator for this session and we had the pleasure to welcome the following experts: - Mr Paul Poh, Manager, Energy, Efficiency, Singapore and Mr Lee Fang Xing, CSR Team Lead, Schneider Electric. - Mr Alain Langlois, Vice President Country Advisor, Brunei, Malaysia and Philippines, Total E&P Asia Pacific. - Mr Serge Genetet, Executive Vice President- Managing Director Asia Pacific, Arkadin. After an intense and very interesting morning session, our guests had the opportunity to mingle over a lunch buffet.

AN INTENSIVE AFTERNOON: 350 B-TO-B MEETINGS FOR 67 COMPANIES The afternoon session of B-to-B Meetings brought together 67 companies. With over 350 meetings organised, MNCs and SMEs had the opportunity to: - Introduce their services and exchange on potential collaboration during 20minute appointments. - Match their needs against each others’ solutions.

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:31 PM Page 42

FCCS & CSR Forum Travailler Ensemble

10 ADDITIONAL COMPANIES SIGNED THE FCCS SUSTAINABILITY CHARTER This Charter, launched successfully in 2012 with 32 signatories, is a commitment at the local level to promote sustainability, link with other organisations and possibly undertake projects in Singapore and in the region. A second round of signatures took place this year, when 10 companies signed our FCCS Sustainability Charter at an official reception at the French Residence. We thank our sponsors for their support, our distinguished speakers, all our attendees for making this day a success! F

Kindly sponsored by:

FOCUS MAGAZINE May 2013

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:31 PM Page 43

FOCUS MAGAZINE

FCCS & CSR

May 2013

Forum Travailler Ensemble

FORUM TRAVAILLER ENSEMBLE PARTICIPATING COMPANIES 40-30 Singapore Branch Accor Asia Pacific Adecco Air Liquide (SOXAL) Antalis Asia Pacific Aprim Interior Design Arkadin Arsmedia AXA Insurance Singapore Banque Transatlantique BeThe1 BNP Paribas Catalyz Clestra Comkeys Crédit Agricole CIB Danone Asia D'Apres Nous D&B Dream Business Institute DS Avocats Enhanz Consulting Esker Essilor

Europa Organisation Asia Fewstones Gemalto Geodis Global Approach Consulting Graitec Harmony Mobility Havas Media ibis Bencoolen iCognitive Imagination Infinite Pathways International SOS Kaliop Kroll Associates Maud Ferrand Interiors Mazars LLP Mercuri Urval Michelin mSE Solutions Naos International Omega Corporate One Access

Orange Business Services Pan Asia Logistics Pickering Pacific Power2Motivate Quest Interactive Quintessence Resources Global Professionals Rhodia Right Management Sanofi-aventis Group Schneider Electric Singapore SDV Logistics Serval & Co Sing’Theatre Solidiance Stint on Stage STMicroelectronics Timeo Performance Total Exploration & Production Total Oil Asia Pacific Viseo William Sinclair Asia

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:31 PM Page 44

FOCUS MAGAZINE

FCCS CLUB EVENTS

May 2013

External Relations / Asia Committee

Annual Meeting of French Chambers of Commerce from Asia in Cambodia From 13th to 15th of March, the French Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia (CCFC) hosted the annual seminar of Directors of French Chambers of Commerce in Asia. This seminar allowed Directors from 15 different French Chambers to exchange views and experiences, share best practices and coordinate their actions within their Asian network. Were present at this meeting Directors from: Abu Dhabi, Australia, Cambodia, China, Dubai, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Representatives of UCCIFE, CCI International and CCIP were also attending and updated the Direc-

tors on the latest news from the institutional environment in France. This meeting was also the opportunity to exchange on the organisation and strategies from the different Chambers’ business support departments. Several Head of Business Support met to work on various topics aimed at further developing their cooperation at a regional level. The delegation was then invited by French Ambassador Serge Mostura to a cocktail reception at the official French Residence, together with representatives from the French Business Community in Phnom Penh.

We would like to thank the whole team of the French Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia and particularly the director Daniel Zarba for the perfect organisation of this seminar. F

Doing Business in Indonesia Two words perfectly describe modern Indonesia: ambitious and fast-rising. Indonesia was the third fastest growing economy among the G-20 for 2009 and it continues to post economic growth at an estimated rate of 6% for 2012, although the global economic slowdown in Europe, the US and China affected the country's exportations.

frastructure and an onerous regulatory framework are three major constraints to business expansion. Presented by four eminent speakers: Ms

Despite this economic growth, Indonesia has to deal with challenges that restrain private-sector development. Skilled labor shortages, poor in-

Thio Chin Loo , Senior Foreign Exchange and Interest Rate Strategist, BNP Paribas; Mr David Mikaeloff, Country Sales Director for Alstom Grid in Indonesia; Mr Philippe Courrouyan, Director ASEAN for CLS and VP CLS Indonesia and Mr Ronnie Leyes, Foreign Legal Consultant with the Indonesian law firm Makarim & Taira. This Breakfast Talk has been very successful among the 70 participants. This session gave them a detailed overview on how to anticipate these challenges and get the most of business opportunities in Indonesia. F

Sharing Experience on Doing Business in Myanmar Following the success of our Breakfast Talk ‘Doing Business in Myanmar’ last December, the FCCS was pleased to organise a roundtable discussion to follow up on the subject. This session gave our members the opportunity to share their experience on implementing business in Myanmar. With the opening of an office in Yangon on 6 November 2012, PwC, represented by Mr Lim Hwee Seng, Tax Partner in the PwC Myanmar desk, was able to present practical insights and common issues encountered when setting up their business. At this occasion, Mr Lim shared his knowledge of the tax and regulatory aspects of the implementation process. F

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:31 PM Page 45

FOCUS MAGAZINE

FCCS CLUB EVENTS

May 2013

Energy / Infrastructure Committee

The New SLNG Terminal Activities & Overview of the Energy Landscape in Singapore and in Asia In 2006, the Singapore Government announced its decision to build a terminal to import Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to diversify its sources of energy in order to meet Singapore's rising future demand for energy. Launching in 2013 and situated on a 30 hectare plot at the Meranti Seafront on Jurong Island, the Singapore LNG terminal will be the first open-access, multi-user LNG terminal in Asia, capable of importing and re-exporting LNG from multiple suppliers. Mr Neil McGregor, Chief Executive Officer of Singapore LNG Corporation Pte Ltd, presented to our 35 attendees his views on the energy landscape in Singapore and the region, and shared his useful insights on the SLNG terminal activities. F

Presentation of the Sportshub Project For this Energy/Infrastructure committee meeting, we invited Mr Frédéric Ferre, Sportshub Project Director, to present the Sportshub Project including organisation, technical features, progress and challenges. This well-attended committee meeting ended with a discussion among our members. F

The ISO 50001: 2011 Standard Energy Management System The “ISO 50001: 2011,Energy Management System - Requirements with Guidance for Use” (EnMs) was published in June 2011, providing organisations with an internationally agreed approach to manage and improve their energy performance. Mr Krishnan Shaji, from Bureau Veritas, has been in the Management System auditing and Training profession for the last 12 years. Our speaker provided our Members with the latest information about the ISO 50001 EnMS, with a particular focus on the Energy Conservation Initiative in Singapore Businesses. In addition to this presentation, our participants had the opportunity to see how to apply these requirements through a case study from STMicroelectronics. F

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:31 PM Page 46

FOCUS MAGAZINE

FCCS CLUB EVENTS

May 2013

Marketing & Communication Committee / Banking & Finance Committee

The Media Landscape in Singapore: An Evolving Environment Singapore’s media landscape was traditionally dominated by two players, MediaCorp and SPH. With the rise of pay-TV operators as well as the recent emergence of disruptive technologies, the Singapore media landscape is rapidly changing, forcing traditional players to transform and embrace new media. Finding the new wave of growth in a disrupted environment and uncertain economy is the key challenge for traditional media companies. Mr Guillaume Sachet, Head Strategic Planning at MediaCorp, shared with our 30 attendees how, in order to stay relevant, traditional media players adopt new business models and attempt to move from their core business into adjacencies. He provided case studies of media companies expanding their core content and venturing into new areas, such as lifestyle. F

Work with Social Media & Make it Work for You! The advent and uptake of digital has complicated the media landscape like never before. The hottest digital platforms of today, namely social, search and realtime bidding, are by no means simple, and marketers have their standard list of metrics and KPIs, which do not really fit into the digital mix. Digital marketing is complex and scalable solutions for regional, local and mobile web can be challenging.

Mr Siddharth Surana, Digital Director, Havas Media Singapore, shared his insights on Digital Marketing in 2013. This presentation took a step back and looked at some of the ways digital media has changed the advertising and marketing industry, and shed some light at the arsenal of tools that digital marketers have at their disposal to enhance campaigns. Our speaker also presented the hottest trends in digital marketing and cutting-edge dig-

ital case studies that Havas Media has developed in 2012. In a second part, Mr Olivier Legrand, Senior Director Marketing Solutions, Asia Pacific and Japan, LinkedIn, explained how to make the world’s largest professional network work for you. Through concrete examples, Olivier developed on how companies could make use of this powerful tool. F

New Trends in Trade Finance and Commodities Finance in the Current Global Markets Environment This Banking & Finance Breakfast Talk welcomed two eminent speakers from Trafigura and Crédit Agricole CIB who presented the trends in trade finance and commodities finance in the current global markets environment, with a special focus on Asia. Mr Thomas Grandjean, Bulk Trade Finance Supervisor, Trafigura and Mr Tolentino Mendonca, Managing Director and Regional Head of Trade Finance Asia Pacific at Crédit Agricole CIB, shared with the audience the latest data and projections. F

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:32 PM Page 47

FOCUS MAGAZINE

FCCS CLUB EVENTS

May 2013

Legal & Tax Committee

Singapore Budget 2013: Impact on Your Company The government released this year’s Budget on 25 February 2013, setting out strategies and directions for building “a better Singapore, to achieve quality growth and an inclusive society“. Mr Stéphane Benoist, Managing Director at Orchid Link, presented the key measures and changes in Singapore Budget 2013. This session gave our Members the opportunity to discuss and explore how the Budget 2013 would impact their companies as well as tax implications. F

Joint Event with the Singaporean-German Chamber

The 2013 Singapore Budget Speech was delivered in Parliament by Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam on 25 February 2013. Among other things, a key focus of the budget is on improving productivity levels to help businesses hit by

the manpower crunch. Mr Choo Eng Chuan, Partner, International and Corporate Tax Services of Ernst & Young Solutions LLP provided participants with highlights of the

Budget. This Joint Breakfast Talk with the Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry & Commerce allowed our members to gain an insight into how the new Budget measures will affect and impact their businesses. F

Legal & Finance Networking Event The FCCS invited its members to a networking event jointly organised by its Banking & Finance and Legal & Tax Committees. 50 participants joined us for this evening and met with legal and financial professionals in an elegant yet relaxed atmosphere at

the Collection Room of Grand Hyatt. This evening represented a unique platform of exchange with likeminded professionals for our Banking & Finance and Legal & Tax members. F

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:32 PM Page 48

FOCUS MAGAZINE

FCCS CLUB EVENTS

May 2013

Sourcing & Supply Chain Committee

Sourcing, Purchasing & Supply Chain Management in Asia In the current economic climate, cost management and success in locating sources of supply are of critical importance for companies and Asia has become the most important sourcing region in the world. Navigating complex supply chain systems as well as implementing strategic sourcing are essential requirements for companies to succeed in Asia. In this context, the FCCS invited professionals to discuss and share about the challenges and opportunities they encounter in Asia to implement effective sourcing, purchasing and supply chain strategies. This session started with a presentation by Dr Fernando S. Oliveira, Professor of Operations Management & Decision Sciences at the ESSEC Business School – Asia Pacific on strategic risk management in supply chains. A supply chain’s per-

formance can be highly volatile and, to a certain degree, unpredictable, being possibly affected by the policies of other supply chains and by shocks due to regulatory intervention, political unrest, or techno-

logical change. In this presentation we discussed the limitations of risk management systems and the strategies firms can pursue to mitigate their supply chain risk exposure. F

Sourcing & Supply Chain Networking Event Our members met at Café Gavroche, in a relaxed Parisian atmosphere for some evening drinks and discussions with other professionals. This evening provided the ideal opportunity for our participants to exchange on Sourcing & Supply Chain matters and to broaden their network. F

Danone’s Market Risk Management The objective of this first Committee Meeting was to facilitate discussion and experience sharing on Sourcing & Supply Chain matters across industries, with a focus on market risk management. Mr Cyrille Desbazeille, APAC Sourcing & Suppliers Development Director at Danone Baby Nutrition and Copresident of the Committee, presented Danone’s strategy and challenges and shared his company’s response to market price volatility. F

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:32 PM Page 49

FOCUS MAGAZINE

FCCS CLUB EVENTS

May 2013

Business Women Network

Growing Women Talents: Some Asian Perspectives The aim of this Business Women Network Committee Meeting was to exchange thoughts on the situation of women in Asia. Ms Cécile Diversy, Vice President, Human Resources Asia Pacific at Danone presented to our participants a synthesis of different studies, such as "Rising to the top", a NUS study.

Cécile’s presentation focused on the following points: - Women’s representation in top management in Asia; - Why Female representation in senior management matters; - No immediate change to the status quo; - The formula for change. F

Experience Sharing with Ms Helene Auriol The Business Women Network was pleased to welcome Ms Hélène Auriol, Managing Director, Microsoft Singapore who shared her experience with our guests. Hélène Auriol was appointed Managing Director of Microsoft Singapore in September 2012. She is responsible for developing and driving growth strategies for Microsoft’s business in Singapore, as well

as deepening relationships with partners, customers and employees. She also focuses on leading Microsoft’s on-going corporate citizenship efforts in the country which includes Microsoft’s efforts to becoming a trusted industry partner that works with businesses, communities and governments to help advance social and economic progress. F

YOUR FRIENDLY BUSINESS ADVISORS Let us take care of the details so that you can focus on your core competencies. At Genial Alliance, we provide one stop solutions accounting, payroll, taxation, company formation, corporate secretarial and advisory services to Singapore based companies. Our team of dedicated professionals strives to provide an excellent and integrated service platform that meets with our clients’ requirements

Genial Alliance Pte Ltd 70 Anson Road #11-01 Hub Synergy Point Singapore 079905 Tel: +65 6223 8193 Fax: +65 6223 3690 Email: info@genial.sg

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:32 PM Page 50

FCCS CLUB EVENTS ICT Committee / Luxury & Premium Retail Committee

FOCUS MAGAZINE May 2013

Open Source Solutions During this ICT Committee Meeting, Mr Stanislas Bocquet, Founder & CEO of Palo IT, shared his insights on Open Source solutions. Stanislas presented the following points: - What is Open Source and how it is licensed? - Key figures. - Key players. - Why adopt Open Source/key benefits? - Overview of Open Source technologies - Open Source business Models. - Key factors of a successful implementation. Our members were then invited to share their ideas of topics to be discussed at future events. F

Welcome to the World of China's New Billionaires! In 2012, there were officially 113 dollar billionaires in China but some speculate that, within a decade, half of the world's billionaires will come from China. They may well run tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy, yet they are mostly unknown outside of China. Who are these self-made men and women who have built business empires in less than 30 years? How did they make it to the top? How do they live? How do they spend their money? Ms Marion Zipfel, journalist, unveiled this fascinating universe in her newly launched book, written together with Ms Laure de Charette: "Chine; les Nouveaux Milliardaires Rouges". F

Retail Innovation Today, retail is all about creating new experiences. For that reason, retail investments in Asia are rising: these are important and opportune times for Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s retail industry and design as a function, because retailers need to innovate to stay ahead of the curve. Mr Olivier Grometto, Managing Director at Open D Group, who has 15 years of experience in various creative industries, shared with our attendees his insights on the emerging trends in retail as well as on the challenges that need to be addressed when launching a project. F

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:32 PM Page 51

FOCUS MAGAZINE

FCCS CLUB EVENTS

May 2013

Entrepreneurs Committee / R&D Committee

Productivity Tools: Experience Sharing The FCCS Entrepreneurs Committee invited participants to share experiences on the productivity tools they are using, the best way to implement and efficiently use them. We started this meeting with a presentation by Mr Rémi Malachin, Founder & Director, French Toast Language Center, who presented the marketing, business intelligence and monitoring tools that are being used to develop the business. Several tips and tools were shared during this very interactive meeting. Entrepreneur members had the opportunity to share their views, best practices and tips, which made this meeting very interactive. F

Casual Talk: Experience Sharing on How to Promote Your Company with Social Media The FCCS invited participants to a special Entrepreneur Networking Night with a Talk by Mr Christophe Ferreira, Director, Survival Chic Pte Ltd. SurvivalChic (SC), the Lifestyle Membership, was created by and for busy executive expats looking to get the best of the city in their precious leisure time. SC

started as a service the founders were looking for themselves as they moved between countries, and the project took shape during an INSEAD MBA. Members use SC for personal and corporate entertainment, and for networking with targeted potential clients & partners. Christophe Ferreira shared his experience

R&D Committee Meeting This first R&D Committee Meeting of the year 2013 was the perfect opportunity to welcome our new members specialised in R&D. DOCS specialises in sourcing solutions for the biopharmaceutical and medical device industries and has been a leader in its field for over 15 years. Mr Jeremy MAZUC, Director Business Development SEA, ANZ & Korea, DOCS - Icon Clinical Research Pte Ltd shared with our attendees the trends on the Drug Development Industry and DOCS' R&D activities in Singapore and in the region. F

Thales R&D Activities in Singapore R&D members were invited to attend this R&D committee meeting where Mr François LUC, VP, Research & Technology Centre & Technical Director, Thales Solutions Asia presented Thales' R&D activities in Singapore. Through his presentation, François explained how Thales’ R&D is organised to optimise synergies and to make the Research & Development strategyefficient. F

on the opportunities and challenges of setting up and running a start-up in Singapore. He also shared how SC built a social media strategy from scratch through trial and error. This presentation was followed by a networking session where our attendees shared on their own experiences. F

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:32 PM Page 52

FOCUS MAGAZINE

FCCS CLUB EVENTS

May 2013

Aerospace & Defence Committee

Overview of the Aeronautics, Space, Defence and Security industries in Singapore To kick off this newly created Aeronautics, Space, Defence and Security FCCS Committee, we invited Mr Gian Yi-Hsen, Director for the Office of Space Technology and Industry and Mr Lim Kok Kiang, Executive Director for Transport Engineer-

ing from Singapore’s Economic Development Board, to present the programs and opportunities in the aforesaid sectors in Singapore. Our two speakers then shared with our 40

attendees their insights on Singapore’s future space programme. They ended their presentation introducing EDB’s strategy to attract foreign investments from these sectors and presented the support available to companies setting up in Singapore. F

Aerospace & Defence Networking Event The FCCS invited participants to a Networking Event organised by our Aerospace & Defence Committees at the Collection Room in Grand Hyatt. Our attendees met professionals from Aeronautics, Space, Defence & Security, in a relaxed atmosphere where they enjoyed some wine with delightful canapés. This was a unique opportunity for them to broaden their network and exchange with like-minded professionals. F

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:32 PM Page 53

FOCUS MAGAZINE

FCCS CLUB EVENTS

May 2013

Sustainability Committee

Sustainability Practices in the Industry This Breakfast Talk brought together tow experts from Vallourec & Mannesmann Tubes and Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies. Mr Eric Atton, Operations General Manager Asia Pacific for Vallourec & Mannesmann Tubes first shared with the attendees Vallourec’s commitment and actions towards water preservation with the example of the PTCT Plant in Batam, Indonesia. Then, Ms Audrey Bachelay, Green2Biz Program Manager, Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies, presented Veolia's environmental programs in Asia. She also shared her knowledge on new environmental program developed by Veolia in Asia to help companies reduce their environmental footprint and generate significant savings through reductions in operational expenses. F

Site Visit: SDV Green Hub SDV Green Hub has been set up to serve the region’s growing luxury retail sector and will serve premium brands in the cosmetics and luxury fashion industries. The 42,000sqm facility with nine floors of production and office space is the first warehouse in Singapore to be Green Mark Platinum certified. It is also the largest logistics centre in Asia to obtain the “Lead-

ership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED)” Gold Certification. This presentation took the form of a debate on CSR vision differences between Europe and Asia, reporting modes on sustainable development, and Human Resources expectations regarding CSR. After the presentation, our members were invited for a visit of the facilities. F

Sustainability Committee Meeting A good CSR strategy can allow for multiple benefits, from cost and energy reduction to employee retention to stakeholders and community engagement. Communication is an important component of the plan and if well done, can ensure deeper and stronger engagement with key stakehold-

ers, benefiting a company in multiple ways. During this session, participants discussed elements to be considered and how to structure the messaging. Our first speaker Mr Jean-Michel Dumont, Chairman – Asia, Ruder Finn shared with our participants his insights on this topic.

In a second part, Mr Dino Nilo, General Manager, Antalis Singapore presented "Antalis GREEN WEEK – sustainability best practice". He also shared what Antalis has done these past two years to increase awareness and take action in small yet simple ways towards becoming "greener". F

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:32 PM Page 54

FOCUS MAGAZINE

FCCS CLUB EVENTS

May 2013

Human Resources Committee

Large and Complex Projects in Asia-Paciﬁc: Harnessing Consulting & Transition Management to Address Challenges and Opportunities Transition management is a relatively new notion in Asia-Pacific but it is rapidly gaining ground in the fast-growing markets of the region. But what is it? Basically, transition management consists in providing clients with hands-on management resources, within a specific timeframe, with well-defined objectives, especially when companies are faced with critical challenges or opportunities that they cannot fully addressed with internal resources.

Participants to this stimulating session took away from the speakers, Mr Jeremie Averous, Senior Managing Partner of Project Value Delivery Pte Ltd and Mr Patrick Laredo, CEO of X-PM Transition Partners, what the issues faced by these project leaders are and a good understanding on how exciting but challenging projects can greatly benefit from an innovative approach like transition management. The presentation was followed by an interactive Q&A session. F

How to Motivate and Retain Your Best People Talent retention is vital in today’s fast-paced workplace. Companies often try to retain talent only when it is too late following a resignation or a period of employee disgruntlement or unhappiness. Continued layoffs, lack of career growth and minimal pay increases are all major reasons that employees consider moving to what they see as ‘greener pastures’.

Pipeline & Sustainable Engagement Workforce”. Finally, our third speaker, Ms Caroline Buhagiar, Regional Learning and Development Director and Campus Head from AXA focused on corporate learning, corporate universities and their impact on business performance. F

Our first speaker Ms Carine Rolland, Director of Talent Acquisition & Development Asia at the Adecco Group discussed the following points: - To any company the cost of employee turnover can be considerable. - The logic for talent retention is unequivocal. - What measures do MNCs and SMEs take to address this topic? In a second part, we invited Ms Annie Lim, Director of Talent Management (Asia) at Pall Corporation to share on some of the best practices on the topic: “Building an International Talent

How To Integrate Our Values, Emotions, Imagination And Intuition Into Our Decision Making? Scientific research on decision making has demonstrated that reason alone is not sufficient for taking the best decisions. In a world of profound transformation, a purely intellectual approach may even crowd out our most important values and lead us to unexpected negative consequences. At the individual level, or at the company level, it is becoming a must to integrate our values, emotions, imagination and intuition into our decision making.

Our speaker Mr Marc Le Menestrel, Associate Professor at the Department of Economics and Business of University Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona, Spain) and Visiting Professor of Ethics at the Social Innovation Center of INSEAD, shared the results of his academic work on innovative teaching experiences that have an impact on individuals’ and companies’ most important decisions. The meeting successfully ended with experiences’ sharing among participants. F

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:33 PM Page 55

FOCUS MAGAZINE

FCCS CLUB EVENTS

May 2013

FCCS Events

Year-End Networking Event The French Chamber of Commerce together with the British Chamber of Commerce and the Belgian Luxembourg Business Group organised a year-end gathering. More than 120 participants joined us for a Christmas drink. This evening offered an excellent opportunity to unwind, relax and network with members of other Chambers. F

Galette des Rois 100 members and friends joined us for our traditional New Year networking event! Held at the Grand Hyatt Singapore, the poolside restaurant Oasis offered a great atmosphere! F

FCCS Welcomes HEC Dean in Singapore 50 participants were given the opportunity to meet Professor Bernard Ramanantsoa, Dean of HEC Paris, during a special networking event held at Collection Room@10SCOTTS, Grand Hyatt. Professor Ramanantsoa gave a talk on "Can France succeed?" and the presentation was followed by a networking session. F

Business + Gastronomy = FCCS Monthly Luncheons Every first Friday of each month, the FCCS organises a business luncheon in a French restaurant, every time in a new venue with a different menu.

ate excellent opportunities to develop new contacts and exchange ideas on business issues while enjoying some great French food.

These informal networking sessions cre-

Our last four luncheons took place at Au

Jardin, Il Cielo Restaurant, Le Petit Navire and La Cantine. Visit our website www.fccsingapore.com to see our next business luncheons and broaden your network! F

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:33 PM Page 56

FOCUS MAGAZINE

FCCS CLUB EVENTS

May 2013

FCCS Gala Dinner

La Piste aux

Organised to celebrate the friendship between France and Singapore, the 2013 Edition of the FCCS Gala Dinner brought together more than 550 of the most eminent Singaporean and French guests. This year, we celebrated La Piste aux Etoiles during an evening of French Style.

Étoiles

At the Ritz-Carlton Hotel’s Ballroom on the 13th April 2013, both the Singaporean and French business communities jointly enjoyed the evening under the patronage of our guests of honour Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Senior Minister of State, Trade and Finance, and HE Mr Olivier Caron, Ambassador of France to Singapore. The Michelin-star Chef Jean-Louis Nomicos created a menu that was accompanied by the most delicate French wines and Champagne. This year again, he revealed his culinary talents by preparing a well appreciated and creative dinner. His cuisine reflected both a great respect for tradition and the search for modernity, where product is first and foremost. Our guests also enjoyed Trio Freedom’s amazing performances; later, the juggler Mickael Bellemene presented a visually poetic act, mixing emotion and unimaginable dexterity. As a grand finale, we were very proud to present On Aura Tout Vu Couture Fashion Show. On Aura Tout Vu, a duo formed by Livia Stoianova and Yassen Samouilov, are invited members of the French Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. Their creations “Cosmic Beetle” and “Miroir Miroir” enchanted the guests.

Prime Sponsor

Co-Sponsors

Supporting Sponsors

This was a fabulous night where the best of Singapore met the most refined of French creativity.Thank you to all our guests for joining the FCCS Gala Dinner celebration! This event would not have been possible without the strong support of our sponsors that we want to thank once again. F

Official Airline

Official Champagne

Official Fine Food

Official Lighting

Official Logistics

Official Make Up

Official Wine

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:33 PM Page 57

FOCUS MAGAZINE May 2013

FCCS CLUB EVENTS FCCS Gala Dinner

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:34 PM Page 58

FCCS CLUB EVENTS FCCS Gala Dinner

FOCUS MAGAZINE May 2013

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:36 PM Page 59

FOCUS MAGAZINE May 2013

FCCS CLUB EVENTS FCCS Gala Dinner

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:36 PM Page 60

FCCS MEMBERSHIP

FOCUS MAGAZINE May 2013

FCCS New Members

FCCS’ New Members We are very pleased to welcome the following new members who recently joined the French Chamber of Commerce. Please visit www.fccsingapore.com for more details.

PATRON MEMBERS SANOFI-AVENTIS GROUP Contact: Mr Jean-Louis GRUNWALD, Vice-President Asia Pacific, Japan and China, Sanofi Pasteur Website: www.sanofi.com Sector: Pharmaceuticals

CORPORATE MEMBERS BREEW Contact: Mr Thierry WEBER, Founder Website: www.breew.com Sector: Audiovisual / Multimedia

MICHAEL PAGE INTERNATIONAL Contact: Mr Jérôme BOUIN, Managing Director Website: www.michaelpage.com.sg Sector: Human Resources

DEFENSE CONSEIL INTERNATIONAL (DCI)

NAOS INTERNATIONAL

Contact: Mr Florian CASANOVA, Asia Regional Chief Representative Website: www.groupedci.com Sector: Defence

Contact: Mr Dimitri VARDAKAS, Managing Director APAC Website: www.naos-international.com Sector: Human Resources

EUROVET ASIA

OMEGA CORPORATE

Contact: Ms Delphine NGUYEN, Director

Contact: Mr Richard BOUTRY, CEO Website: www.omegatv.tv Sector: Media / Communication

GEREJE ADVISORY ASIA Contact: Mr Fabrice LOMBARDO, CEO Website: www.gerejecorpfinance.com Sector: Finance / Audit / Consultants

GUGGENHEIM CONSULTING PTE LTD Contact: Mr Patrick HAYOUN, Manager - CEO Website: www.ggh.asia Sector: Legal / Audit / Consultants

HAVAS MEDIA Contact: Mr Vishnu MOHAN, CEO Website: www.havasmedia.com Sector: Media / Communication

IMAGINATION SINGAPORE Contact: Mr Gregory FOURNIER, Director Asia Website: www.imagination.com Sector: Media / Communication

OMELIMELO RESTAURANT Contact: Mr Pascal HEQUET, Director Website: www.omelimelo.com Sector: Restaurant

PALO IT SINGAPORE Contact: Mr Tanguy FOURNIER LE RAY, Managing Director Website: www.palo-it.com Sector: ICT

PIRIOU SINGAPORE Contact: Mr Yannick LITTOUX, Asia Pacific Sales Manager Website: www.piriou.com Sector: Naval Industry

PM PROGRESS MANAGEMENT ASIA MIAJA DESIGN GROUP Contact: Mrs Isabelle MIAJA, Director Website: www.miajadesigngroup.com Sector: Interior Design

Contact: Mr Fabrice PETRONI, Managing Director Website: www.pmconseil.com Sector: ICT / Consultant

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:36 PM Page 61

FOCUS MAGAZINE

FCCS MEMBERSHIP

May 2013

FCCS New Members

CORPORATE MEMBERS RELAIS & CHATEAUX Contact: Ms Angeline TANG, Director of Sales, Asia Pacific Website: www.relaischateaux.com Sector: Hotels / Serviced Residences

SOLVING EFESO Contact: Mr Antoine DIONIS DU SEJOUR, Vice President Website: www.solvingefeso.com Sector: Consultants

SOPHIE BAKERY RIEDEL THE WINE GLASS COMPANY Contact: Mr Frantz DUMEY, Vice President Asia Website: www.riedel.com Sector: Wine Glasses

Contact: Mrs Dominika POMARANSKA, CEO Website: www.sophiebakery.com Sector: Food Goods & Beverages

SYNTHESIO SERVAL & CO Contact: Mr Jean-Franรงois SERVAL, President - Serval & Associes Sector: Legal / Audit / Consultants

Contact: Ms Fanny MICHAUD, Head of Representative Office Website: www.synthesio.com Sector: ICT / Media / Communication

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS FIDAL FRANCESKINJ CHAZARD & PARTNERS Contact: Ms Caroline CHAZARD, Attorney at Law, Partner Website: www.asiattorneys.com Sector: Law Firm

MAPLES AND CALDER (SINGAPORE) LLP Contact: Mr James BURCH, Partner Website: www.maplesandcalder.com Sector: Law Firm

POSITIVE MOVES CONSULTING Contact: Mr Vijay BAJAJ, Principal Website: www.positivemoves.com Sector: Human Resources

POWER2MOTIVATE Contact: Mr Nathan KICHNER, Director Asia Website: www.power2motivate.asia Sector: Human Resources

PROACTIVE UNIVERSAL GROUP Contact: Mr Vikas BATRA, Managing Director Website: www.proactiveuniversalgroup.com Sector: Investment Banking

SAGE SOFTWARE ASIA Contact: Mr Ong Chee LEE, Regional Sales Director Website: www.sageasiapac.com Sector: ICT - Software

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS MRS BRIGITTE BOUCHAYER, Marketing Manager, VINICOLE ASIA Sector: Wine

MRS SOPHIE DUCOLONER, Head of LNG Commercial Development Asia, GAZPROM MARKETING AND TRADING Sector: Energy

MR OLIVIER CAMUS, Managing Director Asia Pacific, KLUDI ASIA PACIFIC LLP Sector: Piping & Plumbing fitting MRS ANNE-SOPHIE EGSBAEK-LEHEU, Consultant, RP INTERNATIONAL RESOURCES Sector: Human Resources

MRS HELENE AURIOL-POTIER, Managing Director, MICROSOFT SINGAPORE Sector: ICT

MR OLIVIER LEGRAND, Head of Marketing Solutions Asia Pacific and Japan, LINKEDIN Sector: Media / Communication MRS ALICE GOSSE, Director, Search Business SEA, FUTURESTEP Sector: Human Resources

MR SHYAMAL JEEWOOLALL, Senior Associate, NORTON ROSE ASIA LLP Sector: International Legal Practice

MR LOIC LE RHUN, International move consultant, ALLIED PICKFORDS SINGAPORE Sector: Movers

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:36 PM Page 62

FOCUS MAGAZINE

FCCS MEMBERSHIP

May 2013

FCCS New Members

ENTREPRENEUR MEMBERS Annette Tison ANNETTE TISON PTE. LTD. Contact: Mr Thomas TAYLOR, Associate Director Sector: Arts & Leisure / Entertainment

EPC PARTNERS Contact: Mr Jean-Luc CREPPY, Managing Director Website: www.epc-partners.net Sector: Consultants

ASIAN-VILLA.COM Contact: Mr David CHAMBAT, Managing Director Website: www.villa-bali.com Sector: Hotels / Serviced Residences

LINEON ASIA Your trusted partner

Contact: Mr Marc TANGUY, Managing Director Website: www.lineon.sg Sector: ICT

BITSMEDIA Contact: Mr Erwan MACE, Founder & CEO Website: www.bitsmedia.com Sector: ICT

LTL INTERACTIVE Contact: Mr Thomas TAYLOR, Director Website: http://ltlinteractive.com Sector: Edutainment

CHATEAU ASIA Contact: Mr Arnaud BLANDIN, CEO Website: www.chateauasia.com Sector: Wine & Wine Shops

PERFORMANCE CAPITAL Contact: Mr Antoine DENAIFFE, Managing Director Sector: Finance / Investment / Consultants

DREAM BUSINESS INSTITUTE

PLANITSWISS ASIA

Contact: Ms Virginie CAPTIER, Professional Coach and Consultant Website: http://d-b-i.net Sector: Human Resources

Contact: Mr Michel HUGUENIN, CEO Website: www.planitswiss.com Sector: Event / Communication

ENHANZ

Contact: Ms Halima BEL-BACHIR, Executive Coach Website: http://stepupyourskills.com Sector: Human Resources

STEP UP Contact: Mr Francois PICARD, Business Development Manager Website: www.enhanz-consulting.com Sector: ICT / Consultants

GREEN & GLOBAL CONSULTING Contact: Mr Pierre MEGRET, Managing Director Website: www.greenandglobal-consulting.com Sector: Environmental Sustainable Design Consultants

HEKLA CONSULTING

THEDIGITALCUBE Contact: Mr Cyrille ARMANGER, Managing Director Website: www.thedigitalcube.com Sector: Web Design Agency

VIVADOC Contact: Mr Serge FABRE, Director Website: www.vivadoc.com Sector: Consultants

Contact: Mrs Magali BERTIN, Managing Director Website: www.hekla-consulting.com Sector: Aerospace Quality & Project Management

BECOME A MEMBER Joining us brings you straight to the heart of the French Business Community in Singapore. Our lively membership of more than 500 reflects French expertise across a wide range of sectors, both industrial (Technology, Electronics, Telecommunicationsâ&#x20AC;Ś) and services (Banking, Insurance, Marketing, Advertising...). Join us and benefit from a wide range of advantages, such as a greater business exposure, an easier access to people and information, and many events and business services. For more information, please contact us at 6933 1362 or by email at membership@fccsingapore.com.

bnp exchangesquare 210x280h_o.pdf 1 13年2月1日下午3:59

CMY

Design - 37-64 - FCCS News_Layout 1 29/5/2013 4:36 PM Page 64

FOCUS MAGAZINE

FCCS MEMBERSHIP

May 2013

FCCS Privilege Card

FCCS Privilege Card Terms & conditions apply. Visit www.fccsingapore.com for more details. AGS FOUR WINDS - Up to 30 days free storage rent in Singapore. - Groupage offer to Paris starting from S$440 /m3.

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE - 5% off any French tuition. - 10% off any French tuition tailored to a company’s needs & given in the company premises.

AU PETIT SALUT - Special rate for use of private dining room.

BISTRO DU VIN & AU JARDIN - 10% off all Food & Beverage at Bistro du Vin at Shaw Centre, Bistro du Vin at 56 Zion Road and Au Jardin at Botanic Gardens.

CITROËN TT SINGAPORE - 50€ discount for the FCCS members.

EDITIONS DIDIER MILLET (EDM) - 20% off on specific titles with free delivery, or - 40% off on specific titles with self-collection.

FOREST ADVENTURE - 10% off on individual tickets, birthday packages and merchandise.

FOXYSALES - A permanent 10% discount on your orders.

FRASERS HOSPITALITY - 10% off Best Available Rates.

FRENCH TERROIRS - 10% off all wines (+ gift for 6 bottles purchased). - 10% off all products for corporates above S$300.

FRENCH TOAST LANGUAGE CENTRE - 10% off group classes held at French Toast. - 10% off tailored Corporate Courses. - Free 1-Hour Private Tuition trial.

GLOBIBO - 6% off Translation Services. - 11% off Interpretation & Services. - 6% off Language Courses. - 11% off Corporate Training Course.

GRAND HYATT SINGAPORE - 15% off food at mezza9, 10 SCOTTS, Pete’s Place, Oasis.

GRAND MERCURE ROXY HOTEL - 15% off on dinner at selected restaurants. - 10% off Best Available Rate for guest rooms.

HEDIARD - S$25 gift certificate at Hediard Café with a min spend of S$100 at the Hediard Boutique.

HERMITAGE - 10% off all wine list.

HILTON SINGAPORE HOTEL - 10% off Wine Classes.

IBIS HOTEL SINGAPORE BENCOOLEN - 30% off upon ordering set menu. - 10% off Best Available Rate for guest rooms.

JOËL ROBUCHON RESTAURANT - 10% off at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon. - 15 % at Joel Robuchon Restaurant.

L'ASSIETTE - 10% off total bill.

LAURENT BERNARD - 10 % for corporate orders - S$300-999. - 15% for corporate orders - S$1000–1999. - 20% for corporate orders - S$2000 and above.

LOMIG & THE FRENCH GROCER - 10% off all HELICIUM Glasses (set of 2). - 2 complimentary units with purchase of 6 HELICIUM glasses of the same model. - 5% off food for S$500 and above orders trough www.thefrenchgrocer.com.

OMELIMELO RESTAURANT - 10% off total bill.

PETIT BATEAU - 10% off regular items.

RAFFLES HOTEL, SINGAPORE - 20% off all Food & Beverage outlets. - 10% off meeting, seminar & banquet packages.

SURVIVAL CHIC LIFESTYLE MEMBERSHIP - 10% off 1-year Survival Chic Membership.

THE RESILIENCE INSTITUTE - 1 complimentary Diagnostic.

TRADERS HOTEL, SINGAPORE - 15% off Food & Beverage at Cafebiz & Ah Hoi’s Kitchen.

WINES2U - 15% off on Champagne Moutard. - 10% off on all other wines for a minimum order of 12 bottles per purchase.

ZWIESEL - 15% off all items.

Cover Design May 2013_Layout 1 4/6/2013 12:05 PM Page 3

Cover Design May 2013_Layout 1 4/6/2013 12:05 PM Page 4