04/01/2012

Christmas Lunch

Great fun was had by all at the FIBA Christmas lunch and quiz!
Those present were tested on their knowledge on a range of subjects from French music (!) to the British royal family.
The winners were rewarded with chocolates and champagne whilst the other contestants tried to console themselves with the old adage ‘it’s the taking part that counts’!
A huge thank you to all those who attended and contributed to such a memorable event. 

23/09/2011

Fiba Cocktail de la Rentrée

The FIBA Cocktail de la Rentrée, held at the Lyon CCI on 20th September, will live long in the memory.
On a pleasant late summer evening, the FIBA members and contacts gathered for this annual event, which continues to go from strength to strength.
This year saw a record number of people attend and the atmosphere was welcoming and energetic as those assembled renewed acquaintances and made a host of new contacts.
After some very warm words of welcome from Bruno Chiaverini, International Director of Lyon CCI, the main speaker was the CEO of Rossignol Bruno Cercley. Bruno is a very widely admired and respected businessman and he explained the recent events at Rossignol and how he and his team have rebuilt the company since re-taking control of the company in November 2008. All were impressed by the business achievements and, importantly, Bruno’s sense of humour, which is distinctly British!
Following the presentation, all enjoyed the excellent buffet and the chance to network with so many others involved in international business before heading off home to book a skiing holiday!

12/07/2011

Lyon’s Ambassadors to London

Other speakers included Jacques de Chilly of Aderly, Mike Campbell of Easyjet and the Mayor of Lyon, Gérard Collomb. More information here

10/04/2011

April Business Lunch

The FIBA business lunch in April featured an entertaining and stimulating talk by Erwan Henry on the theme “ Critical issues for medium-sized firms in the global economy”.
Erwan is a business globetrotter and gave us the benefit of his experiences during his long years of doing business all around the world. People may say that “it’s a small world”, but even so, those in business ignore cross-cultural issues at their peril. Making money in foreign markets is possible with the right research, guidance and intercultural tools, but – rather like an arcade game - there are bullets to be avoided! Once again, there was an excellent number of attendees at the lunch, with a very wide range of different backgrounds and business interests being represented.
You can download the presentation here : erwan.pdf

Read more : 

Articles on Globalization, Multicultural Management, Business Cultures etc. published in MFN, a global trade magazine (Metal Finishing News) and available on line. 
Access through the web site http://www.mfn.li :  enter “ erwan” in search library on the right hand side, or:

Globalization & Business development
The Global Economy http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=338
How to tackle Globalization http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=354
Battle gear for Globalization http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=366
Critical success factors in int’l strategies http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=394
Business Model http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=948

Multicultural management
Introduction to multi-cultural management 1 http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=446
Introduction to multi-cultural management 2 http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=460

Trust and Anglo-Saxon, Latin business cultures
Introduction to trust and multicultural management http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=491
Anglo-Saxon business culture and trust http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=525
Comparison between Anglo-Saxon and Latin business cultures http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=541
Latin business culture and trust http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=559

Asian business culture
Introduction http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=576
Buddhist and Confucian influence in Asian business culture http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=593
Japanese business culture http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=649
Korean business culture http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=696
Indonesian business culture http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=628

Chinese business culture
Chinese business culture 1 http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=712
Chinese business culture 2 http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=749
Chinese business culture 3 http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=782
Case study: a Chinese company endeavor to become global http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=609

Other business cultures
Russian Business culture http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=808
Polish Business culture http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=915
German Business culture http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=850
Italian Business culture http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=877
French Business culture http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=828
Brazilian Business culture http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=897
American Business culture http://www.mfn.li/article/?id=959
British Business culture available on request and soon on line
Mexican, Indian, Spanish, Czech … Business culture in preparation

05/03/2011

February Business Lunch

The Fiba lunch on 22nd February was a great success. Clive Parker, founder of “The English House”, shared his experience of creating a business in France. Thanks to a quiz on two convex mirrors, we learnt that old does not necessarily mean more expensive, and modern consumers are willing to pay for quality. Clive also knocked a few popular myths on the head about French bureaucracy and reminded us that meeting and exchanging with the people who give out authorizations always helps speed up the process, .
The English House is a supplier of fine, hand-made English furniture, offering the classic designs from the past and present that are the hallmark of that unmistakeably ‘English’ look. Clive opened for business in February 2011, you can visit Clive’s website at http://www.theenglishhouse.eu or his showroom 44 rue Sala in the 2nd arrondissement.
Many thanks to Clive for his entertaining and hands-on talk ! 

07/02/2011

January Business Lunch

The FIBA lunch on 28th January was a very happy occasion!
The 36 people attending gleaned crucial information about “the science of happiness”. FIBA would like to thank Evelyn Rosset, PhD, for her fascinating talk. Evie’s presentation can be viewed from here science_happiness.pdf
and is highly recommended. Her website is at http://www.positivepsychology.fr The buzz generated by Evie’s talk was marvellous.
We can nurture our own happiness by regularly thinking of those things we are grateful for and our happiness will then make us healthier, more successful, better liked and more generous. Look no further for the key to a positive 2011 with FIBA!

14/12/2010

CHRISTMAS LUNCH

The FIBA Christmas lunch generated much enthusiasm, with 40 people signing up for the occasion. Unfortunately half a dozen or so were affected by the snow and ice and unable to make it, but for those who were there the event was most memorable.
FIBA was delighted to herald the announcement of one of our members as the new UK Consul for Lyon and the surrounding area. We congratulate John Hall on his appointment, wish him the very best in his post and welcome him to the FIBA committee!
The guest speakers were Xavier Lalande from ERAI and Marie-Hélène Gouffé from WTC Lyon. They outlined to us the excellent project put together by three organisations – ERAI, Aderly and the World Trade Center – to create a business “incubator” in Lyon. This service makes the creation of a business in Lyon much easier and gives any companies using the service access to the formidable knowledge and networks of these organisations. For more information contact or
The wine at the Christmas lunch was very generously supplied by our friends from Mischief and Mayhem – http://www.mischiefandmayhem.com There was lively debate about the delicious subtleness of the whites and the satisfyingly full flavour of the reds. The wine list and order form can be downloaded here.
FIBA_Order_Form.pdf Treat yourself to some cracking wine for the festive period and place your order now.
For some fun over coffee for those who were not obliged to rush back to the office, Rachel Maury presented a selection of stunning photos following her recent amazing adventure on her Harley Davidson, biking 6000 kms in Argentina and Chile. One word suffices – “wow”!
Several first-time attendees and the guest speakers mentioned the welcoming and friendly nature of this lunch, making it so much easier to build business relations. That was great to hear and is certainly the aim of FIBA.
Roll on the next lunch, to be held on 28th January 2011.

30/10/2010

Business Lunch 12th October

The export trade balances of all the major European countries, with the exception of Germany, have been in chronic deficit for many years. The outlook is clearly for this to continue (France’s trade deficit for 2010 is forecast at €60 billion).

The main reason for this situation is the major reduction of the industrial sector which now accounts for only 25% of GDP in France and 15% in the UK. The most visible impact of this de-industrialisation is a fall in economic activity and the loss of many jobs which will be difficult to recover in the short term.

Germany, which is the world’s leading exporter by inhabitant (€150 billion trade surplus in 2009), has maintained a strong industrial sector which is both competitive and strategically well-placed (33% of GDP). The patriotic culture of its companies, allied to thorough planning and a long term vision, has made Germany into Europe’s major economy.

If the economic wealth of a country is generated by its companies, then it is both urgent and vital that Europe’s political masters have as a major objective to protect them, and to help their development, in particular in the industrial sector.

Download a copy of the presentation hereZakarian_Présentation.pdf

11/10/2010

Cocktail de la Rentrée

After a welcoming address from Bruno CHIAVERINI, the President of the International Division of the Lyon CCI, a presentation was made by Jacques DANGER, co-founder of GL Events. M DANGER retraced the history of GL Events from its incorporation as Polygone Services by four friends in 1978 to the worldwide company we know today. Jacques DANGER reminded all present of the possibility of creating a “success story” built on a great idea, hard work, irreproachable service to the client, strong management and a little luck.
The cocktail was immensely enjoyable, with a vibrant atmosphere reflecting both that the optimism of the Franco-British / international community in the region that times are going to improve and that in good, as in more challenging moments, belonging to a solid network with others having an international approach makes excellent business sense.

11/10/2010

Speakers wanted

IDRAC International School of Management are looking for ways to raise their Anglophone profile in the international community. To this end, they are organizing two conferences in 2011. They are currently looking for key note speakers for both events; preferably someone from the Franco-British community who can talk for 30-45 minutes on a business-related topic with some emphasis on international collaboration.

The first event is a Franco-British research seminar on May 5 between ICAR (IDRAC Centre for Applied Research), Chester Business School and UCLan (Lancashire Business School). We expect an audience of max 50 people.

The second is EDiNEB, http://www.edineb.org/home.asp, an international conference for the academic community involved in education innovation in economics and business. For this event, we are looking for someone who can talk about a business perspective or innovation in connection with the Rhone region.  Last year at the conference was hosted by Thames Valley University, and the key note speaker spoke about the introduction of social media (Facebook, twitter, hulu etc) in business practice. We expect an audience of max 100 people.

While we are not in a position to pay a speaker, we would offer refreshments. If you are interested, please contact : Jessica LICHY +33 4 72 85 17 34

09/07/2010

From Good to GREAT Sales Performance

The lunch-time seminar on the 6th July featured award winning Market Vision’s work on analysing customer behaviour and employee relationships in order to achieve loyalty and profitable growth. An overview of Jean-Christophe BEAU’s presentation (founder and director of Market Vision and Market Arguments) can be downloaded here. Market_Arguments_FIBA.pdf

30/06/2010

Joint AmCham/Fiba event

FIBA was delighted to host a joint event with AmCham on 15th June.
The lunch was held at the Reine Astrid and the speaker was Harry Sullivan, the US Consul in Lyon.
Mr Sullivan is an economist and his presentation was enticingly entitled – “Acropolis Now: Out of the crisis, or into the abyss again?”
The talk covered the financial implications of the economic situation in Greece when analysed from a European and American angle. Mr Sullivan outlined his thoughts on the best way to achieve economic recovery and fascinated all present with his trenchant views on how the economies of Greece, France, the UK and the US will fare over the next few years.
Mr Sullivan is due to leave Lyon very shortly, having completed his 3 year stint here. FIBA wishes to express thanks to him for his support throughout his tenure in Lyon and wish him the very best for his next posting, which is to be in Japan.
Also present at the lunch was Brad Stock, the President of AmCham, Rhône Alpes-Auvergne.
This was the second joint event with AmCham, following the very successful time management seminar earlier in the year. Both organisations are keen for further such events to be arranged in the future in order to provide our members with more opportunities to develop closer business relations.

23/05/2010

Wine tasting at the Fiba Lunch

Our special guests were Michael and Fiona RAGG, owners of Mischief and Mayhem (http://www.mischiefandmayhem.com) - wine producers located near Beaune in the heart of Burgundy
After providing some excellent Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines for us to taste they then went on to give us an insight into the business of producing quality wines and how they market them in a competitive global market.

25/03/2010

LOU rugby

All you have to do is follow the below link to the LOU website, enter the code CONSULATE2010, fill in the details form online and you will then receive a confirmation email with your tickets to print out.

Here’s the link –

http://lourugby.fr/promo/

The number of tickets is obviously limited, so it’s on a “first come, first served” basis.

11/03/2010

Lunch Event on the 9th March

Chiara and David Reid pictured here with Tim Hughes.
Chiara, a TV producer, explained how each of us can make news and David, a reporter, shared his vision of the internet and the role newspapers have to play. There followed an animated debate on the quality of news on the internet, the impact of social media networks such as Twitter and how news can be manipulated. 

14/02/2010

AGM-Member’s Lunch January

The highlight of Fiba’s AGM, held on 19th January, was the change of President - after three years of service, Peter Watson handed over to Tim Hughes. Peter is one of the founding memebers of Fiba, and under his leadership the association has grown to the Fiba we know today. We wish as much success to Tim.

Fiba’s Secretary, Nigel Gore, another founding member, also stepped down and is replaced by Jane Chadwick.

Our speaker on 19th January was Céline ROZIER from Cosmic Solutions. Céline, who is French but who has until recently worked only in the UK, shared with us her experience of creating a company in France. Her view of the differences between the two countries, the way people work, the manner in which what appears to be the same market is in fact very different, was very interesting and led to a lively debate enjoyed by all present. 

08/01/2010

December’s members’ lunch

24/10/2009

October members’ lunch

The lunch at the Reine Astrid on the 20th October was well attended by 28 members and some visitors from the British Council in Paris.
A full copy of Donna’s compelling and pertinent presentation is available for download by following this link.

10/10/2009

Lyon à la Carte

Lyon à la Carte offers a menu of information and services:international schools and associations, language classes, bank and insurance needs, as well as entertainment. The ideal venue for meeting and networking with other expats.

Find answers to banking and investing in France...to buying a car and driving in France...to preparing yourself for the French job market...to the most common expat legal and financial questions LEARN ...to the art of French living and adapting to Lyon
...to the different options for preparing for the International and French Bac..to the best weekend and vacation spots less than two hours away from Lyon ...to the secrets of understanding your EDF electric bill and being a global eco-citizen
Find out more by clicking here

23/09/2009

Fiba Cocktail 2009

The annual FIBA Cocktail de la Rentrée was again this year held in the splendid setting of the Salon Lumière at Lyon’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry on 8th September. The event was extremely well attended and those present were delighted to have the opportunity to renew acquaintances and make fresh contacts. FIBA’s President, Peter Watson, extended a warm welcome to everyone present and introduced the speakers - Christophe Dudon from our hosts, the Lyon CCI, Alain Perrot of the LCL bank who spoke about Franco-British trade in the current economic climate, Luis Carreira, the President of Fedecleira, who outlined the purpose of this association (which FIBA has recently joined) and FIBA committee member Rachel Maury, who brought those present up to date with the ongoing development and expansion of the FIBA website.  The distinguished guests included Claire Bouteille, the UK consul.If you missed this year’s cocktail de la rentrée, make sure you make sure you’re there next year!

12/07/2009

July Members’ Lunch

Philip HO is currently responsable for the global supply chain of Sanofi Pasteur’s pediatric range of vaccines for commercial operations. Prior to this, he held various roles within marketing operations which allowed him to give us a thorough overview of the impact of brand marketing on a global scale.
Philip LAST (Brand Development) then followed on with an animated overview of how to create value in the minds of consumers through brand communication and how to render them recession proof.
Download Philip Ho’s presentation on Global branding here Global_Marketing_Brand__Management.pdf

07/06/2009

May Member’s Lunch

Whilst based in Lyon, the area covered by the Consulate stretches over 18 departments. Claire BOUTEILLE brought members up to date with the activities of the Consulate and its ongoing projects.
Thierry LECERF spoke with gusto and precision about the current financial crisis and the outlook for the future.
Both speakers were warmly received by the members, who enjoyed the stimulating presentations and ensuing exchanges.

29/04/2009

April Members’ lunch

For those people who wanted a copy of the presentation, a PDF version is available here and can be downloaded by clicking on the file name. 
fibacreativity.pdf

03/03/2009

Fiba Member participates in the Rallye des papillons

The car was sponsored by a number of companies in the Rhône-Alpes region and the CGPME, and filmed daily for Tunisian television, Sky TV and Motors TV. The rally is organised every year by Nadia Gammoudi (daughter of Tunisian Olympic athletic’s champion Mohammed Gammoudi) and supported by the government minister for sports and education. It is the only international women’s car rally in Tunisia open to both amateurs and professionals alike.

This was Rachel’s first experience of navigating in a TSD rally so it took her a day or so to get accustomed to the rules and regulations of navigating to precise times and distances amongst the dunes.  However they succeeded in climbing the ranks to finish 3rd on the last day and 8th in the overall ranking. The cup was won by fellow Lyonnaise Nathalie Chamard (Optic 2000) and her co-pilot Jean-Marc Chennivesse.

Team 13 - Christine Renaudin & Rachel Maury

02/02/2009

AGM and January members’ lunch

The minutes of the AGM can be downloaded in PDF format here. FIBA_-_AGM09.pdf

Jacques Descours, a FIBA committee member, and formerly General Manager of Brossette, a Lyon-based international company with foreign owners, gave a presentation on cultural differences in management throughout Europe.
Ronnie Currie, former Secretary General of the International Silk Association based in Lyon, followed this with insights in dealing with the Far East (Japan in particular) and the importance of researching the cultural factors that will enable effective communication in a business and political context. 

16/12/2008

December Member’s lunch

Liam Martin & Lorraine Suddaby from Capital Growth Solutions presented their financial planning services for expatriates & corporate clients. Their advice is totally independant of any financial institution and covers all forms of financial investment. 

30/10/2008

October Member’s Lunch

October Member’s Lunch

01/10/2008

Cocktail at the CCI

We are grateful to Fabienne THIERY-DUVILLARD of the CCI for the use of the Salon Lumière at the Lyon Chamber of Commerce and Industry in which new members of FIBA were welcomed.

The evening began in a relaxed and convivial atmosphere with a welcome cocktail and a presentation of FIBA’s mission and activities by Peter WATSON (President) who introduced Emmanuel BOSSARD (Adversio Strategic Consulting) the FBBA chairman and visiting delegate from Bordeaux, Harry SULLIVAN (American Consul) and Brad STOCK (AmCham).  Later Tim HUGHES and Rachel MAURY presented the new website. Newcomers were enthusiastic about the business networking opportunites available via the website directory and future member events.

30/06/2008

Hays Recruitment

The July meeting was held at Le Grand Bazar, rue de la République, in the offices of Hays.

Hays plc is the largest publicly-listed recruitment group in the United Kingdom and a world-leading Specialist Recruitment and HR services company. Hays seeks to be the best Specialist Recruitment Group in the world by focusing on four key areas:
1. Developing Specialist Activities
2. Replicating the Hays Business Model
3. Expanding Overseas
4. Driving Operational Efficiencies