INFO magazine - News

NEWS Compiled by Hannah Medioni

Revolution at Air France A commercial Offensive in Marseille ||| The keys of the new Air France base in Marseille were revealed on Wednesday 28 September, marking the kick-off of Air France’s new organisation in the French regions.

Since 2 October 2011, Air France is offering 13 new non-stop routes on departure from Marseille: Bâle Mulhouse, Biarritz, Brest, Athens, Copenhagen, Düsseldorf, Eindhoven, Milan-Malpensa, Moscow, Prague, Beirut, Istanbul, Casablanca. Air France will also be increasing capacity on existing domestic routes, with an increase in the number of seats greater than 80% in some cases.

In this way, Air France is preserving the products and services which are its mark of recognition on this market and will continue this strategy in spring 2012 in Toulouse and Nice and next summer in Bordeaux.

The first lowest Co2 emissions flight Early October, Air France organised the first lowest CO2 emissions flight with biofuel from Toulouse to Paris.

The emissions on this flight amounted to 54g of CO2 per passenger, half that emitted on a conventional flight. This innovative project encapsulates Air France

Air France 747

initiatives in the sustainable development sphere. This fully-optimised flight shows that the Company intends to reconcile the development of air transport with control over its CO2 emissions.

The appointment of a new CEO On the 17 of October, the board of directors of Air FranceKLM has determined the orientations in relation to the organisation and governance of Air France and of the Air France-KLM group, as well as to the appointment of its senior executives. The aim is to improve the group’s operating and financial performance in a context of economic uncertainties affecting the European air traffic, as well as the position of Air France in respect of increased competition from new entrants. In these circumstances, Pierre-Henri Gourgeon has resigned from his duties as CEO of Air France and Air FranceKLM. The Board of Directors has paid tribute to the action that he took with courage and to the numerous measures efficiently implemented within difficult conditions since he took up his duties on January 1, 2009. The Appointment Committee of Air France-KLM has put forward to the Board of Directors of Air FranceKLM, which approved it, the candidacy of Alexandre de Juniac to the duties of Chairman and CEO of Air France.

During the period prior to the settingup of the Air France-KLM fully dedicated holding, Jean-Cyril Spinetta and Leo Van Wijk, who presided the setting up of the Air France-KLM group, will be in charge of its strategic coordination. JeanCyril Spinetta, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Air France-KLM group, has been appointed as Chairman and CEO of the Air France-KLM group. Leo Van Wijk has been appointed as Deputy CEOof the Air France-KLM group.

For more information please visit http:// corporate.airfrance.com /en /press/pressreleases/

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NEWS

London tech scene thriving as Deloitte announces the winners of its UK technology Fast 50 awards ||| Deloitte recently announced the results of its 2011 UK Technology Fast 50 awards, an independent ranking of the UK’s fastest growing technology companies.

This year’s winner is Fixnetix, a trading technology company, with a growth of 24557% per cent over the last five years. The average growth rate of the winning Fast 50 companies has increased to 2820%, a fifth (21%) higher than 2010 (2321%).

The company was founded in London in 2006 and its growth has been driven by a massive expansion of computerised trading and the increasing role of technology in global markets. In June 2011, Fixnetix developed a microchip that can execute trades in nanoseconds, replacing the need for separate software.

The chip is able to process trades at 740 nanoseconds.

Speed is vital in the fast moving trading industry as hundreds of thousands of deals are done every second.

Internet and software sectors are showing particular strength and making up over half (56%) of

the companies in the Fast 50 ranking. The Technology Fast 50 awards are an opportunity for businesses to gain recognition for their successes and achievements over the last five years. This year’s ranking highlights the importance of finding a niche product or service to beat the recession.

This year’s Deloitte Technology Fast 50 highlights the dominance of London, with eight of the top ten companies coming from the capital. The large number of successful London-based internet companies in this year’s Fast 50 reflects the importance of providing something bespoke, be it the ability to play 3D poker online, to find good trades people or buy a distinctive gift online. The successful Fast 50 companies have combined winning ideas with successful business models. The high number (52%) of Fast 50 companies based in London demonstrates the importance of the right infrastructure and easy access to overseas markets. For more information please visit http://www. deloitte.co.uk/Fast50/

BNP Paribas launches Dr. Job, an app to prepare for interviews ||| BNP Paribas has launched Dr. Job, a new iPhone app which aims to help job-seekers prepare for interviews.

Too often, candidates fail due to insufficient interview preparation, as they don’t practise what they are going to say, they don’t have enough understanding of what is expected of them by prospective employers, or they are simply taken by surprise with bizarre questions.

The new app addresses all of these points and offers advice on how to structure interview answers. It even provides a diary full of recruiters’ details and addresses, which means that candidates will not get lost on the way to their interview. What seems like the most useful feature is an option to subscribe to post-interview feedback. To download the app visit http://bit.ly/drjob

International SOS wins EMMA award for Most Innovative Use of Technology ||| International SOS, the world’s leading international healthcare, medical and security assistance and concierge services company, announced on the 21 October that it was awarded the “Most Innovative Use of Technology” EMMA Award from the Forum for Expatriate Management, a global HR association, during its US Global Mobility Summit in downtown Chicago on September 12, 2011.

“As a pioneer in traveller tracking technology, International SOS has continued down this innovative path by providing tracking technology

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and assistance via mobile applications,” said Suzanne Garber, Chief Operating Officer, Americas Region, International SOS, who accepted the award on behalf of the company.

More than 500 entries from corporate human resources and service providers were submitted, resulting in just over 20 international awards independently judged and presented at the Summit by some of the most respected names in the global mobility profession. For more information please visit www.internationalsos.com

NEWS

Winners of Veolia Environnement wildlife photography competition announced ||| The coveted title of Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year was presented to Daniel Beltrá from Spain for Still life in oil, a striking image of eight brown pelicans rescued from an oil spill, from his six-image portfolio for the Wildlife Photojournalist of the Year Award.

Daniel took the image at a temporary bird-rescue facility in Fort Jackson, Louisiana. He describes how ‘crude oil trickles off the feathers of the rescued brown pelicans, turning the white lining sheets into a sticky, stinking mess. The pelicans are going through the first stage of cleaning. These images will be among more than 100 acclaimed photographs from the competition’s 17 categories, and present a huge variety of stunning and inspiring photographs capturing nature’s rich diversity.

The exhibition opened at the Natural History Museum on 21 October 2011 before embarking on an ever-popular tour of the UK and abroad.

Now in its 47th year, the competition is owned by the Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine and is sponsored by Veolia Environnement.

It is internationally recognised for taking a lead in the artistic representation of the natural world and continues to be held in high esteem with a reputation for being the Oscars of the wildlife photographic calendar. For more information about the exhibition please visit www.nhm.ac.uk

Still life in oil Daniel Beltrá - Spain Winner: Wildlife Photojournalist of the Year Award

Chanel: The Vocabulary of Style ||| Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel was, without doubt, the most influential designer of the 20th century. This book honours her influence by celebrating the key elements that defined and still define her style, through inspired pairings of classic and contemporary photographs.

Cecil Beaton’s portrait of Coco Chanel for example, combines with one of Cate Blanchett by Karl Lagerfeld; a classic plate by Henry Clarke meets an image by Jürgen Teller.

Juxtaposing fashion plates from Chanel’s own time with the most recent creations by Karl Lagerfeld,

the resonance between archive and contemporary photographs becomes sharp, vibrant and telling. The vocabulary of Chanel’s style – the little black dress, jersey, tweed, the camelia, baroque inspirations, androgynous chic – is revealed in eleven chapters that compare original forms in the 1920s with the full range of their later expressions through every fashion era. Chanel’s legendary fashion house continues to captivate a huge audience with an insatiable appetite for one of fashion’s undisputed style perennials.

Out on November 7th, Written by Jérôme Gautier

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NEWS

easyJet to open two new bases in France at Nice and Toulouse

The easyJet fleet

||| On the 6 of October easyJet, the second largest airline in France, announced another step in its expansion in France with the opening of two new permanent bases in Nice and Toulouse - its 21st and 22nd network bases - to

be operational by summer season 2012.

With this investment easyJet demonstrates its intention to grow in the French regions and in the country as a whole. The bases in Nice and Toulouse will open during the 2012 summer season with two Airbus 319 aircraft in each base and will bring to five the number of easyJet bases in France (in addition to Orly, Charles de Gaulle and Lyon) with a total fleet of 24 aircraft.

Following the opening of the two new bases, easyJet expects to increase by 10 its regional and European routes (from 27 to 37) on top of its existing operations. Already the second largest airline by market share in France, and the second biggest at both Nice and Toulouse, easyJet flew 12m passengers to and from France in 2011. For more information please visit www. easyjet.co.uk

French Ambassador gives VIE Awards 2011 at Wallace Collection ||| On 16 September, Mr Bernard Emié, France’s Ambassador to the UK, unveiled the VIE awards 2011.

The awards ceremony was organised by the French Trade Commission UBIFRANCE and the British chapter of French Foreign Trade Advisors (CCE) on the 10th anniversary of the launch of the VIE programme by the French government.

“The submissions reflected the diversity of the profiles and the range of competences that our young talents make the most of, as part of the VIE programme,” explained Hervé Ochsenbein, Director of From left: Jean-Michel Ditner (Jury’s President), Hervé Ochsenbein (French Trade the French Trade Commission Mission Director), Antoine Quentin (Winner of the VIE awards 2011), Bruno Deschamps (CCEF UK President), HE Mr Bernard Emié (French Ambassador to the UK) UBIFRANCE in London. of £700. Magellium is a medium-sized company The candidates for the awards had to hand in a dossier specialising in imaging technology for the aerospace in print together with a video-clip presenting their and defence sector. The second prize in this category project and achievements. As the judges underlined, the went to Solène Doukhan of automotive group PSA. decision was not easy to make, since all the applicants The prize for best Entrepreneurial Project was given showed a wide range of skills and qualities. to Antoine Quentin, who works for Mobilitas, the Rémi Campagne has successfully developed the international furniture remover. The prize included a operations of Magellium’s British subsidiary and coaching session with a member of CCEF, as well as won the prize for best Professional Project. The prize a cash prize of £1,200. For more information about the included a one-day high-performance car experience, exhibition please visit www.ubifrance.com/uk courtesy of Renault UK, together with a cash prize

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NEWS

||| Accor is set to realise its ambition to increase its UK network to 300 hotels by 2015 with the signing of a franchise agreement with Jupiter Hotels Ltd, the new owners of the former Jarvis hotels. This is a landmark deal for the UK hotel industry in 2011.

In what is the biggest franchise deal for Accor this year, 24 hotels - or 2,664 rooms - will open under the Mercure hotel brand across the UK, bringing the total number of Mercure hotels in the UK to 68. The deal is the latest in a series of franchise agreements which has seen the Mercure brand expand rapidly in the UK in recent months, making Mercure a major player in the local mid-scale market.

The new hotels are located in a range of locations across the UK, including popular tourist destinations like Brighton, York, Edinburgh and Inverness, and key towns such as London, Leeds, Bradford, Manchester, Bristol, Gloucester and Leicester. The partnership with Mercure will allow the hotels to retain their individuality and style whilst joining an established network of over 700 midscale hotels operating in more than 50 countries across the world.

“This major franchise agreement is a significant

© wikipedia/Arpingstone

Accor signs major UK hotel deal

Bristol, home of the Clifton suspension bridge, is one of the many locations where Accor will open a new hotel

milestone for Accor in the realisation of our ambitious growth targets. This expansion further demonstrates our commitment to building the Mercure hotel brand in the UK, which is such an important market for Accor.

We will continue to pursue further franchise growth opportunities this year and beyond” said Jean-Jacques Dessors, Chief Operating Officer of Accor UK and Ireland. For more information please visit www.accor.com

North Road awarded a Michelin Star ||| This year’s Michelin Guide has awarded their first star to North Road Restaurant, a member of the French Chamber located in Clerkenwell. Opening their doors just eleven months earlier, the celebrated restaurant serves Modern European food with a strong Scandinavian influence. Head Chef Christoffer Hruskova was born and raised in Odense, Denmark and learned his trade in such establishments as the Michelin starred Kong Hans in Copenhagen before setting off to explore the culinary world. After time spent at Tetsuya in Sydney, The American Club in Hong Kong, Jardinere in San Francisco and many other stops along the way, Christoffer finally settled in London.

In November 2010 Christoffer and business partner Viviane Lorans opened North Road on St. John Street. The influence of Scandinavia is immediately recognisable on the menu - burnt hay, pickled vegetables - but the ingredients themselves speak of this country and of the season. The best ingredients from around the British Isles are sourced by Christoffer and his team, direct from small suppliers, with foraged herbs and berries inspiring dishes. The wine list is predominantly French with an enviable

selection of wines from small growers and biodynamic producers, in particular from the Loire and Bordeaux regions, chosen to compliment Christoffer’s dishes.

Five and Seven Course Tasting Menus paired with wine are available in addition to the a la carte and set lunch menus. For more information please visit www. northroadrestaurant.co.uk

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NEWS

Rooftop Bees Add Buzz to St Ermin’s Hotel ||| The newly transformed St Ermin’s Hotel in St James’s Park recently welcomed some 75,000 Buckfast bees to their roof from where they’ll forage across central London’s major parks and gardens, producing a honey distinctive to the hotel.

The bees are capable of travelling three miles or more, bringing all of central London’s gardens from Buckingham Palace to Eton Square, the royal parks and the window boxes of Mayfair well in range.

Though the first full harvest of honey won’t be until July next year there’s enough this Summer for the hotel’s Head Chef, Hus Vedat to declare this September honey month with a special honey-inspired menu at the hotel’s Caxton Grill. And as next year’s harvest becomes available the hotel is planning its own brand of honey, honey chocolates and fresh honey on the

breakfast tables.

The St Ermin’s, a member of the Chamber is an ardent follower of the ‘Field to Fork’ movement, with a real mission to offer fresh, local produce whenever possible.

And they now have 75,000 honey suppliers all with the same thought in mind. For more information contact c.tselepou@stermins.co.uk or visit www.sterminshotel.co.uk

Hats off to...

Olivier Cadic, Managing Director of Cinebook, awarded the « médaille de l’Ordre National du Mérite” On Monday 3rd October 2011, Olivier Cadic received the medal of the “Ordre National du Mérite” from the French Ambassador to the UK, HE Mr Bernard Emié. The latter praised Cadic’s extraordinary achievements and commitment to the Franco-British Community. Calling him a self-made man, he referred to the entrepreneur’s early days when he created his business at 20, but also to his political commitment and his responsibility in the Franco British community as an elected member of the Assemblée des Français de l’Etranger. He praised Cadic’s work and life ethics, portraying him as a man of consensus and honour. In his acceptance speech, Olivier Cadic paid glowing tribute to all the people who had supported and helped him throughout his career, and expressed his dedication to always place the general interest above individual ambitions.

hello, goodbye...

T

he French Chamber of Commerce would like to welcome the new representatives of existing member companies. We would also like to express our gratitude to members who have made outstanding contributions to the Chamber, but who are now moving on to different destinations. We wish them all the best in their new posts.

Tim Zimmerman replaces Managing Director of Peugeot UK

Jon Goodman

||| After two and a half years as Managing Director of Peugeot UK, Jon Goodman returned to Paris at the beginning of October to take on the role of Director of Media Relations for the PSA Peugeot Citroën Group.

His replacement, Tim Zimmerman, another Brit has returned from just over two years in China where he was General Manager of the Peugeot Tim Zimmerman Operation in the world’s largest car market.

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