Delano December 2014

LUXEMBOURG IN ENGLISH

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WINTER 2015

ISSUE 32

5 453000 010015

BRAND LUXEMBOURG

HERITAGE 20 years of UNESCO

LIFESTYLE Getting out while it’s cold

CAN CULTURAL AMBASSADORS HELP FORGE A POSITIVE IMAGE?

La métamorphose, une histoire Hermès

Chronographe « Dressage » en acier, cadran argenté, bracelet en alligator mat 13, rue Philippe II Luxembourg Tél. (352) 220 981 Hermes.com

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Write to PO Box 728 L-2017 Luxembourg Offices 10 rue des Gaulois, Luxembourg-Bonnevoie ISSN 2220-5535 Web www.maisonmoderne.lu Founder and CEO Mike Koedinger Administrative and financial director Étienne Velasti Innovation, quality and operations director Rudy Lafontaine

EDITORIAL

Text by DUNCAN ROBERTS

GETTING ON MESSAGE

PUBLISHER Phone (+352) 29 66 18-1 Fax (+352) 29 66 19 E-mail publishing@maisonmoderne.lu Publisher Mike Koedinger Editor in chief Duncan Roberts (duncan.roberts@maisonmoderne.lu) Desk editor Aaron Grunwald (aaron.grunwald@maisonmoderne.lu) Contributors Neel Chrillesen, Stephen Evans, Tonya Stoneman, Alice Verberne-Benamara, James Walker Photography Julien Becker, Sven Becker, Benjamin Champenois, Annabelle Denham, Steve Eastwood, LaLa La Photo, Gaël Lesure, Mike Zenari Proofreaders Pauline Berg, Muriel Dietsch

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by MM Publishing S.A. © MM Publishing S.A. (Luxembourg) COVER PHOTO

Julien Becker shot David Goldrake at the Chemin de la Corniche in the heart of old town Luxembourg City.

NOTE TO OUR READERS

The next print edition of Delano will be published on 4 February. For news updates, commentary and our weekly what’s on guide, visit www.delano.lu.

L

uxembourg has always struggled to find its real identity. A territory occupied by successive military forces before it became a country in its own right (and, sadly, occupied again twice after it gained independence), the real Luxembourg has only recently had a chance to stand up. In the modern world, its size has required the Grand Duchy to adapt and thrive. It had little choice but to diversify its economy in whatever way it saw fit in order to gain any advantage over its larger neighbours and more established rivals.

In more innocent days Luxembourg was synonymous, rather contradictorily, with the ground-breaking Radio Luxembourg and the rather staid and cheesy Eurovision song contest. Of course, well-worn jokes about Luxembourg scoring “nul points” were as misplaced then as the furore over Luxembourg’s status as a tax haven are now. Luxembourg has only once, in 1970 when represented by a Dutch singer, failed to register any score in the Eurovision--though, much to the chagrin of some local residents, it has not taken part in the contest since 1993.

The tax haven charges that have now so damaged the country’s reputation are rather more difficult to defend, though Stephen Evans does a splendid job in this edition. The legality of the so-called tax rulings is not in

doubt, but the charges that Luxembourg was aiding and abetting multinational companies in their creative accounting have undoubtedly done some damage to the country’s standing.

But what has been more remarkable than the LuxLeaks revelations is the fall from grace of Jean-Claude Juncker and, to a lesser extent, Xavier Bettel. Juncker had long been one of the most respected of European statesmen, the hero of Dublin and an in-demand guest on political talks shows in Germany and France. Now his name is rather toxic, though he is wily enough to recover and let the LuxLeaks affair blow over.

For more personal reasons, Bettel was being hailed as a dynamic youngster, a breath of fresh air in the European political scene. Now he looks on rather hapless as the government tries to resuscitate the country’s reputation--a task not made any easier when finance minister Pierre Gramegna and foreign minister Jean Asselborn delivered mixed messages to the foreign media.

Now, more than ever, the Grand Duchy needs a strong image to present to the outside world. The country’s key players in all fields of economic activity must set aside the single-minded pursuit of their own agendas and join forces to help create brand Luxembourg.

FORLORN RED LION Luxembourg needs to find its indentity Winter 2015

Photo: Julien Becker (archives)

DESIGN Phone (+352) 27 62 12 62-1 Fax (+352) 27 62 12 62-84 E-mail studio@maisonmoderne.lu Director, Maison Moderne Studio Guido Kröger Creative director Jeremy Leslie Art director Cassandre Bourtembourg Studio manager Stéphanie Poras Layout Sophie Melai (coordination), Sara Giubelli, Jan Hanrion

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CONTENTS

DELANO WINTER 2015 CURRENT AFFAIRS 6

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UPFRONT Catching up with…

Delano speaks with Claude Frisoni 20 years after Luxembourg was first European Capital of Culture about the year that kick-started a cultural revolution in the Grand Duchy.

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SNAPSHOTS Tax talk

Luxembourg finance minister Pierre Gramegna defends the government’s 2015 tax rises and LuxLeaks position.

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HERITAGE Set in stone

BUSINESS 18

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DELANO DIGITAL HIGHLIGHTS LIFESTYLE 48

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UPFRONT Carte blanche

UPFRONT Perfect weekend

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SNAPSHOTS €20,000 for children’s wishes

Simple moves by front-line staff can make a huge difference in customer service, reckons Rana Hein-Hartmann.

SNAPSHOTS Fearless femmes

Organisers had hoped for a crowd of 30 but 147 signed up and there was a wait list for the first Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Luxembourg.

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COVER STORY Brand Luxembourg

48 hours for families in a fun holiday mood.

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“Skyball”, Make-A-Wish Luxembourg’s Bond-themed fundraiser, was a dream come true for many.

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Carrie Cannon’s five year old group runs the extra mile in the fight against cancer. If you’ve got a good pair of shoes, here’s how you can help support cancer research and education.

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EDUCATION “Bac” in the south

The Grand Duchy’s education ministry is launching a new international school in Differdange.

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SCIENCE Mind over matter?

In the wake of LuxLeaks, can cultural ambassadors help the Grand Duchy forge a positive image? Can Francine Closener, the secretary of state in charge of national branding, get everyone on the same page?

And is multinational tax avoidance (or are we supposed to say “optimisation”) really that evil?

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FUNDS Change in ownership

Bank bosses say business is back to booming. Where does RBC’s Luxembourg unit want to go now?

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HR Professional search

An uncontrolled outbreak would infect 12-24% of the population. www.delano.lu/news/if-ebolahit-luxembourg

GETTING INVOLVED Pinking up Luxembourg

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TRAVEL Get away before you get away The fortifications and historic centre of Luxembourg City were admitted to UNESCO’s world heritage list 20 years ago. The ramifications are greater than most imagine.

IF EBOLA HIT LUXEMBOURG…

LEAKY BEPS

When it comes to multinational corporate tax, has the media become the message, asks Keith O’Donnell. www.delano.lu/news/leaky-beps

The Vakanz trade fair is a vacation before your vacation.

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ON STAGE Cold weather shows

Despite the end of year holidays there is still plenty of live entertainment on, including a handful of cool gigs, great classical music and more English-language theatre.

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MY FAVOURITES Dog days of winter

ARE WE WISER?

Has Europe learned the right lessons from the economic crisis? www.delano.lu/news/are-weolder-and-wiser

Why you might be reaching for your mobile phone instead of pain killers next time you strain a muscle.

Recruiters tell Delano readers where to find a hot job in 2015.

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MY OTHER LIFE Get your technology on

Computer security advisor Steve Clement has next year’s hot trends stitched up.

Nicky Caverhill of the pet grooming salon Moien Mupp shares her three favourite winter activities for dogs (indoors and out).

BLUE CARDS

How many have received the “EU blue card” in Luxembourg? www.delano.lu/news/howmany-blue-cards HAVE A COMMENT? We are always looking for contributors and for reader feedback: news@delano.lu

Winter 2015

Photos: European Commission EHP Francesca Gilibert EC/ECHO/Cyprien Fabre

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UPFRONT

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CURRENT AFFAIRS 1

BUDGET PLANS UNDER FIRE

The government’s budget proposals for 2015 have come under fire from the council of state and trades unions, though for rather different reasons. The council of state’s official analysis of the draft budget included criticism of what the upper body called its “mosaic” of austerity measures and breaches of elementary technical legislative rules. However, in a rare move, the council of state praised the overall strategy of the coalition’s plans to balance the budget.

More strident opposition to the budget came from trades unions, and, in another rare move, all three main unions joined forces in criticising specific plans to introduce a 0.5% additional contribution of monthly income to finance the government’s social security plans--notably free child care during school hours. Finance minister Pierre Gramegna insists the additional revenue is essential, and the government has since said that the “contribution” will now simply be added to standard tax rates as of 1 January. More on page 8.

MEAT AND DRINK

Luxembourgers spend a quarter of their home grocery budget on meat, according to the latest figures released by state statistics office Statec. The figures, based on findings from 2012, show that just 11% of domestic food expenditure goes on vegetables, and 7% on fish. But groceries for consumption at home only account for 51% of total food and drink expenditure--37% of total food expenditure goes on dining out, and a further 6% on alcohol.

Spending on food for consumption at home

Other foods (4%)

Oils & Fats (3%)

Sweets & desserts (7%)

Meat (25%)

Fish (7%)

Fruit (9%)

Bread & Cereal (18%)

Vegetables (11%)

Dairy & eggs (16%) Winter 2015

17 years ago, when Luxembourg held the presidency of the European Union in the latter half of 1997, Jean-Claude Juncker said that Turkey “has a place in the EU, but this will take decades.”

Not much has changed in Juncker’s stance in the intervening years. His campaign manifesto for his bid to become EU Commission president included the line: “As regards Turkey, the country is clearly far away from EU membership.”

But Luxembourg’s minister of the economy is not so pessimistic.

During talks with his Turkish counterpart, Nihat Zeybekçi, at the end of November, Étienne Schneider promised Luxembourg’s full support for Turkey’s EU accession bid. “We intend to make progress on this case in the second half of 2015 when the Grand Duchy will chair the Council of the European Union.”

The minister was addressing the question of visa exemptions for Turkish visitors to the EU, but also said he hoped trade relations between the two countries would improve to meet their potential, especially in the domain of transport and logistics, intellectual property and finance.

Photos: Christophe Olinger > Meco

TURKEY TALKS

CLAUDE FRISONI 20 years after Luxembourg was first European Capital CATCHING UP WITH…

QUEEN LETIZIA SHINES

Queen Letizia of Spain’s stylish outfit and elegant beauty caught the attention of Hello! magazine, which reported on her one-day visit to the Grand Duchy at the side of her husband, King Felipe VI in November.

N-CUBE HOUSE

Photos: SIP-Charles Caratini > Naturhome > Steve Eastwood

A prototype nearly zero energy house has been inaugurated in ­Wincrange. The house, the fruit of a research project called N-Cube, meets the standards that all dwellings will have to conform to as of 2019.

AZERBAIJAN CULTURE

of Culture, its general coordinator reflects with pride on the year that kick-started a cultural revolution in the Grand Duchy.

Looking back on 1995, Claude Frisoni is proud of what he achieved. If not exactly a year zero of cultural life in Luxembourg, then it was certainly a “detonator” as Frisoni puts it. Sitting in the Brasserie at the Abbaye de Neumünster--now Neimënster, a name that he openly detests--the former director of Luxembourg’s programme during its first reign as European Capital of Culture 1995 admits that 20 years ago budgets were more readily available, even if constraints were in place.

On the other hand, Frisoni had just seven months to prepare the programme for 1995, having been drafted in to replace Guy Wagner, who had resigned from the post in early 1994. “We were there to save the day, to avoid an embarrassment,” he says now. But the appointment got people talking about culture, and eventually changed attitudes towards the arts. “For the first time Luxembourgers queued to pay for exhibitions. Musicians and choreographers were encouraged to make a living from their art.”

“I was incredibly lucky to have been part of that year. It met a need and it awoke a maturity in Luxembourg society,” says Frisoni. “It arrived at a key moment, even if we were not fully aware of it at the time.” Acts like José Carreras and The Rolling Stones--the latter a coup pulled off in just two months--were drawn to Luxembourg and indirectly the 1995 culture year led to the opening of the Casino contemporary art forum and other arts venues, including Mudam. “Jacques Santer, then still prime minister, showed me Pei’s plans for the museum and said that if 1995 was a success, he would be able to lay the foundation stone.”

We clearly have to thank Frisoni for much that has happened in Luxembourg’s cultural scene over the past 20 years.

Interview by DUNCAN ROBERTS Photography by ANNABELLE DENHAM

Lea Linster (centre), as president of the Cultural Association of Azerbaijan in Luxembourg officially opened its new Karabagh information centre on blvd Joseph II in Luxembourg City at the end of November.

Winter 2015

CURRENT AFFAIRS

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SNAPSHOTS

Text by NEEL CHRILLESEN

Photography by LALA LA PHOTO

" EVERYONE HAS TO MAKE AN EFFORT" D

espite tackling topics such as budget reforms, taxation, ­transparency and the LuxLeaks affair, it was a smooth-talking finance minister who addressed the international business community on 25 November.

Pierre Gramegna defended the government’s savings package, which includes a new 0.5% “contribution” on all revenues (intended for childcare) and a 2% VAT increase in several categories to reduce the deficit.

“Nobody likes it, but everyone has to make an effort,” he stated, ­underlining that considering the world we live in it remained “a small effort.” At the same time, he also confirmed that companies would not see an increase in their taxes for the next four years. They will however be “more scrutinised” when asking for support for employee training for example.

Luxembourg’s public debt ­represents a little over 23% of GDP today. By international comparison this is low, but for Luxembourg, it’s too high and evolving in the wrong direction, according to Gramegna, who aims to bring the central government’s budget deficit down to zero by 2018.

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TAX TALK A. Micaël Weber and Alexander Oudendijk B. Pierre Gramegna spoke at the event hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Luxembourg with the Dutch Trade Forum (NHF), Ireland Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce and Luxembourg-Poland Business Club C. Damien Laugier, Gregory Tugendhat and Alena Pilipenko D. John Basher and Alain Huberty E. Hilary Fitzgibbon and David Barrett F. Ruth Smiley and Freddy Bracke G. Wojciech Kalaman, Renata Niekras and Artur Sosna H. Paul Schonenberg, Pierre Gramegna and Paul Guillaume

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Winter 2015

PIERRE GRAMEGNA ON LUXLEAKS: WWW.DELANO.LU/ GRAMEGNATAXTALK14

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CURRENT AFFAIRS

HERITAGE

Text by NEEL CHRILLESEN

Photography by GAËL LESURE

LUXEMBOURG’S IDENTITY SET IN STONE

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Winter 2015

The fortifications and historic centre of Luxembourg City were admitted to UNESCO’s world heritage list 20 years ago. The importance and the ramifications of this are greater than most imagine.

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NESCO’s world heritage list includes more than 50 fortifications and defensive structures, but among all those Luxembourg City’s fortress holds a special place. Not only are its underground bunker tunnels (the Casemates) the longest, but nowhere else will you find such a unique collaborative work. From the 16th century until 1867, the respective occupants--the Spanish, Burgundians, Austrians, French and Prussians--all contributed to its construction and enhancement. In many ways, the birth of Luxembourg as a nation is closely linked to the capital’s fortress.

When promoting the city and fortress of Luxembourg as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Georges Calteux, the then director of the bureau for preservation of monuments in Luxembourg, even went as far as saying that the site would give the world a “history lesson”. “It will teach us how a small people has been able to survive despite numerous foreign dominations and the covetousness of our neighbours,” he said. This was of course not the reason why UNESCO finally deemed the site of enough “universal value” to make the world heritage list, in 1994.

HISTORICAL ROLE The emphasis was more on the “significant role” Luxembourg City had played in European history for several centuries and the “outstanding, impressive fortifications”. Something Goethe had already discovered during a visit in 1792, after which he wrote in awe: “He who has not seen Luxembourg simply cannot picture these war structures, juxtaposed and superimposed as they are.

Winter 2015

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CURRENT AFFAIRS

HERITAGE

CONTINUED

There is so much greatness and grace here…”

The UNESCO announcement was perfectly timed. It came just before Luxembourg successfully sprang out of its cultural inertia closet as the European Cultural Capital in 1995. The world heritage label not only contributed in forging a stronger cultural identity, it also served as a launch pad for the restoration of the historical parts of the capital and led to the implementation of educational tours of the city, such as the Wenzel walk (the route presenting the mediaeval part of the fortress) and the Vauban walk (the route around the fortifications built in more modern times).

A new sort of tourism was born--though it’s worth mentioning that parts of the Casemates were made accessible for guided tours already in 1933.

Today, around 150,000 visitors come every year to visit the fortress. Considering the unique concentration of fortifications in the Saar-Lor-Lux region--there are over 600 of them, beyond comparison in the modern world--that’s a nice share of the cake. Though it took a year for Calteux and his team to get through the extensive UNESCO application process, it seems like it was worth the hassle. Or was it? Because making the list also brought on quite a few headaches.

“Being included as a World Heritage [Site] is above all a question of prestige,” says Alex Langini, secretary general of Luxembourg’s national commission of cooperation with the UN agency. “UNESCO does not give any subsidies to the site but has to be consulted for any major interventions that may take place within it or its proximity.”

JUDICIOUS DEVELOPMENT Luxembourg got a taste of that prerogative when building the judiciary centre (Cité judiciaire) on the Saint-Esprit plateau, situated on the World Heritage Site “buffer zone”. The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), commissioned by UNESCO wrote a report asking for the whole project--already well under way--to be abandoned. After many consultations and what was described as “constructive dialogue”, a revised version of the construction was finally launched.

However, the archaeological crypt of the Winter 2015

ALEX LANGINI: UNESCO HAS ITS EYES ON THE CAPITAL

Saint-Esprit plateau that was supposed to be transformed into a museum at the same time has still not seen daylight, due to lack of budget.

But the judiciary centre has not been the only case where the City of Luxembourg has had to consult UNESCO and the ICOMOS experts. “We had to do it for the construction of the modern art museum [Mudam], for the extension of the Rham centre, for the passage between the Hôtel de Ville and the Bierger-Center, for the Pfaffenthal lift…,” explains Langini.

“We also had to inform UNESCO before renovating Adolphe Bridge; luckily we didn’t have to demolish any of it--that wouldn’t have been allowed.”

And every six years, a periodic report has to be submitted to the World Heritage Committee. “It’s a very precise questionnaire that establishes the state of conservation of the site,” he says.

Maybe it’s lucky that Luxembourg only has one site on the world heritage list.

As Langini reveals: “The Château de Vianden didn’t pass and we don’t have anything else to put on the list. Plus, setting up an application today costs between €500,000 and €1 million.”

With and without UNESCO, preserving Luxembourg’s treasures remains important, but is also increasingly difficult despite a lot of good intentions. “It is not easy,” confirms Langini. “On one hand there’s the pressure from the property developers, who will buy anything to tear it down, and on the other, there’s the Luxembourgish legislation which is no longer adapted to our current situation.” Next time you walk past a bit of the city’s legacy, stop and enjoy the moment. Because what you’re looking at is truly amazing--and also, a great part of Luxembourg’s identity.

To get to know Luxembourg’s fortifications and their history better, visit the Dräi Eechelen museum (www.m3e.public.lu), take a walk along the Wenzel or Vauban walks (www.lcto.lu) or contact the Friends of the Fortress association (www.ffgl.lu) organiser of many different tours.

A BRIEF HISTORY 963: Sigefroid, a count from the Moselle valley, builds a castle on the Rocher du Bock, laying the foundations of Luxembourg City.

1320: John the Blind starts the reinforcement of the fortifications.

1443: The Burgundians conquer Luxembourg and expand the fortifications.

1542: The fortress is taken by the French, and then by the Holy Roman Empire two years later. The first bastions are built.

1644: The Spanish start building tunnels.

1684: Successful siege by the French and massive rebuilding of the fortifications under the direction of Vauban the following years.

1698: The Spanish take control of the fortress, then the French (in 1701), then the Dutch (in 1713).

1715: Luxembourg comes under the control of the Austrian Habsburgs for 80 years. They complete the work begun by Vauban, adding outside forts, the Grund sluice and digging an underground defence system: the Casemates.

1795: The French block the city for nearly a year before they can take over. Impressed by the impregnability of the fortress, they call it the “Gibraltar of the North”.

1826: The Prussians begin a major renovation and add Fort Wedell.

1867: The London Treaty is signed. It is decided to dismantle the fortress to prevent conflict between Prussia and France.

More than 24km of underground defences and some 40,000 square meters of the Casemates, batteries, barracks are dismantled over the next 16 years.

1994: The fortress is added to the UNESCO world heritage list.

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CURRENT AFFAIRS

EDUCATION

Text by AARON GRUNWALD

"BAC" IN THE SOUTH

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M

ichel Lanners, a senior government advisor in Luxembourg’s education ministry, had hinted as much on 16 October. Speaking at an Amcham conference on schools for expat families, Lanners said English-language choices needed to expand outside the centre region of the country. Ideally he said that would be in the south to accommodate growing developments like the new University of Luxembourg’s Belval campus scheduled to open in the autumn of 2015 and the nearby science and technology research cluster already in operation.

Less than four weeks later the ministry announced that it will finance, build and run a new international school that will open its doors in the autumn of 2016.

That will be welcome relief for many international parents. English programmes are bursting at the seams at the state-run Athénée de Luxembourg and Lycée technique Michel Lucius, at the two semi-public European schools and the private St. George’s International School. Space will soon run out too at the private--but publically subsidised--International School of Luxembourg.

And the availability of quality schools is “an important element for a company, a foreign investor or a scientific specialist to move or not move to Luxembourg,” according to the ministry.

ENGLISH & FRENCH TRACKS The new international school in Differdange will adhere to European school standards, the education ministry said on 11 November. It will start the 2016 school year with one primary school class each for native Anglophones and Francophones, two each for the first year of secondary school, and four preparatory classes. Most students Winter 2015

will have to learn Luxembourgish and will also be able to take--depending on their mother tongue--English, French, German or Portuguese as foreign languages, the government stated.

The facility will ultimately have space for 1,400 students total, roughly the same size as the ISL in Merl.

The choice of Differdange was not entirely a surprise. The city has seen success renovating a former steel mill into the 1535°C creative professionals hub and is home to Miami University’s Luxem­bourg campus. Plus the education minister, Claude Meisch, was mayor of the town--the Grand Duchy’s third largest--from 2002 to 2013.

The school will be located on the Plateau du funiculaire, a 12 hectare green neighbourhood being built on another former industrial site.

“Construction works are expected to start in spring 2016,” a spokeswoman for the education ministry told Delano following the announcement. While classes are planned to begin in September 2016, they will be initially held in a temporary location.

ENGLISH EDUCATION Michel Lanners: it’s not all about the centre

The spokeswoman said that no director has yet been named and “the entire staff is expected to comprise more or less 160 people. They will be recruited according to the procedures applicable for the Éducation nationale [the country’s competitive examination for prospective teachers in French, German and Luxembourgish], but the language requirements will be adapted in accordance with the specificities of the school.”

Photo: Luc Deflorenne (archives)

The Grand Duchy’s education ministry is launching a new international school in Differdange.

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CURRENT AFFAIRS

SCIENCE

Text by STEPHEN EVANS

Photography by SVEN BECKER

MIND OVER MATTER TO BEAT PAIN? Can we use the power of thought to reduce long-term physical pain? Research by the University of Luxembourg suggests the answer might be “yes”.

RINGTONES The University of Luxembourg pain study replicates in humans the experiments first conducted over a hundred years ago by the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov. “Just as a ringing bell was able to make Pavlov’s dogs start salivating, so an analogous physiological effect occurs regarding the ability to mask pain in humans,” says Fernand Anton.

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ain is hugely important. It tells us in the clearest terms to change what we are doing and seek help. However, once the problem is identified and being dealt with we want the soreness to go away.

Most of us reach for anaesthetic drugs, but it would be healthier, cheaper and maybe more effective if we could train our brains to ignore nagging aches. A clue to how this is possible has been discovered at the University of Luxembourg.

It came from work by Fernand Anton, professor of biological psychology, and his PhD student Raymonde Scheuren, the lead researcher in this study.

Most of us are aware that a new pain in another part of the body cancels an older one. For example, many people react to stubbing their toe by biting their knuckle. Scientists have proven that we all have this reflex, a response which makes sense as it awakens us to a new, potentially more dangerous threats. The university research probed this phenomenon further.

MORE FINDINGS AT: WWW.UNI.LU/RESEARCH

SHOCK EXPERIMENTS Volunteers agreed to have a constant series of electric shocks administered to one of their feet. They then plunged a hand into a bucket of icy water, and the sharp cold largely blanked out the stinging being inflicted elsewhere. The novelty of this experiment was that each time the volunteers dunked their hands, a telephone ringtone sounded.

This was repeated several times, a process which conditioned the brain to associate sharp coldness in the hand with the noise. After a while, simply playing the ringtone was enough to reduce pain in the foot. The fact that the electric shocks hurt less was Winter 2015

ACHY RESEARCH Professor Fernand Anton and Raymonde Scheuren look at how the brain handles pain

confirmed by the volunteers themselves and through the researchers’ pain measuring technology.

This effect wore off quite quickly as the mind realised it was being tricked.

However it shows the potential for us to train ourselves into having a higher pain threshold. Further research is needed to find out if this effect is due mainly to the mind asking the body to release pain-deadening hormones, or if the key is a more subtle mental trick.

This is probably one of the ways athletes are able to break through the

pain barrier as they push their bodies to the limit. It may also explain how other researchers have found that sacred images can reduce pain in people with religious faith.

This research might also go someway to explain psychosomatic disorders.

Many people feel pain despite there being no physical cause, a condition which is thought to be due to mental stress. “Similar learning effects may be involved in the enhancement and maintenance of pain in some patients,” says Scheuren.

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UPFRONT

BUSINESS The cumulative weight of the air freight Cargolux said it carried between Luxembourg and its new hub in Zhengzhou from 16 June to 24 November.

(That is roughly equivalent to 100 blue whales.)

The final 725 tonnes were fresh cherries imported from Chile to China via the Grand Duchy.

"THE COMMISSION CANNOT ACCEPT THAT A MEMBER STATE IN THE EXCESSIVE DEFICIT PROCEDURE DOES NOT FULFILL ITS DUTY VIS-À-VIS THE OTHER MEMBER STATES." PIERRE MOSCOVICI

France’s new European commissioner telling the European Parliament economic affairs committee that he would “not shy away” from action against “a small member state or a big member state” who run afoul of EU balanced budget rules.

TICKER

ArcelorMittal’s iconic former headquarters on avenue de la Liberté will be bought by the state savings bank BCEE and not, as previously reported by RTL, Bank of China. >>> The European Court of Justice ruled that EU member states can deny welfare benefits to citizens from other EU countries who have not paid into the local social system. >>> The European General Court in Kirchberg sided with Ryanair in its claim that Ireland not levying air travel tax on transit passengers was illegal state aid to the budget carrier’s domestic competitors. >>> Local mobile payments firm Digicash said the cities of Luxembourg and Esch added its QR codes as payment options for all council invoices. >>> R&D expenditure in Luxembourg dropped from 1.63% to 1.16% of GDP between 2004 and 2013, according to Eurostat. >>> Luxembourg financial regulator CSSF gave its approval for the first fund to trade shares through the new “direct link” between the Hong Kong and Shanghai stock exchanges. >>> A Statec survey found 20% of Luxembourg firms with more than 10 staff touted their “corporate social responsibility” or “sustainable development” plans on their websites. >>> European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said the European Investment Bank would seed €5bn and EU would guarantee €16bn towards a new €315bn infrastructure investment scheme to jumpstart the European economy. >>> Luxembourg was the 5th most “globally connected” country in 2013, down from 4th most connected in 2010-12, according to a report published by the global logistics firm DHL. Winter 2015

THE ONE STOP SHOPKEEPER

Luxembourg and the EU could mount a serious challenge to the traditional alternative investment fund centres (like the Cayman Islands) over the medium term, Marc Saluzzi, ALFI chairman, recently told Delano. “We have to convince institutional investors that it is worthwhile to have fully regulated funds.”

The 2008 crisis showed how unregulated funds can run into problems, so he argued the cost of regulation would be worthwhile for many. “We need an efficient toolbox and we must make sure that procedures are simplified and automated, and then we will be able to make a competitive offer to the market.”

In short, more than ever Luxembourg needs to make sure it is a “one-stopshop” for funds.

Speaking onstage at the ALFI European Alternative Investment Funds Conference, Jean Guill, chief of the Luxembourg regulator CSSF (pictured), said he was aware of bottlenecks in his agency’s handling of license applications.

But he also called on the industry to play their part to help speed things up: “I appeal to those who haven’t already applied to be careful and not wait too much longer.”

More from the conference: www.delano.lu/ALFIalternatives14

Photos: Steve Eastwood > Stefano Mortellaro/Creative Commons > European Parliament

10,000 TONNES

POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE MARKS

The Grand Duchy lags behind Germany in customer service and “four out of ten consumers are not satisfied with customer service in Luxembourg,” according to study by Quest, a market research firm, and the consultancy Customer Xperience First.

Mobile phone operators and telecom providers scored worst in the survey: 23% rated quality as “very poor” while six in ten said it was “average”.

Insurance providers and banks were rated best: more than 40% said customer service was “excellent”.

Dissatisfied customers said they were just as likely to complain about bad experiences as to simply switch firms.

“Better staff friendliness, customer service quality and sales person competencies” led many Luxembourg residents to shop in Germany, the report said.

Photos: Benjamin Champenois > Annabelle Denham

DOUR CONSUMERS

Luxembourg households expect to spend €665 on the year-end holidays (including gifts and meals), down from an estimated budget of €825 in 2013, according to survey by the consulting firm Deloitte. Nearly half (48%) “think that their spending power will further deteriorate” next year and 47% “are negative about the future state of the economy.”

CARTE BLANCHE

THE WAITER AND THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT Simple moves by front-line staff can make a huge difference in customer service, reckons Rana Hein-Hartmann.

I recently boarded a European flight when the plane was delayed. Part of the air conditioning unit wasn’t functioning--apparently even small planes need two, should one break down.

I’m English, and us folks know what a passive aggressive tone sounds like; we practically invented it. The problem wasn’t the unit itself; it was the way the steward communicated with the lady sitting next to me. Ok, so it was not his fault the unit was broken, but when you’re the only representative of a brand, and the company messes up, you can’t respond as if this has absolutely nothing to do with you. That’s what being in business is about. Or you might as well be at home playing solitaire. Perhaps while reading the jobs section of the paper.

Later, you can go home and moan about your day, go into a sulk, eat some chocolate, whatever you want, but you can’t do it right here and right now, on the job. Not while you have work to do, and sometimes that is to say ‘sorry’. A few days later I ate at a restaurant where I had eaten before.

Firstly the waiter approached me quickly as he saw I was eating solo, and remembered me apparently because he knew I was pescetarian, and opened the menu to the fish. Dinner was excellent and I left a friendly tip. Great service.

Both the waiter and the air steward are neither the most technical, nor the best paid people in the firms they represent, but if they connect with your clients, does it matter? The reputation of your whole firm lies in their hands, at the tip of their tongue, in every interaction with the client you are trying to build. You can have the most gifted, skilled people at the back, but with the wrong people at the front, even in apparently “lower level” roles, the whole thing falls down, because they don’t treat your clients

well. They don’t make your clients feel good.

They don’t represent you.

A few years back I remember when First Direct opened its doors in the UK. I say opened its doors, but actually they don’t have any. They are a virtual bank, without physical branches.

It’s an online and phone service. It didn’t stop them from becoming the fastest growing retail bank in the UK for decades. Their offering was simple: make their customers happy, through great service. That was it.

If you don’t think this is tangible, try looking at the number of awards the bank has won in the last five years; it tops every single satisfaction survey produced in the UK. Just in 2014: Best Banking Brand Award, Most Trusted Financial Advisor, Best Overall Satisfaction Award. Their secret?

They don’t under-deliver. Their call centres are UK-based, open 24/7, no robots and answering machines, just people. People who listen.

In a world where we are being constantly marketed to and advertised at, here for the first time, is a bank which believes that simple, old-fashioned word of mouth will drive results.

And they are not wrong. Their customers trust them; in 2014, a whopping 63% recommended them. Their strong financials show the power of treating your customers right in delivering top-line growth.

Fortunately you can fly small planes on short flights with just one air conditioning unit working, so we didn’t need to put the air steward out for too long. The waiter however, I’ll see him again soon. First Direct? Well, that’s my bank.

Rana Hein-Hartmann is EMEA director of Funds Partnership, a recruitment firm specialised in the funds sector.

Winter 2015

BUSINESS

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SNAPSHOTS

Text by TONYA STONEMAN

Photography by LALA LA PHOTO

FEARLESS FEMMES

MORE HIGHLIGHTS: WWW.DELANO.LU/ FEARLESSFEMMES14

W

endy Diamond asked herself, “there’s a cream puff donut day, turtle day, bubble bath day, lost penny day--why on earth isn’t there a Women’s Entrepreneurship Day?” before launching the official WED. The inaugural event was celebrated on 19 November in 144 countries.

Two weeks before that, Katarzyna Kolodziejczyk, co-founder of an internet start-up, decided to bring the event to the Grand Duchy. An entrepreneur herself, she has experienced the noticeable void of women in the start-up community, often attending pitch sessions in which no women present. “There are not enough places for women,” she says.

She had hoped for 30 women to attend, but 147 people registered (and 40 more were on the wait list), including Agnieszka Czupryn, who moved to Luxembourg two years ago from Poland. She finds balancing a family and her ambitions is hard, but was encouraged by WED. “This event is fantastic,” she says. “It shows women from Lux that they matter and they can inspire others.” Indeed, the conference did just that.

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FIRST WED LUXEMBOURG A. Organiser Katarzyna Kolodziejczyk during Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Luxembourg B. Madiha Arif listens to panelists at the University of Luxembourg Kirchberg campus C. Ben Fatma Marc and Joanne Theisen D. Panelists with organiser from left: Dot Bekker, Rana HeinHartmann, Genna Elvin, Katarzyna Kolodziejczyk, Dr. Patrice Caire, Aude Lemogne and Feyrouz Ashoura (speakers Marjut Santoni and Amy Rose not pictured) E. Nadia Mulebo, Aleksandra Kowalczyk, Krystina Charniak and Lisa Francis-Jennings F. Angelique Supka and Viktoria Valdimarsdottir G. Pamela Alfaro, Michelle Pereira Jakobs and Diana Igna H. Natalia Durus, Silvia Hermeneanu, Dana Moldoveanu, Cassandra Francis and Katarzyna Switalska I. Serge Afanou and Annabelle Buffart

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BRAND LUXEMBOURG

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COVER STORY

Text by DUNCAN ROBERTS

Photography by JULIEN BECKER & MIKE ZENARI

In the midst of the LuxLeaks storm and preparations for Luxembourg’s presidency of the European Union in the latter half of 2015, the government’s initiative to create a strong brand image for the Grand Duchy is more challenging and urgent than ever.

CULTURAL AMBASSADORS Talented artists from Luxembourg have been earning critical acclaim abroad: how do they represent the country and in today’s global village does it matter that they come from the Grand Duchy?

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hen Luxembourg co-production Mr. Hublot won the Academy Award for best animated short film at the Oscar’s ceremony earlier this year, the whole country took pride in the achievement of writer and co-director Laurent Witz and his team. Speaking shortly after Witz returned to the Grand Duchy with the gold statuette, the director of the Luxembourg Film Fund, Guy Daleiden said he thought Luxembourg should strike while the iron was still hot and use the award to showcase the country’s innovation and creativity. “We can use this to show that Luxembourg is much more than the financial services industry. To show that there is something different going on. Everyone knows what an Oscar is,”

Winter 2015

he said. And, indeed, a recent trade mission to South Korea and Japan did include Daleiden leading a delegation of representatives from the local animation industry. Daleiden said he was pleasantly surprised by how much industry professionals in Asia knew about the Luxembourg animation sector thanks to Mr. Hublot and a nomination in the animated feature category for another co-production, Ernest & Célestine.

Elsewhere around the globe, from Beijing to the Nevada desert via Berlin and Paris, Luxembourg artists are attracting huge audiences. Sun Glitters, Luxembourg-born electronica music artist Victor Ferreira, has just played three shows in China. Acclaimed by critics writing for the likes of Dazed & Confused, the BBC, Pitchfork and The Guardian, Sun Glitters is earning a reputation as a pioneer of ambient glitch.

He loves to travel and tell people about the Grand Duchy. “They have never heard that Luxembourg has a music scene, so I am creating some interest,” he says. And he helps local artists that

he admires reach a broader audience by regularly posting their music via social media. Jazz vibraphone player Pascal Schumacher--Luxembourg’s most successful music export of 2012 according to promotion platform MusicLX--has performed in Berlin and other major European cities before setting off in early 2015 for another tour of Japan, where he is becoming increasingly popular. In 2014, classical pianist Jean Muller this year has played in prestigious halls in Paris, Warsaw, London, Mexico and even New York’s Carnegie Hall.

TANGIBLE EFFORT This is the sort of opportunity that could be taken advantage of in the same manner as Mr. Hublot’s success. But are the artists even conscious that they are representing Luxembourg? And can their success abroad really be harnessed into something tangible that could be used as part of the government’s renewed nation branding effort?

Magician David Goldrake says he was not fully aware of playing such a

Winter 2015

DAVID GOLDRAKE

"THERE IS SO MUCH TALENT IN THE ARTS..."

COVER STORY

CONTINUED

"I WANT EVERYONE TO SAY ‘WOW!’"

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role until 2002. “That was when an American magician friend of mine said I should really start pushing that I was from Luxembourg.” Goldrake admits he was sceptical at first, but the American insisted that it was a unique selling point.

“He told me, ‘you are very small, exotic, you have a grand duke…’.” Shortly afterwards, at a performance in the Magic Castle in Hollywood, Goldrake and his team first launched a routine into his show in which he plays with a road sign and gently mocks the size of the country. “In December that year, at a children’s show at the palace, the grand duchess told me Winter 2015

she thought I was a good ambassador for Luxembourg, that it was important to have people who travel the world promoting Luxembourg.” Even this summer during a two-month residency in Reno--“where the lost souls of this world flock to gamble and find happiness,” he says--Goldrake introduced himself as a Luxembourger and was pleasantly surprised when people knew of the country or told him they had actually visited the Grand Duchy.

“The feedback I get from them is mixed,” he explains. “The ‘tax paradise’ is still a big thing, especially now, but I tell them it is not really the case. That

JEAN-CLAUDE BINTZ Can sell intangible business spirit

is something that should be worked on.

I tell them we had a huge steel industry and that ArcelorMittal is based here.”

Some people fell for the cliché by thinking Luxembourg was part of Germany. But misconceptions about Luxembourg do not just exist in the United States. Goldrake has been questioned in Paris and Cologne about whether Luxembourg was in the EU. On a more positive note, Goldrake notes that many people abroad are aware of the Schleck brothers--at least they were during the peak of their powers, when Andy and Fränk regularly placed on the podium at the Tour de France. “But it is the Luxembourg mentality that when you are a success they love you and hail you, but if you make a mistake or a pseudo mistake, they kill you right away.”

Goldrake would like the government to be more proactive in promoting artists and entertainers abroad, maybe encouraging a tour to help market a different image of Luxembourg. And he would like institutions to be more flexible in providing support to artists. “I looked into the options for getting financial or sponsorship support, but every time it was: ‘Well this works for a company, but not for you.’ There is so much money sitting there, but really… The people are trying to help, but committees run the entities. You have to fit a mould.”

But then, he says, Luxembourgers are raised in a specific way. “There is a civil servant mentality. It can also be a very nepotistic world and for many there is still a sense of protectionism, that Luxembourg should remain this small secure island. Luxembourgers need to open their minds to more diversity, must be aware that there are many facets to the country that nobody talks about.

There is so much talent in the arts, in the fashion industry, even in craftsmanship.”

PRIDE It is this sense of pride that Jean-Claude Bintz would like to be at the forefront of the thinking about nation branding.

The marketing and communications expert has recently been made chairman of the board of the Rockhal (he also chairs the board of the company that publishes Delano). “We need to create a brand. We should all be proud of the country and of what we have, and not

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just Luxembourgers, but expats and even people who are thinking of coming here.

And we should be proud without being nationalist.” Bintz even thinks this pride and solidarity should be transferred into a willingness to give up certain privileges and accept government efforts to balance the budget. “If the country is taking out loans to pay civil service salaries, then there is something wrong.”

The timing of the nation branding project is perfect, says Bintz, and not just because of the LuxLeaks stories which saw everyone in Luxembourg jump to the country’s defence. Indeed, nation branding was on the list of policy priorities when the current so-called Gambia coalition drafted its programme for Luxembourg for the next five years in November last year--a programme on which Bintz, as a socialist party member and electoral candidate, worked.

“We want Luxembourg to be known as a place that is good to live, to work and to set up a company,” he says. To help achieve this, he thinks Luxembourg’s official ambassadors serve as a “network of sales people… They are in constant contact with companies, not just when the grand duke is there on a mission, and this is excellent.” As an influential businessman, Bintz also recognises the distinct advantages the Grand Duchy has to offer, even if they are somewhat spurious arguments such as the country’s multilingual working population, and the accessibility of its politicians. “But Luxembourg’s business-friendly spirit is something that can be sold, even if it is intangible.”

He also sees great advantages in the country’s state-of-the-art ICT sector, especially its fibre-optic cable and data centre networks.

"A LITTLE COUNTRY WITH MORE TO ITS REPERTOIRE THAN TAX BREAKS." SUBEDITOR, THE ECONOMIST

The Rockhal is an example of how the government has broadened its attitude over the last decade or so. Now celebrating its tenth anniversary and together with the Philharmonie, and the new space den Atelier is planning at LuxExpo, it is a venue that can really sell Luxembourg Winter 2015

as a centre of excellence for music.

“I know that visiting artists and management really like the Rockhal. It attracts French and Germans and Belgians from across the border. Concerts at the Rockhal are even mentioned on [Belgian radio station] Classic 21, because the Belgians want to know what is happening there.”

Even though Bintz’s Moskito agency was an applicant to win the tender to execute the nation branding project, (eventually won by Comed working with German agency ConceptX) he is still terribly keen for the final project to succeed. “I want everyone who gets a brochure or sees an audio-visual campaign connected with nation branding to say ‘wow!’”

A COUNTRY IN SEARCH OF IDENTITY There is a real need for Luxembourg to clearly define its image in the world, to find a unique and authentic identity. Delano speaks with secretary of state at the ministry of the economy in charge of the nation branding project, Francine Closener.

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uxembourg’s nation branding process started a few years ago under the initiative of senior civil servants, but was really kick-started under the current government. It was made a priority in the policy declaration agreed by the three coalition parties at the start of the current legislature. A budget was passed in April this year, with the seal of approval from the council of state. “The idea is to promote the image of Luxembourg in the world,” says secretary of state at the ministry of the economy Francine Closener, who has been charged with overseeing the project. “LuxLeaks has proven once more that Luxembourg is always being viewed, from abroad, as a financial centre and, even worse, as a

fiscal paradise. All the other strengths of the country are never mentioned.”

Studies have shown that the image of a country has a significant impact on its economy, and Closener is concerned that the LuxLeaks scandal has demonstrated just how vulnerable Luxembourg is because it is associated solely with the finance sector. “I am sure that if there were a similar SwissLeaks scandal, Switzerland would not suffer to the same extent because it is associated with other things such as chocolates, watches… all the things that immediately spring to mind.” On the other hand, when foreigners do visit Luxembourg they are enthralled. So the challenge lies in getting the country on the map for the right reasons. Work is already in progress under the auspices of an inter-ministerial and inter-institutional committee incorporating the Chamber of Commerce, Luxembourg for Business, Luxembourg for Finance, the National Tourist Office and the Royal Court.

The committee, under the steerage of Sasha Baillie from the ministry of the

economy and coordinated by Tania Berchem from the foreign ministry, was charged with finding a local communications agency with which it would work on developing the brand. A public tender for ideas was won by Comed in association with German branding experts ConceptX. The first phase of the branding process has involved an opinion poll conducted by local outfit TNS-Ilres, and a series of interviews with different discussion groups--Luxembourgers, expat residents and cross-border workers--as well as interviews with decision makers in a number of relevant sectors. “The idea is to get a global picture of Luxembourg’s current strengths and weaknesses,” Closener explains.

The second, “participatory phase” will implicate the public even more via the launch of an internet platform inviting comments and suggestions as well as workshops with actors from business, culture and politics that will attempt to define the image of Luxembourg. “We need to agree, and this is very important, on what sort of character the country has. For instance, Sweden is typically a social state, very protective, whereas Switzerland maybe sees itself as more of a rebel, small and neat but defiant.”

Only after the character has been defined can the brand be agreed upon, says Closener. And it will be a longterm process. “Once we have found the common denominator, there is no point in telling ourselves ‘ok, that’s it’ and launching a one-off campaign.

The Swiss have been working on their image for 40 years, and it continues to develop just as the country continues to develop.” However, there is a sense of urgency to have some results ready in time for Luxembourg’s presidency of the EU in the second half of 2015.

AUTHENTICITY Closener and Berchem make it clear that the project currently underway is not just about creating a logo or finding a banal slogan in order to sell Luxembourg, but that the process should be about content and developing a more fundamental image. “I don’t like using

"I THINK... EXPATS ARE THE BEST AMBASSADORS WE HAVE."

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

the term national identity, because that can be abused by certain political factions against anything that isn’t Luxembourgish. But it is about identity, including the expats. I think sometimes our expats are the best ambassadors we have. We Luxembourgers sometimes are too modest when we are abroad.”

Closener is determined to deliver a brand image with which Luxembourg residents can identify. “What is important is that the brand that we define must be authentic. That is a necessity for it to be credible both abroad and at home. And it must be something

that is unique, to distinguish ourselves from other countries. We know we are small, innovative and European… but the Baltic countries can say the same.

So that by itself is not enough. And the image must not be contradictory. And finally it must be useful for all actors that need to apply it.” Closener uses the example of Sweden again and the way that for decades car maker Volvo has cleverly employed the country’s image as a protector of its people to promote its vehicles as being the safest in the world. “It is perfect the way the image of the country and that of the

FRANCINE CLOSENER Brand Luxembourg must be useful for all actors that need to apply it

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Text by STEPHEN EVANS

car industry go hand-in-hand and profit from one another. That’s how it should be, and that is how I imagine it working in Luxembourg.”

one of France’s “sensitive urban zones” which offer exemptions from tax and social security payments. Germany has “free ports” where businesses can escape duties and taxes. Then there is tax planning by multinational companies.

For example, Luxembourg-based steel industry number one ArcelorMittal has a complicated network of daughter companies around the globe. They buy raw materials and transform these into products which are then sold. Each of the millions of transactions involved have tax implications. A lack of planning would land the firm with big tax bills and prices would rise dramatically.

"BIZARRE, BEGUILING… ONE OF EUROPE’S BEST-KEPT SECRETS" WILLIAM COOK, TRAVEL WRITER FOR THE INDEPENDENT

There have been branding exercises of a sort before, of course. Back in 2010 a series of films titled Is It True What They Say… was launched to great fanfare. But the Grand Duchy still lingers among the lower places in the Nation Brand Index, ranking 22nd overall out of the 50 countries surveyed by Simon Anholt and his team.

“Rationally we know what our strengths are, but we need to capture the emotional element. That is the most interesting question.”

"LUXEMBOURG’S FREEWHEELING WAYS ARE GAINING IT FEW FRIENDS IN NEARBY BRUSSELS." BUSINESS DAY COLUMN, SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

LUXLEAKS: IS LUXEMBOURG EVIL? The positive benefits of multinational corporate tax avoidance.

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aston Vogel wrote: “Our city is dead and the country hurt and humiliated by all these financial jugglers who darken the Grand Duchy’s horizons.” Thus the local lawyer signed off his open letter to the prime minister in which he expressed his shame at the LuxLeaks revelations (see box on page 30). So if high profile Luxembourgers are joining the torrent of international abuse against Luxembourg’s corporate finance industry, surely the country must be up to no good. Right?

When headlines around the world scream, “Luxembourg helps corporations avoid billions in tax,” most readers get the idea and move on. But by doing so they fail to understand that this

Winter 2015

country and many others play a vitally important role in the global economy.

Not everything is perfect. But what is?

Companies are good for us because they make the things we need and they provide jobs. They don’t do this because they are nice, but to make money for their owners. Indirectly, we are the owners via our pension and life insurance savings, most of which is invested in company shares. We want successful companies, making the best stuff at a good price. On the whole, laws and consumer pressure prevent businesses doing things we don’t want, like employing children and polluting.

Thus it is in all our interests that companies are as efficient as possible. This includes finding ways to pay as little tax as possible. There are many ways to do this. For example, they might locate in

They can do this thanks to treaties that prevent foreign investors from being taxed twice on their profits.

Luxembourg is so popular with the world’s governments that it has signed these “double tax treaties” with 75 countries, including all EU member states and most OECD countries. It is not an exaggeration to say that the world economy would shrink dramatically without these tax treaties.

However, protesters object to perceived excessive creativeness in the way tax is managed. For example, a profitable part of a multinational business might lend money to a Luxembourg company, which then charges interest. This transfers profits between countries without any new output being generated. Beforehand, the Luxembourg company will have agreed a low tax rate with the authorities.

Take a real life case from LuxLeaks, reported in Britain’s Guardian newspaper. UK-based drug-company Shire had sales of $5bn in 2013, of which twothirds were from North America.

Group profits were taxed at an average of about half the standard rate in the USA. This was thanks largely to the Luxembourg finance company making profits of $1.9bn which were taxed at

Photos: Cornischong/Creative Commons Charles Caratini (archives) Creative Commons

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less than 1%. Much of this came from intra-company loans. At first sight this looks immoral as the USA (the location of most of Shire’s business) loses out on corporate tax. However, as the graphic on the right shows, when looked at globally these profits are not “lost”, as is implied by anti tax-avoidance campaigners. Shire has to do something with the money it has moved to Luxembourg. It could pay out profits in a dividend or it could save the cash for later. Alternatively it could spend on research into perfecting the drugs it makes to combat ADHD, Crohn’s disease and rare genetic disorders. In all cases, these activities will be taxed somewhere.

"A FEW HEDONISTIC DAYS IN THE GRAND DUCHY WILL OVERTURN THE STEREOTYPE OF A BORING COUNTRY OF BANKERS AND EUROCRATS."

AN EXAMPLE OF TAX OPTIMISATION

Luxembourg benefits, but who else?

01. FRENCH company FRENCHIE SA wants to open a factory in POLAND

02. It uses its LUXEMBOURG company to minimise tax

03. FRENCHIE’S POLISH operations work well

POLAND gets: Jobs Sales taxes, employee-income taxes, etc.

New products

KEITH KAHN-HARRIS, THE GUARDIAN

Another question is how would you prevent this legal tax avoidance? You cannot forbid multinationals from lending internally and rules exist already to prevent excessively high interest rates being charged. Luxembourg is a sovereign country which can set the tax rates it wants. So is Ireland, the Netherlands, the UK, the USA and Switzerland, all of which allow for similar activity on their territory.

Moreover, agreements between firms and tax offices are made in most industrialised countries (including 22 EU member states), with this principal having received the backing of the European Commission.

“Fiscal certainty is essential to the proper management of complex, multi-jurisdictional business transactions, and for determining international financial accounting reporting obligations,” said Rick Minor, the ex-head of AOL Europe’s operation in Luxembourg.

New, complicated rules to prevent legal tax planning would harm trade, increase prices, and would cost jobs. The world’s governments know this. This is why they, as much as Luxembourg’s, probably hope this LuxLeaks saga will blow over quickly.

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04. FRENCHIE’S POLISH profits go to Luxembourg

05. FRENCHIE’S bosses in PARIS then decide to…

A. Invest in a new factory in ROMANIA

B. Keep these funds in LUXEMBOURG. This causes FRENCHIE’S share prices to rise.

C. Pay a dividend to shareholders on the PARIS Bourse

06. Shares are sold: capital gains taxed in FRANCE

06. Dividends taxed in FRANCE

A SCANDAL ERUPTS This international media storm was the most ferocious ever to hit this country.

In a coordinated move, on 5 November, media outlets around the world splashed news about how Luxembourg had agreed deals with over 500 international firms, enabling many of them to pay less than 1% tax on profits.

Around 28,000 pages of details were released about these “advanced tax rulings”, documents that originated from a theft from the local offices of consulting firm PwC in 2010.

Catchily named “LuxLeaks”, this story made headlines around the globe and exposed local politicians to fierce questioning for several days. Their main line of defence is that 22 of the 28 EU member states also issue these advanced tax rulings. They allow companies to plan and give countries relatively easy access to tax revenue. The European Commission has approved their use on numerous occasions.

European and world politicians used the opportunity to repeat calls for action to end tax avoidance. This could be achieved by harmonising tax laws across the EU, but there has been little appetite for this policy in the past. The European Commission has said it will seek to resuscitate previously failed efforts to do something.

Some feel the timing of the leak was not an accident, coming as it did five days after Jean-Claude Juncker, the ex-Luxembourg prime minister, took over as commission president.

Photos: Jessica Theis (archives) International Consortium of Investigative Journalists European Commission

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Les salons de la ville The venue in the heart of the City

Salles de prestige Centre de conférences Expositions Rendez-vous culturel Cercle Cité • Place d’Armes • Luxembourg • info@cerclecite.lu • T.+352 47 96-51 33

www.cerclecite.lu

f

“Public Performance Auditing”

Save the date!

“Public Performance Auditing” (PPA) goes beyond the classic principles of a traditional audit thus ensuring that public institutions shift from a logic of means towards a logic of results. Rather than concentrating on the financial aspects only, PPA takes a close look at the efficiency of spending objectives through optimisation methods.

The IUIL has developed a unique training programme which will be held by renowned experts.

WHEN?

Launch date: March 2015

WHERE?

Luxembourg: IUIL (Munsbach)

WHAT?

Introduction on basic principles of PPA + practical approach on different subjects like risk analysis, reporting, cost/benefit analysis, sustainability and Public Private Partnerships 6 modules, 150 hours of quality training over a period of 10 months held by auditing experts via a mix of lectures, case studies and round table discussions

Each participant who successfully passes the assessments will receive a certificate of competency.

For more information and details on registration, please check our website. As places are limited we recommend registering now!

Institut Universitaire International Luxembourg Karina PEREIRA

karina.pereira@iuil.lu Tél. : +352 26 15 92 54 Fax : +352 26 15 92 28 31, rue du Parc L-5374 Munsbach www.iuil.lu

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BUSINESS

REAL ESTATE

Text by AARON GRUNWALD

Photography by SVEN BECKER

SHOW ME THE GREEN Standardised standards will boost the sustainable property market, speakers argued at a recent real estate conference hosted by PwC.

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n 5 November the Luxembourg office of consultancy PwC had hoped to be in the press for another reason. That was the day the “LuxLeaks” exposé--of how the Grand Duchy’s tax service treated requests made by many of the firm’s clients--was reported by 33 major media outlets in 22 countries (see previous story). But PwC wanted to talk about green buildings.

The firm had organised a private conference on sustainable development in the real estate sector for that day, and Delano spoke with three of the scheduled speakers in advance of the event.

Indeed, the Grand Duchy is one of the leaders in sustainable construction, with about 12% of certified footprint in Europe, according to Laurent Rouach, a partner in PwC Luxembourg’s sustainability practice--which advises clients on things like buildings’ energy and water efficiency, and not on tax matters. That figure is boosted by the presence of many European institutions, which pay attention to such things, he said.

ALPHABET SOUP “Often, lease requirements include certification to a green building standard, such as BREEAM, DGND or LEED, and tenants will actively move to space in the most sophisticated buildings,” said Nils Kok, CEO of GRESB, an Amsterdam-based outfit that “collects information regarding the sustainability performance of property companies and funds.” He noted that: “This leads to construction of very high quality assets and increased depreciation of non-green buildings. Luxembourg now has more than 40 green buildings, and many more to come.”

Winter 2015

BEYOND SIMPLE STANDARDS PwC’s Laurent Rouach (on left) and GRESB’s Nils Kok just prior to the consultancy’s sustainable real estate conference

While regulations set the tone, “a functioning market should ultimately drive sustainability,” Kok argued. And for that to happen, “we need transparency in the performance of assets and portfolio[s]” including “standardised green building certification schemes.

Such performance benchmarks and certification schemes can inform financial markets, allowing investors and lenders to incorporate sustainability in their investment decision-making.”

That is easier said than done. There are no less than six different certification schemes in the Grand Duchy, Rouach said, although they tend to fall into two different categories: construction standards or operational efficiency. The latter is more popular in his view; PwC has worked on these types of certifications for 22 buildings in Luxembourg.

Over the past decade, “it is fair to say that most of the market has moved on from the question of ‘why do it?’ to ‘how

to do it’ which is why it is important to provide professionals with the necessary tools to actually be able to face the new challenges in their daily work,” Ursula Hartenberger, global head of sustainability at the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, said prior to the conference (due to an injury, she was unable to travel from Brussels and did not end up speaking at the event).

She would like to see “the widespread establishment of centralised open access building information databases” that link “property transaction data to building sustainability performance data which will help the analysis of the economic impact of the existence of sustainability features on property transaction prices.”

In Hartenberger’s future, checking such figures would even become a standard reflex and “the non-availability of such data may be ultimately perceived as an additional risk factor by potential buyers or investors.”

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BUSINESS

FUNDS

Text by AARON GRUNWALD

Photography by MIKE ZENARI

CHANGE IN OWNERSHIP Bank bosses say business is back to booming. Where does RBC’s Luxembourg unit want to go now?

I

t is a huge global institution but Delano wanted to hear about the bank’s plans specifically in the Grand Duchy; there is no difference between the two, was the reply. “Luxembourg is absolutely a key tenant to our global strategies,” Harry Samuel, CEO of RBC Investor & Treasury Services’ worldwide business and director of RBC Europe, said during a recent interview at the bank’s iconic big red tower in Esch-Belval.

It seems everyone in Luxembourg knows the building, but not everyone knows exactly what goes on inside it.

The RBC unit is essentially a bank for the fund firms that in turn, in the Grand Duchy, manage more than €3 trillion in investors’ money. “We administer Luxembourg-domiciled fund structures, meaning, providing all the administrative support for these funds and safekeeping, so holding the assets on behalf of those investment funds,” explained Sébastien Danloy, who is RBC Investor & Treasury Services’ head of continental Europe and Luxembourg managing director.

BIG CHANGES SINCE 2012 Two and a half years ago the business had a different name and ownership structure. RBC Dexia Investor Services was a 50-50 joint venture launched in 2006 between Royal Bank of Canada and the Franco-Belgian bank Dexia.

While the joint venture’s operations were never fundamentally in question, Dexia was hit hard by the financial crisis that began in 2008 and ended up being bailed out by the Belgian, French and Luxembourg states. RBC bought out Dexia’s 50% stake in 2012.

At the beginning of that year, government statistics bureau Statec said RBC Dexia had 1,580 employees.

Winter 2015

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After the buy-out was announced, many of them were concerned that jobs would be cut in the integration process. Danloy, who had only joined the outfit as Luxembourg managing director the year before, told Delano in April 2012 that the takeover would “not have any impact on staff levels in Luxembourg.”

"TOTAL DEPOSIT GROWTH HAS BEEN NEARLY 50% SINCE THE ACQUISITION." HARRY SAMUEL

But indeed--in what is clearly a sensitive topic for the company--jobs were cut. “The number that was in the press was 288,” Danloy told Delano in November 2014, in a tone that expressed his disapproval of that figure being reported by the media. “The final outcome was much lower than that number” because he and Samuel said the firm first eliminated contract and temporary workers, redeployed staff internally into vacant positions and offered voluntary redundancies before making any compulsory lay-offs.

Samuel said: “It’s a deep held belief that we have within RBC about being open, transparent and fair with our employees and with our clients, and despite the fact that it was a very difficult decision, and it was not arrived at lightly, and I honestly wouldn’t want to have to do something like that again, and I didn’t want to do it at the time, but, it was necessary.”

The firm did not confirm how many staff were let go despite being asked repeatedly during the interview. The executives did subsequently say that RBC currently employed between 1,300 and 1,350 people in Luxembourg.

In any event the soft economic climate was putting pressure on the firm’s cost structure and “as with any acquisition, in any organisation, you’re going to have some duplication” of positions, Samuel

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LUXEMBOURG LANDMARK A. Royal Bank of Canada’s Harry Samuel and Sébastien Danloy B. At the top of the iconic red tower in Esch-Belval

stated. But he added that some staff, in the HR and legal departments for example, actually gained larger roles and now have “much greater opportunities as part of RBC than they could have enjoyed as part of the joint venture.”

TURNING THE (MAPLE) LEAF The company canteen in Esch-Belval reportedly now serves authentic Canadian maple syrup, but that is not the real benefit of its new structure. RBC is Canada’s largest and the world’s 12th largest bank by market capitalisation.

So in Danloy’s view, “becoming 100% owned by RBC has also given to our employees and our clients a very strong shareholder and when you look at the stability of the company, the credit rating, the balance sheet of RBC, the way RBC went through the last few years in the financial turmoil in a very strong way, I think that has really given us a lot of strength… for our business and for our clients’ business as well.”

Indeed, the ratings agency Moody’s downgraded RBC Dexia’s credit score

two notches (out of 21) while the 2012 deal was closing, in large part because of Dexia group’s worsening financial condition at the time; after the deal closed the unit immediately gained RBC’s top notch status.

And “total deposit growth has been nearly 50% since the acquisition,” which in Samuel’s view has been “driven by clients feeling much more comfortable” with the beefier entity. Now that “those two years of integration and restructuring are behind us and it is about growing the business.”

“Today if you look at our business in Luxembourg, we are the largest provider of administration services to third party asset managers in the country,” added Danloy. “And we are the largest employer in the investment fund industry in Luxembourg.”

Despite the financial crisis, the amount of money managed by Luxem­bourgbased funds has tripled over the past decade. “So that is very good for Luxembourg as a whole but I think it is very good for us as a business, Winter 2015

36

BUSINESS

FUNDS

CONTINUED

RBC INVESTOR & TREASURY SERVICES

because we can benefit from that growth,” said Danloy.

As a service provider, another good thing for the bank has been an increase in government regulations, particularly the new-ish Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive, which applies to funds intended for savvier investors. Danloy said: “We are getting more business” because of the rules, which are being rolled out in stages. “And for us the real estate business is a very important element in our strategy in Luxembourg. We are the largest provider of services to the real estate segment over here, where we have around 30% of the regulated market business. So for us that certainly is an area of growth that we have experienced and that [we] will continue to see.”

LUXEMBOURG BUSINESS Royal Bank of Canada reported that its Investor & Treasury Services business segment --which provides “global custody, fund administration and asset servicing to institutional investors”-is the 9th largest worldwide as of the 12 months ending 31 July 2014. It looks after 6,500 funds with US$3.5 trillion in assets under administration, and represents around 5% of the bank’s global earnings.

Its “offshore” geography-which includes Luxembourg, Ireland and the rest of Europe except the UK--“represents about 50% of the total proportion of financial income,” said RBC’s Harry Samuel. “A little more than 50% of the employees are based here” in the Grand Duchy.

According to Luxembourg’s official statistics agency, Statec, RBC is the Grand Duchy’s 19th largest nonstate employer as of 1 January 2014.

CROSS-BORDER GROWTH Another growth area pegged by Danloy is Luxembourg’s traditional strength, selling funds on a cross-border basis, which naturally requires carefully tracking. “Today RBC in Luxembourg is the largest transfer agent in the marketplace, where we have around 30% of the market share. So our objective now is to continue to invest in that particular field and we believe that today distribution is one area where you can definitely make a difference and there are still a lot of opportunities supporting your existing clients but also helping your new clients distribute their products that they will establish over here.

The third goal for the RBC unit is moving more into the world’s biggest fund market, the only one bigger than Luxembourg’s. “We have recently opened an office in the US and the objective is really to attract more business coming from US-based fund managers over here in Luxembourg,” stated Danloy.

Another North American import will be the bank’s “Race for the kids”, a 5km family fun run that has been held Winter 2015

in Chicago, Hong Kong, London, New York, Sydney and Toronto, among other cities. Since starting seven years ago, the events have raised more than $10 million globally for local children’s charities, according to Samuel.

A Luxembourg edition will launch in 2015, and Samuel--based in London but often in the Grand Duchy--said he is ready. “In Canada, where we had around 7,000 runners, I came ninth overall.”

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BUSINESS

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

ESSENTIAL IDEAS

ONLINE SHOP: WWW.ESSENTIAL FACTORY.COM

Launching skin products made in Luxembourg might seem like something of a gamble. Unless you’re making something so different that the prime minister Xavier Bettel is amongst your first clients. ounders of Essential Factory Anna Dannfelt and Philippe Briot first met in the UK while working on a project about… car scenting. Where else would a Swedish aromatherapist, born in Japan and living in Luxembourg, and a Belgian engineer, specialised in supply chain quality in the automotive industry, meet?

As everything happens for a reason, the unlikely encounter marked the beginning of a common venture.

Their initial idea was simple: to make products containing nothing but the indispensable. However, turning that vision into reality was everything but simple. There are of course no parabens or any preservatives at all in any of the pots of cream Dannfelt makes in her laboratory in Luxembourg. But there are also no emulsifiers, no chemicals, no petroleum or derived agents and, more surprisingly, no water!

“Our products are botanical, organic and pure, they are food for the skin, alive and full of vitality,” she says. “We want

our users to feel safe about what they put on their skin.”

More than three years later E ­ ssential Factory has an online shop and will gradually introduce sales points in Luxembourg and the surrounding countries. Visitors to the “Lët’z go local” events have also been introduced to the brand, with the prime minister Xavier Bettel being one of those who has tested the creams and come back for more--which created an unexpected buzz on social media.

“Luxembourg was the best place to start our type of business,” says Briot.

“We have found support and encouragement from both authorities and communities and we feel that great and happy business can happen here.”

Text by NEEL CHRILLESEN Photography by MIKE ZENARI

MERGER & MOVE

MORE START-UP NEWS: WWW.DELANO.LU

The Impactory, the cooperative workspace in Merl for budding entrepreneurs headed by Marina Thiriet (centre), and 1,2,3 Go/Business Initiative, a startup promotion outfit backed by among others the Chamber of Commerce and economy ministry, are getting married... and moving into a new rue de Hollerich co-working space. “We have seen the positive impact we have had [together] so far, and now is the time to create a better place and robust community for entrepreneurs in the Greater Region,” The Impactory says in an announcement. 1,2,3 Go is best known for its annual business plan competition that nets up to €10,000 in seed funding. The move to new digs should be finished by the spring.

ANNA DANNFELT Nothing but the necessities

GOING GLOBAL

“For these companies, the question of going international is no longer asked. It’s more a question of wondering how to get there.”

Laurent Probst of PwC Luxembourg’s Accelerator programme, the consultancy’s start-up incubator, speaking about the “big data” firms that participated in his firm’s “Local to Global” expo in November.

Winter 2015

Photos: Annabelle Denham (archives) Charles Caratini (archives)

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41

BUSINESS

HR

Text by STEPHEN EVANS

Photography by MIKE ZENARI

MORE JOBS, MORE PROFESSIONAL The job market has changed substantially since the 2008 crisis. The workforce has grown by 12%, despite the turbulence, driven largely by a fast-changing financial sector.

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inance remains the economic centrepiece, but it is the service providers rather than banks that are seeing the strongest jobs growth. The fund sector is booming, as is corporate business, while wealth management reassesses.

For banks, financial sector professionals (PSF) and management companies, head count has been stable at just over 44,000 for the last three years. Banks have seen their numbers drop by 0.5% to 26,055 in the six years since Lehmann.

The decline in private banking has been partially offset by increases in the investment fund sector. For PSFs, particularly those offering outsourcing, employment is up by a quarter between Q2 2008 and Q2 2014 to 3,738. Management company staff has risen 10% to 4,774 over this period, due largely to investment fund regulatory needs.

These figures ignore the boom in consulting and legal practices. There are no overall figures, but, for example, from 1,590 people at the start of 2008, PwC expects to employ 2,500 at the end of 2014. Similarly, over this period Deloitte has added more than 700 people to give 1,700 in total and KPMG is up nearly 500 to 1,200. New regulation, more outsourcing and training continue to drive this growth. “There are law firms looking to expand but are unable to do as quickly as they would like due to a lack of the highly qualified, multilingual people they need,” commented Richard Neale of Redbridge Recruitment.

Related to this has been the rise in construction employment (up 5% between 2008 and 2014). All these new offices need cleaning (Dussman Group employed 3,110 at the start of this year, up about a third since 2008) and staff Winter 2015

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JOBS GROWTH A. Sinead O’Donnell: recruitment was up nearly one-third in 2014 B. Jean-Pierre Mullenders: compliance and risk are burgeoning fields

need feeding (Sodexo nearly doubled its workforce to 1,660 in six years). The head count in retail, catering and so on rose 12% during this time. Elsewhere, old habits have continued with strong jobs growth in the state sector. Increased public borrowing allowed public sector employment to grow by no less than 21% between 2008 and 2014. This excludes nationalised enterprises such as train company CFL, which added about 800 people over this period. Manufacturing was the only major area to see a decline (-4%) driven mainly by the loss of 2,000 operational and management jobs at

ArcelorMittal. “We saw a much more active market in previous years, with us recruiting 32% more this year than in 2013,” noted Sinead O’Donnell of DO Recruitment. “There was an increase in the diversity of profiles sought and more complex demands from employers,” she added, comments that reflect the general sentiment of the people we spoke to.

“There has been the usual high demand for accountants, controllers and lawyers with employers ever more demanding on experience and language requirements,” said Andrew Notter at Badenoch and Clark.

UPGRADE YOUR SKILLS: WWW.IFBL.LU

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Cost pressure is increasing, driving insourcing and outsourcing of more basic functions, as well as automation. “There is a lot of demand for software engineers and developers,” said Jean-Pierre Mullenders of Randstad Luxembourg. Regulatory pressure is leading “clients to continue to seek experienced compliance and risk management professionals,” he added.

The wealth management business is shifting significantly, with the private banks that relied on simple tax dodging needing fewer people. “Sales, product specialists, risk and compliance are in demand now,” Neale pointed out.

Luxembourg continues to be a very specific market, with profiles sought often specific to this environment.

“The highest demand remains on local talent, especially on more senior profiles due to the regulatory knowledge and understanding of the Luxembourg market,” said Notter. “Over 86% of the candidates that we recruited in 2014 were local people,” commented O’Donnell.

“Salaries are now more consistently in line with the international market, so it is harder than it used to be to coax candidates with very attractive salary packages,” she added.

Mullenders, though, sees increasing use of their firm’s international network to attract people from further afield, particularly France, Belgium and the UK. Firms are seeking middle managers with a range of skills as more basic functions are delegated and automated.

“In 2008, we had on average over 50 fund accounting positions open; now we can count on one hand the number we are currently recruiting,” O’Donnell pointed out. These have been a painful few years for some who have been unable to upgrade their skills on the job. Hence the need for training

programmes such as the “Fit for Financial Markets” programme run by the Luxembourg Banking Association’s training arm the IFBL. Over the last four years it has helped retrain over 600 ex-financial sector workers.

Cautious optimism is the consensus for 2015. “We are getting positive signals from the market, with fewer companies complaining about market difficulties,” commented Mullenders. He added that requests for manufacturing and construction temps remain broadly stable.

“There are good signs that demand is growing and we hope it will kick on next year,” said Neale.

“We like to remain optimistic and hope that this recent surge in recruitment is for the long term, but in the current market it is difficult to predict,” was O’Donnell’s assessment.

There is the nagging doubt that much of the recent growth has been due to regulatory requirements rather than fundamental business growth.

Also, it is possible that the LuxLeaks storm (see cover story) could damage the corporate sector. Alternatively, Luxembourg-based subsidiaries could have to demonstrate greater “substance” and so might need to hire even more.

LABOUR COSTS Average total salary costs in Luxembourg are the third highest in the EU, but they are not totally out of line with neighbouring countries. Including salaries, benefits and all social charges, a recent report by national statistics office Statec (Regards 22) reckons the average employee cost their firm €59,589 per year in 2012, about 7-15% higher than in the region. This is perhaps not surprising given how well finance jobs pay. However, in terms of the average hourly total cost (€33.91), the Grand Duchy was actually lower than France and Belgium.

Basic salaries are high here, but other costs only accounted for 14% of the total, about half the eurozone norm. Average hourly costs in the finance sector were about €60 here, 10-15% higher than the average for France and Germany, but about a tenth lower than in Belgium.

Winter 2015

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BUSINESS

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Text by JAMES WALKER

Photography by LALA LA PHOTO

FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS ON THE WAY Thirty women have just completed a Polish chamber crash course on setting up their own business.

LUXEMBOURGPOLAND BUSINESS CLUB: WWW.LPBC.LU

T

he Luxembourg-Poland Business Club recently completed its first ever Entrepreneurial Woman Project.

This six-week course had the objective of giving Anglophone women in Luxembourg the opportunity to learn about setting up their own business in an English speaking environment within a relatively short timeframe.

The 30 women chosen from around 100 applicants delved into a wide range of business topics for six hours every Saturday ranging from “idea generation” and “networking” to “taxation” and “fundraising”. The course--held at the University of Luxembourg Limpertsberg campus--drew from the knowledge of several successful businesswomen such as Lea Linster, owner of three top class restaurants in Luxembourg and recipient of a Michelin star.

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ENGLISH DEMAND Renata Niekras, an LPBC board member and organiser of the course told Delano that the whole thing would not have been possible without the support of partners like the American chamber of commerce and the patronage of both the Luxembourg ministry of economy and the Polish embassy in Luxembourg. Polish women who move to Luxembourg are “in most cases fluent in English but not in French,” Niekras explained. Bearing in mind the lack of English speaking courses in this sector, the club wanted to “give an opportunity for people to have a crash course on starting up a company, for mums wanting to rejoin the job market or people with a great idea who don’t know where to start.”

Niekras first came to Luxembourg in 2008 and is a working mother herself, so she feels she speaks from “first hand experience.”

Winter 2015

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BUSINESS SEMINARS A. Mandy Patrick hopes the project will be repeated B. Renata Niekras was impressed by the international composition of the course takers

Anna Dober, another Polish mum and one of the participants, told Delano that she “wanted some insight into the business sector in Luxembourg” and felt that the course was “very good and to a high standard.” As another non-French speaker, she said that this course was a “big enabler” to her and her future business plans.

The course, despite having quite a few Polish participants, was quite international, which “was a surprise,” according to Niekras. Other course takers ranged from a Mexican engineering manager and a Ukrainian finance specialist to a student from New Zealand.

It also included Mandy Patrick, originally from Britain, who has already started up her own company, called Red Squirrel Services. The firm provides administrative and “back office” support to any sort of firm from start-ups to already well established enterprises. She took the course because it “never does any harm to refresh your knowledge.”

In her view, “it should definitely be done again.”

Niekras stated the club is indeed planning on having another such course in 2015, and that “it will be even better.”

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AGENDA

TEN EVENTS

MANCOS AND NACHOS Mon 19 Jan

Polish chamber

Delano presents a selection of upcoming business and networking events for Luxembourg’s international community. Advance registration or fees may be required, so consult the website indicated for full details. All events are held in English.

CRÉMANT FUNDRAISER

www.lpbc.lu

ASIA ROADSHOW

43,5 X 23 MM

www.alfi.lu www.luxembourgforfinance.com

Wed 17 Dec www.thenetwork.lu

The women’s networking group hosts members and guests for its annual charity event. Proceeds support Think Pink Luxembourg (see page 52). Tombola prizes include a Little Britain hamper, 5 sessions at YogaBalance and 12 bottles of wine.

Sofitel, Luxembourg-Kirchberg, 19:30

Investment funds trade group ALFI and official promotion agency Luxembourg for Finance hold seminars in Taipei, Tokyo and Hong Kong, and LFF presents at the Asian Financial Forum 2015 in Hong Kong.

Taipei, Tokyo and Hong Kong

Mon 5 Jan 2015

Toastmasters

www.district59.eu

Public speaking groups Bossuet Gaveliers, Casemates, Greenheart and Tip Top Toastmasters Club each meet two evenings per month.

No requirement to be a native Anglophone.

Check “Area B6” on website for venues and times

The Luxembourg Poland Business Club holds its second “Networking Monday Meeting” with a presentation about fund management companies “accompanied by drinks and nachos in a casual atmosphere.”

Hotel Parc Belair, Luxembourg-Belair, 18:30

The Gabriel Lippmann public research centre and EGC research group hold the 15th annual international data mining & knowledge management conference with a special “big data analytics” track. In French & English.

Abbaye de Neumünster, Luxembourg-Grund, all day

WHY HOLISTIC DESIGN?

PIERRE GRAMEGNA

Tue 20 Jan

Wed 28 Jan British chamber

club.paperjam.lu

THE ELEVATOR PITCH

Design consultant Claudia Eustergerling presents a workshop on what lies behind the term “holistic design”, understanding design as a process and the added value it can bring.

Abbaye de Neumünster, Luxembourg-Grund, 14:00-17:15

Fri 16 Jan www.ffcel.lu

43,5 X 23 MM

www.bcc.lu

The first guest speaker at the BCC’s luncheon conference series in 2015 is Luxembourg’s current finance minister, former ambassador to Japan and South Korea, and previous head of the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce.

Venue to be announced, 12:00

43,5 X 23 MM

FFCEL

Netty Thines of the Mediation communications agency gives an interactive course to the Luxembourg female business chiefs’ federation, in French, on making the first few seconds of any encounter count.

Chamber of Commerce, Luxembourg-Kirchberg, 09:00-13:00

MEMBERS RECEPTION

POLISH PRIVATE EQUITY Fri 6 Feb

Polish chamber

43,5 X 23 MM

www.lpbc.lu

Wed 21 Jan British chamber www.bcc.lu

Alice Walpole, UK ambassador to the Grand Duchy, hosts the British Chamber of Commerce for Luxembourg’s annual members’ new year cocktail. Members only.

British embassy residence, Luxembourg-Centre, 18:30

Sales, Research Estimations 4-6, Rue Adolphe, L-1116 Luxembourg tél. : 26 97 97-8101 • info@epestate.lu

Winter 2015

egc2015.lippmann.lu

43,5 X 23 MM

43,5 X 23 MM

SPEECH SKILLS

Tue 27 - Fri 30 Jan

CRP Lippmann & EGC

Tue 13 - Tue 20 Jan

ALFI and LFF

The Network

EGC 2015

The LPBC leads a Luxembourg delegation to the central & eastern Europe private equity conference held in Poland’s capital. Speakers include executives from both funds and “high growth potential companies”.

Warsaw

HAVE A SUGGESTION? If your organisation is holding a business or networking event of interest to the international community, send details to: news@delano.lu

The IDEA Foundation is a Luxembourg based Think Tank focusing on socio-economic topics. Supported by the Chamber of Commerce, IDEA endeavours to work as an autonomous, versatile and open entity and strives to lead reflections in terms of sustainable development in Luxembourg by pursuing the general economic interests of the country, and to contribute to the improvement of the socio-economic debate. The objective of IDEA Foundation is to improve the quality of socio-economic policy, notably through fact-based economic analyses and the development of innovative ideas presented and discussed in public with various audiences.

Curious ?

To find out more about the IDEA Foundation please visit our homepage: www.fondation-idea.lu or contact us by email info@fondation-idea.lu

46

BUSINESS

Text by ALICE VERBERNE-BENAMARA

Photography by MIKE ZENARI

GET YOUR TECHNOLOGY ON Computer security advisor Steve Clement has next year’s hot trends stitched up.

I

t sounds like the beginning of a riddle.

What do you get when you mix a fashionista with a computer geek? The answer is Wearable Wednesday and it’s no joke.

Wearable Wednesday is the name of a meetup where a savvy group of electronics enthusiasts literally combine the concept of fashion and technology.

They meet in Luxembourg City to create and explore the possibilities of designing clothing embedded with microprocessors.

The organiser, computer security advisor Steve Clement, says Wearable Wednesday is not just about apparel.

It’s also about creativity and function.

Members use off-the-shelf electronic components and combine them with materials to produce ingenious and innovative wearable products. It is an excellent initiative where both do-ityourself techies and couture enthusiasts get inventive. They program, they embroider, and they make some pretty clever stuff.

With the availability of inexpensive microcontrollers on the market, the possibilities are only as limited as your imagination. For instance, a geolocation device may be embedded into a snowboard jacket or an LED light onto a ski helmet or even an ultraviolet sensor to measure the intensity of the sun. In these examples, the wearer increases the ability to protect themselves in case of intense weather situations.

There’s no cost to join the group, but participants need to budget for their supplies. Typically, group members spend €30-150 depending on the project. Clement has samples of various microprocessors on hand that give a good indication of what capabilities the technology may offer. He says technology has been his passion for Winter 2015

MY OTHER LIFE

over 25 years, but attendees don’t need to know about sewing, computers or mechanisation to participate.

To get started you will need a laptop and a USB storage device. It also helps to have a good dose of curiosity and patience. Members have the opportunity to learn about the different types of hardware on the market and how to program different sensors. They may also learn the basics of how to sew (or connect by other means) the devices to other materials.

The family that plays together stays together is taken seriously at Wearable Wednesday. Youngsters are welcome to participate with their parents. The group has a gender-neutral and family-friendly atmosphere. It includes diverse individuals from creative apparel artists to hacker tech types. The main language is English but French and German can be spoken in case of any particular questions.

Clement says just about anyone is able to create a project after an initial session where the attendee grasps the basics of how wearable technology works.

Check out examples at: learn.adafruit.com/category/flora

WEARABLE WEDNESDAY The group meets every other Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

More info at www.meetup. com/WearableWednesdayLuxembourg

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UPFRONT

LIFESTYLE

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s g n i n e p o w e N

local supermarket have nishing chain and iconicaxati on on wh ee ls have fur me ho al on ati ern int rel An ile de lici ous cake s an d op en ed new sto res , wh co up le of mo nths. st pa als o arrive d in the

WINTER IS COMING-SO CELEBRATE

GRAND DUCHY FILES

HOME DECO Home furnishing chain Butlers has opened its first Luxembourg outlet.

The city centre store carries a range of small furniture, tableware, decorative accessories and useful or quirky kitchen gadgets. And, at this time of year, Christmas decorations also feature.

Where: 5 rue du Curé, Luxembourg-Centre Info: www.butlers.de

CAKES GALORE It may have been open since October, but we only recently discovered the Cake Box bakery in Clausen.

An American bakery specialised in customised cakes for any occasion, it also sells cupcakes and a selection of delicious pastries.

Where: 30 rue de Clausen, Luxembourg-Clausen Info: www.cakebox.lu

MOBILE RELAXATION Maxime Raux and his Relax Max team have launched the Relax Truck. Fitted out with massage equipment and personal care facilities, the truck visits a different location each day, somewhere in the Grand Duchy, to receive visitors by appointment.

Where: wherever you want Info: www.relax-max.eu

ICONIC SUPERMARKET Luxembourg’s largest supermarket chain has opened a Cactus Marché in the refurbished premises of the former Coopérative de Bonnevoie. The store carries groceries and household goods and also has a counter selling takeaway dishes, sandwiches and other prepared foods.

Where: rue des Gaulois, Luxembourg-Bonnevoie Info: www.cactus.lu

Winter 2015

nlike in Kings Landing, in Luxembourg there is no need to fear winter. Local traditions turn the first few months of the year into a succession of celebrations, many involving food and drink to stave off the chill or sweet treats to brighten up the grey days. First up is Dreikönigstag on 6 January, marking the day when the three Magi arrived in Bethlehem to celebrate the birth of Christ. The tradition does not belong uniquely to Luxembourg, with Germany, France and Belgium also celebrating the day with the Galette des rois--a frangipane cake topped with a cardboard gold crown in which is hidden a trinket, usually in the form of a bean. The cake is to be shared, with the person whose slice contains the bean being crowned king for the day. Less than a month later, more sweet treats are in store for kids as Luxembourg celebrates Liichtmëssdag on 2 February--Candlemas in Englishspeaking Christian tradition, Groundhog Day in the United States. As dusk settles, gangs of children roam the streets bearing lanterns and knocking door-todoor, signing a traditional song.

“Liichtmëssdag marked an important day in my life as it meant that I would get sweets; even though we asked for bacon and peas, if you take the song text ‘gitt ons Speck an Ierbesse’ literally,” writes Carole Miltgen in one of her contributions about Luxembourg traditions on the Delano website.

The song is rather dark though, as it asks God to let the young live and the old die.

Later in February, the madness of Fuesend (carnival) and the strange tradition of Buurgbrennen are also celebrated--we will deal with them in the next edition of Delano.

Photos: Benjamin Champenois > Olivier Minaire > Luc Deflorenne > David Laurent (archives)

U

Perfect weekend for families

ch other’s company, e for families to enjoy eael in seasonal cheer, tim a is d rio pe as stm hri rev and The pre -C ent and traditional food, take in some enter tainm song and laughter.

FRIDAY 12.12 – 5 P.M.

HEAD FOR THE CHRISTMAS MARKETS… …for fun, food and Glühwein. The markets in Luxembourg city offer sweet treats and a ride on the big wheel for kids, while parents can warm themselves with a glass of mulled wine.

Where: place d’Armes & place de la Constitution, Luxembourg-Centre Info: www.winterlights.lu

Photos: Olivier Minaire > David Laurent > Anne Faber

Diary

GALA BALL The Luxembourg Rose of Tralee committee is looking for young women of Irish descent to enter next year’s contest. The Luxembourg winner goes on to a regional final with a chance to take the stage with host Daithi O’Se in front of a live TV audience at the Dome in Tralee.

Where: Rose Ball, 7 March Info: www.rose.lu

EDITH’S NEW CD On 13 December Luxembourg-based jazz vocalist Edith van den Heuvel and pianist Frank Harrison play an official release gig for new album of delicate ballads and jazz standards. Beneath the Blue is available on iTunes, CD Baby and Amazon as well as Edith’s own website.

Where: Neimënster, rue Münster, Luxembourg-Grund Info: www.edithvandenheuvel.com

LOCAL INITIATIVE Transition BO is seeking to introduce innovative community based ideas to Bonnevoie. Suggestions for the neighbourhood already include a GiveBox and a Share-your-Tools project.

Sign up on Facebook or email to receive a newsletter: transitionbo@gmail.com.

Where: Bonnevoie neighbourhood Info: Transition BO on Facebook

ANNE’S KITCHEN 2 Following the success of the book and TV series in which she gave traditional British food a Luxembourgish twist, Anne Faber has published a second book of recipes, this time focusing on the food of Berlin, Barcelona and Istanbul.

Where: local bookstores Info: www.anneskitchen.co.uk

SATURDAY 13.12 – 7:30 P.M.

HEAR VOICES INTERNATIONAL… …give a seasonal concert. The multinational choir’s Merry Christmas Darling! show features popular and traditional songs from all around the world. Proceeds go to children’s charities.

Where: St. Jean church, rue Münster, Luxembourg-Grund Info: www.voicesinternational.lu

SUNDAY 14.12 – 3 P.M.

SEE LIVE SILENTS… …at the Cinémathèque’s special show for kids.

Three classic short films of the silent era with live piano music--Laurel and Hardy in Big Business, Charlie Chaplin in A Dog’s Life and Buster Keaton at his genius best in One Week.

Where: Cinémathèque, place du Théâtre, Luxembourg-Centre Info: www.cinematheque.lu

Winter 2015

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LIFESTYLE

SNAPSHOTS

Text by AARON GRUNWALD

Photography by STEVE EASTWOOD

€20,000 for children’s wishes MORE ON MAKE-A-WISH: WWW.DELANO.LU/ SKYBALL14

T

wo hundred and ten attendees helped make seriously ill children’s wishes come true by attending a 007-themed gala dinner that raised roughly €20,000. “We’re overwhelmed” by the positive results, says Judith Long of Make-A-Wish Luxembourg, which grants wishes to kids with life-threatening medical conditions.

“Skyball” was the group’s first formal charity gala, which sold out within days (there was a 100 seat wait list for the event). “It was a fundraiser but we didn’t want everyone to feel like the only reason they were there was to fundraise; it was a combination of fundraise and fun,” says Long.

The Bond-inspired soirée featured a casino, martini bar, jazz set by Echternach music school students and charity auction. Lots included a painting by the US ambassador Robert Mandell, a mini-Iron Man session with top triathlete Dirk Bockel, and an Aston Martin sports car weekend.

Make-A-Wish originated in the US in the 1980s and today has chapters in 38 countries. Since launching in Luxembourg two years ago the group has made nine wishes come true here and aims to achieve at least ten more in 2015.

The ball was fittingly held at the Hôtel Le Royal. www.make-a-wish.lu

Winter 2015

SKYBALL FUNDRAISER A. Stefan Chorus making a bid B. US ambassador Robert Mandell and Julie Mandell; Carlo Thill on right C. Skyball host Monica Semedo and auctioneer Jim Kent D. Make-A-Wish organisers Kim Hurst and Judith Long E. Adam Moses and Michelle Penney F. Sean Cosgrove, Pippa Herbert, Stephanie Cosgrove and Rory Herbert G. William Jones, Kelly Weber-Jones, Nicky and Keith Hale H. Rob McCorduck, Sabrina and Lee Marshall I. Charlotte and Alexander de Vreeze

A

B

E

C

F

H

D

G

I

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52

LIFESTYLE

GETTING INVOLVED

Text by JAMES WALKER

Photography by LALA LA PHOTO

Pinking up Luxembourg A

s this edition of Delano hits newsstands, members of Think Pink Luxembourg will be showing their true colours in Luxembourg City-Centre. Last year more than 350 turned up for its “Pinking up the Christmas market” soirée. The group was first set up in 2009

by Carrie Cannon and some friends as a one off ladies night event to support two friends who were suffering from breast and ovarian cancer, but since then it has raised upwards of €165,000 for cancer research, education and support programmes and published a book entitled The Think Pink Guide: Living in Luxembourg with Cancer.

Think Pink Luxembourg is the only English speaking cancer support organisation in Luxembourg, says Carrie, who described it as “a group of dynamic women doing as much as we can to support women with cancer.” As well as giving support to those already suffering from cancer, they set up and participate in charity events throughout the year and coordinate seminars at several companies to raise money for cancer research and to teach cancer awareness.

The group is already planning for 2015.

Organisers aim to have three teams of 12 for the Relais de la vie on 28-29 March and also hope to participate again in the ING Night Marathon on 30 May. Carrie said that the

events have inspired a real “camaraderie” between teammates and that they are “lots of fun, but also quite emotional,” as most of the participants have a close family member or friend who has died of cancer. Carrie is one of those people. A great friend of hers and founding member of Think Pink Luxembourg, Marian Aldred, passed away in 2011 from ovarian cancer. It is for this reason that they decided to set up the Marian Aldred Award, where all proceeds from the group’s ING marathon fundraising (more than €20,000 each time the past two years) go towards cancer research at Kirchberg Hospital’s Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Biology of Cancer, headed by Dr. Marc Diederich. Carrie told Delano that she felt that as a former teacher at the International School of Luxembourg, Marian would have thought that “raising money for some form of education” is a worthy cause indeed and a nice way to remember her.

Carrie, a nurse at the ISL, said she formed the group as “I really think it is important to provide people with as much information as possible.” Awareness is extremely important, she stressed. “If people are aware of themselves, if people are in touch with their bodies, they can hopefully see that there is a change and then seek help.” She explained that “many signs aren’t visible” and that it is better to be safe than sorry so if anyone has a concern “they should check” with a medical professional.

THINK PINK LUXEMBOURG:

One important thing that Carrie would like to remind people in Luxembourg is that breast cancer also affects men. Carrie explained how she was surprised whilst at a seminar at a prominent business in Luxem­ bourg that many men weren’t aware of this fact.

She also explained that support from their members is paramount for the future, saying “we as a team get a lot of strength from our amazing supporters both male and female.

We couldn’t do it without them and with their continued commitment, encouragement and sponsorship we intend to go from strength to strength doing all we can for women in Luxembourg with cancer.”

WWW.THINKPINK LUXEMBOURG.COM

“Relay race for life” team registration opened 2 December: www.relaispourlavie.lu

k

Community noteboo SUN CREAM NEEDED

DOWN AND DIRTY BEE TOGETHER AND NATUR&ËMWELT Restoring a site near Trintange was hard work but volunteers hope it will bear… flowers.

Read: www.delano.lu/downanddirty14 Winter 2015

EUROPEAN MANAGEMENT ASSISTANTS ASSOCIATION The group raised €500 for a SNCFCaritas Luxembourg programme that sends 40 underprivileged kids on a dream ski holiday in the French Alps. There’s still time to donate €15, before they leave on 28 Dec., so each child has sun cream.

Contact: www.lu.euma.org

PRESS DEBATE

ART FOR LUNCH

BRITISH CONSERVATIVES ABROAD “This house believes that print media is a thing of the past.” 13 Jan., 7 p.m. at the Ibis Findel.

Info: www.conservativesluxembourg.org

LUX MEET GREET Join a brief guided tour of Mudam museum and lunch together at the café 26 Jan. (and the last Monday each month).

Info: www.luxmeetgreet.com

Photos: Bee Together Bloomsberries/Creative Commons Lala La Photo

Carrie Cannon’s five year old group runs the extra mile in the fight against cancer.

If you’ve got a good pair of shoes, here’s how you can help support cancer research and education.

VAKANZ

Y PHOTO B ANN SM MURAD O METO #FOLLOW

THE TOURISM FAIR 16, 17 AND 18 JANUARY 2015

LUXEXPO - LUXEMBOURG FRIDAY LATE OPENING HOURS 2PM-9PM, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY 10AM-7PM WWW.EXPOVAKANZ.LU WWW.LUXEXPO.LU

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55

LIFESTYLE

TRAVEL

MARC BARNICH AT SALES-LENTZ

Winter 2015

Text by WENDY WINN

Photography by GAﾃ記 LESURE

A get-away to plan your get-away

D

on’t put it off till too late--you ought to get out the vacation brochures as soon as the Christmas catalogues have reached their sell-by date if you want your summer holiday to be sensational, affordable, original and memorable.

And although there’s far worse ways to spend an hour’s time on a cold winter evening than drooling over Club Med catalogues or romantic hotels in Venice, there’s a better option--and a more informative one--than researching it all on your own.

In fact, doing your holiday hunting at the annual Vakanz travel and tourism trade fair is like taking a mini-break in and of itself, and not only will you get outside the house on what’s likely to be a cold weekend from 16 to 18 January, you’ll get a taste of upcoming delights that could await you on your next vacation.

At last year’s event, for example, there were cooking demonstrations, Segways to take out for a trial spin, and an unusual travel destination set up for kids by the Luxembourg Scouts and other groups: the Stone Age. India was last year’s featured country, and there were Bollywood film clips, henna demonstrations, traditional dance and music and other entertainment… all to tempt you into trying a korma dish in Delhi or seeing the Taj Mahal.

All of that is like a hot towel after a flight or great in-flight movies--super extras--but the main flight you don’t want to miss is the chance to discover travel opportunities, and some 200 different exhibitors will be on hand to help you do that. One of the biggest, with 30 travel agents on site, will be Sales-Lentz. You’ve seen their buses of course, but did you know Flibco was also their line? They don’t, however, just offer bus rides and coach tours. They have experts at 22 travel agencies offering trips, flights, tours and more all over the world and by every means of transport, except possibly hovercraft and skateboard.

But now that everyone clicks on TripAdvisor and Expedia and checks all the airfares themselves, do people even still use travel agents?

You bet. In fact, Sales-Lentz’s business is flying so high, even the 30-minute sales presentations they make at Vakanz are likely to be fully booked out. Get yours now via their website for those presentations, partly because they feature new packages and great deals.

“The business has become more and more complicated,” the agency’s Marc Barnich says.

“Customers will have checked the internet, they will know more exactly what they want.

But they come to us for good quality and good service. Everyone can check for the lowest prices, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s going to be a good offer.”

Anyone who has arrived in Paris at 6 a.m. for a five hour layover, or has tried to get tired toddlers on the third flight of their journey knows that sometimes, just like perfume, toilet paper and women, the cheapest isn’t the best.

Knowing that their clients are all avid web surfers as well as probably frequent travellers, Sales-Lentz has divided its considerable staff into groups of experts specialized in particular regions and particular tastes. You can click on their site, travelexperts.lu, and pick out the categories that appeal to you--you can even indicate if you prefer cities, beaches, sports, museums, and if you want them on this continent or another one. You can say if you want to travel with your dog, or--this is brave--your kids.

Of course, all the stands filling up the 15,000 square meters of show room are going to tempt you with trips--weekenders or journeys of a lifetime--and extras like hotels that will appeal to your taste and budget, and you can take advantage of their offers or, if you’re lucky, even have the chance to win free giveaways.

But only if you go there of course!

VACATION PLANNING When: 16-18 January Where: LuxExpo halls 7, 8 & 9 Entry: €5 (adults); free (under 18) Info: www.expovakanz.lu

TRAVEL AGENCIES

LUXAIRTOURS

www.luxairtours.lu NECKERMANN VOYAGES

www.neckermann.be SALES-LENTZ

www.sales-lentz.lu VOYAGES FLAMMANG

www.flammang.lu

VOYAGES WEBER

www.voyages-weber.lu

HOT DESTINATIONS

CANARY ISLANDS

www.turismodecanarias.com CLUB MED

www.clubmed.be INCREDIBLE INDIA

www.incredibleindia.org

Winter 2015

Photos: Promotur Turismo Canarias, Luxair

t the after your vacation , bu out needing a vacation ur vacation , and provides a ab e on the ard he all yo We’ve looking r is a vacation before annual Vakanz trade fai lidays to come --if you plan for them! A day of in itself is ho at rts pe gre ex of l te ve tra tas h ct perfe ssing options wit cu dis fun! d d an an ns d tio foo na t, sti ter tainmen at alluring de ially when you add in en ec esp , ak bre nimi at a gre

56

LIFESTYLE

INTERVIEW

Text by ALICE VERBERNE-BENAMARA

Photography by MIKE ZENARI

s t u g d n a s Brain n a m o w e h t Patton, about his legac y a famous general talks The granddaughter of ng foundation on the 70 th anniversary and her peace -promoti . of the Battle of the Bulge

S

he has been called by some Luxembourg’s adopted ambassador. Her name is Helen Patton, the granddaughter of General George S. Patton II. Much like her grandfather, she is following in the footsteps of historic generals.

General Patton led the US forces that liberated Luxembourg during the Second World War and defended the Grand Duchy during the Nazi regime’s counter-offensive, known as the Battle of the Bulge, in December 1944 and January 1945. The Fondation Pescatore (today a retirement home) once served as his army headquarters. After his death, in occupied Germany, General Patton was laid to rest-along with 5,075 other US soldiers--at the Luxembourg American Cemetery in Hamm.

Helen is a philanthropist who reaches out to those who have suffered from the experience of combat to help, regardless of race, religion or nationality. It’s gritty hard work mixed with a sprinkle of glitter. Delano recently spoke with her in advance of a fundraising concert (15 December at den Atelier) that marks the battle’s 70th anniversary. Proceeds support the NGO that she heads, the Patton Trust.

She says that contrary to popular belief General Patton didn’t love war; he loved the art of war. Helen doesn’t love war either; she loves the art of peace. She accomplishes it through communication by using her talent as a performing artist to promote reconciliation.

The general was a soldier’s soldier; his granddaughter is a people person. Through her worldwide consortia she hosts performances, exhibits and films. She is also a book publisher. Her family taught her to dedicate your life to something bigger than herself. As General Patton said: “Better to fight for something than live for nothing.” So she aims to engage people in an effort to help others follow their star.

Helen acknowledges it’s both a PATTON TRUST: WWW.PATTON-TRUST.ORG pleasure and burden to live the legacy of Patton. Having the family name comes with the expectation to be a good person--all the time. Her takeaway is summed up in one of the general’s famous quotes: “Be yourself because if you are not yourself, you are nobody.”

Winter 2015

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LIFESTYLE

ON STAGE

Text by DUNCAN ROBERTS

14 shows you must see

MORE EVENTS: WWW.DELANO.LU

nty of live holidays there is still ple Despite the end of yearthe next eight week s or so, including enter tainment on over great classical music and more Englisha handful of cool gigs, language theatre.

Winter 2015

CHRISTIANE KARG Hailing from the splendidly named Bavarian town of Feuchtwangen (damp cheeks), soprano Christiane Karg is a renowned opera singer and recitalist. Karg has performed at the Vienna Musikverein, Schwarzenberg Schubertiade, Wigmore Hall and Edinburgh Festival. At the Philharmonie she is joined by pianist Joseph Middleton for a programme of songs by Richard Strauss.

Where: Philharmonie, Luxembourg-Kirchberg When: 18 December Tickets: www.philharmonie.lu

CHRËSCHTKONZERT

KILLER JOE Anne Simon (photo) directs this adaptation of Tracy Letts’ noir pulp thriller play Killer Joe. A tale of loan sharks, crooked cops, murder and double crossing, the play premiered in 1993 and was made into a film starring Matthew McConaughey. In the hands of Simon, this could be a chilling yet wickedly comic production. Janine Goedert provides an introduction before each show.

Where: Grand Théâtre, Luxembourg-Limpertsberg When: 10, 14 & 15 January Tickets: www.theatres.lu

LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA The renowned London Symphony Orchestra is a regular visitor to the Philharmonie, but this performance is special. Sir Simon Rattle takes up the baton for a performance of Robert Schuman’s oratorio, Das Paradies und die Peri (Paradise and the Peri) featuring a selection of renowned soloists including soprano Sally Matthews and tenor Mark Padmore.

Where: Philharmonie, Luxembourg-Kirchberg When: 12 January Tickets: www.philharmonie.lu

SÃO PAOLO DANCE

David Reiland conducts the OPL and the Vienna Boys’ Choir in this year’s Christmas concert, held on the last Saturday of Advent.

The first half of the programme includes Händel’s The Music for the Royal Fireworks, Purcell’s Come Ye Sons of Art, Mozart’s Laudate Dominum (Psalm 117).

The second part of the evening is dedicated to an audience ­ sing-a-long of carols.

Where: Philharmonie, Luxembourg-Kirchberg When: 20 December Tickets: www.philharmonie.lu

The São Paulo Dance Company comes to Luxembourg for the first time to perform three works.

In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated

by American choreographer William Forsythe, Gnawa by Nacho Duato from Spain and Bachiana no 1 by the troupe’s fellow Brazilian Rodrigo Pederneiras.

Directed by Inês Bogéa, the company has a reputation for its mastery of diverse techniques.

Where: Grand Théâtre, Luxembourg-Limpertsberg When: 21 & 22 January Tickets: www.theatres.lu

Photos: Alice Moitie Gisela Schenker Mike Zenari Lukas Beck Julien Becker Wilian Aguiar Warner Bros Kiersty Boon

CIRQUE ÉLOIZE The Grand Théâtre’s end of year shows traditionally feature international family entertainment that appeals across the board. This year’s guest artists are contemporary Canadian troupe Cirque Éloize.

Their show, Cirkopolis, features acrobatics, daredevil feats, dance and theatre accompanied by an original musical score and video projections.

Where: Grand Théâtre, Luxembourg-Limpertsberg When: 30 & 31 December, 2 & 3 January Tickets: www.theatres.lu

THE DØ With the release of a new album, Shake, Shook, Shaken, Paris based electro pop duo The Dø arrives in Luxembourg for a third show at the Rockhal following well-received gigs there in 2008 and 2011.

The new album has been described as “addictively weird and catchy” by Heather Phares of allmusic.com.

It features a slew of electropop gems.

Where: Rockhal, Esch-Belval When: 15 December Tickets: www.rockhal.lu

WHEN ‘AIRY MET FAIRY Luxembourg-Icelandic singer Thorunn has launched a new project with the help of local musicians Jeff Herr, Julian Lang and Johannes Still. When ‘Airy Met Fairy releases its first album, The Breach, at the start of next year with a showcase organized

by Music and Resources Rockhal.

The album features a dozen songs written by Thorunn. Entrance is free.

Where: Rockhal, Esch-Belval When: 20 January Tickets: www.rockhal.lu

DIE ANTWOORD South African rap duo Ninja and Yolandi Vi$$er return to Luxembourg with third album Donker Mag (dark power) under their belt. Renowned as heroes of the “zef” lifestyle, their live shows have rap fans slavering away over Die Antwoord’s raw power and authenticity, but the new album has received criticism for lazily regurgitating familiar sounds and themes.

Where: Rockhal, Esch-Belval When: 25 January Tickets: www.rockhal.lu

THE MATRIX LIVE 2015 is the year for epic live cinema productions with den Atelier putting on Titanic and The Godfather in June and October. But first comes a special performance by the OPL conducted by Frank Strobel, of Don Davis’s score to the Wachowski brothers’ The Matrix, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss and Hugo Weaving.

Where: Philharmonie, Luxembourg-Kirchberg When: 31 January & 1 February Tickets: www.philharmonie.lu

THE KOOKS Clean-cut indie pop darlings The Kooks return to promote latest album Listen. It has received mixed reviews ranging from the Telegraph’s “bristling with character” to the NME’s “questionable overindulgence in funk, soul and chopped beats.”

But classic jangly guitar sing-alongs like ‘She Moves In Her Own Way’ and ‘Ooh Lala’ will continue to appeal.

Where: den Atelier, Luxembourg-Grund When: 1 February Tickets: www.atelier.lu

AMERICAN DREAMS & NIGHTMARES The American Drama Group Europe comes to Luxembourg for one of its regular shows.

This production, written by Paul Stebbings and Phil Smith tells the story of Martin Luther King and the struggle for racial equality in the USA. Focusing on the final day of King’s life, it reflects on the civil rights leader’s troubles as he stands on the balcony of a Memphis motel.

Where: Neimënster, Luxembourg-Grund When: 26 & 27 January Tickets: www.neimenster.lu

MONOPHONA Experimental Luxembourg trio Monophona celebrates the release of difficult second album Black On Black with a performance and party. Formed by singersongwriter Claudine Muno and DJ Chook, together with percussionist Jorsch, the band plays intimate, melodic electronica and has been praised by the likes of Laurent Garnier and Fink.

Where: Exit07, Luxembourg-Hollerich When: 30 January Tickets: www.rotondes.lu

PERE UBU Calling their sound “avant-garage”, Cleveland’s Pere Ubu has always been a hugely influential band--1978 debut album The Modern Dance is quite rightly regarded as a classic.

The band, under iconic leader David Thomas continues to come up trumps. Latest album, Carnival Of Souls is, in the words of The Line Of Best Fit’s Ross Horton, “exactly what you expect and exactly what you don’t.”

Where: opderschmelz, Dudelange When: 4 February Tickets: www.opderschmelz.lu Winter 2015

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LIFESTYLE

FOOD & DRINKS

Text by DUNCAN ROBERTS

Accessible wines Vinoteca’s smart and stylish design makes shopping for wine in the city centre accessible.

Since he and wife Doris first opened Chiggeri with its impressively expansive list some 20 years ago, Guy Tabourin’s name has been associated with encouraging diners and wine lovers to discover new producers, new regions and vintages. His first wine outlet was a converted warehouse in Kirchberg, followed by the first Vinoteca wine shop in the Gare neighbourhood in 2012. Now, together with associates Rodolphe Chevalier and Arnaud Vaingre, he has opened a wine shop in the city centre. Vinoteca is a stylishly restrained space stacked with wine boxes that serve as shelving units displaying some 2,000 wines at any one moment--the list itself comprises some 3,500 wines from 35 countries

ranging from 1930 French vintages to last year’s bottles from modern Luxembourg producers.

Indeed, half of the store is given over to local Moselle wines from the likes of Aby Duhr, Krier Frères, Schmit Fohl and Vinsmoselle. But Vinoteca also stocks other local produce such as Luxembourg honey and teas and eaux-de-vie.

The shop will host regular tasting evenings featuring a particular wine maker on Thursdays from 5 to 7 p.m.

A selection of up to 16 wines will also be available for tasting on a permanent basis--this is the sort of wine shop that doesn’t scream snobbery, but is doing everything to make top class and affordable wines accessible to everyone.

Where: corner rue du Nord/ côte d’Eich

3,500 WINES:

PETER’S SOUPS The fad for soups continues apace. Latest addition to the market Peter’s Soups and Juices, serving three different types of freshly made soup every day as well as fruit juices, cocktails and wine by the glass.

Where: 3 rue de Chimay, Luxembourg-Centre Info: on Facebook Winter 2015

COME À LA MAISON

Housed in Robin du Lac furniture store, restaurantdeli Come à la maison serves up wonderfully fresh Italian “beautyfood” at lunchtimes and a communal dinner around a large table on Tuesday evenings.

Where: 40 route d’Esch, Luxembourg-Hollerich Info: on Facebook

THE KARAVAN The latest food truck to hit the streets of Luxembourg, the Karavan can be found in office neighbourhoods serving a range of meat dishes and vegetarian burgers, hand-made pasta dishes and fries.

Where: wherever it is parked Info: www.thekaravan.lu

STAR FOR CRISTALLERIE La Cristallerie in the Hôtel Le Place d’Armes, run by chef Fabrice Salvador, is the latest Luxembourg restaurant to win a Michelin star.

But in Esch, Renato Favaro lost his star, leaving ten restaurants with Michelin star status in the Grand Duchy and none with two stars.

Where: place d’Armes, Luxembourg-Centre Info: www.hotel-leplacedarmes.com

Photos: Benjamin Champenois Lala La Photo The Karavan

Fresh on the market

WWW.VINOTECA.LU

LIFESTYLE

QUICK GUIDE

Text by DUNCAN ROBERTS

Showcase for local talent

is a showcase for des créateurs at Mudaminternational designers é rch Ma al nu an bie Th atives and a handful of Luxembourg based cre --from jewellery makers to fashion designers, lds in a wide variety of fie wers. illustrators to glass blo

WOMEN FIRST

Maria Pietrangeli the curator of the winter edition of Marché des créateurs is the co-founder, with her sister Patricia Sciotti, of Femmes Magazine.

A graduate in literature of the University of Metz, Pietrangeli went on to study business management at Nancy 2. The sisters launched Femmes Magazine, the first monthly publication dedicated to women in Luxembourg, some 14 years ago.

The magazine features a variety of topics, including news from the fashion industry and the world of design as well as focusing on local women entrepreneurs, many of whom will be represented at the Marché des créateurs.

Pietrangeli says that making the final selection of exhibitors was difficult because of the quality on offer.

“The Marché des créateurs should be a major showcase for Luxembourg talent, but it also has to meet public expectations.” However, she also admits that to some extent her choice did take into account her “feeling”.

The market itself was the brainchild of Mudam’s Anna Loporcaro when she was the first curator of the Design City biennale in 2010.

For this edition, Pietrangeli has selected a healthy mix of Luxembourg and international designers across a wide variety of disciplines. There should be something for everybody.

Winter 2015

MUDAM AND DESIGN More than just a modern art museum, Mudam has been a supporter of design--and especially local design--since it first opened its doors in 2006. For a start, the building was designed by renowned architect I. M. Pei, with the logo typography especially created by Oliver Peters.

The museum has also hosted meetings of Design Friends and was an initiator of the Design City biennale.

It has hosted the Marché des créateurs since 2010. www.mudam.lu

NOA HAIM The modules used to display the wares at the Marché des créateurs were designed by Noa Haim. A master of advanced architecture, designer, journalist and contributing editor based in Rotterdam, Haim is the founder of Collective Paper Aesthetics, which uses paper lattice folded into three dimensional polyhedral packs. collectivepaperaesthetics. wordpress.com

ANNEMARIE HERCKES Luxembourg designer Anne-Marie Herckes studied at the Royal Academy in Antwerp and at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. She creates accessories that pay homage to fashion and its creators, but not without irony. anne-marieherckes.com

AURORE HAVENNE Belgian jewellery designer Aurore Havenne studied in Namur and then went on to travel the world, finding inspiration for her pure and minimalist necklaces, bracelets and earrings. www.aurorehavenne.com

EILENGER KONSCHTWIERK Part of the ATP nonprofit organisation that helps people with psychological problems to find work and reintegrate into society, the Eilenger KonschtWierk is a graphic design studio that produces prints including limited editions by local artists such as Robert Brandy and Sumo. www.atp.lu

SOPHIESTICATION Young Luxembourger designer Sophie Dewalque launched her own label in March 2013. Her clothes for women and children are inspired by Paris, where she studied, but are easy to wear and trendy. Her designs can also be found at Jael Curiel.

On Facebook

LA DÉNICHEUSE

A passion for design led Valérie Conrot to start her own business in 2010 after working in the PR department at Mudam.

The online boutique she created carries objects by her favourite designers.

“I follow my heart and my instinct as to what I find creative and original,” she says. www.denicheuse.com

PASCALE SEIL Luxembourg’s premier glassblower will showcase her latest designs at the market. Pascale Seil creates beautiful and unusual vases, bowls, candleholders, lights and decorative objects in a variety of colours. www.pascaleseil.com

KNÄTSCH The Knätsch collective creates unique t-shirts and hoodies featuring Luxembourg slogans and designs by local artists. For the market it is collaborating with Studio Polenta to create a special edition print for Mudam. www.knaetsch.com

NUVOLA BABY Exclusively made in Europe using “the world’s softest fabrics,” Runa Egilsdottir and Isabelle Marinov design luxury baby blankets, clothes and accessories. Their Cloud of Love campaign donates proceeds from the sale of certain items to a children’s charity.

Info: www.nuvolababy.com

REDWOOD BY G Luxembourg-based designer Ha Dang Nguyen unveiled her Redwood by G fashion label in autumn last year and showcased at the Lët’z go local market.

Her east-meets-west designs, made to transcend the seasons, are elegant yet unique and beautifully detailed.

Info: www.redwood-by-g.com

ANATOLI Local designers Anatoli will have a Luxembourg corner in the Mudam boutique. Combining extravagance with functional basics, the designers create fashion pieces and accessories ranging from scarves and hats to belts, bags and brooches, the range is fun and chic.

Info: www.anatoli.lu

Portrait: Jan Hanrion photos of goods courtesy of the designers

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64

LIFESTYLE

KIDS

Text by WENDY WINN

Photography by GAËL LESURE

l l i h n w o d l l a s ’ It from here HOW SUITE! A Nutcracker, a Mouse King, Sugar Plum fairies and so much candy.

What’s more perfect for the season than a performance of The Nutcracker ballet? 17 Dec. Tickets: www.luxembourgticket.lu OVEN ADVENTURES What’s better with milk than cookies? Milking the season for all it’s worth, Luxlait offers baking workshops from 22 Dec. to 2 Jan. Info: www.vitarium.lu LYRICAL & SPHERICAL You’ve seen juggling, but not like this. Juggler meets musician and what they create is pure art for eyes, ears and soul. It’s magical! 27 Dec. Info: www.rotondes.lu BÄNG!

It’s closer, cheaper and safer than the Alps--and you can still have fondue! Welcome to France’s largest indoor ski piste, which takes about as long to drive to as it takes to ski down Mont Blanc-if that takes an hour.

A

mneville Snowhall is the perfect place to teach the kids to ski, to let kids under 12 try out a sled, or to let your teens test drive snowboards, snowscoots or miniskis.

It’s also the place for you to forget Winter 2015

about aching knees and pretend you’re Marc Girardelli, whooshing down the 620 metre long slope and going for the gold.

The slope is 35 metres wide, has a 90 metre incline and is always covered with a 60cm constant carpet of snow, kept perfect by a temperature that widely varies-not!--between minus 2 and minus 3°C. So get out those cool ski pants you bought in 2004 and bring the kids’ mittens--it’s cold.

There is an area designated for under 12s, and there are rules

against skiing like a maniac, so the Snowhall is safe, but it’s also a serious slope worthy of French ski champions, who train here.

Training for the rest of us is also available, not just for skiing but also for new sports like snowscoot, available Tuesday through Thursday evenings from 8 to 10 p.m. Check out the website to find the schedule, take a virtual tour around the hall, see what’s on in the agenda and be surprised by their reasonable rates.

Info: www.snowhall-amneville.fr

Don’t judge it by its looks--you have to hear a vibraphone to love it, and learn the sounds it can make! Pascal Schumacher plays it, and how! 17 Jan. Info: www.philharmonie.lu

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66

LIFESTYLE

Text by AARON GRUNWALD

Photography by MIKE ZENARI

Dog days of winter

MY FAVOURITES

Nicky Caverhill moved UK to Luxembourg from the y opened six years ago and last Maupp.lu), nm oie .m ww (w Moien Mupp Merl that a pet grooming salon in atmosphere” spa , ful ace promises a “pe essed out so dogs don’t get too strthe proud is o als e Sh by their visit. e year old owner of two collies, fiv old Choff. nth mo six Sausage and on us , many With colder weather up up indoors. ed op co l fee canines can ourite winter Nicky shares her three fav re ideas via mo d (an gs do activities for the link below).

PLAY INDOOR GAMES “At home, hide treats in easily accessible, but hidden spots around the house,” says Nicky. “Let your dog use his nose to find them... Start with easy places like just behind a table leg, or near the corner of a rug.” But keep everything at floor level, not on tables or in cabinets, otherwise you will be encouraging bad habits. She also recommends breaking the boredom with puzzles that can be bought online or in local pet shops. “The dogs solve the puzzles by, for instance, tipping over a cup, and find the treat underneath.” Buy a series that gets progressively complex.

Best puzzles: www.nina-ottosson.com Winter 2015

BAKE HOME-MADE BISCUITS “Dogs often have a problem with wind when they eat foods with gluten,” Nicky explains. Here is a simple wheat-free recipe: Mix 150g instant polenta with 1 tablespoon maize oil Add this to 125ml boiling unsalted chicken stock, stir over the heat for a few moments to thicken, then allow to cool Add 1 egg, 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint or parsley, and form into walnut-sized balls with hands Place on a baking sheet and bake at 175°C for 40 minutes Turn off oven and leave to dry out for at least an hour or overnight.

More recipes: www.dogtreatkitchen.com

CITY PARKS AND WALKS It may seem obvious, but in winter your canine still needs to get some fresh air.

There are great walks in Bambësch forest and 12 “dog friendly areas” in the capital, Nicky notes. “The parks are enclosed and gated, and dogs may be allowed off lead in these areas safely. There will be a variety of dogs with different temperaments in the park throughout the day,” so she suggests that dog owners visit each location to see which ones are the best fit for them and their pet. One of Nicky’s own favourite promenades is just a stones throw from her salon. “Take your dog for a walk in the park of Merl, and then have a hot chocolate and share a croissant at the Goeres restaurant there.”

Info: www.delano.lu/winterdogfavourites