Delano April 2021

No. 77

APRIL 2021

Luxembourg in English 10

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Mithu Storoni: the adaptable brain The best-selling author and neuro-ophthalmologist on mental health in the tech age

100 expats you should know €4

pwc.lu

Financial Services from a different angle Sustainable Finance: seize the opportunity to grow your business

#FinanceInFineHands Olivier Carré, Financial Services Leader +352 49 48 48 4174 | olivier.carre@pwc.com

© 2021 PricewaterhouseCoopers, Société coopérative. All rights reserved.

In this document, “PwC” or “PwC Luxembourg” refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers which is a member firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, each member firm of which is a separate legal entity. PwC IL cannot be held liable in any way for the acts or omissions of its member firms.

Luxembourg’s expat boon The grand duchy is one of the few countries that takes national pride in the fact that a significant proportion of its population--47.4% as of 2020--is made up of non-nationals.

In a world that has been dominated by growing isolationism over the past five years, from the UK’s decision to leave the European Union to Donald Trump’s travel bans and trade wars, the continued influx of foreigners to Luxembourg is a welcome sign. Back in 1961 only just over 13% of the population was non-Luxembourger.

Immigrants are good for the local economy. A 2013 International Migration Outlook paper by the OECD’s Thomas Liebig and Jeffrey Mo showed that although the impact of cumulative waves of migration over the past 50 years in OECD countries is on average close to zero (and rarely exceeds a plus or minus of 0.5% of GDP), in the grand duchy, and Switzerland, “immigrants provide an estimated net benefit of about 2% of GDP to the public purse.”

The reasons for the increase in the nonnative population have been well-documented.

The grand duchy’s rise as a regional and European economic powerhouse, its status as a European capital that hosts the seats of several EU institutions, a central location in western Europe, plentiful natural beauty, high quality of life and a multilingual business environment make it a very attractive place to come to earn a living, even if only temporarily.

However, a typical “expat” story is of someone arriving on a short-term contract or planning to stay for just a few years and never leaving. It’s not quite Hotel California, but it

seems it is increasingly difficult to check-out of Luxembourg of one’s own volition.

Those that stay long-term often make a mark on the country’s business and financial services sectors, the arts, the leisure industry, education and research institutions, and volunteer groups. It is those people, many often unsung in public, that we have decided to honour in this edition. They originate from over 40 countries on six continents.

As well as contributing to the economy, these expats have also integrated into the community. They have been made to feel welcome and many have reciprocated by taking Luxembourg nationality and are among the increasing number of people learning and practising the Luxembourgish language.

It is now impossible to imagine the grand duchy without its non-Luxembourg population. Indeed, this edition could easily have been filled with 1,000 expats you should know, and it certainly won’t be the last time we introduce readers to such a diverse array of talented individuals.

Editor-in-chief DUNCAN ROBERTS

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Editorial #Immigration

Contents April 2021

Profiles

5

22 CULTURE,

SPORTS, MEDIA 20 expats Boyd van Hoeij Film industry professional

APRIL 2021

100 expats you should know

32 FOOD, DRINK, FASHION

07 BUSINESS

10 expats

26 expats Michèle Detaille Fedil and Alipa Group

Minhye Jung Kyō

28 VOLUNTEERS,

EDUCATION, DIPLOMACY 10 expats Dr James Mulli European Business University of Luxembourg

16 FINANCE 20 expats

Photos

Mike Zenari, Matic Zorman, Romain Gamba, Andres Lejona

Mevlüde-Aysun Tokbag Wildgen

30 RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY 9 expats

36 Business report

Property & workplace

44 Business Club Madhumalti Sharma Workshop4Me

50 Pick’n’mix

5 expats

How Lux became home

6

Profiles

APRIL 2021

100 expats you should know

To qualify for our long list, we chose candidates who had made a conscious decision to settle in Luxembourg as adults. Whittling it down to the final 100, we tried to balance nationalities, age and gender. Our selection will not please everyone, but will hopefully introduce readers to some new names and, as with all lists, spark debate.

#100expats

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BUSINESS

Photos

Matic Zorman, Mike Zenari, Marion Dessard

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Luxembourg is much more than just a financial centre, and although we have included expats from the so-called Big Four companies which service that sector among others, the 25 profiles in this section represent a good cross-section.

These leaders moved to the grand duchy to further their careers, expand their horizons or grab opportunities not immediately available to them elsewhere.

Others have launched businesses and become successful entrepreneurs. They share an appreciation of how Luxembourg’s size and multilingual business environment make it easy to establish a network and get things moving quickly. Many are now paying back the country that gave them their break by promoting Luxembourg abroad, mentoring young professionals or helping back the plethora of startups that will ensure the grand duchy’s economy continues to flourish and diversify.

Words NATALIE A. GERHARDSTEIN and DUNCAN ROBERTS

John Parkhouse Jurisdiction champion

CEO and senior partner of PwC Luxembourg, Parkhouse is active not just in developing company business but also promoting the grand duchy as a jurisdiction abroad. “Prior to coming [here], I was based in New York and ran a couple of assignments in Luxembourg.

This introduced me to some of the great things Lux has to offer, and I then had the opportunity to do a tour here--so grabbed at it,” he says. Fun fact: he worked on his physics degree in the UK, without initial plans to become an accountant, but got “hooked”.

Sam O’Dea Early education entrepreneur O’Dea founded Sunflower Montessori in 2001 with Helen Clarke, and her husband, Tom, later joined.

Having been here for 27 years, Sam says “Montessori education is my greatest passion.

I believe it’s so important that young children are given the opportunity to grow and develop in stimulating, kind environment.” Her team has also supported and travelled to the Ilula Orphan Program in Tanzania for many years. www.sunflower.lu

John Parkhouse

Michèle Detaille Industry head honcho

Detaille has served as chairwomen of Fedil, the federation of Luxembourg industry, since 2019. She is also director of the Alipa Group, active in lifting and industrial packaging. A business acqui­ sition brought her here 25 years ago. In 2020, Detaille was voted Luxembourg’s most influential economic personality by an independent jury in the biannual Paperjam Top 100 from a list of 1,000 names.

Jury president Aude Lemogne praised Detaille’s straighttalking, no-nonsense approach to business and lobbying, plus her promotion of diversity. www.alipa.lu

Bárbara Daroca Banking comms hotshot The head of corporate services at ING is adept at “getting the word out there”, making sure Luxembourg knows about the bank, “what we do, what we stand for, how we can help”. Born in Pamplona, raised on the outskirts of Barcelona, Bárbara arrived in the grand duchy 16 years ago to expand her career.

She volunteers for several projects and says that education, and financial education in particular are very dear to her. As are her leisurely weekend breakfasts--interrupt them at your peril.

Bárbara Daroca

Profiles #100expats

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BUSINESS

www.fdlux.lu

Stéphane Compain Relocation expert CEO & co-founder of LuxRelo, Compain aims to simplify processes and procedures for those relocating to the grand duchy in order to make their transition as smooth as possible. An expat himself here for 21 years, Compain this year also co-founded LuxAuPair, the official partner of Luxembourg’s national youth service (SNJ). A fan of running and kitesurfing, he enjoys coaching young entrepreneurs and hosts a podcast where he interviews expats and experts in the mobility industry.

Stéphane Compain

Several national chambers of commerce provide a range of services for member companies, including excellent networking opportunities, seminars and panel discussions on hot topics.

They can also serve as a lobby group for the interests of their members and on issues affecting the international attrac­tiveness of the grand duchy.

At the American Chamber of Commerce in Luxem­ bourg (www.amcham.lu), CEO Paul Schonenberg has been the main man for over 20 years. A former senior HR executive at Clearstream, Schonenberg was also a president of the national council for foreigners (CNE). Rebecca Kellagher is the manager of the British Chamber of Commerce (www.bcc.lu) office, so is well worth getting to know.

And at the Indian Business Chamber of Luxembourg (www.ibcl.lu), founder Sudhir Kumar Kohli, now a Luxembourg national who arrived in the grand duchy over 40 years ago, is an essential contact.

Genna Elvin Next-gen tech mentor

Elvin, founding member of the Australian New Zealand Chamber of Commerce, was 22 years old when she founded Tadaweb (but started her first company at age 18). The co-­ founder has grown Tadaweb from 0 to 100 employees in the 10 years she has been in Luxembourg. She has served as a mentor at the Founder Institute Luxem­bourg, Fit4Start and Jonk Entrepreneuren. “I try as much as I can to foster the next gene­ration and get them excited about not just startups and technology, but also striving to enter the C-suite and board positions.”

Semi (Seungeun) Park Korea-Europe bridge builder As founder & CEO of Luxko and director of 2be.lu Capital, Park aims to bring innovative companies to Luxembourg for European market expansion, and she sees greater opportunities as a result of Brexit and covid-19. In the grand duchy since 2007, she’s also a founding board member of the Korean School of Luxem­bourg to promote the language and culture, which she sees as key to driving this economic bridge. A true cosmo­politan, she tells Delano that four languages are spoken daily at her household: Korean, Swedish, German and English. www.luxko.net

www.gennaelvin.com

Diane Tea Business advisor & investor

Work brought Tea to the grand duchy in 2009. She says there’s no place like the country, “where I feel such a harmonious work-life balance”. In 2017, she created her own company focusing on real estate development and investment, business advisory services and board directorship mandates.

She does a fair share of pro bono work, locally with startup coaching and humanitarian efforts and as an education sponsor in her home country of Cambodia. She dreams of having a small farm and already raises Koi carp, hens and earthworms.

Diane Tea

Antoine Rech B-school connector Over 15 years, Rech has convinced over 200 individuals to study and live in the grand duchy.

The head of campus at Sacred Heart University returned to Europe after working in New York City in 2001 and calls his move to Luxembourg the “best decision… I’m promoting it every day!” He oversees daily ops and admin of SHU’s campus here, which has offered an accredited MBA for 30 years.

A member of the SHU Alumni Association as well as the American, British and French chambers of commerce, Rech is also a fan of the country’s cycle path network. www.shu.lu

Mike Zenari, Surya Alagumalai, SES, Maison Moderne

Philanthropic facilitator Hirdman arrived in Luxembourg 15 years ago for a job opportunity and today is the director general of the statecreated Fondation de Luxembourg, which facilitates and promotes philanthropic engagement.

Hosting more than 80 charitable foundations through its umbrella structure, the foundation assists them in ops and philanthropic activities.

Hirdman’s also an avid biker: “Regardless of sunshine, rain or snow, I bike to work every day.”

Reach out to the chambers

Photos

Tonika Hirdman

Profiles

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APRIL 2021

BUSINESS

Mithu Storoni Mental health sage

It is less than ten months since eye surgeon and neuroscience researcher, and now best-selling author, Mithu Storoni settled down in Luxembourg, though she has been familiar with the grand duchy for close to 20 years.

#100expats

Arriving in Luxembourg from Hong Kong in the middle of the pandemic, Mithu Storoni says that she noticed many similarities between the two places, including enthusiasm for new ideas and innovation.

For instance, in the response of small businesses and startups to shortages of masks, disinfectant and PPE. “People didn't just sit there on their hands and think, ‘oh, we have a shortage of masks’. There was this energy, this kindred spirit… to just do things and not depend on other people.

I find that to be a parallel.”

She has been familiar with Luxembourg for some 20 years, when she first visited the family of her then boyfriend, now husband. Like many young people who discover Luxembourg for the first time, she noticed the different pace of life and the limited choice to socialise and have fun.

On the other hand, the community spirit and warmth was something she immediately appreciated.

Back then, in the early 2000s, Storoni was a medical student at Cambridge University’s St. John’s College. She had been attracted to medicine because, she says, “it’s one of the most fulfilling ways to make a difference. Every case, every diagnosis, is a puzzle that feels exhilarating to solve.”

Her interest in “the intricate ways our brains are wired” was initially sparked by her father, who also had a background in the field, feeding her little bits of interesting information as she was growing up.

At Cambridge an inspirational supervisor gave his students a book on the visual cortex. “It was the most fascinating book I’d read for a long time and it propagated me towards vision and neuroscience.” An opportunity to work with Nobel laureate David Hubel also inspired Storoni to pursue further study in the then rare field of neuro-ophthalmology, which led to her taking a PhD with “another incredible mentor”, Gordon Plant, at University College London.

The move to Hong Kong, where her now husband had landed a job, forced a shift in focus as local regulations did not allow her to practise medicine. “I had to be adaptable. The best thing about the human brain, the most extraordinary thing, is it is adaptable. It must adapt to change.

So, it is not the strongest, but actually the most adaptable that survive.”

Her own personal situation led Storoni to take up hot yoga as a way of investing into looking after herself. But, ever the

neuro-ophthalmologist, she also started studying her own eye pupil as the yoga helped reduce her stress levels. “Study of the pupil sounds very niche, but they are literally a window to the nerve network that coordinates your stress response.

The smallest fluttering gives you a wealth of information.”

She had already studied the effect stress can have in relapses of patients with chronic conditions. Delving further into more than 500 research papers written about stress eventually led to Storoni writing her book, Stress Proof.

The rest, as they say, is history. Rave reviews and her insightful yet accessible approach to public speaking have made Storoni the go-to stress management expert for international media and at conferences.

Nowadays, Storoni’s attention has been grabbed by the way the brain is adapting to the acceleration of technological advancement in everything from eye surgery techniques to fintech and even aspects of government. “We are moving so fast… we are validating the prescience of people like Peter Drucker, who said, back in the 1950s, that in 50 years’ time, most of our work would move from the skill of the hands, to the brain, to the skill of the mind.

Today, machines mine data and generate predictions but they can’t make complex decisions. The load on our cognitive machinery is greater than ever before.”

The challenge, she says, is that we are products of the generation before us and we are still adapted to an older way of doing things--human evolution has not continued at the same pace as digital innovation.

“The father of information theory, Claude Shannon, said, ‘information is the resolution of uncertainty’ but we’re living in a peculiar time where there is boundless information, and endless uncertainty. The burden falls on the mind. Right now, my interest lies in finding solutions for keeping mental wellbeing in check without changing the status quo. A healthy mind is as pivotal to navigating this digital world as the hands of a sculptor are to his craft.” www.mithustoroni.com

Interview DUNCAN ROBERTS Photo MIKE ZENARI

11

Stress Proof “Stress has always been a very fuzzy word…

It’s an abstract ghost hanging around,” says Mithu Storoni. She explains that some ten years ago, because stress didn’t use to be measurable--a quantifiable measure that could correlate to performance, to employee dropout, to productivity, to innovation-it was always ignored. In her book, Stress Proof, Storoni presents what psychologist and writer Scott Barry Kaufman calls “cutting-edge strategies for improving resilience, mental performance, and focus”.

These include long-term solutions like morning exercise, deep breathing and even drinking tea. But perhaps the most significant way to de-stress from an immediate situation is to launch yourself into an enjoyable but absorbing activity that demands your full attention--even playing a game on your phone.

That will prevent you from replaying the scene on loop, as Storoni puts it.

Profiles

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APRIL 2021

BUSINESS

Jonathan Prince

Jonathan Prince

Photo

Jonathan Prince is best known as co-founder of Finologee and electronic payments system Digicash.

The UK-French national, who was born in France the youngest of five children, says “there is probably no better place for” running a fintech/regtech operation than Luxembourg. “As an outsider, at the time they had all the required ingredients: a big banking industry, and agile country.”

The serial entrepreneur fell into electronic payments by accident. In 2001, he was due to begin an internship with Airbus just after the 9/11 attacks in the US. “Airbus contacted me a few days later saying, ‘we’re not going to hire anyone, because there’s so much uncertainty about the future’.” Instead, Prince joined another firm that he met by chance following an explosion at a nearby chemical plant. He took charge of its payment solutions. By the time he left, the workforce had grown from 200 to 1,500, the firm had expanded to 25 countries and Prince was on the board of directors.

“From there, I had this feeling that electronic payments and mobile payments were going to be huge.”

Prince says his expertise is his ability to put the right people together, which serves him well in his second passion--rugby. Having played rugby union at a semi-professional level in France, Prince found a strong rugby scene in Luxembourg when he moved in 2010.

He has coached the women, boys and seniors of Walferdange rugby club, and today plays for the veterans.

Matic Zorman

Team player

#100expats

Darren Robinson Career booster Managing partner of Anderson Wise, a leading independent recruitment and executive search firm, Robinson arrived in the grand duchy 15 years ago.

In addition to helping others on their career paths, Robinson is an active networker, serving as council member of the British Chamber of Commerce and secretary of the British-Luxembourg Society, and as a member of a number of other associations, including LBAN, ILA, Alfi and Amcham. www.andersonwise.com

Marie Louise Ashworth

Photos

Mike Zenari, Surya Alagumalai, SES, Maison Moderne

Yi Wang

Yi Wang

Steve Collar

Inspiring risk-taker

SES CEO

As president of The Network, a global women’s organisation, Ashworth supports nextgen leaders. The role requires cultivating networks and encouraging diversity and equality. She arrived here five years ago and will soon get Luxembourg nationality.

Ashworth is also VP operations of ChefPassport, connecting foodies worldwide. An adven­ turer who has swum with sharks and camped near lions, she says “just taking a step in a different direction can plunge us into a whole new world.”

Steve Collar was appointed CEO of SES in April 2018 and has been the CEO of SES Networks since May 2017, the same year he arrived in Luxembourg.

Prior to SES Networks, he was CEO of O3b Networks and guided the company through the successful build and launch of its constellation of state-of-the-art satellites. In 2015, O3b Networks became the fastest growing satellite operator in history and, in 2016, O3b was fully acquired by SES and now forms an integral part of SES Networks.

Steve is a satellite industry veteran, having previously worked in a variety of commercial, business development and technical roles at SES World Skies, New Skies Satellites, Astrium and Matra Marconi Space (now Airbus).

SES was founded in Luxembourg in 1985 and has since grown from having one satellite to over 70 satellites operating in two orbits, from only enabling satellite TV broadcast to also delivering connectivity services via satellite.

All this was done through its Betzdorf headquarters.

www.thenetwork.lu

Chinalux executive director Yi Wang moved to Luxembourg in 2016 and assumed the role of executive director of China-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in July 2018. He works at Clifford Chance Luxembourg as a member of the banking, finance & capital markets practise group, where he advises banks, especially Chinese ones, with European headquarters in the grand duchy. He also advises Chinese financial sponsors in relation to the fund formation, setting up of acquisition and other structures.

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Selvaraj (Selva) Alagumalai Indian biz & IT wiz

A Luxembourg citizen of Indian origin, Selva is the co-founder of Indo Lux Hub which he started with his wife, Sujatha, to facilitate Indian companies to set up here. He is also the founder of Fouress Systems.

He first visited for short-term projects; later, he and his family fell in love with the country.

They’ve now been here for over 30 years. Selva’s proud to promote his culture and has been president of the Indian Association Luxembourg for seven years. @SAlagumalai

www.ses.com

Profiles #100expats

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APRIL 2021

BUSINESS

Ekaterina Volotovskaya Audit expert

This month, Volotovskaya reached a milestone: 20 years in the grand duchy. She serves as Deloitte Luxembourg’s audit partner for banks, securitisation vehicles and private equity/real estate funds. One of three founders of the Russian stand at the international bazaar, she also served as president of the Luxembourg-Russia Business Chamber for seven years. No longer its president, she still sits on its board. She has seen a lot change over two decades including “much improvement on the permit situation.” A speaker of Russian, English, French and German, she says she “didn’t come here because of an opportunity [but] because I was curious and wanted to do something different.” In her free time, she enjoys skiing, but she admits she had a late start, not hitting the slopes until she was 39. www2.deloitte.com/lu

Olivier Coekelbergs

The growing space sector has attracted high-calibre expats, including Kleos Space (www.kleos.space) CEO Andy Bowyer, who arrived in 2017 to set up the company developing a new space enabled data-as-a-service concept.

He helps out with the RCL junior touch rugby. Polish national Jaroslaw Jaworski (Twitter: @imperator_jarek) is general manager of Made in Space Europe which designs and produces robotics arms for space applications.

He’s also co-founder of the Luxembourg Space Federation.

Stephen Nye Risk expert

Having been brought here by then KPMG Luxembourg managing partner Scott Cormack--he was “very persuasive”--Nye has spent 27 of the last 31 years in the grand duchy. Now the country risk management partner at KPMG Luxembourg, Nye has also been part of the company’s covid task force. He is on committees at the British Chamber of Commerce, Bonnevoie Tennis Club and St George’s International School.

He grew up on the Isle of Wight but says he’s an “overner”, not a “caulkhead”, as he wasn’t actually born there.

Stephen Nye

Simône van Schouwenburg Expat onboarder As someone who is used to moving house--26 times and counting--van Schouwenburg seems like a natural fit for her roles as the head of expat services at the Spuerkeess. She has previously lived in the US, London and Paris. She and her team enjoy “onboarding” new arrivals to Luxembourg and providing them with a “one-stop shop” solution.

A dedicated networker, van Schouwenburg is a board member of the International Bankers Club Luxembourg and chairs the Tools4Lux committee at Amcham. www.spuerkeess.lu/en/ expats

Romain Gamba, KPMG, EY

Driving ambition The country managing partner at EY has been in the grand duchy for 22 years. Attracted by the country’s financial industry and its diversity of nation­ alities, Coekelbergs is passionate about private equity--for several years, until 2019, he was vice chairman of the Luxem­ bourg Private Equity & Venture Capital Association.

He also enjoys mentoring talents. He is now driving EY’s “Ambition 2026” strategic plan. And in his spare time, Coekelbergs is “an absolute fan of fishing”.

The space race

Photo

Olivier Coekelbergs

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Profiles

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APRIL 2021

FINANCE

Linguistic assurance

Asked when she moved to the grand duchy, Joshi replies: “I arrived here in 2010 and then relocated to Zurich for a year, so I usually say the date when we moved here for good-August 2012.” Luxem­bourg is “a really good place for a family.” She currently is senior counsel at Swiss Re and co-chair of the Australia and New Zealand Chamber of Commerce Luxembourg, which she helped start in 2019.

Joshi is fluent in German and is learning Luxembourgish.

Because after a few years here, you “realise that two languages are not that special.”

Roberto Mendolia Staff advocate He’s been working in Luxembourg since 1999, but commuted from Belgium until he moved to the grand duchy in 2014 (“although I started my life as Italian”). He became a member of the staff delegation at Clearstream, where he is an IT project manager, in 2003. Today, Mendolia is president of Aleba, the trade union that represents banking and insurance staff. That means he leads negotia­tions on collective work agree­ ments and staff separation plans, as well as fight for enhanced teleworking rights. info@aleba.lu

Maya Joshi

Tony Whiteman Competitive player

“Originally from New Zealand, I came to Luxembourg in September 1993 to play rugby for RCL,” he says. “27 years later [I’m] still here, married to a Luxembourger, with four Kiwiburger children.” He still plays competitive cricket “and have started to enjoy golf.”

By day, Whiteman is an inde­ pendent board director and is active with “residential property investment, private equity investment, and assistance to startups and early-stage businesses.” He co-chairs the Australia and New Zealand Chamber of Commerce Luxembourg. tony@whiteman.lu

Maaret Vahatalo-Davey Sharing smarts “My husband and I landed in Luxembourg from Paris in January 2002 with a view of staying 6 months to a year... a common story in Luxembourg!” VahataloDavey, a private banker at Pictet, wrote in a blog post for the International School of Luxembourg, where she was elected board chair in January 2021. She helped start and still supports Dress for Success Luxembourg, which provides profes­ sional attire to women in need, so they can look smart for job interviews and their first few days at work.

Maaret Vahatalo-Davey

Nader Ghavami, Lala La Photo, ISL

Words AARON GRUNWALD

Maya Joshi

Photos

The financial services sector represents roughly 30% of the grand duchy’s economy, 20% of its tax base and 10% of total employment. Luxembourg’s international residents (and its cross-border commuters) make a huge contribution to the indus­ try’s success. Here are a few of the people who make the sector tick. These are people who we’ve met and stood out while reporting Delano stories over the past few years. This list is entirely subjective and our very long list was brutally cut down to fit the space available. One common theme may sound familiar: many came to the grand duchy intending to only stay for a few years and then that self-imposed timeline somehow slipped away as they became fans of living and working in Luxembourg. Another is that the people who work in the financial sector are very active in the committees, clubs and groups that add depth and breadth to the country’s economic and social fabric.

#100expats

Mevlüde-Aysun Tokbag

Photo

Mike Zenari

Network builder

“I love Luxembourg City and living here [is the] best choice when you have kids, as city and nature are so close,” she says. Originally from Krefeld, in North Rhine-Westphalia, she studied law in Cologne and worked in Düsseldorf and nearby Mönchengladbach before moving to Luxembourg in 2005.

When she arrived, Tokbag joined the Wildgen law office and she’s still there, having been promoted to partner in 2013.

Today, she co-heads both the banking & finance and investment fund practises and heads the firm’s German desk. She also started Wildgen 4 Women, which supports women as they rise through the ranks and into leadership positions in the banking, financial and legal sectors.

Her advice for expats? “Make sure to visit and discover some of Luxembourg’s most beautiful sights, enjoy the awesome restaurants and bars--a bit tricky in these difficult times, but never give up, times will get better… For the time being, get in touch with other expats, colleagues and/or locals via social media platforms and online communities.”

Not everyone is a born networker, but Tokbag says you should simply take the plunge: “Don’t be afraid and just see what suits you best. You should try to build up a professional network.” Sectoral groups such as ABBL and LPEA “provide an international platform, whereas for the Germans, for example, you may [want to] connect with IBF and DLWI.” She speaks English, German and Turkish.

Mevlüde-Aysun Tokbag

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Profiles #100expats

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APRIL 2021

FINANCE

Sinead O’Donnell Top recruiter She arrived here in July 1994 to work at the Irish embassy. Five years later she transitioned to banking, then into recruitment, and in 2008 co-founded (with Nathalie Delebois) DO Recruitment Advisors, now one of the grand duchy’s most reputable headhunting firms specialised in the finance sector. Looking back, “I was greeted with open arms in Luxembourg and I quickly found my place and grew to love my adopted country. Little did I contemplate at that stage that I would spend my whole working career here.”

Sinead O’Donnell

avitha K Ramachandran Alternative funds & Indian music The Luxembourg citizen says: “My hometown is Chennai, India, and I was in Paris as a student for a short time before coming to Luxembourg” in August 1996. A certified accountant, today she is head of business development and client management in Continental Europe for he fund and corporate services provider Maitland.

Outside of the office, she hosts the Raagamalika programme on Radio Ara, which features South Asian classical and folk music, and is active in the Indian Association Luxembourg.

Kavitha Ramachandran

Industry leaders British former banker Nasir Zubairi arrived in March 2016 (after working in the UK, US, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Germany and Belgium) and heads up the Luxembourg House of Financial Technology. Zubairi seems to know everyone and everything about fintech in the grand duchy.

Private equity investor Rajaa Mekouar, a citizen of the UK and Morocco, arrived in December 2015.

She recently founded Calista Direct Investors, which advises single family offices. She previously chaired the Luxembourg Private Equity & Venture Capital Association and is active with its PE4W (Private Equity for Women) group.

She also is an accomplished amateur classical pianist.

Keith O’Donnell, a dual national of Ireland and Luxembourg, arrived in August 1993. He is managing partner of Atoz Tax Advisers and active on several industry committees and advisory boards. He speaks English, French, Italian and Luxembourgish. @naszub @mekouarrajaa Keith O’Donnell

Enrique Sacau Inclusiveness champion

Born in Spain, he lived in the UK for 17 years before moving to Luxembourg in July 2020.

Sacau is group CEO at Kneip, a fund data company, where he champions for equality and diversity in the workplace.

Sacau says that bringing personal identity “to the office is essential” because if you can’t, then “you will feel less safe. And I don’t want anybody in an organisation I lead to feel unsafe about their identity and not be able to express themselves freely.” When they can, it makes for “better employees and improves the quality of the organisation.”

Susanne Schartz Networking force She has been working in Luxembourg since 1998 and moved here in 2019.

Today Schartz is COO at Seqvoia, a fund technology provider, after 18 years with Schroders. She is active in Fondsfrauen, a networking platform for women working in the financial sector, and is known for helping other women secure media and conference visibility.

“I speak German, English, French and have a good understanding of Luxembourgish.” That helps “take advantage of the international environment that Luxembourg offers today.”

Susanne Schartz

Enrique Sacau

Stephan Peters Founders’ friend

He earned an MBA from Insead and a master’s in aerospace engineering from Delft University, and is a chartered financial analyst. The Dutch national arrived here in April 2016, and today is a sustainable investment advisor through his Sanzaru Group and president of the Luxembourg Business Angel Network. He reckons that, even during troubled times, investors will still back entrepreneurs with a solid story. After all, investors “are not looking for grand ideas.

They’re looking for products run by a credible team that customers are willing to use and pay for.”

Stephan Peters

Katerina Pantazatou Tax observer “I settled in Luxembourg in February 2014,” when she joined the University of Luxembourg. Today Pantazatou is an associate professor of tax law, and also examines fiscal policy and corporate governance.

Much of her work focuses on Luxembourg’s longstanding tax transparency issues and the debate surrounding the taxation of digital services (including proposals floated by the EU and OECD). “The question is how much revenue a digital tax will generate, and the estimate is: not very much.”

Katerina Pantazatou

Profiles #100expats

20

APRIL 2021

FINANCE

Rosa Villalobos Infrastructure investor The Barcelona native moved to Luxembourg in October 2003 after she “fell in love, not with Luxembourg, that came after.” She currently is managing director of Macquarie Asset Management Europe and previously headed up Goldman Sachs’ Luxembourg office.

Villalobos was the first woman in Luxembourg to be certified as a company director by the corporate governance group ILA and serves on the boards of several infrastructurerelated outfits. She is also a founding member of the Luxembourg School of Finance Alumni Association.

Passionate fund execs British-Belgian Stephen Roberts, CEO of Davy Global Fund Management Luxembourg, here since 1990: “In my spare time, I am a member of an [association] which organises and promotes alternative rock concerts in the Arlon region of Belgium, including New Model Army [and] The Real Mckenzies.”

Swede Sophia Karlsson of DNB Asset Management, here since 2007: “My pas­ sion is in the leadership part. I love to help people find their natural strengths and personal values, so that they feel more confident at work.”

Denise Voss Fund champion

Voss has worked in Luxembourg’s fund sector since 1990, the year after the grand duchy imple­ mented the Ucits retail fund regime. “Many of my friends thought I was crazy when I chose Luxembourg,” she once told the Financial Times.

But the country’s dynamism has changed some minds since then (and she has applied for Luxembourg nationality).

Voss is a familiar face from London to Shanghai, frequently promoting the industry abroad.

She currently serves on several fund boards and as chair of Luxflag, which encourages responsible investing.

Natalie Westerbarkey Fund steward “I was born and raised in Latin America: Peru, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Mexico.” She studied law in Germany and the UK, and worked in London and Abu Dhabi before moving here in November 2017.

Westerbarkey is head of EU public policy at Fidelity International and an active proponent of fund stewardship.

Every decision that an asset manager makes “has an impact not just on the company, so the invest­ment, but on society as a whole.” Solid stewardship, she reckons, also builds and maintains client trust.

Natalie Westerbarkey

@DeniseVossLux

Therese Collins

Thérèse Collins

Photos

Originally from Templemore, County Tipperary, Collins came to Luxembourg on a 6-month work placement in 1994. She went back to Ireland to finish her finance degree, then returned to Luxembourg in 1995. “It was your typical, ‘I’ll stay for two years,’ and here I am in 2021.” She is currently a director at Carne Group, an Irish-owned fund firm. When she arrived, Collins very quickly joined the Irish Club, which she says was a good way to build a support network.

She recommends that expats join a club or association, although not necessarily one tied to their home nationality, because there is so much diversity in the grand duchy. Collins is president of the Rose of Tralee Luxembourg, part of an international festival which celebrates Irish culture, and hopes the planned 2022 edition will be able to take place.

Mike Zenari, Maison Moderne archives

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Profiles

22

APRIL 2021

CULTURE, SPORTS, MEDIA

Mudam’s chef d’orchestre

The Mudam director arrived three years ago to lead the modern art museum artistically and strategically. “I think of my work as being like a chef d’orchestre,” she says. Her “extra-curricular” activities revolve around art, as a member of international committees and juries, though she would in future love to volunteer cleaning beaches or reading books to the elderly. As a youngster Cotter wanted to be a pilot, but her physics teacher thought she was suited for a future in an artistic or creative field. “She was right.”

Miikka Heinonen Visual artist The photographer and visual artist arrived in Luxembourg in 1996.

“It was the usual story…

I followed a woman,” he says. “It was supposed to be for one year only...”

Since then, Miikka has held several exhibitions and been active in the Luxembourg art scene-he is especially known for his photos of contemporary dance and he has also designed visuals for several stage productions. A two-time winner of the Prix GrandDuc Adolphe, he also works as an educational coordinator at the European School. www.miikkaheinonen.com

www.mudam.com

Lata Gouveia The music man

The artistic director at The Grund Club Luxembourg is an established singer-songwriter in his own right who has worked as a professional musician in London, Lisbon, and Austin and Tulsa in the US. Having gained two university degrees and a master’s in politics, Lata settled in Luxembourg in 2010 to help professionalise its underdeve­ loped local music scene, particularly the intangible aspects of building pride, recognition and self-esteem.

He wants to create what he calls a geographical grassroots awareness of belonging.

“There is much work to do still.” www.latagouveia.com

Lisa McLean Scottish-Luxembourgish radio campaigner Together with Irish breakfast DJ Sam Steen, station manager Lisa is the face and voice of Englishlanguage broadcaster Ara City Radio. She arrived 25 years ago with her partner and describes herself as a “trailblazing spouse” from Scottish footballing royalty. That explains the never-say-die attitude that saw her being instrumental in campaigning to save the Ara network. She now works as news editor, journalist and on-air presenter, but also coordinates the network’s international shows. www.aracityradio.com

Maison Moderne archives

Words DUNCAN ROBERTS

Suzanne Cotter

Photo

There is no doubting the positive influence an increasingly international outlook has had on Luxembourg culture over the last 30 years or so. Many expats have helped shape a dynamic and eclectic art scene that is unmatched for such a small country. That is not to say that there is no room for improvement or for developing more of a “geographical grassroots awareness of belonging” as Lata Gouveia succinctly puts it.

Sport has also benefitted, with the likes of the national rugby team doing wonders on the international stage and, like cricket and other “foreign” sports, is now attracting a healthy number of Luxembourgers.

And the local media landscape would be unthinkable now without news sites, magazines and radio stations managed by non-Luxembourgers to inform expats in English, Portuguese, Italian and many other languages of what is going on in their new home country.

#100expats

Boyd van Hoiej Mister cinema

Celebrating 20 years in the grand duchy, film critic, festival curator and president of the Luxembourg Film Fund’s selection committee arrived at the age of 21 when his “better half”, photographer Fabrizio Maltese, landed a job here.

Boyd grew up in the Netherlands and did his International Baccalaureate in the UK, then graduated from university in history of art and classical studies.

His first taste of journalism was with a local newspaper at the age of 14 after a letter to the editor “basically insulting them and saying that they had nothing for kids my age” landed him a job.

In Luxembourg, work as production manager at the now defunct Tango TV lasted a couple of years before he launched himself fully into freelance journalism. Support from Fabrizio gave Boyd a “safety cushion” and it was not long before he started writing reviews for trade daily Variety. “I would do all the big festivals--Cannes, Venice, Berlin and Karlovy Vary and Locarno.” Often, Fabrizio would be working the same circuit. Boyd enjoyed the pressure of quick deadlines, but when Variety changed hands, he jumped ship during the 2013 Cannes festival to rival Hollywood Reporter.

Here in Luxembourg, Boyd was asked to join the Film Fund selection committee that decides which projects will receive direct financial support for production. “A lot of people think that I got the job because I’m a critic. But what interested them was the ability to read and analyse screenplays… and at the time I was working for a company in LA, giving script notes.”

And, ask what style of film he most enjoys, and he has a ready-prepared, succinct answer.

“My favourite genre is good movies.”

Photo

Romain Gamba

@filmboyd

23

Profiles #100expats

24

APRIL 2021

CULTURE, SPORTS, MEDIA

Geoff Thompson All things Irish Currently in his second term as president of the Irish Club of Luxembourg, Geoff is also the founder of the annual British & Irish Film Festival Luxembourg, which gives Luxembourg audiences a chance to see premiers of some 20 films each September. He also set up the popular Discover Luxembourg team event and is on the executive committee of the Ireland Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce.

A keen angler, Geoff also closely follows the fortunes of the Ireland and Leinster rugby teams. www.bifilmseason.lu

Ainhoa Achutegui Cultural diversity advocate Born in Caracas and raised in Vienna, where she studied the science of theatre, Ainhoa arrived in Luxembourg in 2006 to take on the role of artistic director at the Cape cultural centre in Ettelbruck. She has been the director of neimënster since 2013 and has developed the former prison’s agenda to include residencies and more diversification. Since 2015, she has also been president of the Planning Familial non-profit organisation dedicated to sexual education. www.neimenster.lu

Treading the boards Several English-language theatrical troupes produce quality work in Luxembourg.

Tony Kingston heads up BGT (www.bgt.lu) and he also puts on a bi-annual festival of schools theatre (www.fest.lu). Neil Johnson is the go-to man for all things musical theatre at Pirate Productions (www.pirateproductions.lu).

Valerie Scott is a great contact point for the New World Theatre Club, which also organises kids’ theatre training and summer workshops for adults (www.nwtc.lu).

Katarzyna Ozga Film from A to Z

Attracted by the grand duchy’s film industry, which she says stands out in Europe due to its international and multilingual character, Katarzyna arrived in Luxembourg in 2012.

Now general manager of the Iris Group, she supervises production and distribution of films from the initial pitch to cinema release or broadcast.

A member of the LuxembourgPoland Chamber of Commerce, she is also in two French-German film associations. Her name proves to be a tongue-twister and source of confusion--she has been addressed as Ozga, Olga or Iris. www.theirisgroup.eu

Louise Benjamin Cross-culture ambassador

Louise is the first female president of the BritishLuxembourg Society in its 74-year history. The non-profit organises the prestigious Sir Winston Churchill Memorial Lecture, an education programme and cultural event.

In Luxembourg for 19 years, Louise grew up in Guernsey and has always considered herself as very British, although her father was a secular Jew of Austrian-German origin.

A barrister and solicitor, Louise is a former chair of Step Benelux and founder of the Benjamin Law Firm.

Alexis Juncosa Festival leader

The artistic director of the Luxembourg City Film Festival since its inception in 2011, Alexis has been paramount in putting the festival on the map. Not only is its programme, which includes international premiers, widely praised new edited text but the festival enables high calibre film makers and industry professionals to meet and even pitch projects.

Alexis arrived in 2003 to be editor-in-chief for the now defunct Nightlife magazine, published by Mike Koedinger Editions (now Maison Moderne). www.luxfilmfest.lu

Jonathan Flynn Rugby devotee Head coach of the Luxembourg national rugby team for the last five years, Jonathan has played or coached rugby in 40 countries. Under his stewardship, the Red Lions team has risen to 56th in the world rankings, its highest ever position.

The proud Scot arrived in the grand duchy 18 years ago to work in the financial industry, he also coaches the Rugby Club Luxembourg, coaches in Brussels and as a volunteer delivers coach education courses for World Rugby. @jpflynnlux

Stephen Evans Cricket promoter The chair of the Luxembourg Cricket Federation and a one-time staple of the Optimists CC team has dedicated much of his free time to the development and promotion of the sport in the grand duchy since he arrived in 1990.

This includes setting up a successful junior programme. He lives just five minutes’ walk from the Optimists home ground in Walferdange. A respected freelance business journalist and copywriter, Stephen is also a keen singer, both in local choirs and at boisterous karaoke nights. www.luxembourgcricket.org

Profiles #100expats

26

APRIL 2021

CULTURE, SPORTS, MEDIA

Li-Chuan Lin The cultural missionary

Welcoming connector

Born in Japan, raised in Ohio, Wendy came to Luxembourg seeking “Bohemian idealism” when Salt-N-Pepa’s ‘Push It’ was a new release. “Back in those pre-internet days”, she was editor of Luxembourg’s only English-language newspaper. The broadcaster, poet, painter and yoga teacher has a day job writing about public health, but on her Happy Hour show on Radio Ara she “talks to interesting people who are doing cool things” and helps introduce them to others and promote their work. “I’m the unofficial Walmart greeter of Luxembourg… I always smile and say hi to strangers.”

James Leader Poet and teacher The award-winning writer teaches English literature and hosts a fun and informal monthly poetry meetup through Luxembourg network Writers Who Talk. His poetry has been published in several collections.

James arrived in the grand duchy 20 years ago after years in the US, Asia and Latin America.

In 2016 he won the National Literary Competition for his young adult novel he Venus Zone. He is currently working on hat he smilingly calls “ a career-ending satirical novel” about the European School. www.autorenlexikon.lu

www.ara.lu

Hans Fellner Art curator

The Dutch-born gallery owner has been a Luxembourg citizen since 1999 (the Netherlands doesn’t allow dual nationality), by which time he had been back in the grand duchy for six years and owned a very popular art book store. His gallery specialises in contemporary Luxembourg art. He is helped by a tight network in the art and cultural scene. Hans has also written books and curated historical exhibitions. “I have become quite an in-demand specialist for the past and the present of Luxembourg.” From 2008 to 2015 he had an entertaining weekly radio show with friend Tom Dockal. hans.fellner.7771

Lova Ruth Cohen-Sizyandji World art promoter After more than 20 years in Luxembourg, the art gallery owner says she is still amazed by the architecture of Europe’s cathedrals as well as “the beauty of snow”. Lova Ruth spent over 15 years in the fund industry before opening her own gallery in 2018, where she promotes emerging artists from around the world.

She is certified in contemporary art history by Mudam.

In February 2021 she launched the www.africaprints.art platform to sell reproductions of contemporary African art. www.ruth-gallery.lu

Mike Zenari, Maison Moderne archives

www.luxchine.org

Wendy Winn

Photo

The dedication and care Li-Chuan Lin puts into her courses are obvious if you’re her student. Having founded the Association Culturelle Chinoise de Luxembourg nearly 25 years ago, she does more than teach Chinese culture, language and calligraphy: she’s a true cultural missionary. “It’s my responsibility and character to share what I know, study and discover. I get great pleasure from sharing.” She avidly travels for Buddhist retreats or to visit China’s museums--which, in turn, provide her additional materials she incorporates into her teaching. Although the number of students has nearly halved this year as a result of the health crisis, many of her students are loyal, having been with her well over a decade, some are even ACCL volunteers. Lin turns up to the classroom even if for a single student. “There’s a feeling of family.” One classroom rule?

Leave your age and profession outside-just relax, focus on learning. That’s easy to do with her contagious optimism.

Round table: ESG criteria, the rise of regulation?

Julie Becker (Bourse de Luxembourg)

Kelly Hebert (M&G)

Claude Marx (CSSF)

T U E S DAY

Carried by the size of its financial industry and the country’s desire to always be at the forefront of development, Luxembourg has established itself as a key player in the ESG criteria.

On the institutional side, the European Commission presented a “green deal” at the end of 2019 and the health crisis has accelerated the development of continental regulations. What can we expect from it? Which criteria, controls and sanctions? Is the development of local regulations desirable? All these questions will be addressed during this round table.

REGISTRATION REQUIRED ON PAPERJAM.CLUB

04 M AY

18:30

Profiles

28

APRIL 2021

VOLUNTEERS, EDUCATION, DIPLOMACY

Few countries have a population as culturally rich as Luxembourg’s.

Over 47% of residents are nonLuxembourgers, 70% of workers hail from abroad, and tens of thousands of residents have acquired Luxembourg nationality.

Living together is a two-way process that is constantly ongoing. The people profiled here approach this process through the scope of an explorer: through learning by doing, making mistakes and trying again.

The key word that came up was “speaking”, be it by learning languages, saying words of support or asking for help.

Integration is a conversation, between families, neighbours, colleagues and classmates.

Needless to say, these profiles are the tip of the iceberg of the hundreds of people striving behind worthy initiatives which aid social cohesion, international relations and friendships.

Words JESS BAULDRY

Elaine Ganouni Local integration

Born in the UK, Elaine worked as a nurse in the UK and Saudi Arabia before moving to Luxem­ bourg in 1999. She took a break to focus on her children and returned to nursing in 2013, later specialising in foot care.

She runs her own medical pedicure clinic and is a Forever Living business owner, promo­ ting health through aloe verabased products. Elaine has been active in committees in the Mamer commune for over a decade. She ran twice in the communal elections for the LSAP and plays euphonium in the local “harmonie”.

Elaine’s Happy Feet

Dr James Mulli European Business ­University Dr Mulli founded Technology Enabled Learning – Africa and European Business University of Luxembourg, both not-for-profits facilitating access to education globally through scholarships. He is aca­ demic dean of faculty and programme director of EBU. Mulli lectures in applied blockchain technologies, postgrad­ uate corporate finance and business statistics, and managerial accounting for EBU and at the University of Luxembourg.

He is also a visiting lecturer at Bremen University and teaches at the International School of Luxembourg. He arrived in 2010.

James Mulli

Brian Ballantyne Men for Inclusion

Brian is a writer and champion for inclusive work environments and co-founded Men for Inclusion, a platform connecting and supporting networks of male allies for better workplace inclusion. A graduate of Northumbria University and the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Brian first came to Luxembourg in 2005. Today, he works for Amazon. He is also company secretary for Women in Digital Empowerment, has served on boards or committees with the ILA and the British Chamber of Commerce and plays guitar at family masses.

Men for Inclusion

Marta Vacca-Vesela Active expat Originally from Olomouc in the Czech Republic, Marta moved to Luxem­ bourg in 1999 and joined the Amitiés tchèque et slovaque – Luxembourg.

Today, she serves as its president, helping organise different events to foster friendship and cultural awareness.

Marta works as marketing manager for the EMEA region at Camso, a supplier of products for off-road vehicles. Prior to Camso, she worked for Guardian Industries and Ferrero.

Marta has a master’s degree in foreign trade and economics and is fluent in five languages.

Marta Vacca Vesela

#100expats

29

Haythem Kamel Student of integration

Before moving to Luxembourg in 2012, Haythem Kamel had visited almost every EU member state as a trainer with the Council of Europe’s department for cultural dialogue and human rights education.

He chose Luxembourg for its multicultural demogra­ phy, family friendliness and ease of networking.

He coordinated Initiative Choukrane, a project focused on removing language barriers to share knowledge with displaced people, among others.

Kamel, who is finishing a PhD about integration in Luxembourg, also co-founded two associations: Formation et Sensibili­sation de Luxembourg and Intangible World Heritage Organization. He supports others, including the Arabic Association for Cultural Exchange, and is a member of the national foreigners’ council and his commune’s integration committee.

Haythem Kamel B.

Photos

Matic Zorman, Maison Moderne archives

Fiona Godfrey Citizens’ rights champion A British national, Fiona Godfrey is best known in Luxembourg for her awareness raising and championing of the rights of British nationals living abroad following the 2016 UK referendum. In 2016, she founded and chaired British Immigrants Living in Luxembourg and today serves as deputy chair for British in Europe. She is also a member of the board of trustees for Statewatch, a citizens’ rights group.

Fiona has a 20-year career in public health advocacy, she is currently a consul­ tant for the EU commission’s cancer mission board.

Fiona Godfrey

Involved expats Marcel Hagendoorn founded Kanner Wonsch, a not-for-profit granting the wishes of severely ill children. Originally from the Netherlands, he moved here in 1989 after five years spent travelling. Marcel worked for over two decades in finance and has Luxembourg nationality.

Francisco Malpica Lizarzaburu is secretary general of the Chamber of Commerce and Tourism of Peru in Luxembourg, a role he has held since 2004.

He moved here in 2000 and has Luxembourg nationality.

Karen Wauters Curling consul

Hailing from Alberta, Karen worked as a chartered accountant in Canada before moving in 1989 to Luxembourg, where she later became one of the first women partners at EY. Today, the mother-of-four is an independent director and active on a number of change and integration platforms, including Time for Equality and the ILA, Luxembourg’s independent directors institute.

Karen is a curling enthusiast and sits on the committee of the World Curling Federation.

In 2020, she was appointed honorary consul of Canada.

Karen Wauters

Makiko Gräfin von Oberndorff Sake sommelier Hailing from Nagoya, Makiko co-founded the Japan Luxembourg Association in 2012 to help Japanese people integrate in Luxembourg and promote the culture of her country of origin. Before moving to Luxembourg in 2011, Makiko worked as an international trading manager in Hong Kong and project manager in Germany. In 2021, she launched Global Link, a business offering professional sake training qualifications, and selling sake and Japanese products. She is also active with the Japanese stand of the International Bazar. www.jlaluxembourg.org

Profiles

30

APRIL 2021

RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY

Code champion

After more than a decade spent living in Luxembourg, Madhumalti Sharma says she is now “a proud Luxembourger and Indian.” She founded notfor-profit Workshop4Me, which teaches children how to code, from computing for kids as young as 5 to app development for teenagers aged 12 and over.

Her passion for coding earned her the title EU Code Week ambassador. She is also a girls and women in tech mentor and active in the Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Ulf Nehrbass Science CEO German national Ulf Nehrbass gained more visibility during the coronavirus pandemic as the spokesman of Luxembourg’s covid-19 task force. Although he grew up in nearby Rhineland-Palatinate, his career has taken him to France, the UK, US and Republic of Korea, before coming to Luxembourg in 2017 as the CEO of the Luxembourg Institute of Health. “I thought I was coming home,” he said about moving so close to Germany, “but I do find Luxembourg more distinct, different than I had expected.”

Madhumalti Sharma

Eva Lagunas Satellite scientist

A 2019 National Research Fund (FNR) award winner, Eva Lagunas’ research at the University of Luxembourg focuses on optimising wireless comm­ unication networks, for example, how satellite and terrestrial systems can work together more efficiently as countries are expanding their 5G networks.

“Satellites will play a key part in extending 5G connectivity to air, sea and other remote areas not covered by conventional terrestrial networks,” says Lagunas, who arrived in Luxem­ bourg in 2014 after receiving her PhD from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia.

Eva Lagunas

Alberto Noronha Foodtech entrepreneur From researcher to entrepreneur, Alberto Noronha arrived in the grand duchy in 2014 and founded Nium after completing his PhD and post-doctoral studies at the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine in 2019. Originally from Portugal, Noronha’s background in compu­ tational biology helped create the food technology startup, which is devel­ oping a personalised nutrition app. The aim is to use individual metabolic data and combine it with a range of other user preferences to deliver custom advice. @bertonoronha

Madhumalti Sharma, Eva Lagunas, Matic Zorman, Nium

Words CORDULA SCHNUER

Madhumalti Sharma

Photo

Luxembourg’s research landscape is diverse not only in terms of disciplines but also the variety of talent it attracts from all around the world. At the University of Luxembourg alone students from more than 120 countries are rubbing shoulders; some move on to pastures new when they graduate, but some stay on, finding work or creating their own opportunities. As the grand duchy strives to be more than a financial centre, it is rebranding as a startup nation, a hub for healthtech and a digital frontrunner. Expats play a crucial role in all these endeavours, helping train the next generation of digital leaders, founding businesses and driving research, technology and innovation forward. A lot of this activity is centred around the Cité des Sciences, the country’s science campus built on the premises of the former steelworks in Belval, giving a whole new meaning to the words melting pot.

#100expats

31

Sergio Coronado Tech teacher

In his day job, Sergio Coronado has been chief information officer at the Nato Support and Procurement Agency in Capellen for the past 17 years. Passionate about learning and technology--he also teaches at the University of Luxembourg-Coronado founded the Luxembourg Tech School in 2016, an initiative aimed at helping teenagers become future digital leaders. “If you don’t create an ecosystem, starting from high school and even younger, around the importance of learning tech and using tech to solve real problems, then potentially not many people will go and develop their careers in this field,” he says. The project started with around 30 participants and has grown to include more than 200 students. “I have a dream to give this educational content to every teenager in Luxembourg.” Being able to build the programme in addition to his job is one of the reasons for the tech aficionado to stay in the grand duchy for the time being.

“Luxembourg offers a lot of opportunities.”

Michelle Glorieux Sound books creator

A repeat expat, Michelle Glorieux lived just across the border in Belgium during the 2010s. She left for San Francisco and founded TA-DA! Language Productions in Silicon Valley to develop sound books, which allow children to hear words in the books read out loud to improve learning.

Glorieux, a Nashville native with a background in teaching and journalism, moved the startup here in 2020. “Luxembourg fits us like a glove; the perfect ‘siège’ for a company whose mission is all about language and culture.”

Catherine Léglu University leader A specialist in medieval French and Occitan literature, Catherine Léglu became vice rector for academic affairs at the University of Luxembourg in September 2019. Before moving to the grand duchy, she worked at the universities of Reading and Bristol, and Queen’s University Belfast.

“I really like the fact that Luxembourg has embraced multiculturalism in many ways,” she says. “It’s one of the fastest-growing countries in Europe.

All of that makes for a very interesting and very dynamic environment.” @CLeglu

@tadalp_michelle

@drscoronado

Photo

Matic Zorman, Mike Zenari, University of Luxembourg, Luc Deflorenne, List

Troy Bankhead Troy Bankhead came to Luxembourg from the US in 1999. In his industrious career, he has gone from being a media entrepreneur to becoming a marketing and communications guru, business consultant, TedX talker and currently representing US biotech company Techcyte, which opened its EU HQ in the grand duchy in 2017.

“What I appreciate most about working in Luxembourg is the quality of life and the location; it’s a hub for Europe, surrounded by--and filled with--so much culture.” @troybankhead

Thomas Kallstenius Science CEO Thomas Kallstenius became CEO of the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology in February 2019 after previously working in senior positions at Imec and Iminds, two research organisations in Belgium.

He lived in Luxembourg briefly before moving to Brussels in 2004, saying the innovation potential already impressed him back then. The engineer now leads public research institute List, which specialises in the fields of IT, materials and the environment, and recently branched out into space. @kallstenius

Profiles #100expats

32

APRIL 2021

FOOD, DRINK, FASHION

Fashion, design, architecture, gastronomy--Luxembourg does definitely not lack creativity and versatility when it comes to the joie de vivre. From unique little shops to innovative buildings, exotic cuisines and quirky bars, the grand duchy’s design and hospitality sectors are constantly evolving and reinventing themselves, reflecting the country’s multicultural landscape. Needless to say that expats play a pivotal role in this regard. Whether coming to Luxembourg to study and opting to stay, following a loved one or moving for new professional adventures, what they all have in common is that they are arriving with bags full of ideas, enthusiasm and, most importantly, a constant desire to combine the cultures of their home countries and other places they’ve called home with the grand duchy’s traditions, constantly creating new exciting and multifaceted ways to foster the diversity of the country.

Words LYNN FEITH

Hajime Miyamae Award-winning chef

Although Miyamae’s name might not ring a bell right away, that of his well-known Luxembourg restaurant Kamakura certainly does. After having worked in restaurant management in Japan, Miyamae made his way here in 1987 to open the first Japanese restaurant in the grand duchy. Ever since, he has been on a mission to introduce residents to the Japanese cuisine and serve as a bridge between cultures. In 2009, Miyamae received an award for overseas promotion of Japanese food and in 2017 he was named a goodwill ambassador by Japan’s agriculture ministry.

Minhye Jung Boutique owner Born and raised in South Korea, Jung has travelled the world spreading the word about her passion for fashion. A former fashion producer for GQ Korea, she has lived in Tokyo, Paris and Stockholm, before making Luxembourg her home of choice in 2017 and now considering it as her “final destination for a homesick nomad”. Enthusiastic about vintage clothing and previously already running a web shop, she is now spreading her love for Japanese vintage with the rest of the grand duchy in her little Luxembourg City boutique dubbed Kyō. @kyoboutique

www.kamakura.lu

Denise Ryan Interior designer

Irish national and current design director of Fineline Design, Ryan set up her business in commercial interior design in 2000 and already had a steady clientele by the time she moved to the grand duchy from London in 2013.

However, Luxembourg’s strategic position allowed her to better access and take advantage of the best European products, materials and inspiration. Through Luxinnovation she has also been able to develop a strong passion for design thinking, recently gaining credentials in the field and planning on further broad­ ening the kind of design service she currently already offers. @isey.ryan

Henrik Jensen Sports bar entrepreneur Jensen made Luxembourg his home in 1993, at the time working as a carpenter and part-time bartender in a café with other expats. After leaving Luxembourg for a year in 1997 to go travelling, he returned with plenty of enthusiasm and helped run legendary bar The Elevator. It was the start of Jensen’s successful journey in the Luxembourg hospitality industry. Since then, he’s opened pool bars Q-42 and Q-45, later transforming the former into what is now everybody’s favourite sports bar, Oscar’s Diner.

The newest edition to his Luxembourg portfolio is restaurant Metropolitan. @oscarslux

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Profiles #100expats

34

APRIL 2021

FOOD, DRINK, FASHION

Sarah Zigrand and Adie Kaye

Gary Haycock Renowned architect Now a partner at Arco – Architecture Company, Haycock came to Luxembourg from Leeds in 1992, only three years after starting his professional career. Looking for financial security and a new professional challenge, he found himself faced with exciting yet demanding new projects that enabled him to quickly climb up the career ladder in the grand duchy which, among many other opportunities, also presented him with the chance to design part of the International School of Luxembourg.

“I am forever grateful for the opportunities that Luxembourg has afforded me.” www.arco.lu

Former head of shoe design at French luxury fashion house Celine and a two-time award winner of the Manolo Blahnik Design award, Sarah Zigrand has worked as an independent shoe and accessory designer for many years and moved to the grand duchy from London in 2005, in order to trade the hectic city life for more space and tranquillity.

Adie Kaye, products and marketing president at Ramborn Cider Co., decided to leave London for Luxembourg in 2016.

Fascinated by the craft of cider-making and Luxembourg’s heritage of traditional fruit trees, Kaye has been an integral part of building and promoting the Ramborn brand, with the Luxembourg ciders and perries now available in 12 countries.

Marzena Rudas Wine connoisseur

With 18 years of experience as a human resources executive in large international companies, Rudas decided to turn her back on the corporate world in order to pursue her dream of running her own business. Ever since, she has been providing the grand duchy with delicious fermented grape juice, importing and distributing wines from Romania and the Republic of Moldova as a certified wine expert. “Luxembourg is like premium wine--with time it tastes only better,” she describes the country she made home a decade ago.

Ray Hickey Gastronomy guru A well-known face to the grand duchy’s restaurant and bar scene, Hickey arrived in Luxembourg in 1993, first working in a restaurant kitchen and getting to know the country’s hospitality scene before starting to work on opening his first venues.

Nowadays, co-owner of the Urban restaurants in Luxembourg and Belval, Mamacita, Paname, as well as Bazaar, alongside Gabriel Boisante and brother Tom Hickey, the restaurateur is involved in a variety of other projects across Luxembourg including Worx renovations, Twisted Cat craft beer and an experimental farming project in Bettembourg. @raycongo

www.vinsroumains.com

Silvana Calmet

www.casino-luxembourg.lu/fr/Kay-123

Photos

It was coincidence that brought Calmet to Luxembourg in 2016.

Driving up from Barcelona in her old-timer to take part in a training course, she was stunned by the grand duchy’s tranquillity and promptly decided to stay. “From the very first moment I arrived in Luxembourg, I fell in love with the country,” she says.

Although she left her home country, Peru, in 2006, Peruvian culture and its cuisine have continued to play a crucial role in Calmet’s life, which is why she developed a desire to combine the richness of both Peru’s and Luxembourg’s cultures in a restaurant.

With a background in business and economics and after a brief stint in the grand duchy’s real estate market, Calmet dared to take the plunge and make her dream of a Peruvian restaurant come true, first taking over the Simmer Stuff in 2019 before opening restaurant Kay inside Casino Luxembourg in 2020.

Julien Becker, Steve Eastwood, Romain Gamba, Jan Hanrion

Passionate restaurant owner

Finance Luxembourg post-Brexit TRANSLATION INTO FRENCH PROVIDED

T H U RS DAY

25 M A RC H

If Dublin remains the leader in the post-Brexit race to relocate companies, Luxembourg is also doing well.

Attracting above all asset managers and insurers – with almost half of the movements recorded –, Luxembourg’s financial landscape is tending to reshape itself, climbing up the value chain ladder.

This 10�6 event will offer you 10 experts’ insights into the opportunities and challenges of Luxembourg’s post-Brexit financial centre.

With the participation of : Christophe Diricks, KPMG Cristina Ferreira, State Street Bank Cathrine Foldberg Møller, Simmons & Simmons Mark Gem, Clearstream Daniela Klasen-Martin, Crestbridge Serge Krancenblum, IQ-EQ Nicolas Mackel, Luxembourg for Finance Fabio Mandorino, ABBL Robert Scharfe, Bourse de Luxembourg Jervis Smith, Vistra

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Business report

MARCH APRIL2021 2021 MARCH

36

Redefining real estate

€ 6,000

€ 4,000

€ 5,000

€ 3,000

€ 2,000

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Photo

Mike Zenari

€ 1,000

2015

Property & workplace

37

The Luxembourg real estate sector is under pressure, but rising prices are only part of the problem. Delano looks at the challenges faced by real estate agencies, new forms of living and innovative concepts looking to revolutionise how we build.

1 “It has to

Real estate agencies p. 38

2 Designing differently

APRIL 2021

be a professional environment”

Sustainable architecture and design p. 40

3 High-rise living A new scale of urban development p. 42

€ 8,000

€ 7,000

€ 6,000

APARTMENT PRICES PER SQUARE METRE Luxembourg’s property prices are the stuff of legends.

Buyers in 2020 had to spend 84.5% more to buy an existing apartment in the grand duchy than in 2010. The national average hides significant regional disparities though.

In Luxembourg City, for example, prices for an available apartment more than doubled between 2010 and 2020, from €4,375 per square metre to €9,924.

Source

Observatoire de l’Habitat

€ 5,000

€ 4,000

€ 3,000

€ 2,000

€ 1,000 Available apartments Under construction

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020*

*2020: First three quarters of the year

38

Business report

Property & workplace

1 Jean-Paul Scheuren

How has the pandemic disrupted ­business in real estate?

There are restrictions; you have to take precautions and organise differently.

There are fewer visits, which means that you must have a better digital presence than before. This is what we’re seeing: better photos and films, data presentation. You only visit with people who are really interested. On the side of the developers, we are seeing delays in getting permits, which will contribute further to problems of demand.

Has there been less demand because of the pandemic, taking some of the pressure out of the market?

People seem to be selling less. They aren’t entering the market. But the ­market is still there. For investors, it’s a secure asset.

People buying for themselves have had time during the pandemic to think about their situation. People are going more into the countryside. They don’t necessarily want to live in Luxembourg City, but see some green and have the opportunity to get outside. We see a rush on these projects.

A reform of lease agreements proposes to split agency fees between owners and tenants. What risks does this pose for real estate agents?

This is happening at the worst moment.

There already is a lack of mandates and

that also means a lack of revenue for ­brokers. We see people really struggling financially. Everybody thinks that ­brokers are gold diggers, but getting rich quick doesn’t exist. When you start splitting the commission, it risks that owners say they are going to do it themselves. Or rents will get even higher, because o ­ wners will put the financial burden on the tenant.

It’s a political message to try and find someone responsible for the market ­situation. We recognise that there is a real problem with prices, but everything on the table right now isn’t a solution.

GROWING NUMBER OF REAL ESTATE AGENCIES IN LUXEMBOURG Source

Statec 1,800 1,600 1,400 1,200 1,000 800 600 400 200 0

2017

2018

2019

2020

If there are too few mandates, you could also say there are too many agents.

There are too many. There are 1,000 agents getting their permit every year. We don’t need more than 150 or 200. The market cannot absorb them. This has to stop.

We don’t want people with no training, delivering a bad service. It has to be a professional environment. We are ­working on an academy and our objective is to have more professional entities. If you only see the commission, then you should be doing a different job.

Where do you see the role of the chamber to act as an intermediary and a place where people can lodge complaints against agencies?

For ten years now, we have a disciplinary commission where you can make complaints against members or even non-members. Professional rules should be applied.

The commission is composed of one lawyer and two assessors coming from the profession. We also started a ­working group on controlling agencies. In one of ten cases analysed, the agent doesn’t even have a permit. We are still only a business federation. But more and more, people are realising that we must do something to control access to the m ­ arket and control what is happening on the market.

What do you see as the biggest ­challenge for 2021?

It will be very difficult to estimate how the prices will develop. It will be very interesting to see where the market goes.

Digitalisation is a big challenge, but the biggest challenge is to come back to our role of intermediary between the buyer and the seller, and this works best when you separate them, when the buyer and the seller both have a broker to reach the best solution for both parties. This will be the future of the market.

No employees under contract Agencies with employees

Interview CORDULA SCHNUER

Nader Ghavami

Luxembourg’s property market is under pressure and so are the country’s real estate agencies. A pending lease reform could exacer­ bate a shortage of business in an oversaturated sector, says Jean-Paul Scheuren, president of the Chambre Immobilière.­

Photo

APRIL 2021

“It has to be a professional environment”

A C Q U I S I T I O N S I S A L E S I R E N T A L S I V A L U AT I O N S I I N S U R A N C E I R E A L E S T AT E C O N S U LT I N G

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40

Property & workplace

Business report

2 Architecture

“We lost something we always had,” says Meyer, CEO of the architecture, interior design and urban planning office. Circularity used to be the norm. Everything was reused and recycled. His firm is trying to reintegrate these values into its designs. For example, it works with exposed concrete, as plastering makes it near-impossible to reprocess the material. Designs are modular, allowing buildings to be

repurposed to changing needs. The firm aims for timeless, solid, sensible architecture, without losing its eye for beauty.

“We are in a transformative phase, not just the client, but us, too. That takes time,” he says, recounting anecdotes of presenting ambitious, environmentally-friendly designs only to be told that the plans are too pricey. “The ambition and reality must match,” says Meyer. “At the end of the day, as an architect you’re only as good as your client allows you to be.”

It will take public interest and regulation to make sustainable building the norm, rather than a trend, according to the architect. “The state’s role will be crucial,” he says, citing bans on single-use plastic as the most effective way of eliminating it.

Exposed concrete and modular structures are part of the sustainable approach

But there are encouraging signs. “There is a demand,” he says of customer awareness for living in a healthy environment.

This is also translating into office spaces.

“They are being designed differently,” he says of workspaces, with more emphasis on breakout and meeting areas but also more personal space, not just because of the pandemic.

Wellbeing at work Tied to more sustainable modes of living is greater emphasis on wellbeing. “We spend more than 90% of our time inside,” says Djenadi, commercial director at Iko Real Estate, which developed the first Well-certified office block in Luxembourg. “The certificate assesses the performance of a building whose characteristics influence the health and well-being of its occupants.” This includes materials used but also natural light as well as sound, movement and community concepts. The pandemic has increased awareness for better air quality, another one of the Well criteria, says Djenadi.

The building features wall gardens and green spaces, rooftop beehives and it collects rainwater. It also aims to encourage more sustainable modes of transport.

“The role of office spaces is experiencing an evolution and responds more and more to the need to create a social link, allow human exchange,” says Djenadi, adding that companies are becoming more attentive to the needs and expectations of their employees. And while the Well 22 complex is a pilot project, “we are convinced that these changes will be long-lasting.”

Belvedere Architecture

In February 2020, Luxembourg unveiled a circular economy strategy to promote and develop the concept, including in construction. A rethinking is already happening, say Patrick Meyer of Belvedere Architecture and Nadia Djenadi of Iko Real Estate.

Words CORDULA SCHNUER

Photo

APRIL 2021

Designing differently

A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER REACHING YOUR EXPECTATIONS

www.besixred.lu - 00352 29 51 29 - info@besixred.lu

42

Business report

Property & workplace

3 Urban planning

“We are going through an important period of transition at the moment,” says Markus Miessen, professor of urban regeneration at the University of Luxembourg.

“This transition will, by default, introduce changes to our lives.”

Density will have to increase but simply building more isn’t a solution for the expert. “Urban growth, and growth in general, needs to be reconsidered.” What Miessen advocates are spaces that meet their residents’ daily needs--smaller and self-sufficient urban units that work with and around the communities already in place.

Newly arrived in Luxembourg--he was appointed to the university in January 2021--Miessen has found the country’s large-scale developments lacking in diver-

Markus Miessen Christiane Brassel-Rausch

sity in terms of scale and identity. “What I have seen so far mostly stems from a 1990s understanding of urban planning,” he says, adding that urban planning should not be left in the hands of developers.

“Public participation in these large-scale urban projects is difficult as it often simply confronts the general public with ideas.”

For the urban transition to be a success, communities should be involved in shaping projects, and they must understand the benefits--such as shorter commutes--and the necessity to use space differently. “The large scale works if it carries along the small scale of everyday realities that are so important to all of us,” Miessen says.

Vertical neighbourhood Turning a high-rise into a community will be one of the challenges faced by

LUXEMBOURG CITIES RANK AMONG THE MOST EXPENSIVE IN EUROPE Source 0

5

Deloitte Property Index, July 2020 10

15

1. Luxembourg City 2. Paris 6. Esch-sur-Alzette 9. Differdange 10. Copenhagen

Rent in € per square metre

20

25

35

the commune of Differdange when the Gravity tower opens in 2023.

A multi-purpose complex, the Gravity project combines flats with shops and offices in a major urban development.

The commune bought the residential tower’s 80 apartments to sell and rent them at affordable prices. “We, as a commune, share the responsibility for the housing market,” says mayor Christiane Brassel-Rausch (déi Gréng). “It was a social consciousness. We wanted affordable apartments.”

Differdange in a July 2020 Deloitte report was listed among the most expensive cities in Europe to rent (see chart).

Brassel-Rausch says there is little alternative to building upwards, given the need to accommodate a growing population on a limited territory. But the city of 27,800 residents doesn’t want anonymous living.

“It’s not a normal high-rise.” Tenants and owners share a common room and rooftop terrace. All occupants commit to participatory living and being part of an association of owners and tenants that decides how the shared spaces are used.

The commune wants them to take ownership of the complex in a new form of living together, Brassel-Rausch says.

Several of the apartments are reserved for elderly or disabled residents, with tenants also selected from different income brackets. “The mix was incredibly important for us,” the mayor says. However, the commune isn’t involved in a new co-living concept also included in the complex. Occupants have only a bedroom and bathroom to themselves, sharing the kitchen and living spaces. The aim is to attract university students, interns or short-term tenants. And while it fits with the overall idea of a mixed space, the new endeavour is advertised as an “ideal investment product” by developers BPI and Unibra, which could yet counter the commune’s efforts for more affordability.

Words CORDULA SCHNUER

Christian Werner, Ville de Differdange

Urban developments in Luxembourg are increasingly aiming for the sky, with projects like the Zenith towers at the Cloche d’Or and the Infinity in Kirchberg offering unprecedented residential heights. But the new scale of living also comes with new challenges.

Photos

APRIL 2021

High-rise living

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In numbers

Flashback Your events

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COMPANIES The number of companies that are members of the largest business club in Luxembourg.

18,000 MEMBERS

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As the nation continued to operate under the lockdown rules, our last events gave us some opportunity for some much-needed safe contact with others.

We started the 2021 Start-up Stories, with an excellent first round, mixing passion, business acumen and vision. Hosted at Le Village by CA, in partnership with BGL BNP Paribas, LBAN and sponsored by Startup Luxembourg, the judges choose among 10 startups, Ta-Da! ( 1 Michelle Glorieux), Chefpassport ( 2 Matteo Ressa) and MyelinH ( 3 Zied Tayeb). Thanks to all our partners and the judges for supporting this event.

Diversity is a huge issue for 2021 and our 10�6 Women event, sponsored by Enovos, IQ-EQ and Kneip, provided a platform for some of the leading women managers in Luxembourg, to share their views and personal experiences of reaching the top echelons as 4 Nathalie Bausch (DWS Investment), 5 Béatrice Belorgey (BNP Paribas), 6 Isabelle Schlesser (Adem) and 7 Elodie Trojanowski (Luxfactory).

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500

7

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The number of annual training hours for your employees to develop their hard and soft skills: an additional benefit for you and useful extras for your teams.

3

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“ Diversity is absolutely essential for a successful company. ” Nathalie Bausch DWS Investment

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Programme March/April Thursday 18 March CEO & ENTREPRENEUR COCKTAIL

3

APRIL 2021

2

1

Round Table: What strategy for public finances?

What are the consequences for tax reform?

TIME 18:30 – 20:00 Livestream SPONSOR ING Thursday 25 March 10×6

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Finance: Luxembourg post-Brexit TIME 18:30 – 20:00 Livestream

“ Do not limit yourselves. ”

SPONSOR ING Thursday 01 April

6

Isabelle Schlesser Adem

Photos

“ Remaining strong against prejudice. ”

Simon Verjus (Maison Moderne)

Béatrice Belorgey BGL BNP Paribas

Start-up Stories (2/4) TIME 18:00 – 20:00 SPONSOR Startup Luxembourg PARTNER LBAN

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Index

48

APRIL 2021

A

Ainhoa Achutegui 24 Selvaraj Alagumalai 13 Aleba 16 Alipa Group 7 Lama Alogli 50 American Chamber of Commerce in Luxembourg (Amcham) 8 Amitiés Tchèque et Slovaque Luxembourg 28 Anderson Wise 13 Ara Radio 18, 24, 26 ARCO - architecture company 34 Marie Louise Ashworth 13 Association Culturelle Chinoise de Luxembourg 26 Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry 13 Atoz Tax Advisors 18 Australia and New Zealand Chamber of Commerce Luxembourg 8, 14, 16

B

Troy Bankhead 31 Bremen University 28 Brian Ballantyne 28 Bazaar 34 Belvedere Architecture 40 Louise Benjamin 24 BGT theatre group 24 Andy Bowyer 14 British Chamber of Commerce for Luxembourg 8, 13, 14 British Immigrants Living in Luxembourg 29 British in Europe 29 British Irish Film Festival 24 British-Luxembourg Society 13, 24 Christiane Brassel-Rausch 42

C

Calista Direct Investors 18 Silvana Calmet 34 Camso 28 Carne Group 20 Chamber of Commerce and Tourism of Peru in Luxembourg 29 Chambre Immobilière 38 ChefPassport 13 China-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce (Chinalux) 13 Clifford Chance Luxembourg 13 Clearstream 16 Olivier Coekelbergs 14 Lova Ruth Cohen-Sizyandji 26

Steve Collar 13 Thérèse Collins 20 Stéphane Compain 8 Sergio Coronado 31 Suzanne Cotter 22

Gary Haycock 34 Miikka Heinonen 22 Ray Hickey 34 Tonika Hirdman 8

I

D

Bárbara Daroca 7 Davy Group 20 Hynek Dedecius 50 14 Deloitte Luxembourg Michèle Detaille 7 Nadia Djenadi 40 DNB Asset Management 20 DO Recruitment Advisors 18 Dress for Success Luxembourg

E

European Business University Genna Elvin 8 Stephen Evans 24 EY 14

16

28

H

Marcel Hagendoorn

29

29

K

8

G

Elaine Ganouni 28 Michelle Glorieux 31 Fiona Godfrey 29 Global Link 29 Goldman Sachs 20 Lata Gouveia 22 Makiko Gräfin von Oberndorff Grund Club 22

J

Japan Luxembourg Association Jaroslaw Jaworski 14 Jonk Entrepreneuren 8 Henrik Jensen 32 Neil Johnson 24 Maya Joshi 16 Alexis Juncosa 24 Minhye Jung 32

F

Fedil 7 Hans Fellner 26 Fidelity International 20 Fineline Design 32 Finologee 12 Jonathan Flynn 24 Fondation de Luxembourg 8 Fondsfrauen 18 Forever Living 28 Fouress Systems 13 Founder Institute Luxembourg Lynn Frank 50

Indian Association Luxembourg 13, 18 Indo-Lux Hub 13 ING 7 Initiative Choukrane 29 IKO Real Estate 40 Institut Luxembourgeois des Administrateurs 13, 20, 29 International Bankers Club Luxembourg 14 International School of Luxembourg 16, 28 Iris Group 24 Irish Club Luxembourg 24

29

Thomas Kallstenius 31 Kanner Wonsch 29 Kamakura 32 Haythem Kamel 29 Sophia Karlsson 20 Kay Restaurant 34 Adie Kaye 34 Tony Kingston 24 Mark Kitchell 50 Kleos 14 Kneip 18 Korean School of Luxembourg KPMG 14 Kyō Boutique 32

L

Eva Lagunas 30 James Leader 26 Catherine Léglu 31 Li-Chuan Lin 26

8

49

M

Macquarie Asset Management Europe 20 Made In Space Luxembourg 14 Francisco Malpica Lizarzaburu 29 Maitland 20 Mamacita 34 Lisa McLean 22 Men for Inclusion 28 Roberto Mendolia 16 Rajaa Mekouar 18 Patrick Meyer 40 Markus Miessen 42 Hajime Miyamae 32 Mudam 22 James Mulli 28

N

Nato Support and Procurement Agency 31 Ulf Nehrbass 30 Neimënster 24 New World Theatre Club 24 Nium 30 Alberto Noronha 30 Stephen Nye 14

O

Sam O’Dea

7

The Network 13 Geoff Thompson 24 Time for Equality 29 Mevlüde-Aysun Tokbag Twisted Cat 34

Keith O’Donnell 18 Sinead O’Donnell 18 Oscar’s Diner 32 Katarzyna Ozga 24

P

U

Paname 34 Katerina Pantazatou 18 Semi (Seungeun) Park 8 John Parkhouse 7 Stephan Peters 18 Pictet 16 Pirate Productions 24 Jonathan Prince 12 PwC Luxembourg 7

University of Luxembourg 31, 42 Urban Bar 34

Kavitha Ramachandran 18 Ramborn Cider Co. 34 Antoine Rech 8 Stephen Roberts 20 Darren Robinson 13 Rose of Tralee Luxembourg 20 Marzena Rudas 34 Denise Ryan 32

S

Enrique Sacau 18 Sacred Heart University 8 St George’s International School 14 Sanzaru Group 18 Susanne Schartz 18 Jean-Paul Scheuren 38 Paul Schonenberg 8 Valerie Scott 24 SES 13 Seqvoia 18 Madhumalti Sharma 30 Spuerkeess 14 Statewatch 29 Sam Steen 22 Mithu Storoni 10 Sunflower Montessori Crèche 7 Swiss Re 16

TA-DA! Language Productions Tadaweb 8 Diane Tea 8 Techcyte 31 Avishai Tene 50

18, 28, 30,

V

R

T

17 APRIL 2021

LuxAuPair 8 Luxembourg Business Angel Network 13, 18 Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine 30 Luxembourg City Film Festival 23, 24 Luxembourg Cricket Federation 24 Luxembourg Directors Institute (ILA) 13, 20, 29 Luxembourg Film Fund 23 Luxembourg House of Financial Technology 18 Luxembourg Institute of Health 30 Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology 31 Luxembourg National Rugby Team 24 Luxembourg Private Equity and Venture Capital Association 14, 18 Luxembourg School of Finance Alumni Association 20 Luxembourg Tech School 31 Luxflag 20 LuxRelo 8 Luxko 8

31

Marta Vacca-Vesela 28 Maaret Vahatalo-Davey 16 Boyd van Hoeij 23 Simône van Schouwenburg Rosa Villalobos 20 Vinsroumains.com 34 Visual Online 29 Ekaterina Volotovskaya 14 Denise Voss 20

W

Yi Wang 13 Natalie Westerbarkey 20 Karen Wauters 29 Tony Whiteman 16 Wildgen 17 Wildgen 4 Women 17 Wendy Winn 26 Women in Digital 28 Workshop4Me 30 World Curling Federation 29

Z

Sarah Zigrand 34 Nasir Zubairi 18

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2be.lu Venture Capital

8

14

Pick’n’mix

50

Life in Luxembourg

Lama 05_nom Alogli

Hynek 05_nom Dedecius

Lynn Frank

Avishai 05_nom Tene

SENIOR ANALYST RELATIONS MANAGER, AMAZON WEB SERVICES

EXPENSES CONTROLLER AND ACCOUNTANT, EY

TRANSLATOR, CINEAST ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

CO-FOUNDER OF PARENT SUPPORT GROUP PASSAGE

TATTOO ARTIST, FOUNDER OF INK JUNKIES TATTOO

I studied at the University of Luxembourg. Now, I work for EY. I decided to spend my life here.

I got a job at the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union.

We wanted a new adventure. We stayed because of the amazing mix of people, cultures and communities.

I was invited to the Vianden Tattoo Convention. After a few more years on the road, I got myself a tiny apartment near the Gare.

A great work opportunity.

Luxembourg is welcoming to expats. I also love the history here, especially that the memory of the liberation is never forgotten.

A bit of the 24-hour culture, which exists in great cities. My dream is to be able to order pad thai at 2am!

Amazing motorcycle roads. Being able to leave the city and be riding curvy, country roads in minutes.

Gromperekichelcher.

I got lucky ; my best friend here is my neighbour.

I have lived in many places and the secret to making friends is to be friendly yourself.

I have travelled and met so many kinds of people, but the kindness and pure hearts of the Luxembourg people are the best.

What made me happier was to establish an integration project with Radio Ara. I am still planning to found new projects for Luxembourg.

Gromperekichelcher.

The multicultural environment, cultural offer, tourist attractions, nice nature.

No cargo planes waking me up every morning, please!

Besides the CinEast festival definitely the cosy Ancien Cinéma Café-Club in Vianden and getting lost in the Mullerthal’s rock labyrinths.

It is a brilliant place to bring up children.

Also, it has a proud heritage of Scouting.

Listen more to the voices of the young people, especially from the international communities.

Maybe welcome a little more rebellion than conservatism.

The nature ! Coming from a city located deep in the Israeli desert, I am in love with the green and water flow.

English.

Luxembourg should have official government documents available in English.

The bike path from the city Grund through to Hesperange. There are some lovely bridges to play ‘Pooh sticks’ on.

The walk down from the Vianden observatory to the city. I did this trail on my first visit ever to Luxembourg.

Ech hunn dech gär.

Gromperekichelcher... yummy!

Gromperekichelcher.

Naughty but nice.

Äddi. This word sounds so cute and it means that, from that moment, I am free.

Mostly from attending local events, but, unfortunately, we aren’t able to do that now due to covid-19.

Through other friends, at cultural events and in front of the local school.

Volunteer for a local charity.

Through my art. We start with a tattoo and end up as friends.

Cargolux, Caroline Martin, Jan Hanrion, Maison Moderne, Mike Zenari, Pixabay, US embassy in Luxembourg

Mark 05_nom Kitchell

Photos

How do you make friends with native Luxembourgers ?

Do you have a favourite Luxembourgish word ?

What’s at the top of your list of hidden gems ?

And what does it still need to ‘make it happen’ ?

What do you like best about the country ?

What brought you to Luxembourg ?

APRIL 2021

Five expats share how they have made Luxembourg their home.

Turn your passion into business Visit ing.lu/business

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