Alexis Jacquemond, a 20-year-old from Cap d’Ail, has been killed in a scooter accident at the exit of the IM2S tunnel, while travelling in the direction of Nice. Although the accident took place in the early hours of Saturday, July 15, it came to light only on Tuesday, three days later.
The young man had been travelling from a barbecue at Le Méridien in Monaco and was being followed by a friend on a second scooter when Alexis lost control of his vehicle approaching the exit of the tunnel, violently hitting the parapet.
Alerted by his friend, the Monaco fire service, paramedics and the police attended the scene, but the young man could not be saved.
Our Q&A with Monaco’s Brazilian community
visits J. Safra Sarasin Bank’s Executive Director, Severiano Alves-Pereira
Severiano Alves-Pereira, Executive Director, Banque J. Safra Sarasin Monaco
ML: Where are you from in Brazil and how did your path lead to Monaco?
SA-P: Born in the South of Brazil, I am another recent member of the Brazilian community in Monaco, having arrived in the Principality mid-2014. Prior to moving here, I had already spent over 20 years living outside Brazil, in Miami in the US and, for most of the time, in Geneva, Switzerland.
ML: You are the Executive Director at Banque J. Safra Sarasin Monaco. Can you talk about your career history and your role as Executive Director?
SA-P: An international career in finance and business trips around the world have helped me to be at ease among many nationalities and to appreciate different cultural backgrounds. I managed to learn a few languages – five! – in the process and had my two children in this international environment. Brazilians are known to be a welcoming crowd in their own country and when abroad tend to adapt easily to their surroundings.
Having combined a Latin approach obtained in Brazil and in Miami with a Swiss one (hoping that the outcome would not be too peculiar…), it was time for a new challenge.
Monaco quickly placed itself on the top of my list of choices. I was lucky enough to be familiar with Monte Carlo as a tourist; the time had come to experience it as a resident. The question was whether a Brazilian (and, in my case, under Swiss influence) could adapt easily?
ML: Monaco has more than 30 banks and Banque J. Safra Sarasin is one of its largest. Can you expand upon the specialised services the bank offers, and the key to its success in terms of being a key player in Monaco?
SA-P: My daily activities are in finance, in Private Wealth Management with a renowned bank. The historic stability of the Principality’s finances has always been a beacon of attractiveness for the Monegasque Financial Centre. In my short period here I have already witnessed the evolution of our financial centre. From a financial centre that focused historically on Southern European clients, it is becoming increasingly more international, transparent and modern, capable of dealing with the most demanding, and sophisticated clients from varied horizons. In the wake of this evolution, complementary services such as accountancy, legal expertise and corporate service providers are also coming the Principality, supplementing the much-needed holistic offer expected by modern Private Banking clients.
ML: What did you discover Monaco had to offer once you settled in?
SA-P: After I moved here, my expectations were confirmed. Monaco is indeed a concentration of positive elements, including, very importantly for Brazilians, known for their “joie de vivre” and “outdoor approach”, the fun of living in Monaco on a daily basis, even in the off-season, with its outdoor life and all year-round sports. Take the Larvotto beach, for example, with its summer beach-volley; it makes you think of Ipanema and its sporty beach enthusiasts. My kids also love their life here. Even though they are based in Switzerland most of the year, they look forward to spending the weekends and school holidays in MC. The local Brazilian community, although not very large, is very welcoming.
ML: The Rio Olympics opened this weekend. Does it make you nostalgic?
SA-P: Is there anything I particularly miss from my country of origin? We even have a word in Brazilian Portuguese for this sense of longing: “saudade”, one of the most used words in Brazilian music, especially in the Bossa Nova … it refers to “a deep emotional state of nostalgic longing for an absent something or someone”. Even if Monaco has so much to offer, one distinctive element that’s hard to beat in Brazil: the beauty, richness and vastness of its inland regions and its landscape.
ML: If you had not chosen private banking, what would’ve been your alternative career?
SA-P: If I didn’t work in finance, I could imagine myself raising cattle on a Brazilian ranch…
Gérard Depardieu, the French actor and entertainer, and Russian passport holder, has cancelled one of two concerts in Monaco during the last week of July.
In a communiqué from the Société des Bains de Mer, the reason for the cancellation on July 26 is a clash in his agenda. An appearance on the following day, July 27, will go ahead as planned.
Depardieu has been described as one of the most prolific character actors in film history, having been in 170 movies since 1967. He is particularly well known for his roles in Jean de Florette (1986) and Cyrano de Bergerac (1989).
Ticket holders are encouraged to contact their brokers to exchange their tickets or ask for a refund.
Port Hercules appeared to be covered with graffiti at the weekend as nine urban artists spray-painted their personal takes on the urgent topic of saving the oceans.
Instead of adorning the walls, the nine works were captured on canvass, each one telling its own tale about the seas, and destined for auction to the highest bidder later in the day for the benefit of the Prince Albert II Foundation.
A tenth work was a collaboration of passers-by and HSH Prince Albert himself, who added his own touch in person to the painting. The colourful and popular event with such a noble purpose had been five years in the planning. The Prince Albert II Foundation, while involved with many projects worldwide promoting bio-diversity and environmentalism, is particularly focussed on protecting the oceans.
Monaco’s Pavilion at the Astana EXPO-2017 in Kazakstan has exceeded all expectations.
The 100,000th visitor is expected at the Monaco Pavilion within a few days, following a total of 74,779 visits from the opening, on June 10, until July 10, a figure that represents an average of 2,500 visitors each day.
The EXPO’s theme is Energy of the Future, an area in which Monaco has demonstrated a great commitment and considerable expertise.
Yet little known by the Kazakhs, the Principality has aroused great interest among the public. According to the organiser of the EXPO, the Monegasque exhibition space is one of the top five pavilions measured in visitor numbers.
The fourth Monaco Solar & Electric Boat Challenge, organised by the Yacht Club de Monaco in partnership with UIM – the International Powerboating Federation – more than met the expectations of the 21 teams from seven competing countries that took part over three days on the weekend.
YCM General Secretary, Bernard d’Alessandri, said: “We are delighted to see more and more young people coming to this meeting. They bring new ideas and their enthusiasm for their projects is infectious.”
Marco Casiraghi, the man behind the project, said that the main purpose is to use the competition to promote eco-responsible propulsion to the largest number of people involved in marine motor-sport.
“This event is a way to raise public awareness. Sustainable energy sources exist today and it is up to us to demonstrate their application,” he stated.
Competitors from the Netherlands are particularly adept at solar racing. Gerhard van der Schaar’s boat “Clafis Victron Energy Solar Boat Team” won in the Open Class and Johannes van der Steen’s “Solarboatteam in Challenge A”, won the Fleet Endurance Race. Each one won the speed contest, slalom and one-on-one duels in their respective categories.
Looking to the future, the biggest challenge will be to reduce the bulk and weight of solar power sources on board the vessels. The exponents of solar power boating believe that competitions such as the Monaco Challenge will do much to promote innovation and enable more widespread use of solar energy in a wide range of applications.
