Month: April 2019

Monaco Life speaks to Jean-Christophe Gerard as he takes the role of interim head of Barclays Private Bank EMEA. He steps in to replace the departing Francesco Grosoli, who has left after 12 years in the post.

Jean-Christophe takes the interim role in addition to his existing responsibilities as Global Head of Investments for Private Bank & Overseas Services.

He has a proven track record of client expertise and deep industry experience, with more than 25 years at HSBC across private banking, asset management and investment banking, underpinned by a strong affinity to Barclays’ European and international client base.

Karen Frank, CEO, Private Bank & Overseas Services at Barclays, says, “Our commitment to our EMEA business across Monaco, Switzerland and Dubai, and our focus on building momentum towards our significant ambitions for 2019 and beyond, remains unchanged.”

What do you see as the opportunity going forward for Barclays in EMEA?

“We provide exceptional levels of personal service to our clients in EMEA, delivering an extensive product offering and a strong network of local and global expertise. We offer our clients highly customised strategies and solutions built on an understanding of their individual needs and aspirations, delivered through a specialist team approach in which our clients are supported locally by our experts in Investments, Credit and Wealth Planning. We also specialise in unlocking capabilities from the broader Barclays Group, offering access to market opportunities and solutions in our international Private Bank locations and through the Corporate and Investment Bank.”

What is Barclays’ history in Monaco?

“We are proud that Barclays was the first foreign private bank firm to open a Monaco office in 1922 and remains the only UK bank in the principality. With our prime central location placing us in the heart of where our clients live, we get to know them and their needs extremely well.”

What is the importance of Monaco to Barclays?

“Monaco is not only one of the world’s most densely populated countries but also home to the most millionaires and billionaires in the world per capita. For Barclays Private Bank, it is essential that we are located at the very centre of where our clients live and do business, where we can serve them in a deeply personal and local way. Our commitment to Monaco and our wider EMEA business in Switzerland and Dubai, and our focus on building momentum towards our significant ambitions for 2019 and beyond, remains unchanged.”

How do you differentiate from other institutions?

“As a British Private Bank in Monaco, Barclays offers clients unrivalled links to the UK. Our advisors in Monaco speak over 15 languages and are able to serve clients of all nationalities. We have a local team of more than 20 in-house investment specialists and our clients can choose how they want to invest with us. Barclays Private Bank delivers a truly holistic and bespoke wealth management service for HNW, UHNW and Family Office clients in Monaco, internationally and in the UK, tailored to each of our clients’ unique circumstances, objectives and attitude to risk.”

What trends are you seeing in client behaviours and interests?

“We have ongoing discussions with our clients on our latest market views, which currently revolve around four investment themes: investing in a late-cycle environment, enhancing total return with yields and carry, risks of inflation surprises and tactical opportunities in a more volatile market.

“We are also seeing increasing numbers of investors who are interested in impact investing. They recognise not only that every investment they make has an impact, but also that we have the expertise and global connectivity to help grow their assets while supporting innovative solutions to some of the world’s most important problems. We support these clients to invest intentionally, while making a positive contribution to these global issues, through a range of investment solutions. We also recently published our ’Future Giving – Engaging the Next Generation’ thought leadership paper which shares more widely our philanthropy expertise from our many client conversations about how to involve their families in their giving.”

As part of its Innovation and Quality of Life projects, the Department of Equipment, the Environment and Urban Planning is conducting an air pollution tests in the Carrefour shopping centre car park.

Air quality measuring devices are installed from 25 March to 7 April 2019 by the specialised company Kali’air at the exit of the vehicles and in the middle of the car park at level -1.

These devices make it possible to evaluate the quality of the air at strategic points of the car park.

Panels, developed by the Italian company Anemotech and whose innovative coating called “theBreath” is cleaning up, have been installed near the measuring devices.

The objective of the test is to evaluate the quality of the air before the installation of the depolluting panels and a few days later. The differences between the two periods will be analyzed as well as the fabric of the panels after use to evaluate the captured pollution. The expected result is an improved air quality thanks to the installation of these depolluting panels.

The Monaco Philosophical Encounters, under the chairmanship of Charlotte Casiraghi and organised by Joseph Cohen, Robert Maggiori and Raphael Zagury-Orly, present a new meeting in the Principality, Les Journées “Young Philosophers” from 8 to 11 May 2019.

Open to everyone, these Days are intended to familiarise, raise awareness and make philosophy accessible to young people.

Several highlights are on the program:

A presentation of the children’s achievements created during philosophical workshops on the theme of The Human, led by the teachers of the Grandes Sections Maternelle des écoles de Monaco, in coordination with the Department of Education, Youth and Sports.
New National Museum of Monaco – Villa Sauber, from May 8-11, from 10am-6pm.

A theatrical creation, “The Poet and the Philosopher”, inspired by Jean Cocteau’s “Orphée” and Plato’s “Apologie de Socrate”, which was born thanks to the support of the Direction of Education, Youth and Sports in association with The Jean Cocteau Theatrical Encounters. The performance will be followed by a dialogue with Robert Maggiori, philosopher and founding member of the Monaco Philosophical Meetings.
Princess Grace Theater, Thursday, May 9, 7pm-9pm.

A conference, “Adolescences”, presented by Claire Chazal, journalist and author, with Hakima Ait el Cadi, sociologist, Manuella de Luca, psychiatrist and director of the magazine Adolescence and Claire Marin, philosopher, teacher and director of the Philophile collection at Gallimard.
Princess Grace Theater, Friday, May 10th, 7pm to 9pm.

A round table, “How philosophy thinks childhood,” presented by Raphael Zagury-Orly, philosopher and founding member of the Monaco Philosophical Encounters, with the philosophers Paul Audi, André Charrak and Pierre Guenancia.
Technical and Hotel High School, Saturday, May 11, 10h / 12h.

A roundtable, “Reading, growing, thinking”, presented by Edwige Chirouter, holder of the UNESCO Chair “Practices of philosophy with children” with Nicole Lambert, author and creator of comics and Claire Marin, philosopher, teacher and director of the Philophile collection at Gallimard.
Technical and Hotel High School, Saturday, May 11, 14h / 16h.

In collaboration with the Directorate of Education, Youth and Sports and teachers of schools in Monaco, invited philosophers will be in residence in the colleges the day of Thursday, May 9 and in high schools the day of Friday, May 10 , as well as at the Technical and Hospitality High School.

A philosophical magazine realized with the children and the teachers of 7 primary classes will appear during the Days “Young Philosophers”.

A book will also be published – Childhood and Violence by Charlotte Casiraghi and Boris Cyrulnik – following the lecture given in February 2018 at the Princess Grace Theater in Monaco.

Information and reservations:

+377 99 99 44 55 – www.philomonaco.com

As part of the Arts classes Terminal programme, a number of students from the Lycée Albert I first took this optional discipline, devised a unique performance they have just read to all students and staff of their establishment.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the first steps of man on the moon, these students have fully achieved this performance, titled “Moon and Co-Art” as part of their programme History of Art.

The audience was able to:

• associate with the process of creation of a contemporary work “cacodylate”;
• immerse yourself in a lunar landscape;
• enjoy “lunar” food;
• plant a Monegasque flag in a lunar soil, leaving footprints, so that this realization remains “a small step for the Man and a big step for the Art”.

These young and talented artists will present their creation in June, before the jury of the Baccalaureate (2019 edition).

Charlotte Casiraghi, 32, daughter of Monaco’s Princess Caroline, will wed her film producer fiancé, Dimitri Rassam, 37, in June, according to Paris-Match.

Sources also confirmed to PEOPLE magazine that invitations to the wedding will go out in mid-May. A civil ceremony is mooted to take place between June 21 and 29 in Monaco.

The religious celebration will then reportedly take place in July at either St Remy de Province or the Mediterranean island of Pantalleria, off Sicily, where the groom’s mother, actress and model Carole Bouquet, owns a 13-acre vineyard estate.

The couple have a five-month-old son named Balthazar. Casiraghi, the eldest granddaughter of Princess Grace, has never been married. She also has a five-year-old son, Raphael, from a previous relationship with comedian Gad Elmaleh.

Rassam, who has been married before, has a seven-year-old daughter.

The Commission for Franco-Monegasque Cooperation (CCFM) met in Paris on 1 ^st April 2019. Established in its current form by the Treaty adapting and confirming the friendship and cooperation relations between the French Republic and the Principality of Monaco, October 24, 2002, this commission is held annually alternately in Paris and Monaco. It provides a framework for regular consultations between the two countries on topics of national interest in the spirit of their “community of destiny”.

The 11^th meeting of the CCFM was co-chaired by Mr. Maurice Gourdault-Montagne, General Secretary of the Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs and HE. Mr Serge Telle, Minister of State of the Principality of Monaco.

It was held in the presence of His Exc. Mrs Marine de Carné-Trecesson, Ambassador of France to Monaco, HE Most. Ms Sophie Thevenoux, Ambassador, Head of the Mission of Monaco to the European Union, HE Most. Mr. Christophe Steiner, Ambassador of Monaco in France and the representative of the Prefect of Alpes-Maritimes.

The Monegasque delegation included the members of the Prince’s Government and the collaborators of the ministerial departments concerned. The French delegation consisted of representatives of ministries responsible for monitoring Franco-Monegasque relations.

The agenda included the ongoing negotiation of an association agreement between the Principality of Monaco and the European Union. France and Monaco stressed the need to take into account the specificities of Monaco in the future draft Association Agreement in order to preserve the internal balances of the Principality, as well as their commitment to the respect of a certain number of Franco-European conventions. Monegasques essential to their close cooperation. France reiterated its full support to Monaco for the continuation of these negotiations.

The committee also took note of the reflections carried out within the framework of the local cross-border commission of 11 January 2019 to improve mobility in the Franco-Monegasque basin, in particular the progress of the Beausoleil ramp project and the forthcoming launch of working groups. on housing, telework and sea shuttles.

In terms of health, social security and labor law, Franco-Monegasque cooperation is a key issue.

The committee thus mentioned the coming into force of the two Franco-Monegasque agreements on health security and blood transfusion. The Principality of Monaco has also proposed that its hospital services include medical interns following the French training course as part of “validating” courses.

The Committee also welcomed the forthcoming signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation concerning the granting of the professional health card to Monegasque pharmacists.

In the area of ​​labor law, the difficulties related to the application of the Unemployment Insurance Convention were particularly discussed.

The prospects for a bilateral agreement have been put forward in order to restore the fairness of the rights of the Principality of Monaco’s employees in terms of access to employment aid and the partial activity scheme.

The Commission also discussed the housing conditions of the French people of Monaco.

Transport safety is a common concern. The committee notably tackled the fight against road traffic offenses as well as the safety of the Rainier III tunnel linking the Principality to France. The two countries also welcome the publication of the decree opening the possibility for Monegasque passport holders to benefit from the Rapid Border Crossing (Parafe) scheme.

In the field of education, the committee welcomed the measures adopted by France to prevent Monegasques from paying differentiated university fees in September 2019. The two countries will facilitate the interoperability of their digital applications.

France and the Principality of Monaco, united in the same commitment to environmental issues, spoke about the protection of the oceans and the upcoming deadlines for international negotiations on climate, biodiversity and the Global Environment Pact.

They also spoke about the next ministerial conference of the Francophonie, which will meet in October 2019 in the Principality and will honor the common language of France and the Principality.

The two delegations agreed to hold the next session of the Franco-Monegasque Cooperation Commission in 2020 in Monaco.