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Month: June 2019

Prince Albert Foundation recognises commitments in Spain

by: Cassandra Tanti
24/06/2019

The Spanish branch of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation has honoured personalities and organisations for their commitment to the preservation of the planet.

© Gaetan Luci – Palais Princier

The 12th award ceremony of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation took place on Thursday 20th June in Madrid, at the Reina Sofia Museum. The event recognised efforts in the preservation of biodiversity and management of water resources.

“I wanted to create these awards to give my full support to the exceptional men and women who are committed to saving our planet,” said Prince Albert.

The Climate Change prize was awarded to Danish company Ørsted, one of the leading companies in the energy sector that has successfully abandoned fossil fuels and turned to renewable energies.

The Water Prize was awarded to the Tribunal de Las Aguas, Tribunal des Eaux de Valence. Registered since 2009 with UNESCO as an Intangible Heritage of Humanity, the Water Court is the oldest judicial institution in Europe.

The Biodiversity Award was awarded to Dr. Brad Lister and Dr. Andres Garcia Aguayo for their biological research work that they have been conducting together for many years.

The Special Prize was awarded to Christiana Figueres for her remarkable commitment to climate change.

The awards ceremony was governed by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, in conjunction with its 26th Board of Directors meeting during which 16 new projects were submitted for approval following the advice of the Scientific and Technical Committee.

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation also formalised the opening of its 10th representative office in Beijing, China, and its manager Robert Shi, who will be responsible for developing new projects in collaboration with environmental authorities and Chinese NGOs.

20th anniversary of GRECO

by: Cassandra Tanti
24/06/2019

GRECO, or the Group of States against Corruption, celebrated 20 years at an official ceremony in Strasbourg last week. The 49 member state organisation was attended by a delegation from Monaco including Director of Judicial Services, Laurent Anselmi. In his speech, Mr Anselmi reiterated Monaco’s ongoing cooperation and commitment to the organisation and its principles.

Laurent Anselmi, at the podium alongside Ms. Thea Tsulikiani, Minister of Justice of Georgia, Ms. Nicole Belloubet, Minister of Justice of France © DR

The conference was an opportunity to exalt the accomplishments of GRECO, as well as evaluate the needs of the member states, discuss risks and future challenges, and propose new programmes, notably a new anti-corruption programme.

The end goal is to establish a pan-European centre in the ongoing fight against corruption.

Monaco has been part of GRECO since 2008. 

Green indicators at historic level at Grimaldi Forum

by: Cassandra Tanti
23/06/2019

Monaco’s largest events venue, the Grimaldi Forum, has achieved record breaking results in reducing its environmental impact. The ‘event factory’ hosts around 80 professional and cultural events each year, and its sustainable practices can serve as a blueprint for similar-sized institutions throughout the world.

Inside the Grimaldi Forum

The results of the Grimaldi Forum Monaco’s Act Green Policy are in. Last year, the venue achieved its best environmental results since the implementation and monitoring of its ISO 14001 standard in October 2008.

For the past decade, the Grimaldi Forum has been committed to reducing the impact on the environment of the general maintenance of the building and of the events that take place within it, focusing primarily on sustainable and optimised water and energy management, waste sorting and recycling, an eco-responsible purchasing policy, good risk management, as well as event-driven communication.

With around 250,000 visitors per year, the ratio between annual water consumption, which has remained stable at 7,800 m3, and the increasing inflow of visitors, has never been so low.

It has also recorded an impressive decline in annual electricity consumption, dropping below eight million kWh for the first time since indicators were in play.

The venue stepped up its sustainable efforts in 2017 with the commissioning of a task force and the implementation of new high performance equipment, including the air conditioning system. New seawater exchange control valves on the Grimaldi Forum’s own thermo-refrigeration production, as well as a change in the control system for this production, led to additional savings of 5.4% on their electricity consumption in 2018.

While paper consumption has been stable, an objective to reach 50% recycling of this material was met and exceeded, from 44.5% in 2016 to 52.9% in 2018.

As part of the Grimaldi Forum’s ISO 14001 certification, sorting is at the centre of many new initiatives, aimed in particular at reducing the use of plastic in general.

Further projects and actions are being implemented in 2019 including the replacement of a heat pump.

Family offices summit

by: Cassandra Tanti
22/06/2019

Close to 600 delegates gathered in Monaco for the 9th Ritossa Global Family Office Investment Summit last week at the Fairmont Hotel. Participants had the opportunity to hear everything from a new blockchain router for cryptocurrency mining, to former F1 champion Nico Rosberg’s Family Office, and a world tour for peace.

Lee Robinson, Nico Rosberg, Giuseppe Ambrosio and Marcos Casiraghi

Hosted by the Ritossa Family Office, the summit is a global series covering Dubai, Monaco and Miami. This was the third of its kind in the Principality and brings together some of the world’s leading experts geared toward identifying actionable strategies for generating returns in a low-rate, high volatility market.

“What we try to do is put ourselves in the shoes of family offices and cover all asset classes,” said Giuseppe Ambrosio, president of the Monaco Single and Multi-Family Office International Association and co-organiser of the event. “So there are speakers specialised in security and market outputs, on private equity, on real estate… the summit is a mix of all of these asset classes.”

Giuseppe Ambrosio being interviewed by Monaco Life Editor Cassandra Tanti during the summit

“We are also adding more concept classes from a fintech perspective, like bitcoin and cryptocurrencies,” he added. “Not just because we want to do it, but because these are the subjects that are interesting to the family offices.”

One of the biggest announcements came from OptDyn and Gemnet, who launched the Subutai Blockchain Router, a new paradigm in cryptocurrency mining. Five years under development, the Subutai Blockchain Router uses innovative hardware mining products that draw less than 100 watts, the equivalent of a household light bulb. It is the world’s first plug-and-play cryptocurrency-mining router that provides users an ongoing passive income of $400 per month with no skills required.

Other highlights included a keynote panel session on the ‘World’s most powerful and influential women in family offices and foundations’, ‘Artificial intelligence and machine based learning’, and ‘Iconic Monaco family offices at work’.

“I designed a panel to allow Monaco family offices and members of the association to come on stage,” said Mr Ambrosio. “Giving priority to Monaco based family offices like I do every year, I wanted to have someone from the construction business, someone from the entertainment industry and someone from finance.”

The panel consisted of Lee Robinson, former hedge fund manager of the year and founder of Altana Wealth Monaco; former F1 champion Nico Rosberg, CEO of Nico Rosberg Family Office; and Marcos Casiraghi, chairman of Engeco Monaco, who spoke about his philanthropy focussing on education.

Meanwhile, interactive round tables included 60-minute break out sessions to promote brainstorming and shared experiences. Among the issues discussed: doing business in Monte Carlo and accelerating the path to clean energy and sustainability.

European Games in Minsk: five Monegasques in competition

by: Cassandra Tanti
21/06/2019

Four years after the success of the first edition in Azerbaijan, Belarus capital Minsk is currently hosting the 2nd edition of the European Games. Four Monegasque athletes are among 4,000 participants from 50 countries competing in 15 different sports.

Judoka Cédric Bessi

From 21st to 30th June, athletes in 10 disciplines will be chasing their qualification for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. They will also be competing for the title of European champion.

The Principality of Monaco is being represented in four sports: boxing, cycling, judo and table tennis.

Cyclist Victor Langellotti

The European Games follows the recent 18th Games of the Small States of Europe in Montenegro, and three medalists from Monaco are also competing in Belarus.

“This is a major competition as the 2nd European Games will allow our athletes to gauge themselves with the very best at a very high level,” said Yvette Lambin-Berti, Secretary General of the Monegasque Olympic Committee.

The athletes wearing red and white will be boxer Hugo Micallef, judoka Yann Siccardi, table tennis player Xiaoxin Yang, judoka Cédric Bessi and cyclist Victor Langellotti.

Judoka Yann Siccardi

In Minsk, the Monegasque delegation is led by Damien Desprat together with coaches Juan Gonzalez (boxing), Guido Possetto (cycling), Marcel Pietri (judo) and Anthony Geminiani (table tennis), as well as Nicolas Pollano (osteopath).

$4 trillion in wealth represented at Anthony Ritossa’s 9th Global Family Office Investment Summit

by: Cassandra Tanti
21/06/2019

Final preparations are underway for the 9th Global Family Office Summit to be held from 18th to 20th June in Monaco under the High Patronage of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco and hosted by the 600-year-old Ritossa Family Office.

Giuseppe Ambrosio, President, Monaco Single & Multi-Family Office International Association, Monaco and Anthony Ritossa, Ritossa Family Office

An elite group of 400+ billionaires, sheikhs, royal families and business leaders representing $4 trillion in investor wealth will be centre stage at the Fairmont Monte Carlo Hotel for a legendary celebration of global family businesses themed ‘The Rise and Rise of Family Offices’.

“Anthony Ritossa and myself are committed to long-term partnerships in the interest of the substantial families and family offices that consider the Summit as a key opportunity for interaction and collaboration,” said Giuseppe Ambrosio, President of the Monaco Single and Multi Family Office International Association. “There is truly no other event worldwide that offers the high quality of powerful speakers and delegates that Ritossa Family Office Summits provide.

“In fact, the response to the Monaco Summit has been so overwhelming that we had to move the Summit to the Fairmont Monte Carlo Hotel in order to accommodate a record-breaking number of guests.”

Left to right: Giuseppe Ambrosio, President, Monaco Single & Multi-Family Office International Association, Monaco; H.E. Bernard Fautrier, Vice President & CEO, The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, Monaco; Mungo Park, Chairman, Innovator Capital & Co-Founder, CleanEquity, Monaco.

The event is now in its third year and the 2019 edition will be chaired by Markus Lehner, member of the Advisory Board and a resident of Monaco for 25 years.

“It is my privilege and honour to serve as the Chairman to the upcoming Family Office Investment Summit here in Monaco. Not only will it take place in our unique Principality, but it will also treat exciting, cutting-edge matters such as blockchain, artificial intelligence and progressive investments, which will change our world like nothing before,“ said Markus Lehner, Principal, Markus Lehner Family Office and Chairman of the Summit.

“I have produced literally thousands of events and conferences around the world and never have I found such a broadness of vision and project. The official support of Sheik Zayed and the Monaco Prince, the presence of the heirs of Bahrain and Yugoslavia ruling families, the heirs of Reynolds, Rockefeller, Bismarck, Muhammad, Menelik, Selassie and a most innovative global finance platform is something unheard of before. Your event ranks in first place as the most astonishing and inspired world summit. I’m very proud to collaborate,” said Matteo Peri, CNBC Europe.

For details on the upcoming invitation-only 9th Global Family Office Investment Summit, email info@MonacoSummit.org.

For further details about the Monaco Single & Multi Family Office International Association and accreditation for local Monegasque family offices, email Giuseppe Ambrosio at info.mc.foa@gmail.com.