Monaco-based businesswoman Daniela Boutsen has been awarded first prize at the 69th FCEM World Summit in Morocco for her innovative international interior design business.
The founder and director of the Daniela Boutsen brand was named as winner of the prestigious Export Prize at the annual networking event for leading businesswomen on Saturday 5th November.
The Export Prize recognises businesses set up and run by women, which have successfully been exported to international markets. Daniela Boutsen is specialised in interior decoration of VIP business jets, yachts, and residences with clients spanning the globe.
“The year 2022 marks a turning point for my company as it celebratesits 10th anniversary: a decade of working together with my team to continually meet new challenges,” said Daniela Boutsen on receiving the award. “I am proud of this journey and extremely honoured to have received this award tonight.”
Daniela was one of around 400 businesswomen from more than 35 countries to attend the FCEM World Summit in Marrakesh.
FCEM, or Les Femmes Chefs d’Entreprises Mondiales, is an association which unites women business owners from across the world. Globally, more than five million female entrepreneurs from 120 different countries are connected via the non-profit, non-governmental organisation which was founded in France in 1945.
The aim of the association is to promote women’s businesses through initiatives which facilitate business development, partnerships and trade as well as promote solidarity, friendship, and cultural understanding.
Daniela Boutsen attended the 69th FCEM World Summit as a member of AFCEM, the Association des Femmes Chefs d’Enterprises de Monaco, a group created in 2004 that brings together women involved in business in the Principality.
Prince Albert II continued his trip to Calabria on Tuesday with visits to many different sites bearing the Grimaldi name.
The Prince was welcomed to the town by Deputy Mayor Rudi Lizzi, where he unveiled a sign showing the town’s membership to the Grimaldi Historic Sites of Monaco network. He then went to the Town Hall where he met with elected officials before presiding over the laying of a plaque commemorating his visit.
Prince Albert continued his journey on foot to the Greco-Byzantine crypt of Gerace Cathedral and then the diocesan museum. He also received honorary citizenship at the Chiesa di San Francisco in Assisi.
In Canolo Nuova, a small town of 700 inhabitants, the Prince, Mayor Francesco Larosa, and President of the Aspromonte National Park Leo Autelitano took part in a traditional lunch prepared by the shepherds of the park. Guests enjoyed regional specialities and listened to the sounds of the zampogna, antique bagpipes that are still widely used in Italy.
The afternoon was spent visiting Cittanova, a town in the province of Reggio Calabria. There, the Prince unveiled a plaque at the entrance of the village marking it as a Grimaldi Historic Site of Monaco. Another plaque, this time at City Hall, was unveiled in commemoration of his visit. The procession then took to the streets and alleys to meet the large population who had turned out for Prince Albert’s visit, before he was invited to discover the Chiesa Madre di Cittanova, built in 1785 at the request of Maria Antonia Grimaldi Serra, daughter of the Princess of Gerace Maria Teresa Grimaldi, who died in the earthquake of 1783.
Photo credit: Gaetan Luci / Prince’s Palace
After paying his respects at the tomb of Princess Maria Teresa Grimaldi, the Prince continued his journey on foot to the former Grimaldi Palace via Strada Grimaldi. He then visited the Villa Comunale Carlo Ruggiero park before joining the Teatro Rocco Gentile where he received honorary citizenship of the municipality.
The municipalities of Gerace, Cittanova and Molochio were part of the ancient Principality of Gerace, which, between the 16th and 18th centuries, belonged to the Grimaldis of Genoa from a collateral branch of the Monegasque branch.
The day ended with a dinner offered by the Prince to the mayors of Gerace, Cittanova and Molochio as well as to the regional and local authorities in order to thank them for the extremely warm and friendly welcome reserved for him at each stage.
Photos credit: Gaetan Luci / Prince’s Palace
Festival of the Stars: Pop Cuisine’s Davide Oldani joins Dominique Lory at Le Grill
With the Festival of the Stars grand finale looming, we take you back to Le Grill for the final “Four Hands” event, where one of Italy’s best chefs Davide Oldani joined Hôtel de Paris Executive Chef Dominique Lory for a never-before-seen fusion of Riviera flavours and mouth-watering cucina pop.
Amidst an incredible second edition of Festival of the Stars Monte-Carlo, it was Le Grill’s turn to shine at the end of October.
On the eighth floor of the Hôtel de Paris, newly appointed Executive Chef Dominique Lory was joined by two Michelin star Italian chef Davide Oldani for an seven-course fusion of fresh Riviera flavours and exciting Pop Cuisine (cucina pop).
Oldani’s philosophy of high quality and accessibility at his restaurant D’O in Cornaredo, near Milan, has positioned him amongst the greatest chefs of contemporary Italian cuisine.
Having worked under Alain Ducasse at Louis XV, Oldani knows Monaco – and Dominique Lory – very well. After 11 years as the executive chef of the three-starred Louis XV, Lory recently took over from Franck Cerutti and now oversees the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo in its entirety.
Davide Oldani, a former soccer player, also sharpened his skills right here at Le Grill, as well as working under the likes of Gualtiero Marchesi, Albert Roux, and Pierre Hermé in London.
As part of his mission to popularise gastronomy, Oldani also designs tables, chairs, plates, tableware, and glassware – inspired by the Pop Cuisine philosophy of simple, functional and elegant.
“Pop cuisine was born 19 years ago when we opened our restaurant D’O in my home town of Cornaredo,” Chef Oldani tells us after a spectacular lunch. “I was 36 and I had travelled a lot working with many great chefs. I learned the methods, the products, the rules that we have in the kitchen. But I didn’t want to be the Hôtel de Paris. D’O was a small trattoria with an 11.50€ menu that included a glass of good wine, bottled water, and coffee. It became so popular that we had to stop taking reservations on the phone. It was completely crazy.”
Saffron spaghetti and caviar by Davide Oldani, photo by Monaco Life
Oldani’s passion to deliver quality cuisine for all became a huge success and, one year after opening, the world’s most authoritative food guides counted him amongst the greatest chefs of contemporary Italian cuisine.
“I was doing an interview with an Italian journalist and I was explaining what I was doing, and he said to me, ‘So, you’re making a popular kitchen’?” I didn’t really like the word ‘popular’, but I took on the idea and changed it to pop – Cucina Pop, or Pop Cuisine in English.”
In 2013, Davide Oldani was invited to Harvard Business School to share his concept and experience as an entrepreneur. His case study was published in the Harvard Business School Review.
Oldani says his recipe for success is democracy and sustainability.
“Respect people, above all, and respect the seasons. Every chef in our kitchen shares their ideas: human relationships and sustainability are the seeds.”
Dominique Lory’s sea bream with granita, carrot and ginger, photo by Monaco Life
In addition to its two Michelin stars, D’O has also been awarded a Green Michelin star for its focus on local ingredients and simple preparation.
We saw this in the first dish of the festival menu at Le Grill – a simple spaghetti salad (pictured earlier in the article), made with saffron and topped with Kristal Caviar. It paired beautifully with a crisp 2018 Pouilly-Fuissé La Croix from Domaine R. Denogent.
Chef Lory says it was a “no-brainer” to pick Davide Oldani to join him for the Festival of the Stars Monte-Carlo. “The discussions were very interesting. He made dishes of his DNA, and we made dishes from the DNA of Le Grill.”
Act II in this seven-act gastronomic show was sea bream crudo topped with a beautifully light granita and finished with a cold carrot and ginger extraction (see image above). It prepped the palate for Davide’s scallop, which was served theatrically alongside a tamarind consommé in a martini glass, to be dipped in a drop of apple and celery puree.
Then came another grand show – a giant Alba white truffle, the rarest and most coveted of all truffles, presented by the chefs at the table, before being shaved lavishly all over our morel mushroom risotto. As if the meal couldn’t get extravagant enough, the dish was served with a spectacular Château Mazeyres Pomerol.
Le Grill’s signature carré d’agneau came next. The lamb from Provence was cooked before our eyes on the open grill, carved and served tableside with the restaurant’s famous potato ‘puffs’ and grilled vegetables.
To finish, we had D’O’s refreshing green tea and Menton lemon granita, but it was the famous Alain Ducasse chocolate soufflé that stole the show.
The famous Alain Ducasse chocolate soufflé, photo by Monaco Life
It was then that the roof above us parted and the bright blue autumn sky shone down into the dining room, a spectacular finale to another “only in Monaco” experience.
While the Lory-Oldani pairing marked the end of the “Four Hands” element of the Festival of the Stars, there is one more chance to see Monaco’s starred chefs together in action. On Saturday 26th November, SBM will host the Festival of the Stars Closing Gala at One Monte-Carlo, bringing together Alain Ducasse, Marcel Ravin, Yannick Alleno and Dominique Lory. Among the signature dishes will be Chef Alain Ducasse’s marinated San Remo gamberoni and Chef Yannick Alléno’s incredible Wagyu beef millefeuille.
Monaco’s Minister of State Pierre Dartout has represented the Principality at COP27 in Egypt.
He was joined by Minister for Equipment, the Environment and Town Planning Céline Caron-Dagioni at the opening conference on Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th November for the Summit of the Heads of State.
Dartout participated in two high-level round tables: ‘Innovative finance for climate and development’ and ‘Climate change and the sustainability of vulnerable communities’, during which certain actions by the Principality were highlighted. The financing of climate action in developing countries is at the heart of discussions related to the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
Monaco’s Minister of State spoke about the Prince’s Government’s commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 in accordance with the objectives set by HSH Prince Albert II.
Several bilateral meetings were also organised on the sidelines of the summit, in particular with the Head of the Andorran Government, Xavier Espot Zamora.
The 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) kicked off on Sunday 6th November in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. After a decade of intense negotiations culminating in Glasgow (COP 26) with the adoption of the latest rules for the application of the Paris Agreement, the debates are now entering the era of implementation.
Photo source: Government Communication Department
Seabed mining, alert systems and carbon credits: COP27 in full swing
The COP27 summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, has attracted world leaders, environmentalists and scientists, all trying to come up with workable solutions to ease the planet’s climate and ecological woes. Here are some highlights so far.
Hot topics at the COP27 conference on Tuesday 8th November ranged from climate action and global warning systems to gender equality and seabed mining, just to name a few.
One of the bigger surprises came from Australian iron ore magnate Andrew Forrest, Executive Chairman of Fortescue Metals. Speaking at a panel discussion on Tuesday at the Ocean Pavilion, he said that he is in favour of pausing seabed mining operations.
Andrew Forest and his wife Nicola fund the Minderoo Foundation with the dividends they get from Fortescue. He said the foundation will back a pause until there’s sufficient evidence that damage to ocean environments can be prevented.
The shift in energy sources and transition to zero-emission targets has led to increasing demand for the metals needed to build batteries and increasing interest by investors, mining companies and some coastal states in seabed mining.
The imminent commencement of seabed mining would involve vacuuming up potato-sized rocks rich in battery metals that blanket vast swathes of the sea floor at depths of four to six kilometres, and are especially abundant in the north Pacific Ocean.
Mining the seabed in areas outside national jurisdiction cannot begin until the International Seabed Authority, a UN body, decides on regulations governing the industry.
“If regulators can’t apply exactly the same whole-of-ecosystem studies, including flora, fauna, terrain and unintended consequence and the same or higher standards, as we do on land, then the seabed shouldn’t be mined,” Forrest said, adding that more efficient mining methods and recycling of existing metals should be explored before seabed mining goes ahead.
Forrest, plans to turn Fortescue into the world’s biggest green energy group and has previously called on rivals to speed up their energy transition and use green hydrogen.
Early weather warning plan
Another highlight of COP27 so far is an announcement by the United Nations of a €3 billion action plan to create a global early warning weather network predicting natural disasters within the next five years.
“Vulnerable communities in areas sensitive to global warming are taken aback by cascading climatic disasters, without any means of preventive warning,” said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. “People in Africa, South Asia, Central and South America, and people in small island states are 15 times more likely to die in a climate catastrophe,” he added.
Gender equality
Investors including the European Investment Bank and Legal and General Investment Management have called for urgent action to include more women in climate action and finance decisions. The investors stated there had been “far too little progress”, especially considering climate change affects women disproportionately. They propose women be better represented in climate finance decision-making and policy framework assessments to even the playing field.
Corporate committments
Additionally, Canadian think tank Corporate Knights and the Global 100 Council have put together a joint plan to close the gap between commitment and action on individual countries’ emission reductions. The initiative is supported by over 50 global companies whose combined revenues top $900 billion and are from the worlds of finance, tech, mining and healthcare. All G7 countries, except Japan, have signed on.
Finally, an assessment of more than 400 banks, asset managers and insurers by the World Benchmarking Alliance has shown a lack of transparency and support in relation to sustainability challenges. Less than 40% of financial institutions have revealed long-tern net-zero goals and only 20% have disclosed their impact on communities and the environment.
Hot on the heels of a successful trip to the United States, Prince Albert II has headed to the Calabria region of Italy to tour locations historically linked to the Grimaldi family and receive an honorary doctorate.
On 7th November, Prince Albert’s trip began at the National Museum of Magna Graecia in Reggio Calabria. Founded in 1882, the museum houses an important collection of items found on archaeological sites in the coastal regions of southern Italy and Sicily. The centrepieces are two bronze statues known as the Riace bronzes, sculptural masterpieces which are considered one of the biggest attractions at the museum. 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the discovery of these two bronzes found off the coast of Riace on the site of a shipwreck which occurred in ancient times.
At the end of the day, the Prince was invited to wear the doctoral students gown at the Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria where he received a Doctorate Honoris Causa in forest and environmental sciences. This distinction comes through his actions in the fields of biodiversity preservation, sustainable development and the fight against global warming, particularly in the Mediterranean.
That evening, the Prince and his delegation attended a gala dinner at Villa Fenice organised by the Italian branch of the Prince Albert II Foundation, led by its President Marco Colasanti.
Click on the images below to see more of Prince Albert’s trip. Photos credit: Gaetan Luci / Palais princier
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