LuxUnplugged Podcast: Recent Episodes
Adrien Loesch and Thierry Schoen
People from Luxembourg are quite familiar with the country’s discreet approach when it comes to blowing its own trumpet at the global scale. Despite its relatively small geographic print, the Grand Duchy punches well above its weight on the world stage!
This podcast is here to shed light on Luxembourg’s global influence from the perspective of two Luxembourgers living in London.
Adrien welcomes Antoine Clasen, CEO at Bernard-Massard. Heading up the largest privately owned wine maker in Luxembourg, Antoine walks Adrien through the century-old history behind this renowned sparkling wine (known as crémant in Luxembourg) maker and how it emerged throughout the years after being completely destroyed during WW2. Known for its iconic yellow label and red foils, Bernard-Massard has carved itself a niche market outside the dominant world-renowned Champagne space thanks to intense marketing and its relentless obsession with quality. Antoine shares a myriad of anecdotes that illustrate how marketing ingenuity has allowed them to dominate key geographies over time.
With national elections coming up later this year, they dive into the delicate topic related to politics and their approach on preserving a certain level of industrial activity within the Luxembourg borders. Indeed, as listeners know from previous episodes, a fair amount of industrial players have raised their concerns about the lack of long-term vision exhibited by government and local officials alike.
Finally, Adrien enquires about the values and principles needed to run a family business like his over many generations, and what mindset is required to maintain tight control and governance over time.
Adrien welcomes Daniel Klemetz, CEO at Luxembourg-based purpose-driven start-up Greenworlder. They discuss the ambitious mission that Greenworlder has set itself onto, namely creating a new social media channel for climate enthusiasts and curious to engage with businesses on the climate change topic. A climate curious himself, Daniel dives into the USPs of Greenworlder compared to mainstream social media platforms and why businesses can expect to get more engagement from their audience as opposed to traditional clickbait players.
Adrien and Thierry welcome Dominic Grieve, former UK conservative member of parliament and attorney general under Prime Minister David Cameron. A vivid Remainer and friend of Luxembourg, Dominic walks them through his background and what led him to choose a political path back in the 70s alongside a very successful legal career as a barrister (lawyer). Showing a lot of affinity towards the grand duchy, Dominic draws a lot of parallels and comparisons when looking at the United Kingdom. However he deeply regrets Britain's decision to leave the European Union and recalls the key moments in UK politics that led the country to leave the EU during the 2016 Brexit referendum.
Finally, they wonder what Dominic would do to bring the UK back on track if he was given a 10-year time horizon.
For anyone looking for unique and rare insights into the behind of scenes of UK politics and all its intricacies, this is the right place for you! We welcome any feedback on this one-hour long conversation - send us an email at info@luxunplugged.com or contact us on our LinkedIn page.
In this 7th installment of the Dark Matter uncovered series, Thierry discusses with Mahulena Hofmann the importance of the general space law in Luxembourg
In the conversation Mahulena also sheds light on to the importance of the International Institute of Space Law and what impact Luxembourg has in the UN COPUS (United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space).
In this 7th installment of the Dark Matter uncovered series, Thierry discusses with Mahulena Hofmann the importance of the general space law in Luxembourg
In the conversation Mahulena also sheds light on to the importance of the International Institute of Space Law and what impact Luxembourg has in the UN COPUS (United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space).
Adrien welcomes Stavros Evangelakakis, chairman of the cool chain association. An aviation lover, Stavros walks Adrien through his three-decade long career at Cargolux, a leading cargo airfreight company based in Luxembourg (and well known to us as its CEO, Richard Forson, appeared on the show when this podcast first launched), where he's now focussing on the healthcare part of the logistics business.
Then they talk about his chairman role at the non-profit cool chain association (CCA) which he co-founded back in 2002. Discussing the CCA's relentless mission to improve processes and global standards in the perishable goods and pharmaceutical products spaces, he highlights key examples that illustrate the fruits of the collaboration between its members and the association.
Finally, Adrien asks him why prospects should join the CCA if they want more insights into best practices linked to transporting temperature-controlled goods.
In this 6th installment of the Dark Matter uncovered series, Thierry discusses with Kathryn Hadler the core mission of ESRIC (European Space Resources Innovation Centre) and why Luxembourg is a hub for space talent. Kathryn also highlights why Mineral processing is so important in the context of space.
In this 6th installment of the Dark Matter uncovered series, Thierry discusses with Kathryn Hadler the core mission of ESRIC (European Space Resources Innovation Centre) and why Luxembourg is a hub for space talent. Kathryn also highlights why Mineral processing is so important in the context of space.
Claudia Hitaj and Adrien Loesch welcome Georges Bock, Founder and CEO of Moniflo, a FinTech-start-up aiming to redefine trading and investment for retail customers by creating a peer to peer investment platform with a strong ESG focus. Georges talks about his experience at KPMG, why he decided to develop Moniflo, and why he thinks it's important young people start investing early and in an impactful way. He also talks about how blockchain technology has evolved and how new, low-carbon blockchain technology helps Moniflo secure transactions and keep costs down. Have a listen to learn more about Moniflo and what it means for new developments in sustainable finance and FinTech.
Adding value is the key - This episode is sponsored by the Cluster for Logistics Luxembourg.Adrien welcomes Philippe Hemard, supply chain expert and former vice president at Amazon Logistics Europe. A former veteran at Amazon, Philippe spent 17 years of his career at Amazon where he experienced the very implementation of their logistics strategy in Europe. He explains in greater detail why logistics is integral part of Amazon's success as an ecommerce business.
Then they discuss the key lessons from the covid-19 pandemic and the more recent war in Ukraine. Both have materially disrupted the way companies with global supply chains manage their logistical dependencies, with important changes now altering the unhindered globalisation trend that has prevailed since the end of the Cold War.
A teacher at the University of Luxembourg, Philippe highlights the key attributes of the Master's degree in logistics and supply chain management, and what kind of candidates should apply for this type of academic programme.
Claudia Hitaj welcomes Christa Anderson, Director of Climate Science, Carbon Metrics, and Climate Change at WWF-US and technical development expert at Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). Christa tells us how SBTi validates and helps companies set near term and long term targets for their path to net zero. We discuss SBTi's new targets for the forest, land, and agriculture sector, and whether companies can use carbon offsets to make net zero claims.
Thierry discusses with Emmanuel Rumours about SkyfloX an ESA spin-off company, developing ORCA an Earth Observation system re-using commercial aircrafts to capture data. They discuss the ORCA system that not only helps reducing space debris, but also saves a lot of money compared to sending satellite systems into space. During the conversation, Emmanuel & Thierry also discuss what legal challenges there are for a here are for a company like Skyflox and why Luxembourg remains a top location for the space sector.
Claudia and Adrien welcome Selma Vincent, student and climate activist with Youth for Climate Luxembourg. Selma talks about her experience as a youth delegate to the COP26 conference in Glasgow, what it's like as a nineteen-year-old to hold adults to account when it comes to mitigating climate change, and why it's important to vote.
Value is Key - This episode is sponsored by the Cluster for Logistics Luxembourg.
Thierry discusses with Kevin Nash the current challenges in the Supply Chain sector and why Luxembourg is a key location for Kuhne & Nagel. Kevin explains to our listeners why he entered the logistics sector over a decade ago. Both Thierry & Kevin also discuss the importance of the sustainability aspect in the logistics world.
Thierry discusses with Edgar Milic about his 30 year love affair with space and why Luxembourg is a key location for space companies while also highlighting the key achievements of OHB Luxspace. Thierry and Edgar also discuss the 4M mission and what the company has in the pipeline for future.
Thierry welcomes back Mike Reiffers, CEO at Skeeled. On this follow up episode Thierry and Mike discuss how the HR & Recruitment sector have experienced the past two years caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and how his Luxembourg-based business helped clients in Luxembourg and abroad to make better hiring decisions. Finally, Mike shares his thoughts on the future outlook for the hybrid working model and on the future of his business.
Claudia welcomes Claude Turmes, Minister of Energy and Spatial Planning, to the LuxUnplugged's new series on climate change and sustainability - Net Zero Future. Minister Turmes discusses how Luxembourg will shift away from fossil fuels to renewable power and how the government can ensure that the climate transition is just. He highlights the role of spatial planning and discusses why he launched the Luxembourg in Transition consultation. At the end, we find out what he does on a daily basis to reduce his own carbon footprint and what gives him hope for the future.
Adrien welcomes Fedor Antonov, CEO and co-founder at Anisoprint, to the show. An academic at heart and accidental entrepreneur, Fedor walks Adrien through the genesis of his firm together with his co-founders and how he further pursued his world-class research and project after the sponsoring university discontinued the programme. Then they get into the weeds as regards the whole process behind their 3D printing technology and how the use of composite materials such as carbon fiber offer a clear-cut advantage to their customers in many industries. Thereafter Fedor explains why he chose Luxembourg not only to conduct business from there but also to manufacture highly specialised 3D printing machines. Adrien briefly touches upon the application of his technology in the space industry where his firm recently experienced a major breakthrough. Finally, Fedor lays out his numerous exciting plans for Anisoprint.
Adrien welcomes Artem Axelrod and Alex Pospekhov, co-founders at Mission Space, to the show. Having founded their start-up with two other co-founders in 2020, they discuss how their business is pioneering the commercial use of space weather intelligence in light of growing space exploration plans worldwide. Laureates of the Fit4Start program in Luxembourg, they then extensively go through the major reasons why Luxembourg is a destination of choice for space start-ups given the level of risk involved in this still very young industry. Finally, they briefly highlight their plans for the coming months.
This series is kindly supported by Hogan Lovells.
Adrien welcomes Filip Westerlund, Founder and CEO of OURCHOICE, to the show. As part of a recent change within the LuxUnplugged team, Claudia Hitaj, a previous guest on the programme, joins them to discuss sustainability topics and make important announcements on the podcast's future plans.
A relentlessly dynamic entrepreneur, Filip walks them through the genesis of his circular vision in fashion and challenges them on the definition of a visionary. Then they dive into the whole process that makes OURCHOICE shoes circular and sustainable over the long run, this compared to mostly plastic derived shoes in the fast fashion industry. Finally, Filip extensively highlights the benefits of launching a sustainability business in Luxembourg before discussing his plans on the upcoming pivot for OURCHOICE.
Adrien welcomes Bob Kneip, chairman at Kneip Management SA, to the show. An entrepreneur at heart, Bob is widely known in Luxembourg for founding the investment fund data distribution business that bears his name. At the time of the recording, Bob was no longer involved in the company as he had sold out his stakes a week earlier to Deutsche Boerse Group, a major financial services player.
Launched in 1993, Kneip started out as a paper-based ads publisher for the Luxembourg financial services industry, when the local industry wasn't as advanced as it is today. Facing the threat of technology advancements in the late 90's and quickly grasping the complex needs of investment funds, Bob made key decisions whilst running the firm that allowed his business to pivot sustainably in spite of major headwinds.
Adrien also enquires about the main lessons that he had learned throughout his career, especially in a fast-paced environment like today's.
In this second episode of our new special series on the space industry, Dark Matter Uncovered, Thierry welcomes Jaroslaw Jarowski (also known as JJ), General Manager at Redwire Space Europe.
JJ talks about the different business units at Redwire and what the formerly Made In Space Europe company, now the Redwire Europe Space designs and develops in it's brand new Luxembourg facility.
In this conversation they briefly discuss the legal and talent challenges space companies face and why it is an exciting time to join the space sector.
This series is kindly supported by Hogan Lovells.
In this week's episode Thierry welcomes Tom Michels, Co-Founder and CEO at Salonkee, to LuxUnplugged. They discuss how 5 ambitious tech entrepreneurs set out to help beauty services providers in Luxembourg and in other European countries to transform their independent Beauty salons from a pen and paper management solution to an all-rounder sophisticated digital beauty hub. They also discuss his business' recent Series A funding round with lead investors from overseas and how he expects his company to expand in European markets thanks to attributes unique to Luxembourg. Finally, Tom highlights the challenges of finding the right talent with experience in scaling up start-ups across Europe.
Adrien welcomes Olaf Kordes, co-managing director at Luxempart, to the show. A Luxembourger who spent three decades abroad before coming back to Luxembourg, Olaf walks Adrien through the key lessons he’s learned throughout his career in Private Equity. They then discuss the mission of Luxempart, a Luxembourg based investment firm with direct exposure to Luxembourgish businesses and how approaching the intricacies of the local market compares to tackling opportunities further afield. Adrien also enquires about the dual leadership structure in a family business with less than 30 employees and already subject to strict governance rules inherent in its listed nature. Finally, Olaf shares his views on the Luxembourg ecosystem and what key components he would change to make it even more attractive for younger talent.
Adrien and Thierry welcome Marc Serres, CEO of the Luxembourg Space Agency, to this new Dark Matter Uncovered series. A regular speaker on the LuxUnplugged Podcast, Marc reviews all the main events that happened in 2021 and took the local space sector another step forward. Alongside the very strategy that his agency has been devising to materialise the government's objectives, Marc also emphasises on the importance of the education and research ecosystems, such as Uni.lu or the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, that underpin the whole industry. Importantly, he also touches upon a new Luxembourg-based fund, Orbital Ventures, that attracted €120 million to invest in space start-ups.
As this series is about enlightening the wider public on the importance of the space industry in Luxembourg and further afield, Adrien wonders what applications from this sector are underappreciated by the public and yet so ubiquitous in everyone's daily lives. Finally, they ask Marc what he expects of this special series and what he looks forward to in 2022 and beyond.
This series is kindly supported by Hogan Lovells.
Adrien welcomes back Charles-Louis Machuron, Founder and CEO at Silicon Luxembourg, to the show. Having appeared on the programme more than two years ago, Charles-Louis walks Adrien through the challenges that he experienced during the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic and how this led him to reboot his business thanks to valuable input from a mentor with decades of experience in entrepreneurship. After discussing his own success story, Charles-Louis then highlights the recent changes in the local start-up ecosystem and how tech businesses with a lot of potential are more and more founded by Luxembourgers, with experienced mentors and coaches supporting the momentum. They also speak to the overall obstacles that Luxembourg needs to address to properly compete with broader and more diversified tech hubs in Europe. Finally, Adrien enquires about Charles-Louis' plans for Silicon Luxembourg and how he sees his company becoming the main media outlet for the young connected people.
Adrien and Thierry welcome Pascal Bouvry and Roger Lampach, co-CEOs at LuxProvide, to the show. Both from complementary backgrounds, Pascal and Roger walk them through the very genesis of LuxProvide which operates one of Luxembourg's major supercomputers or high performance computers (HPC), MeluXina.
The two co-CEOs then discuss how Luxembourg and other European countries convinced the European Commission to raise the HPC topic as an Important Project of Common European Interest in order to compete with other major geographies like the US and China which already possess such an essential piece of infrastructure powering their data economy. The fruit of those efforts led to the creation of EuroHPC, the very body promoting the development of HPC infrastructure in several European countries, where Luxembourg is one of the chosen locations in Bissen.
Decrypting the HPC jargon, Pascal and Roger provide further details on the use of petaflops as computing power in the context of business applications, and how that compares with traditional high street machines.
An established Computer Science professor at the University of Luxembourg (Uni.lu), Pascal enthusiastically discusses the new pan-European master's degree in HPC that is launching in September 2022. Spearheaded by Uni.lu, this project is meant to lay the foundations for the next generation that will support the data and knowledge ecosystems in the value chain and, later down the line, pave the way for quantum computing. Naturally, he details what type of candidate should apply for this exciting programme.
Finally, they keenly review a number of sectors that are most likely to benefit in the future from the implementation of the HPC infrastructure in Luxembourg and across Europe. Roger and Pascal also float the idea that Europe should bring closer to home the manufacturing of computing hardware, such as semi-conductors, in light of the supply chain crunches that occurred during the pandemic.
Adrien welcomes François Pauly, Group CEO at Edmond de Rothschild (EdR), to the show. A veteran Luxembourgish business leader, François was recently entrusted with the task of heading up EdR after having spent a number of years within the group as a non-executive board member. Adrien enquires about the roots of the Geneva-based Rothschild organisation and how this well-known financial dynasty has established itself over many generations as a global powerhouse, not only in wealth management or corporate finance, but also in the wine industry and agriculture business. Then, in his capacity as a non-executive director within many Luxembourg-based companies across many sectors, François is uniquely positioned to outline the various trends that have taken place over the last few years, especially with changing demographics and a greater housing need. Whilst the grand duchy has recorded economic growth rates dwarfing the European average, François also points out the weaknesses that should be monitored and acted upon such as the automatic wage indexation mechanism that weighs on the overall competitiveness compared to its neighbours. Finally, they discuss a number of solutions that would allow Luxembourg to retain its edge and still attract young talent to the country.
Adrien welcomes back Enrique Sacau, CEO at Kneip. On this occasion, Enrique and Adrien discuss Kneip's recent onboarding of the Nasdaq Fund Network capabilities. A huge player in the financial services industry, the Nasdaq firm entering the Kneip ecosystem and, hence, acknowledging the quality of the fund data accuracy that Kneip has delivered over nearly three decades is a remarkable move for a Luxembourg based company. In the same vein, Enrique also highlights the importance of technology for his company's future and walks Adrien through a number of key items that will impact Kneip throughout 2022.
Thierry and Adrien conclude 2021 with a lot of satisfaction and look back at all the key milestones that were reached throughout the year. After briefly highlight what listeners should be looking forward to, they take the opportunity to introduce Elena who recently joined the team to run the marketing side of the project. We wish all our listeners Happy Holidays, and all the best for 2022!
Thierry and Adrien are warmly welcomed by Sophie Weber in the context of a live event at the Luxembourg Embassy, organised by the Luxembourg Society in London. Celebrating the second anniversary of the podcast, they dive into the history of the venture and discuss the motivations that led to the launch of the project back in 2019. Having rarely talked about themselves in great detail since the start of this endeavour, Adrien and Thierry take this opportunity to describe the behind-the-scenes of their whole podcasting machinery, ranging from the choice of the guest to the preparation of the agenda, up until the release of each episode. Sophie also intriguingly enquires about their respective styles of approaching prospects and asks them to walk her through notable stories that marked important milestones during the LuxUnplugged journey. Finally, they provide more details on their 2022 projects and what the audience should be looking forward to.
Adrien welcomes Claudia Hitaj, Research and Technology Associate at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), to the show. A seasoned environmental economist, Claudia walks Adrien through the various conclusions of the COP26 conference and what it means regarding future commitments of developed nations vis a vis emerging countries in the climate change context. Unlike previous editions of this conference, she details how the public has been able to grasp the implications of such global summits thanks to better reporting produced by media outlets. Claudia then dives into the role of LIST in the wider Luxembourg ecosystem and how essential this organisation is when it comes to supporting the government in their efforts to decarbonise the economy over the long term. They also talk about the various initiatives that have been launched by LIST to accelerate the path towards decarbonisation. Finally, Claudia gives away a few concrete examples on how Luxembourg could act as a role model worldwide.
Thierry welcomes back Gérard Hoffmann, CEO at Proximus Luxembourg, to the show. The last time Gérard appeared on the programme, the world had just entered into a lockdown period when a lot of companies had to adopt teleworking (or working from home) setups at an unprecedented pace. This hugely benefitted a company like Gérard's in the ICT space. 18 months down the line, Gérard acknowledges the benefits of hybrid arrangements for his own staff, especially for crossborder workers who play an enormous role in Luxembourg's economy, but also looks forward to the lifting of social distancing measures and more collaboration onsite to spur innovation and creativity. After discussing the disruptive impact of covid on supply chains after summer 2021, they dive into the meaning of the metaverse and the opportunities for Luxembourg as a whole. Finally, Gérard walks Thierry through the numerous opportunities that the digital transformation can unlock, especially for sectors that have been more conservative in that regard. He even likens this upcoming digital decade to the roaring 20's.
Thierry welcomes David Gray, General Manager at the CK Group, to the show. An avid believer in technology, David looks back at the last three decades and discusses how technological changes and the internet have revolutionised the way companies structure their business processes. Then, Thierry wonders how the two key business lines from the CK Group, an established group in Luxembourg offering office technology and sports wellbeing solutions, are complementary. Subsequently, they talk about the effects of the pandemic on businesses and how this has affected their decisions to accelerate their digital transformation decisions.
Thierry and Adrien welcome Jean-Claude Juncker, former president of the European Commission, to the show. A globally known figure in political affairs, Jean-Claude Juncker dives into his early days in Luxembourg politics which he preferred to a legal career. They then discuss the political and economic situation in Luxembourg and how the country has evolved from a global financial centre to a more diversified ecosystem. Inevitably, Adrien and Thierry enquire about his views on Luxembourg and its role in European affairs. Drawing a number of parallels with Brexit, of which he oversaw the exit deal negotiation between the European Union and the United Kingdom, Mr Juncker briefly comments on the freedom of movement that comes with the EU membership and the damage that it caused when leaving the Union like the UK did. In line with more recent episodes, Adrien and Thierry speak to the climate change topic where the European Union plays a major role.
Thierry and Adrien welcome back Tokyo Institute of Technology's Kim Schumacher to the show. After briefly discussing his experience as a lecturer in Japan at the height of the covid-19 crisis, Kim extensively explains the purpose of the IPCC report, a paper issued by a body within the United Nations, and what the conclusions of the latest report mean for all the involved stakeholders. Thierry then enquires about the challenges that government officials have faced in light of the covid-19 crisis and what tackling climate change would entail for them to convince their electorate to adapt their lifestyle in a profound fashion. Provocatively, Adrien debates whether fully-fledged democracies and the handling of the climate change crisis are mutually exclusive concepts to make tough decisions that would preserve a population’s long term interests. Finally, Kim walks them through the latest sustainable finance initiatives that he has been involved in in Luxembourg where good progress has been made, especially with one of the largest domestic financial institutions.
Thierry and Adrien welcome Pascale Junker, Head of Luxembourg Strategy, to the show. After walking them through her extensive years in development aid in emerging economies, Pascale discusses the concept of territorial and urban planning and how human infrastructure has become so important on Earth that it's capable of influencing the ecosystem as a whole. Adrien then enquiries about her papers detailing Luxembourg's recommended agenda to reach carbon neutrality in a few decades' time thanks to a complete rethinking of the territorial planning strategy. In the context of climate change, Thierry wonders how the successive Luxembourg governments have handled the climate crisis and what the Luxembourg population needs to do to avert it. Given Luxembourg's extraordinary economic and demographic growth in recent years, and in light of limited resources and space, they dive into the challenges that the grand duchy is likely to face if the local mentality remains unchanged for the foreseeable future. Finally, Pascale provides her view on the forthcoming COP26 conference in Glasgow and what she hopes global leaders will achieve after the summit.
Thierry and Adrien welcome Marie Louise Ashworth, President at The Network, to the LuxUnplugged Podcast. They discuss the importance of having women-only clubs and how such environments can greatly enhance professional opportunities and promote better values. An impassioned feminist, Marie Louise walks them through the principles underpinning The Network and how her association supports its members throughout their professional and personal journeys in Luxembourg. Finally, they also talk about the recent emergence of movements such as #MeToo and how society is evolving in relation to equality and diversity issues. (We apologise for the minor blips that occur throughout the recording which took place on a remote basis)
REPLAY - Thierry welcomes Mike Reiffers, Managing Director and co-founder of Skeeled. They discuss the genesis of Mike's company that he co-founded with his business partner straight after university. Then they dive into how this Luxembourg-based business leverages artificial intelligence, allowing his clients to make better hiring decisions whilst promoting their brand. Finally, Mike shares his tips for everyone aspiring to start up their company in the Grand Duchy.
In this short episode, Thierry and Adrien wrap up Season 2. After another very exciting year, they briefly reflect upon the recent changes in the Luxembourg podcast environment. Then, they give away a few bits and pieces that are currently happening within the LuxUnplugged team and, of course, they talk about the upcoming events pertaining to the podcast. Watch out, a lot of important announcements are in the pipeline! We'll be back after the Summer Holidays!
Thierry welcomes back Franz Fayot, Minister of the Economy, to the second installment of this two-part session. After discussing the roadmap on how the Luxembourg economy should be rebuilt in a forward-looking fashion, they dive into the pillars that will underpin new growth areas, namely space, cybersecurity and supercomputers (also referred to as high performance computing, HPC). Minister Fayot provides further details on why HPC is essential for Luxembourg to make the best use of data in the digital age and how this will allow the country to achieve its own sustainability targets.
Thierry welcomes Franz Fayot, Minister of the Economy, to the first installment of this two-part session. A passionate social democrat, Franz walks Thierry through his socialist and green roots, and what motivated him to join the government just before the coronavirus crisis broke out in early 2020. They dive into the various challenges that he has faced since the outbreak of the pandemic and how he has steered the economy throughout that period. As the Luxembourg economy is emerging again, Thierry asks the minister about the nature of the economic recovery, and how it ties into his long term goal of addressing environmental issues and the need to adopt a circular economy model. Inevitably, they touch on a very important point which is quite unique to Luxembourg: its strong reliance on crossborder workers and the challenges linked to teleworking (or working from home). With workers from neighbouring countries having more flexibility to stay at home (even temporarily), this creates a series of frictions from a tax agreement and social security perspective. Finally, the minister responds to allegations that the Luxembourg government has been too complacent when it comes to attracting new industrial players. The country is indeed attempting to move away from its over-reliance on the financial services industry.
Thierry and Adrien welcome Rolf Sorg, Founder and CEO at PM International, to the show. An entrepreneur running a multi-billion dollar revenue business across the globe, Rolf discusses the genesis of his direct sales company in the early 90's after dropping out of university in Germany. He then explains why nutritional supplement products, PM International's flagship product suite, were less popular more than 20 years ago, and how the market pivoted towards a healthier lifestyle, especially during the pandemic. They further dive into the international success that Rolf's business has achieved thanks to the Luxembourg ecosystem. Finally, Rolf extensively enumerates the benefits of choosing the Grand Duchy for personal and, of course, professional reasons.
Adrien welcomes Fernand Ernster, CEO at Librairie Ernster, to the show. A very acute entrepreneur running an established bookstore brand in Luxembourg, Fernand walks Adrien through the family business history and how it's grown over generations for more than 100 years. Adrien then enquires about the secret ingredients for a brick and mortar bookseller to stay competitive at times when digital marketplaces, such as Amazon, gain a bigger market share in the bookselling business. Before talking about the importance of language diversity in a multilingual country like Luxembourg, Fernand discusses the concept of anchor stores and how businesses like his have turned into an essential frequency bringer in shopping malls. As a key representative of the local economy, Fernand finally provides his views on how he would change Luxembourg if he was given the opportunity to do so.
Thierry welcomes Malik Zeniti, Director at the Cluster for Logistics in Luxembourg (C4L), to the show. Dubbed "Mr Logistics of Luxembourg", Malik walks Thierry through his time at DuPont, a global US chemicals company, and how this enriching experience laid the foundation for his passion in logistics. They then discuss the C4L's mission and how the whole supply chain ecosystem operates in a landlocked country with great ambitions. Subsequently, Malik emphasises on one of Luxembourg's biggest assets, namely Cargolux, a leading air cargo company which services all the continents with its important Boeing 747 fleet. Finally, they discuss the environmental impact of the logistics sector and how C4L members have been actively reducing their carbon footprint thanks to initiatives such as the Lean & Green programme.
Adrien welcomes Enrique Sacau, CEO at Kneip, to the show. They discuss Kneip's role in the Luxembourg ecosystem and how it has been discreetly acting behind the scenes whilst servicing asset managers globally. Enrique then walks Adrien through the importance of being deliberate in the workplace in the context of diversity and inclusion, which goes beyond practices many businesses have adopted so far. Having recently started influencing the company culture, Enrique further dives into the intricacies of such an initiative and how all the stakeholders can contribute to this.
Thierry welcomes Rachel Kent, Partner at Hogan Lovells in London, and Pierre Reuter, Managing Partner at Hogan Lovells Luxembourg, to LuxUnplugged. At a time when a lot of businesses are re-evaluating their strategy when it comes to operating from the UK, Thierry enquires about the decision of Hogan Lovells, a global law firm, to open a new office in Dublin. Then, Rachel and Pierre debate the key advantages of their respective jurisdictions from a regulatory standpoint and how, in a Brexit context, they see London and Luxembourg cementing their links whilst Europe competes for more business leaving the UK. Named as one of the most influential women in European finance, Rachel then walks them through the key innovation initiatives that she's championing in the UK FinTech space in order to retain its global competitive edge (e.g. Kalifa review). Finally, Pierre and Rachel discuss the hot topic of talent acquisition in a world where working from cheaper locations is now widely accepted after the pandemic outbreak.
Adrien welcomes Alberto Dalmasso, CEO and co-founder of Satispay, to the show. They discuss the genesis of Satispay, an Italian electronic money institution, and how Alberto and his co-founders came up with an idea aimed at solving the high transactional cost problems for merchants to process small payments, whilst encouraging end consumers to use their phones to facilitate transactions as opposed to cash. A highly driven entrepreneur, Alberto also walks Adrien through the company's ambitions to disrupt payment systems in other Eurozone countries as they exhibit the same cash payment patterns as Italy. Then, they dive into the whole thought process that led Satispay to choose Luxembourg as their gateway to Europe, most notably due to the country's highly multicultural attributes and the regulator's pragmatic approach towards accommodating the needs of tech companies. Finally, Alberto extensively analyses the positive effects that the Covid-19 pandemic has brought to Satispay and how the brick and mortar merchant ecosystem has adapted in order to service their clientele during lockdowns.
Thierry and Adrien welcome back Steve Collar, CEO at SES, to the show. In this timely follow-up conversation, Steve discusses the huge importance of connectivity in a world where a great number of people have been separated from their loved ones due to Covid-19. Also, he talks about the increase in demand for linear broadcasting (i.e. continuous content streaming) from public broadcasters, especially in Europe, and its root causes. Finally, they touch on SES' longer term innovation projects and the overall outlook for the space industry in Luxembourg.
Thierry and Adrien welcome Luc Provost, CEO at B Medical Systems, to the show. After discussing the recent history of his company following the management buyout, Luc dives into the enormous success he's recently experienced since the first Covid-19 vaccine announcement. He discusses the importance of having an optimised cold chain distribution in light of the disruption that the pandemic has caused for more than a year. They also talk about the different government responses across Europe, and how Luxembourg has distinguished itself by handling the situation very early on. Finally, Luc tells them why Europe needs to bring back manufacturing closer to home and reduce its reliance on the Far East.
Adrien welcomes back Jacques Pütz, CEO of LUXHUB, to the show. In this follow-up conversation, they briefly discuss the exponential growth that LUXHUB has enjoyed over the last year as banks consuming its services are slowly embracing the benefits of cost mutualisation. In the same vein, Jacques also talks about the strategic partnership established with SIX, the Swiss financial infrastructure provider, and what it entails for the company and its European ambitions. And then, Jacques looks back at Luxembourg's efforts to make the local ecosystem attractive to Fintech companies and, more importantly, how it could further enhance it in a constructive and productive way.
Thierry and Adrien welcome Joe Hoffmann, COO at 4Elements Esports and President of the Luxembourg Esports Federation, to the show. A highly driven esports practitioner, Joe explains how the fastest growing online industry has evolved over the last few years in a global context. Then, he walks them through the launch of Forward with his brother to accelerate the promotion of esports in Luxembourg where the government is still reluctant to recognise this industry as a sports discipline in its own right. After highlighting the differences between a regular gamer and an esports athlete, Joe passionately emphasises on the commercial benefits that prospective companies can derive from partnering with esports organisations. Finally, he lays out the outlook for 2021 and his plans for 4Elements Esports in the future.
Adrien welcomes Stéphane Pesch, CEO at the Luxembourg Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (LPEA), to the show. In the context of the growing influence that the private equity (PE) industry exerts in Luxembourg, they discuss the role of the LPEA in underpinning this trend. A strong ESG proponent, Stéphane walks Adrien through the various initiatives that the LPEA has launched to help its members keep up with the recent requirements. Also, they talk about how the LPEA vividly promotes greater diversity in private equity, which is mainly male dominated. Finally, they explore options pertaining to opening up PE investment opportunities to smaller retail investors who normally don't get access to this more exclusive asset class.
Thierry welcomes Pierre Thein, Director at the Hein Group, to the show. A seasoned ambassador of the Luxembourg industry, Pierre talks about how the Hein Group, a state-of-the-art oven manufacturer, has successfully expanded its brand and reputation beyond Luxembourg since 1882, the year in which the company was founded. He then discusses the key ingredients for an industrial company to thrive in a highly competitive global environment, especially in Luxembourg which is predominantly a service-driven economy. Thierry also enquires about the importance of the "Made in Luxembourg" label where Pierre walks him through the latest evolution of the nation branding efforts made by the government. Finally, he weighs the pros and cons of making the Luxembourg industrial space more attractive to young talent and how to achieve this.
After a very successful year, Thierry and Adrien get together to look back at 2020. They discuss how they adapted to new conditions linked to the pandemic and how they maintained the pace given their high ambitions for the podcast. Finally, they talk about the outlook for 2021 and set new objectives for the coming months.
Thierry welcomes Oliver Schimek, CEO and Founder at CrossLend, to the show. As the CEO of a leading FinTech company in Europe, Oliver provides further clarifications on the company's Luxembourg branch after misreports in the media. They discuss the impact of covid-19 on working from home and the likely effects that are going to be felt in the coming months and years. Oliver then dives into the importance of letting companies with an unsuccessful business model fail quickly to allow the innovation process to kick in. Finally, he shares his insights into the differences between investor risk appetite in the US and Europe and how Europe should change its stance to create European market leaders.
Thierry welcomes Kevin Muller, Founder and CEO at Passbolt, to LuxUnplugged. They discuss the genesis of Kevin's idea back in India when he kicked off his career after university. Then they talk about how a free open-source platform for password management turned into a monetisable concept over time with an element of serendipity. Finally, Kevin passionately describes his experience within the Luxembourg-based acceleration programme, Fit4Start, which allowed his start-up to fast-track its journey.
Adrien welcomes back Marc Serres, CEO at the Luxembourg Space Agency. They look back at the major events that have further shaped Luxembourg's mission to establish the space sector as the next key pillar of the local economy. More importantly, Marc discusses the importance of the Artemis Accords that the grand duchy has recently signed with other major international players in the space industry and what it means for their flagship program, the spaceresources.lu initiative.
Adrien welcomes Georges Berscheid, CTO at Finologee, to LuxUnplugged. They discuss the role of RegTech firms in a context of increasing regulations and how this pans out for Luxembourg more specifically. Also, Georges shares his view on the importance of automating processes, such as digital on-boarding, in a seamless and reliable way. Finally, he extensively talks about the benefits the Luxembourg market offers and how the local ecosystem can position itself as a main hub in the regulatory space.
Adrien welcomes Serge Krancenblum, Executive Chairman at IQ-EQ, to LuxUnplugged. They discuss how IQ-EQ has become one of the leading investor services companies in the world. Serge also explains how the local ecosystem has evolved over the past decades and how his group has shaped the economy all along the way. Finally, they talk about the key institutions ensuring Luxembourg stays ahead of the game.
Thierry welcomes Alexander Tkachenko, Founder and Managing Partner at 2be.lu, to LuxUnplugged. They discuss how Alexander carved out his niche when setting up his venture capital firm. He also provides his insights into the early stage investment space and how the pandemic is likely to shape the world and its related trends. Finally, they talk about the merits of the Luxembourg ecosystem and the government's efforts to attract start-ups to the Grand Duchy.
Thierry and Adrien welcome Marie Louise Ashworth, President at The Network, to LuxUnplugged. They discuss the importance of having women-only clubs and how such environments can greatly enhance professional opportunities and promote better values. An impassioned feminist, Marie Louise walks them through the principles underpinning The Network and how her association supports its members throughout their professional and personal journeys in Luxembourg. Finally, they also talk about the recent emergence of movements such as #MeToo and how society is evolving in relation to equality and diversity issues. (We apologise for the minor blips that occur throughout the recording which took place on a remote basis) All our links are available on Linktree linktr.ee/luxunplugged
Thierry and Adrien welcome back Kim Schumacher, Lecturer at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, to the LuxUnplugged Podcast. In the final episode of Season 1, they look back at the numerous changes in the ESG space that he's contributed to since appearing on the podcast more than a year ago. Also, Kim highlights how the latest covid-19 pandemic has accelerated a number of opportunities and what the latest developments have been so far.
Thierry and Adrien welcome Gérard Hoffmann, CEO at Proximus Luxembourg. They discuss how Luxembourg, like many other countries around the globe, rapidly adopted teleworking in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic. After talking about the opportunities that arose from this radical shift, Gérard also highlights the unexpected demand for certain crucial services that his company has had to deliver. Finally, they touch upon the Luxembourg government's efforts to make the local economy more attractive to global ICT players, including the controversial Google data center project in the north of the country.
Thierry and Adrien welcome Patrick Kersten, founder and CEO at Doctena. They discuss medical online bookings in the context of the covid-19 crisis and the opportunities that have arisen as a result. Also, Patrick talks about his previous ventures and outlines the fundamental changes that the Luxembourg business ecosystem has undergone since he kick-started his entrepreneurial career in the early 2000's.
Thierry welcomes Mike Reiffers, Managing Director and co-founder of Skeeled. They discuss the genesis of Mike's company that he co-founded with his business partner straight after university. Then they dive into how this Luxembourg-based business leverages artificial intelligence, allowing his clients to make better hiring decisions whilst promoting their brand. Finally, Mike shares his tips for everyone aspiring to start up their company in the Grand Duchy.
Thierry welcomes Bert Boerman, CEO at Governance.com. They discuss how Bert and his brother, Rob, successfully built their RegTech business in the early days of the company despite strong resistance from the market. After exchanging on the outlook for the Luxembourg investment fund industry, they highlight the perks that Luxembourg offers to start up a company in the FinTech space.
Thierry and Adrien welcome Denise Voss, Chairwoman at the LuxFLAG agency. They first discuss how Luxembourg's role in the investment fund industry has evolved over the past decades. Then they dive into the agency's fundamental role to promote the Luxembourg ESG label worldwide on the back of the country's strong reputation in that field.
Adrien welcomes Françoise Thoma, CEO at Spuerkeess (BCEE). They discuss the strategy that the bank has adopted over the years to enhance its offering and adapt to a rapidly changing environment. Furthermore, they dive into Spuerkeess' ambitions to champion the importance of corporate social responsibility and how this translates into the projects this leading bank financially supports.
Thierry welcomes Satellite Executive of the year for 2019, Steve Collar, CEO at SES. They discuss SES’ business model change since its inception in the 80’ and how it has become a leading satellite operator worldwide. After talking about fascinating projects that Steve particularly cares about, they further dive into the space ecosystem and Luxembourg’s perks.
Thierry and Adrien welcome Márton Fülöp, Chief Innovation Officer at Docler Holding. They discuss how this forward-looking business has come up with a very diverse and creative product line throughout its history. They also address the question of recruiting top tech talent, which has been a challenge for Luxembourg, before highlighting the numerous attributes that the Grand Duchy has offered to Márton's company.
Thierry welcomes Charles-Louis Machuron, founder at Silicon Luxembourg. They discuss the context in which Silicon Luxembourg has grown, this in tandem with the start-up scene in Luxembourg. Also, they talk about the entire ecosystem that the Grand Duchy offers to entrepreneurs and how they can leverage it.
Thierry welcomes Charlotte Pedersen, CEO at Luxaviation Helicopters. They discuss the company's helicopter charter service specifically tailored to "VVIP" clients. They also talk about how Luxaviation Helicopters has gone global whilst operating from Luxembourg.
Adrien welcomes Jacques Pütz, CEO of LUXHUB. They discuss the essential role of Luxhub in the context of banking and payments innovation as a result of further competition in the sector. They exchange on the benefits that European customers will enjoy thanks to greater disruption brought by service providers such as financial technology firms.
Adrien welcomes René Steinhaus, CEO at lux-Airport. They discuss the intricate links between Luxembourg's growth and the airport's development in recent years. They also touch on lux-Airport's initiatives in the environmental space and how the organisation intends to curb its carbon footprint.
Adrien welcomes Nicolas Mackel, CEO at Luxembourg for Finance. They discuss Luxembourg in the context of global finance and its role in the various niches the country has operated in for several decades. They also talk about the outlook for the Luxembourg financial services industry.
Thierry and Adrien welcome HMA John Marshall, UK Ambassador to Luxembourg. They discuss the opportunities for the UK and Luxembourg in a Brexit context, as well as his views on the Grand Duchy. Recorded on 20 September 2019. Note: we apologise for the background noise which is due to road works by the Ambassador's residence.
Thierry and Adrien welcome Alex Lawrence, Managing Director at CrossLend, Sàrl. They discuss CrossLend's mission and its ambition to disrupt the European debt market thanks to digitalisation. They also talk about how this start-up has benefited from Luxembourg's supportive framework and how the country has attracted more talent from abroad.
Thierry and Adrien welcome Marc Serres, CEO of the Luxembourg Space Agency. They discuss Luxembourg's ambition to promote the next key pillar of the country's economy. They also talk about the opportunities that the newly created framework offers to participants in the space ecosystem.
Adrien welcomes Richard Forson, CEO at Cargolux. They discuss Cargolux's leading role in air cargo and the industry in light of the US-China trade war and technology advancements.
Thierry and Adrien welcome Kim Schumacher, researcher at Oxford University and Consultant to the Luxembourg Government in sustainability matters. They discuss the role and plans of Luxembourg in fields such as sustainable finance and other topics.