16 Apr 2008
Lunch with Vivendi CEO Jean-Bernard Lévy

Another in our series of prominent CEO lunches, in conjunction with the IT/New Media Task Force.

Vivendi Group is one of the companies most identified with “convergence,” the phenomenon whereby television, music, tetecoms, gaming and more, converge on a single platform and are integrated by a single company. With its majority holdings in companies such as Universal Music, Canal +, SFR, and most recently the US online gaming company Activision, Vivendi is well positioned for the globalized 21st century economy.   Jean-Bernard Levy joined Vivendi shortly after the “tech bubble” burst and has done an outstanding job in consolidating Vivendi after an overly rapid and risky expansion in the late nineties. Activision will make Vivendi a major player in on-line gaming. It is already a leader in online music, television, and telecoms. Will Vivendi be able to leverage its diverse assets in content and on-line delivery to pull off the ultimate “convergence coup,” in which others have failed?

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01 Apr 2008
Lunch with John Chambers, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, CISCO

On April 1, John Chambers, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of CISCO, spoke to over 100 AmCham executives and invited guests about the Internet and the future of productivity for companies and countries.

The network, coupled with widespread broadband Internet access, has created a platform that eliminates time and distance as obstacles to collaboration.  Our ability to harness both technical and human networks to help us collaborate—across geographical regions, cultures, and job roles—will unleash a new wave of productivity, potentially rivaling what we experienced in the first phase of the Internet.  The countries, organizations, and individuals that grasp the power of collaboration will emerge as tomorrow’s leaders.  Mr. Chambers shared these insights and more in a lively, inter-active discussion, borrowing from his own experience leading Cisco to pioneer the use of collaboration and Web 2.0 technology to transform its business.

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29 Jan 2008
Franklin Award Gala dinner with Christine Lagarde

Christine Lagarde, Minister of Economy, Finance and Labor, was awarded the Benjamin Franklin Award by the American Chamber of Commerce in France (AmCham) on January 29 at a gala dinner.  Presiding the ceremony was the newly elected AmCham President Jean-Claude Gruffat (Director General, Citibank International), past President Francis Bailly (GE), and US Charge d'Affaires Mark Pekala.  The event was attended by 250 AmCham members and special guests, representing dozens of US Fortune 500 companies.

The Benjamin Franklin dinners began in 1895, one year after AmCham's founding, and were used to honor illustrious members and non-members whose actions had benefited AmCham or the American business community.  Medals of Honor have been awarded since 1928, and in 1989 AmCham created a regular awards dinner to honor the CEO of a major company or a public figure promoting Franco-American business.  Recent honorees have included the CEOs of American Express, IBM, Euro Disney, JPMorgan, France Telecom, Ford, Axa, United Technologies and General Electric, as well as US Ambassadors Pamela Harriman and Felix Rohatyn, Pierre Méhaignerie (Minister of Justice) and Anne d'Ornano (founder of the Deauville American Film Festival).

Mrs. Lagarde was honored for her career commitment to promoting trans-Atlantic business, as Chairman of Baker & McKenzie, as State Secretary for Foreign Trade, and as Minister of Economy, Finance and Labor.  In her inspiring speech she focused on the accomplishments so far of the Sarkozy administration to reform the French economy.

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AFI Rapport 2007 sur les investissements etrangers en France

Un extrait du rapport sur les investissements des États-Unis en France (p.33):

Les états-unis restent le premier pays investisseur en France, à la fois en nombre d’emplois créés ou maintenus et en nombre de projets.

Les États-Unis, premier pays investisseur en France en 2007

Depuis 1993, plus de 100 000 emplois ont été créés en France par des sociétés à capitaux américains, soit plus de 25 % des emplois issus d’investissements étrangers en France. Les entreprises américaines présentes en France emploient environ 600 000 salariés, dont 46 % travaillent dans l’industrie manufacturière : 63 000 salariés sont employés dans des activités de type commercial, 21 000 personnes dans des centres de recherche.

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AmCham elects its new Executive Committee

At its January 17 Annual General Meeting, AmCham France elected its new Executive Committee for 2008.  The new President is Jean-Claude Gruffat, Citibank Country Corporate Officer France, and Corporate Banking Head for France, Belgium and Luxembourg.  He replaces three-term President, Francis Bailly, General Electric, General Manager, European Global Accounts.  Elected as co-Vice Presidents were Rupprecht Queitsch, Marriott Hotels, Managing Director, and Francois Falque-Pierrotin, BNP Paribas, Head of Multinational European and Asian Coverage.  Bertrand Pointeau, Partner, Bain and Company, was re-elected as Treasurer, and Berry van Gestel, Managing Director of Cadillac and Corvette France, was re-elected Secretary.  

In his acceptance speech, Mr. Gruffat highlighted AmCham France’s mission to work with the French and U.S. governments to improve the trans-Atlantic business climate, reflecting the interests of both AmCham’s American members and French members with investments in the United States.  Mr. Gruffat was congratulated by US Ambassador Craig Stapleton, who praised the close policy coordination and many jointly organized events between the US Embassy and AmCham.  Later, the featured speaker at the meeting, MEDEF President Laurence Parisot, explained MEDEF’s priorities, stressing that a new consensus in emerging in France that economic policy reform is necessary and inevitable.  

 (In the picture:  Jean-Claude Gruffat, Rupprecht Queitsch, Francois Falque-Pierrotin, Ambassador Stapleton)

Commerce in France - Spring 2008 Issue

All the best roads lead to innovation, download the new issue of CIF now to read articles concerning subjects such as the new R&D tax credit in France and global innovation.

First Annual Expat Ball of Paris

The First Annual Expat Ball of Paris united expats in France and others internationally inclined in a one of a kind party in the newly renovated halls of the Marriott Rive Gauche Hotel and Convention Center. Organized by AmCham France and Marriott Hotels and welcomed dozens of partner organizations from Embassies, to foreign Chambers of Commerce, and expat clubs and associations.

Dowload the Expat Ball AD in the International Herald Tribune and view photos taken by James Kigin, http://jameskigin3.googlepages.com/home