How to prepare your business for a sustainable future

Join us for the next L@C speaker lunch, with David Laurent, who will speak on how to prepare for a sustainable future.

Time to book your participation now.

David is head of Climate and Resources for Entreprises pour l’Environnement (EpE). The EpE is a think-tank created to help companies face future climate and sustainability challenges. An impressive list of major French companies are members of the EpE. See the membership list here: https://www.epe-asso.org/liste-des-membres/

David will talk about the challenges they are tackling and their specific approach to help large companies grow more sustainable processes and adapt their business model to future requirements that will leave Earth in good condition for future generations.

You can find more information about the Entreprises pour l’Environnement here: https://www.epe-asso.org/.

Next L@C lunch:

  • Date: Monday September 18
  • Time: You’re welcome from 12.00. We sit down at the table at 12.30.
  • Place: you will receive info when you book.
  • Speaker:
    • David Laurent
    • Head of Climate and Resources for Entreprises pour l’Environnement (EpE).
  • Fare: 48€, you get a two-course lunch (main + desert) with wine (or water) and coffee (when you book, please let us know food allergies in advance)

Book now!

If you are interested in attending this lunch event, please contact me.

One of the first Lunch at the Circle events, in 2003

The Lunch at the Circle (LAC, L@C) events started early 2003. The very first meeting was a lunch with twelve friends of mine, all in the tech sector. It was a very turbulent time for technology companies. Much more so than these days.

It was “just” a lunch, without a speaker. Together with two friends (one of whom is in a picture below), we decided to make it a regular event and – to add a little extra value – we agreed to have an invited speaker every time. This made it even more valuable than “just” a networking event.

The events have mostly taken place at the Cercle Suedois (Swedish Club) in Paris. But even if that is the case, there is no link between Lunch at the Circle and the Cercle Suedois. LAC is a totally independent “organisation”.

The first even, as well as several of the following ones, were in “The Nobel Room”. It is called thus since in a corner there is a small 19th century desk, and on that desk Alfred Nobel wrote his will, the will that created the Noble Prize. On the wall above the desk there is also a copy of the will.

After some time, there were too many attendees to fit into that room (it only takes twelve people) so then we move out into one of the salons of the club.

During a couple of years we held the events at the Restaurant Maceo instead. It is an excellent restaurant not far from Les Halles.

I happened to look through my picture archive the other day and by chance if found two photos from one of the first lunches. It is not the very first lunch but rather it is the first or the second, I believe, with a speaker. You can see the speaker at the back of the photo. Some of the people on the pictures are still occasional participants at the LAC.

One of the first Lunch at the Circle event on April 23 2003

One of the first Lunch at the Circle event on April 23 2003

One of the first Lunch at the Circle event on April 23 2003

One of the first Lunch at the Circle event on April 23 2003

L@C on June 5: Anne-Céline Martel: On interim management

Join us for the next speaker lunch, with Anne-Céline Martel, who will speak on being an interim manager.

Relevant, for example, if:

  • You use or might use an interim manager for speeding up company transformation. How to do it better.
  • You might consider working as an interim manager yourself. How to be successful.

Anne-Céline Martel has worked as an interim executive manager since 2012. She will talk about how she began and how others can do it, why companies resort to outside temporary executives (quite different from consultants), and what the keys are to being successful.

After a 20+ years in corporate executive roles, Anne-Celine decided to continue transforming companies, but in a new role, as interim executive manager. She has since accompanied companies ranging from 100 to 10,000 employees, on short term assignments as a Chief Transformation Officer, CEO or other change-driving roles. Her missions have covered a wide range of responsibilities including implementing post-merger acquisitions, restructuring businesses, optimising performance and delivering changes in business models. Anne-Celine is a graduate of INSEAD and a pilot on her free time.

Next L@C lunch:

  • Date: Monday June 5 (the day before the fête nationale suédoise)
  • Time: You’re welcome from 12.00. We sit down at the table at 12.30.
  • Place:
  • Speaker:
  • Fare:

Book now!

Book your participation in this Lunch at the Circle here: You need to contact someone who is part of the Lunch at the Circle if you want to participate.

Marina Niforos on Web3

On March 6 we had the pleasure to welcome Marina Niforos to Lunch at the Circle. She spoke about Web3, block-chain, NFTs and much more.

Watch the video interview with Marina below.

Marina Niforos is an experienced board member, advisor, investor and academic, working at the intersection of deep technology and impact. She is world recognized expert on blockchain and web3 and a member of the EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum. She is lead author of the IFC-World Bank report on blockchain: Opportunities for Private Enterprises in Emerging Markets and a frequent contributor in media (Bloomberg, FT, CoinDesk and others). She is also Affiliate Professor of the Future of Work at HEC Paris business school EMBA programs. EU Startups named Marina one of “one of five female leaders driving change in the European blockchain ecosystem”.

Marina spoke about web3.

Web3 is an idea for a new iteration of the World Wide Web which incorporates concepts such as decentralization, blockchain technologies, and token-based economics (Wikipedia).

I should also point out that Marina is sitting next to the desk where Alfred Nobel wrote and signed his testament creating the Noble Prize. It is just barely visible at the edge of the frame. A copy of the testament hangs on the wall.

Marina Niforos speaking at Lunch at the Circle on Web3

Marina Niforos speaking at Lunch at the Circle on Web3

Jörgen Eriksson on International Entrepreneurship and Disruptive Finance

On June 13 we had the pleasure to welcome Jörgen Eriksson who spoke about international entrepreneurship in a disruptive environment, and particularly in finance. Jorgen also spoke captivatingly about his experiences of building business all around the world.

“Jörgen has 30 years experience from executive and advisory work on four continents with both the public and private sectors. As a tech executive in the 1990s, he was overall responsible for delivery of the systems that powers the ECB and the introduction of the Euro. As a management consultant, he has been involved in regional startup eco-systems from United States to South Africa, and public sector projects such as strategy for new cities from China to Egypt.”

Jörgen on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorgen-eriksson/

Here’s our video interview with Jorgen:

Some pictures from the event:

Jorgen Eriksson and Per Karlsson at Lunch at the Circle

Jorgen Eriksson and Per Karlsson at Lunch at the Circle

Jorgen Eriksson and guests at Lunch at the Circle

Jorgen Eriksson and guests at Lunch at the Circle

Jorgen Eriksson and guests at Lunch at the Circle

Jorgen Eriksson and guests at Lunch at the Circle

Per Karlsson and guests at the Jorgen Eriksson Lunch at the Circle

Per Karlsson and guests at the Jorgen Eriksson Lunch at the Circle

The three organisers of Lunch at the Circle

The Lunch at the Circle lunch events and networking group was started almost twenty years ago by Per Karlsson, Laurent Charreyron and Sophie Callies.

Today it is organised by Stefan Norberg, Fabrice Teboul and (still) Per Karlsson.

The purpose of Lunch at the Circle is simply to give people an opportunity to meet in an informal way over lunch to listen to an interesting speaker, to network, to share, and to enjoy. Over a nice meal with some good wine.

Here are the three organisers:

Stefan Norberg, Per Karlsson, Fabrice Teboul, the three organisers of Lunch at the Circle

Stefan Norberg, Per Karlsson, Fabrice Teboul, the three organisers of Lunch at the Circle

“International entrepreneurship in the age of internet and disruptive innovation”

The next Lunch at the Circle event is on June 13.

Speaker: Jörgen Eriksson

Theme: International entrepreneurship in the age of internet and disruptive innovation

“Jörgen has 30 years experience from executive and advisory work on four continents with both the public and private sectors. As a tech executive in the 1990s, he was overall responsible for delivery of the systems that powers the ECB and the introduction of the Euro. As a management consultant, he has been involved in regional startup eco-systems from United States to South Africa, and public sector projects such as strategy for new cities from China to Egypt.”

“In one of his recent mandates, Jörgen was the CEO of QuickBit, a fintech company started in 2016 and listed on the NGM Nordic MTF stock market in 2019, and in 2020 he started a London based ‘fintech factory’, combining an incubator, investor and accelerator in one organization, with the purpose of changing the way value moves in international banking.”

  • Date: Monday June 13
  • Time: You’re welcome from 12.00. We sit down at the table at 12.30.
  • Place: //on invitation//
  • Theme: International entrepreneurship in the age of internet and disruptive innovation
  • Speaker: Jörgen Eriksson. Jörgen has 30 years experience from executive and advisory work on four continents with both the public and private sectors. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorgen-eriksson/
  • Bonus: you get a two-course lunch with wine (or water) and coffee (please let us know food allergies in advance)

Register your participation on this link: //on invitation//

A railway carriage in ruins

A railway carriage in ruins, copyright BKWine Photography

L@C TV: “How I created Lauritz.com and made it Scandinavia’s biggest auction house”

“How I created Lauritz.com and made it Scandinavia’s biggest auction house”, with Bengt Sundstrøm, founder, owner and president of Lauritz.com


We recently had an exciting Lunch at the Circle event with Bengt Sundstrøm, owner and president of Lauritz.com.

Over lunch Bengt told us about how he raised the money to start his business in three hours with a quick phone call to his banker, how he does not waste money on Google Ads (but instead use them effectively), what his next strategic moves will be and what the key difficulties are in creating an online auction house. But he did not tell us why he still does not have any serious competition in his business. Because, he says, it is a puzzle to him too.

Here’s a short video interview:

Bengt Sundstrøm is the owner and president of Lauritz, Scandinavia’s biggest auction house. In 1998 Bengt bought the small auction house of Lauritz Christensen Auctions, founded in 1885. One year later Bengt launched the online auctions on lauritz.com. It has since grown to a business with a turn-over of around 100 million euros. The business model is very different from other well-known internet auction houses (e.g. eBay). All bidding on Lauritz is done online but they also have brick-and-mortar viewing locations across Scandinavia where you can go and look at the items on sale. They also have a staff of over one hundred valuation experts. This mix of online auctions, valuation expertise and physical presence has been the key to Laurtiz’ success, says Bengt.

More information: http://www.lauritz.com/

Bengt also (accidentally) became the owner of a vineyard, Chateau Vignelaure, in Provence a few years ago, so he will also tell the story of life as a winegrower. As well as let us taste some of his wines of course. More information:http://www.vignelaure.com/ and on BKWine Magazine: Château Vignelaure – Cabernet sauvignon meets Provence.

And here are some more videos and images from the event!

At a Lunch at the Circle event with Bengt Sundstrom, Lauritz.com

At a Lunch at the Circle event with Bengt Sundstrom, Lauritz.com

At a Lunch at the Circle event with Bengt Sundstrom, Lauritz.com

At a Lunch at the Circle event with Bengt Sundstrom, Lauritz.com

At a Lunch at the Circle event with Bengt Sundstrom, Lauritz.com

At a Lunch at the Circle event with Bengt Sundstrom, Lauritz.com

Last L@C for the season, June 27: Online branding

The last Lunch at the Circle event for the season will take place on Wednesday June 27:

Managing your brand online with Bernadette Martin and Julie Vetter.

It will be slightly different than usual: 1) we will have two speakers and 2) the lunch will be in a different place, see below.

Here’s the outline:

Would you hire someone today without googling their name? Would you do business with someone without checking their web site? Didn’t think so. But how do you look online? Bernadette Martin and Julie Vetter have built a business around managing one’s online identity, online personal “brand”, and online image and reputation management. What will people find out about you? What tools do they use? And how can you make sure that they find an online picture of you that looks the way you want it to look? Bernadette and Julie will illustrate it with some surprising examples.

Bernadette Martin, founder of Visibility Branding, is a personal brand and e-reputation strategist, speaker and author of “Storytelling About Your Brand Online and Offline”.  More info on: http://visibilitybranding.com

Julie Vetter, founder of Hoi Moon Marketing, has over fifteen years experience in helping to create the online presence of over 50 clients in the fields of travel & leisure, transportation, hi-tech, wine, real estate, medical, and health. More info on: http://hoimoonmarketing.com/

When

Time: Wednesday June 27

……

Participation (and full details) on invitation only.

L@C TV: Growing your business on unknown markets, with Tom Thorelli

Growing your business outside your home country without burning your fingers, with Tom Thorelli, founder of Thorelli & Associates

Earlier this spring (what spring?) we had a lunch with Tom Thorelli, an american lawyer based in Paris. Tom is a specialist in helping companies develop new business in unknown markets, in particular to open up new business in the US, without falling into one of the many legal traps there are. Legal questions are of vital importance in the US and it is not easy to understand for an outsider. It may concern contracts, intellectual property (IP), patents and a host of other things. Tom explains:

The US market in particular, but also other foreign markets, are a challenge. It is easy to make mistakes, to think that things work as “at home” when you do business there. Many business that try and penetrate the US market, or other foreign markets, make simple and silly mistakes that can be avoided. Tom Thorelli has worked with many French (and European) companies to help them get established and win business in the US – without getting fingers burned – by taking the market and the competition seriously, by understanding contracts and legal issues, by knowing how to negotiate, and how to protect one’s interests. Tom will explain do:s and don’t:s based on his practical experiences from helping many foreign companies to success in the US.

Tom Thorelli is founder and managing partner of the Thorelli & Associates Law Firm in Chicago (Illinois). Tom is of Swedish origin (yes, again; I don’t do this on purpose!) and currently lives in Paris. And two days after this Lunch at the Circle event he will try to run the Paris marathon.

More info on: www.thorelli.com. “The law firm has five lawyers, four of which are located in Chicago. The focus of the firm is in protecting intellectual property rights; negotiating contracts; structuring companies; providing a full array of immigration service; and dispute resolution.”