Four collection boxes will be available until 26 November.
Ahead of the European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR), to be held in the Principality from 21 to 26 November, the Department of the Environment is launching a collection campaign for prescription glasses and sunglasses in line with the theme for this year’s EWWR, “Packaging” and the “3Rs”: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
Head over to the entrance at the Fontvieille shopping mall and you’ll see four boxes where you can drop off your different pairs of glasses according to their correction type: long sight, short sight, astigmatism and one for those that don’t fall into the first three categories. The glasses that are collected will be donated to the Monegasque charity “Semeurs d’Espoir” (Sowers of Hope).
“The objective of the 2023 EWWR campaign, which is open to all motivated and committed stakeholders wishing to lead awareness-raising initiatives about waste reduction, is to inform the general public about the use of packaging and encourage the reuse of materials,” reads the Government’s website..
The head of the Mercedes F1 team is reportedly considering joining the British billionaire’s bid to buy a 25% stake in the Manchester club.
As has been reported for the past few weeks, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has offered to buy only 25% of the club’s shares from the Glazer family, the equivalent of £1.5 billion (€1.7 billion).
According to the BBC, the offer could be made jointly by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Toto Wolff, both of whom are Monaco residents. As a reminder, the INEOS boss owns a third of the Mercedes F1 team, which the Austrian has managed since 2013.
The buyout, a long-running saga
As he told Sky Sports during the last Brazilian Grand Prix, Toto Wolff is open to discussion on a contribution to the project. But his investment is far from official at the moment.
As a reminder, after many months of negotiations over the purchase of the Red Devils the chairman of Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB), Sheikh Jassim Ben Hamad al-Thani, has withdrawn his bid. As for the Glazer family, it appears they no longer wish to sell Manchester United completely, but rather a partial stake in the club.
Flowers were laid at several monuments in the Principality, including the Boulevard de Belgique, Monaco’s Cemetery and the Maison de France.
‘Lest we forget.’ Monaco commemorated the Armistice of 11 November 1918, as it does every year. In attendance on Saturday were Minister of State Pierre Dartout, Brigitte Boccone-Pages, President of the National Council, Mayor Georges Marsan and several members of the Municipal Council, as well as representatives of the Principality’s highest authorities.
The ceremony began with the laying of wreaths at the foot of the stone monument in honour of King Albert I of Belgium, located on the Boulevard de Belgique. The procession then made its way to Monaco’s Cemetery, and its War Memorial, for the traditional ceremony of remembrance in honour of those who died in the two world wars, accompanied by the Carabinieri Orchestra and the Musique Municipale. The commemoration ceremonies concluded at the Maison de France.
In November and December, the Lobby Bar of the Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo welcomes you to its “Jazzy evenings”.
On the bill: a cosy, elegant atmosphere and an exceptional artist: Jaffa. With his warm, rich voice, that is “worthy of Louis Armstrong,” he will be performing jazz standards on vocals and piano. These will include some of the great classics, such as What a Wonderful World, Hello Dolly, Summertime and the St. Louis Blues.
Delicious cocktails and fine food will accompany you on this unique journey back to the golden age of music.
You can book your table now in the Lobby Bar for one of these exceptional evenings.
Dates: 23, 24 and 25 November; 7, 8, 9 December and from 21 to 30 December 2023
Times: 7.30 pm to 11 pm
Venue: Lobby Bar, Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo, 4, avenue de la Madone, 98 000 Monaco
Information and bookings: (+377) 93 15 15 75 or bar@metropole.com
With 99 minutes in the books in AS Monaco’s clash against Le Havre, it all came down to Philipp Kohn vs. Samuel Grandsir.
In what was a tense tussle at the Stade Oceane, where both teams enjoyed spells of ascendancy, a late penalty to Le Havre almost ensured ASM left empty handed. But Kohn rose to the occasion by producing a sensational save to deny former Monaco man Grandsir’s spot-kick to secure a crucial point for Adi Hutter’s men.
Masterful save at the death to stop the penalty
“The best save I can make is the one that saves you the win and the clean sheet in the last minute of a match,” Kohn fittingly recently said to the Ligue 1 website.
“It’s a position where you have to concentrate all the time, right up to the 90th minute. As I said, sometimes you have to make a last-minute save to help the team win, so concentration is vital.”
Having joined in the summer on a five-year deal from Red Bull Salzburg, the Swiss international keeper has steadily gone about establishing himself in Ligue 1, with this latest performance punctuating what a nice start to life he’s made at Monaco despite the odd setback in his opening 12 matches for the club.
Right on top of his game from the outset against Le Havre, he cut a commanding, assured presence between the posts for Les Monegasques.
Aside from his aforementioned heroics, it was also notable how he remained attentive to danger from his powerful base posture on the balls of his feet, ready to launch in any direction, plus from how he made intelligent decisions, which all combined to see him make a host of handy saves.
Reading the play coherently and constantly adjusting his positioning depending on the situation, this, in combination with his focus, saw him remain alert to danger even though he went decent spells without being called upon.
Springing into action when his team needed him, how he used his slick reflexes to get down or across, raced off his line to nullify attacks and dealt with crosses admirably all added to his impact.
Crafty save to get down and across
Smart stop to deny the long range effort
His save to deny Nabil Alioui was another particularly excellent piece of work, where he stayed on his feet for as long as possible to then allow him to explosively spring upwards and across to get a hand on Alioui’s chipped shot.
Excellent save to deny Alioui
Operating with authority and clarity, there was no doubting what an instrumental figure he was towards the draw on his way to keeping his fourth clean sheet of the campaign.
The 25-year-old’s output in possession offered much reason for upside as well, for his accurate, measured passing over a range of distances helped his team progress upfield to beat the press and switch the angle of attacks.
Brilliant pass to bypass the press
Moreover, it was also notable how he’d help form overloads and provide beneficial passing angles to either bypass Le Havre’s first line or be an option while ASM waited for a weakness to exploit.
Forming an overload before finding the free man
By the numbers from his outstanding man of the match display, his five total saves from an XG against of 1.06, three reflex saves, three accurate long passes at 70%, 20 short passes completed at 100%, two ball recoveries and one interception demonstrated what a fine showing he delivered.
Kohn’s Save Map
Adapting smoothly to life in the French Riviera and emphatically vindicating Monaco’s decision to bring him in to fill the void left by Alexander Nubel, who departed after his loan spell ended, there’s been much to admire about his accomplished efforts so far under a coach he knows well.
“I’m a goalkeeper who reads the game well, who can make saves and play with his feet. I have a number of qualities and, given what coach Adi Hutter wants, I think I’m going to rely a lot on my footwork,” he insisted.
“I was already very familiar with his philosophy of play because we also worked together at RB Salzburg. I also saw him play for Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Monchengladbach. Before I signed here, we spoke on the phone, but I already knew that he was a coach who liked to have the ball and who demanded pressure.”
The man who idolises the likes of Gianluigi Buffon, Iker Casillas, Manuel Neuer, Jan Oblak and Hugo Lloris isn’t one to rest on his laurels, however, as he knows there’s always room for refinement in all areas.
Relishing the step up in class Ligue 1 has presented and gaining in confidence with every passing week, Kohn will be eager to flex his muscles once more when Monaco face Paris Saint-Germain after the international break.
While he’ll certainly have his work cut out against the league leaders, if he can replicate his mastery from last weekend’s encounter, Monaco’s chances of achieving a satisfactory result will increase massively.
Humble, immensely talented and dedicated to improving his craft, while Kohn mightn’t be one of the most high-profile keepers in Ligue 1 yet, he’s definitely been one of the most effective – something he illustrated resoundingly vs. Le Havre.
The workshop in Pessac celebrated its fiftieth anniversary this year. The Sovereign visited on November 9th.
This is where the Principality’s coins, both normal and collector, are minted. Prince Albert II is the first head of state to visit the workshop, which produces currency for several countries.
For the Principality, this dates back to 1878 and the reign of Charles III, although the Principality’s currency had taken on the same dimension, composition and weight as French currency several decades previously. That was in the 17th century, pursuant to the Treaty of Péronne concluded between King Louis XIII and Prince Honoré II.
Accompanied by Joaquim Jiminez, the head engraver, Prince Albert II was able to learn about the Monegasque coin manufacturing process, with explanations and demonstrations at all the workstations.
The Sovereign himself minted the first of Monaco’s commemorative €2 coins for the year 2024. This “proof” coin will commemorate the fifth centenary of the alliance between the Grimaldis and Charles V, which marked the recognition of Monaco’s sovereignty by the Germanic emperor.
The third edition of the event organised by the Société des Bains de Mer came to a close in the Salle Empire at the Hôtel de Paris.
Since 29 September, Monte-Carlo SBM’s Michelin-starred chefs have invited chefs from all over the world into their kitchens to prepare exceptional meals. The most recent was at the Pavyllon Monte-Carlo at the beginning of November, with Yannick Alléno welcoming the three-starred Swiss chef Sven Wassmer for an eight-course meal with the open kitchen in plain view, as the brigade performed an intricate culinary dance skilfully choreographed by the two chefs.
On Saturday 11 November, the third edition of the event concluded with a dinner, not ‘for four hands’ but for eight! Alain Ducasse, Yannick Alleno, Marcel Ravin, Dominique Lory and their staff cooked for Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene, who were accompanied by Louis and Marie Ducruet, for a closing gala of exquisite haute cuisine.
Each chef prepared one of his signature dishes. For Dominique Lory, lobster, gamberoni and fresh Mediterranean red mullet; for Yannick Alléno, turbot fillet tied around marrow bone; for Marcel Ravin, black smoked Piedmont poultry with sweet potato sabayon and vegetable garden ravioli; for Alain Ducasse, butternut confit with green aniseed, seed praline, fromage blanc mousse and yuzu granita.
AS Monaco ultimately snatched a draw from their difficult away clash against Le Havre thanks to Philipp Kohn’s masterful save to deny Samuel Grandsir’s penalty at the death.
The Match
Heading into this one, Adi Hutter knew this wasn’t going to be an easy match to navigate against this tough to beat Le Havre. And so it proved, as the home team, who were unbeaten in their previous three, offered extremely stern resistance to Les Monegasques throughout the 0-0 draw.
@ASM
Le Havre began the match positively in front of their vocal supporters and enjoyed the ascendancy in the early running, as they looked especially dangerous on the counter.
ASM eventually settled into proceedings, which led to them unleashing a flurry of chances from the likes of Denis Zakaria, Youssouf Fofana, Ismail Jakobs and Krepin Diatta.
Nabil Alioui then had a decent attempt before the interval for Luka Elsner’s team without success, meaning both sides went into the sheds level.
Racing out of the blocks for the second stanza, Zakaria unleashed a volley that was just off target to get the ball rolling.
Kohn was called into action shortly after to deny Antoine Joujou and Alioui, as both teams traded spells of dominance in their quest for victory. Despite Monaco looking the more dangerous outfit, they struggled to find a way past the defiant La Havre rearguard.
The game then ended with a dramatic twist, for Le Havre were awarded a penalty following a VAR review in the dying embers. But thankfully for ASM, Kohn produced a spectacular save from former Monaco man Grandsir to ensure Hutter’s men didn’t leave empty handed from the Stade Oceane.
Hutter’s Debrief
“Yes it’s a good point I think in the end. When I look at the match as a whole, both teams deserved to at least secure a draw. I must also compliment Le Havre this evening for having defended so well against us. We didn’t play fast enough, and without being able to find the solution to break the opposing defensive lines,” the Austrian reflected.
“In the end, it’s still a second clean sheet in a row, so on that level I’m satisfied. But with the ball we have to do a lot better in the coming weeks, because we didn’t work many situations. We will work on this. Philipp Kohn saved us the result thanks to his penalty save.”
Key Stats
By the numbers, the fact ASM held the edge in terms of open play expected goals (0.66 to 0.62), possession (63% to 37%), total shots (10 to 9), passes in the opposition half (273 to 122) and duels won (54 to 53) indicated they still produced a solid display.
Up Next
The international break is up next for Monaco, who occupy third place in the Ligue 1 standings. Upon their return, a colossal, top of the table encounter with Paris Saint-Germain awaits at the Parc des Princes, where a win would see them draw level on points with the heavyweights of European football.
“Many players from both teams will now go away during the international break. Everyone will come back late and we won’t have much time to prepare for the clash against them. But we will do everything to get a result there,” explained Hutter.
For the first time, the Ministry of State is hosting an exhibition entitled, in translation, “The Prince’s vision. Jacques Rueff, Minister of State under Rainier III, 1949-1950.”
Prince Albert II, Princess Caroline, Princess Stéphanie and Camille Gottlieb opened the brand-new exhibition, which will be on display until 26 January 2024 in the lobby of the Ministry of State.
Who was the Prince Rainier III’s first Minister of State? A few weeks after the death of Prince Louis II in 1949, Jacques Rueff took up the position, and today he is still the only Minister of State to have been personally chosen by a Sovereign. “It was at the express request of the young Prince Rainier III, who was 26 at the time. Jacques Rueff agreed, as a personal mission born out of duty and friendship, to take on the role of Minister of State,” explains Michaël Bloche, curator of the exhibition and director of the Mission de Préfiguration des Archives Nationales, speaking to Monaco Info. A curatorship he shares with Thomas Fouilleron, Vincent Vatrican and Audrey Bloche.
A former member of the Académie Française and friend of Prince Pierre, Jacques Rueff was renowned for his economic theories, which were progressive for their time, and is considered to be the “father” of the new franc, issued in 1960. Their year-long collaboration enabled Prince Rainier III to lay the foundations for the policies of the following decades: economic prosperity, urban and tourism development, international influence and recognition. The two men already had an experience in common, the Military Mission for German Affairs in Berlin in 1945, where Jacques Rueff had been commissioned by Prince Pierre to accompany his son, Rainier.
Before and after his time in the Principality, Jacques Rueff had a distinguished career in France and abroad: in Raymond Poincaré’s office, at the League of Nations, the Banque de France, Sciences Po Paris, the Inter-allied Reparation Agency and the United Nations, then, after his year in Monaco, the Court of Justice of the European Coal and Steel Community and later the European Economic Community.
This exhibition is the first by the future Monegasque national archives. It shows previously unpublished documents from the Rueff collection, held by the French National Archives, but also from the Service central des archives et de la documentation administrative, the Palace Archives, the Audiovisual Institute and the Monaco Médiathèque, as well as items kept by Jacques Rueff’s daughter.
Christian Garcia worked alongside chefs from the Élysée Palace, Buckingham Palace, the White House and the Willard Intercontinental Hotel.
The “Club des Chefs des Chefs” met in Washington between 29 October and 2 November to prepare exceptional meals, as well as providing comfort food for those in need. Founded in 1977, this elite group has been dubbed the “G20 of gastronomy”. And with good reason: all its members hold the prestigious role of personal chefs to heads of state or government in their respective countries.
Although it was the Club’s founder, Gilles Bragard, who had the idea of the event in the American capital, the Monaco embassy in the United States pulled out all the stops to ensure everything ran smoothly. Monaco’s ambassador, Maguy Maccario-Doyle, convinced the French and Italian ambassadors to each organise a reception in honour of the chefs at their respective residences.
Guests were able to appreciate the culinary expertise and the best ingredients from the two countries, as well as products from the Distillerie de Monaco, such as its orange liqueur and citrus gin, which are not yet marketed in North America.
Meals for a charity
The 20 chefs spent their first day visiting the DC Central Kitchen charity, which combats hunger and poverty. They brought their talents to bear on some of the 10,000 meals that the charity distributes every day.
Before leaving, the chefs thanked the ambassadors of their respective countries by treating them to a lunch prepared by the chefs of the Élysée Palace, Buckingham Palace, the White House and the Intercontinental Hotel Willard.
A final closing reception was hosted by Stanislas Vilgrain, owner of “Cuisine Solution”, an international culinary player. The chefs presented Ambassador Maccario-Doyle with the traditional grand chef’s jacket and an honorary diploma in recognition of her efforts in culinary diplomacy.
The refurbishment programme for the Principality’s tunnels was launched on 10 July 2023.
From 21 November to 22 December 2023, the tunnel’s 89 light fixtures, which house 150 lamps ranging from fluorescent tubes to high-pressure sodium lamps, will be replaced by LED fixtures.
The work will be carried out during the day, with alternating single-lane traffic from 8.30 am to 4 pm, to keep disruption to a minimum. The delivery and bicycle parking spaces at no. 32 boulevard de Belgique will be unavailable during the works.
The Government lists three positive aspects to do with light-emitting diodes (LEDs):
The number of light fixtures will be divided by roughly three, with the installation of 27 LED fixtures in place of the existing 89.
The overall wattage will be divided by six compared with existing fixtures, saving on electricity consumption.
The lamp lifespan will be between 80,000 and 100,000 hours, compared with 10,000 hours for the existing bulbs, reducing the number of maintenance operations required.
It has been in use in the outpatients’ department since May 2023.
It is called Onco Safety, and its role is to help nursing staff maintain a secure ‘five rights’ care pathway: administering the right medication to the right patient in the right dose, through the right channel at the right time. It was therefore something of a revolution that the Princess inaugurated on Tuesday 7 November.
In practical terms, Onco Safety enables the pumps at patients’ bedsides to communicate with the establishment’s chemotherapy prescription software: the nursing staff check that the patient’s care plan is being followed using a barcode system, then the pump receives the IV instructions directly from the prescription.
Acquisition of the software was made possible thanks to a donation of 130,000 euros by the Groupement des Entreprises Monégasques dans la Lutte contre le Cancer (GEMUC – Monegasque businesses against cancer), of which the Princess is Honorary President. “It’s a long-standing charity that has managed to stay at the cutting edge thanks to the loyalty of its donors, and above all to its philosophy that every euro donated goes directly to the fight against cancer. We have no running costs and that’s what gives us our image,” Benoit Paulmier, Vice-Chairman of the Gemluc Board of Directors, told Monaco Info.
The white summer uniform has been replaced by the blue and black winter version.
This seasonal changing of the guard only happens twice a year. On Monday 6 November, a date approved by Prince Albert II in line with the weather forecast, the Prince’s Carabinieri swapped their lighter summer uniform for their winter uniform. On Monaco Info, Maréchal des Logis Benjamin Bogreau said that “the change of uniform appeared when the Prince’s Carabiniers returned in 1904” and that the full white summer uniform was brought in “in 1935, during the reign of Prince Louis II.”
The incoming and outgoing guards crossed paths at precisely 11.55 am, the traditional time of the changeover. Carabinieri wearing the winter uniform came to relieve their colleagues in the summer uniform, watched by the public and accompanied by a few gusts of wind.
The 124 members of the Carabinieri have been responsible for guarding the Palace, ensuring the safety of the Sovereign Prince and the Princely Family and maintaining public order, since 1817, when the Prince’s Carabinieri were created.
The fourth-quarter road resurfacing campaign will take place from 6 to 23 November 2023 in different parts of the Principality. To keep traffic disruption to a minimum, the work will only be carried out at night, between 8pm and 6am for the most part. For the nine sectors concerned, operations will be concentrated over one or two nights to contain the noise and traffic disruption caused by the work:
Ruelle du Fort Antoine, on the nights of 6 to 7 and 7 to 8 November from 8pm to 6am: traffic is diverted to avenue Saint Martin and parking will be completely prohibited on the section concerned during that time.
Boulevard Charles III/avenue du Port via Place d’Armes, on the night of 8 to 9 November from 8pm to 6am: totally closed to traffic, no parking on Boulevard Charles III and the start of Avenue du Port. Diversions will be put in place as well as temporary traffic lights at the junction of rue Terrazzani and rue de Millo to enable access to the Place d’Armes car park. The night bus will be unable to access the Rocher district.
Rue de la Colle, on the night of 9 to 10 November from 8pm to 6am: the entire street will be closed to traffic, as is access to the tunnel that leads to Fontvieille. Diversions will be put in place, as well as a contraflow on Avenue Prince Pierre. Parking is prohibited on the section concerned.
Avenue Princesse Grace, on the night of 13 to 14 November from 10pm to 6am: completely closed to traffic with diversions in place and a parking ban on the sections of the avenue concerned.
Boulevard Saint Michel, on the night of 13 to 14 November from 8pm to 1am: totally closed to traffic, no parking on the sections of the boulevard concerned. Diversions will be put in place, as well as alternating single-lane traffic controlled by temporary traffic lights, on the rue des Roses and boulevard Princesse Charlotte.
Boulevard du Jardin Exotique/Boulevard de Belgique, on the nights of 14 to 15 and 15 to 16 November from 8pm to 6am: total closure to traffic and no parking on the section of roadway concerned. Diversions will be put in place, as well as alternating single-lane traffic controlled by temporary traffic lights, between Rue Bosio and the beginning of Boulevard du Jardin exotique. The Bosio car park will still be accessible.
Rue Honoré Labande, on the night of 16 to 17 November from 8pm to 6am: totally closed to traffic, no parking on rue Honoré Labande.
Avenue des Papalins, on the night of 21 to 22 November from 8pm to 6am: closure to traffic from no. 9 to no. 13 avenue des Papalins, between the roundabout at the junction with rue du Campanin and the roundabout at the junction with avenue des Guelfes. Alternating single-lane traffic controlled by temporary traffic lights will be in place on the second roundabout. As the Papalins car park is located inside the perimeter of the works, the Public Car Parks Department will give pass holders the opportunity of ‘rehousing’ their vehicles.
Rue du Portier, on the night of 22 to 34 November from 8pm to 6am: totally closed to traffic, no parking on the section concerned.
Signage will be installed, and traffic officers will be on hand for diversions and to facilitate access to private and public car parks and businesses affected by the work. Pedestrian access will be signposted. Intercity bus routes and those of the Compagnie des Autobus de Monaco affected by the works will be diverted and users will be informed in advance.
Johanna Houdrouge is simultaneously Vice-President of Mercure International, President of the Association Monégasque des Femmes Chefs d’Entreprises and soon to be a mother of three. She wants to encourage all women to become entrepreneurs.
“With three sons at home soon and a father and brother running the business alongside me, I was born to experience male-female complementarity on a daily basis!” This is how Johanna Houdrouge, Vice-President of Mercure International, laughingly describes herself. The company has been based in Monaco since 1986, specialising in the creation, operation and management of shopping centres in West and Central Africa.
Having trained as a barrister, Johanna Houdrouge didn’t – initially – plan on joining the family business: “I studied law in Paris, and practised for around ten years. (…) I’d always dreamed of being a barrister and wearing the robe. I made the dream come true: I went to trial. I like defending. Then, inevitably, since there was the family business, it was important for me to get involved. As I couldn’t do both at the same time, I decided to give up law – not without regret – to concentrate on managing the legal aspect of the company.”
Afetr studying law, Johanna Houdrouge took the oath in 2008 – All rights reserved
Now specialising in African business law, and originally from Senegal herself, she handles all the legal side of the company, working alongside major brands such as Super U, Casino, L’Occitane en Provence, Hugo Boss, Nespresso and FNAC. “The aim is to provide shopping centres on the African continent with international retailers on a human scale. We are particularly proud to have the FNAC franchise, because it is now the first European-standard electronics store in Africa,” she says.
Hers is a demanding job, sometimes requiring her to travel to the 17 countries where Mercure International operates, including Senegal, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Congo Brazzaville.
Sahm shopping centre in Dakar, Senegal, with the new Super U store that opened last month – All rights reservedGrand Fleuve shopping centre in Congo Brazzaville – All rights reservedJohanna Houdrouge visited the Super U construction site in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in February – All rights reservedThe Yaoundé Super U opened in May 2023 – All rights reservedMercure International operates in 17 African countries – All rights reserved
Johanna Houdrouge recalls a trip to the Congo, where Mercure International created the country’s first escalator, since the shopping centre was on two levels. “Customers were really scared to take the escalator, it was an experience in itself. It made a big impression on me to see that what we take for granted in Europe is not necessarily so over there,” she smiles.
But one of her proudest achievements is the creation of N’Kids. An indoor play area where parents can drop off their children while they do their shopping, named after her two sons, Nael and Nolan: “You have to realise that in Congo Brazzaville, there were no outdoor slides. I was very moved by their curiosity and joy.”
Johanna Houdrouge created N’Kids to allow children to have fun in safety while their parents do their shopping, like here in Congo Brazzaville – All rights reserved
All this work in the field is “a challenge,” she admits. “It’s also a very interesting experience. And even though I sometimes miss defending clients in court, I find entrepreneurship fulfilling.”
More than fulfilled, Johanna Houdrouge is very involved, not only in entrepreneurship, but more widely, in Monaco’s economic and voluntary spheres. At the ‘Women World Congress’ in Lima in 2019, she was awarded the prize for “Woman Entrepreneur of the Year.”
Even though I sometimes miss defending clients in court, I find entrepreneurship fulfilling.
A member of the Steering Committee of the Monaco Economic Board (MEB), President of the Syndicat Monégasque des Établissements de Négoce International (SNEMI), Vice-President of the Children of Africa family charity and a founding member and Vice-President of CEMA, Johanna Houdrouge has also been President of the Association des Femmes Chefs d’Entreprises de Monaco (AFCEM) since 2020.
Elected for an initial three-year term, then re-elected for a second and final term in 2023, Johanna Houdrouge is, at the age of 40, the youngest President in AFCEM’s history. “I was the youngest member when I joined, aged 25. Once there, I met women who had set up their own businesses and taken risks. As we saw during Covid, the risks of entrepreneurship are not insignificant. It made me want to get involved even more,” she says.
Promoting management by women without undermining men
Her hobbyhorse? Showcasing female management, without undermining male management. “Men and women are biologically different,” she says. “We need to tap into those differences to make them an asset in the workplace. I see it every day: I work with men. I can see the differences between the two management styles. In reality, they are complementary. I believe that this complementarity is beneficial in a business, and even throughout the economic world. That’s why I also advocate wage and professional equality between men and women.”
Through her involvement with AFCEM, Johanna Houdrouge hopes to help further develop women’s entrepreneurship in the Principality. Entrepreneurship is “increasinglyimportant,” with Monaco boasting 60 female company directors, “which is no mean feat given the size of our country.”
Female entrepreneurship is alive and well in Monaco, and I am keen to represent all these women, who operate in very different fields.
“Female entrepreneurship is alive and well in Monaco, and I am keen to represent all these women who operate in very different fields: insurance, construction, transport, haute couture… I think it is very important to acknowledge the work of these women who contribute to the Monegasque economy,” she adds.
So it is only natural that AFCEM has been promoting female entrepreneurship for the past two years among the younger generations, organising Girl Boss, a speed mentoring initiative aimed at young girls in the Principality, in partnership with SheCanHeCan, for March 8 (International Women’s Day): “It is important for me to pass these values on to young girls. Entrepreneurship builds self-confidence: you have to learn how to manage your business, your employees, take risks…“
Another project of which Johanna Houdrouge is particularly proud is the recent partnership with Monaco Boost. FCEM is committed to welcoming a number of female business owners from the Monaco incubator for one year, free of charge, to encourage Monegasque entrepreneurship and to promote youth.
“The number of women entrepreneurs is constantly rising,” she says with satisfaction. “Entrepreneurship provides flexibility that fits in more easily with family life, even though it means more work. (…) I defend the position that we can have a career and children. It’s not always easy; you often get the impression that you’re doing both badly, but it’s just an impression. I will keep fighting until my dying breath: you can be a mother and work really hard. We can handle it all, both our private and professional lives, it’s a matter of organisation.”
I defend the position that we can have a career and children.
And apart from the ability to balance family and working life, Johanna Houdrouge believes that the most organised women in the workplace are mothers: “they have an incredible resilience to stress, time management skills, adaptability… They are highly operational. I like to spend time with my sons, to show them that a woman can work and be a mother, and to instill in them the values of equality between men and women. I have a fight on my hands because I don’t have any daughters, and I am convinced that women’s views should also be voiced by men.“
Between her career in the family business, her involvement in the AFCEM, her various charitable activities and, of course, bringing up her boys, Johanna Houdrouge still finds time for a lot of sport. A keen runner and winter sports enthusiast, she even took part in a semi-marathon two years ago: “Sport provides as much self confidence as work. The ability to surpass ourselves that we can gain through sport enables us to develop a form of resilience in the professional world. Anything can be done in life, if there is the will to do it. It requires perseverance, never giving up, and these are values that we see in sport.”
With a new team that is very committed to the future projects at AFCEM, which will be celebrating its twentieth anniversary next year, and which will take part, in Paris in November, in the annual conference of the Women World Congress, Johanna Houdrouge does not, for the time being, envisage donning her lawyer’s gown again. “You can’t do everything,” she concludes. “I have projects, and I need those, but they’re definitely to do with the boardroom rather than the courtroom. At the same time… who knows what tomorrow will bring!”
