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CEO T O D A Y EUROPE A W A R D S 2 0 2 3 Dear Valued Readers, With immense pleasure, I introduce you to the special edition of CEO Today, dedicated to celebrating the Europe Awards. Europe, with its rich tapestry of cultures, economies, and histories, has long been a hub of innovation, resilience, and leadership. This edition seeks to honour those at the pinnacle of their respective fields, whose vision and determination not only shape their enterprises but also leave indelible marks on the broader business landscape. We are thrilled to have Olivier Brousse of Idverde grace our front cover. Idverde’s contributions to enhancing urban and green spaces across Europe under Olivier’s astute guidance epitomize the transformative influence CEOs can wield within and beyond their industries. Equally commendable are the achievements of Miklos Palencsar of 8848 Sport Mentoring, who has effectively combined passion and purpose to redefine sports mentoring, and Bruno Angles of AG2R LA MONDIALE, a figurehead in the insurance and asset management sectors, whose innovative approaches consistently set benchmarks for peers. This edition is not merely about recognizing accomplishments; it’s a deep dive into these esteemed leaders’ journeys, challenges, and lessons. To understand their ethos, strategies, and foresight is to understand what has propelled their companies to greatness in an ever-evolving European market. To all our readers - may you find inspiration in these pages and to our honoured CEOs, your leadership stories serve as a testament to the extraordinary potential and promise that European enterprises hold. Here’s to leadership, innovation, and a brighter future for Europe!
Olivier Brousse IDVERDE Miklos Palencsar 8848 Sport Mentoring Bruno Angles AG2R LA MONDIALE 6 10 12 FEATURED WINNERS
www.idverde.com In this exclusive interview, we sat down with Olivier Brousse in July, the Group CEO of Idverde, Europe’s largest provider of landscaping services, with more than 1 bn€ of annual revenues and a presence in 6 countries, to discuss the multifaceted journey that led him to his current role. With extensive experience in public-private partnerships across multiple sectors and countries, Olivier brings a nuanced understanding of how to forge sustainable relationships with local authorities, and private clients as well. In an era defined by climate change and the pressing need for solutions to adapt to it, Olivier was instrumental in positioning Idverde at the intersection of innovation, nature-based solutions, and social impact. From discussing significant industry shifts due to climate change, to outlining Idverde’s forward-thinking strategies for both “business as usual” and “business as unusual”, Olivier delves deep into the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. CEO Today Europe Awards 2023 - FRANCE - - 6 -
including how to build a strong and sustainable partnership with local authorities in order for the private sector to deliver solutions, not simply services, and obviously to make a profit in line with the impact of these solutions. The landscaping and green space services industry is already impacted by global climate change. What are the most significant shifts you’ve observed, and how has Idverde adapted? With the acceleration of climate disorders, which will probably become climate change eventually if nothing is done, city officials and landowners are increasingly aware that green spaces can deliver Group CEO of Idverde livier Brousse Olivier, can you provide our readers with a brief overview of your journey to becoming the CEO of Idverde? I have spent most of my career working for private sector companies that deliver services to the public sector, initially in France, then in the UK and the US. As part of Veolia, I ran Connex Rail in the UK, then ran their US business from 1997-2007. I then moved to SAUR, France’s third largest water provider, which I ran until 2014. I then moved back to London to run John Laing plc, a specialist investor in greenfield infrastructure projects and publicprivate partnerships, with a presence in Europe, US, Australia, New Zealand and Latin America. I joined Idverde as Group CEO in 2021. All these years gave me the time and opportunities to really understand the challenges and the needs of the public sector, CEO Today Europe Awards 2023 - FRANCE - - 7 -
later, some industrials will fund them to offset some of their environmental footprint, such as carbon emissions or biodiversity destruction. Beyond the social and environmental impact that we already deliver, we want Idverde to contribute to bringing longterm and dedicated funding to active nature, which would then boost its development in cities and beyond. This a little like waste management in cities which, 30 years ago, was just a cost, in order to pick waste up and transport it to landfills. Today it is picked up, sorted and recycled or transformed into energy, therefore it generates its own longterm revenues. This is what we are trying to achieve with the green spaces we manage for our clients. Recognising the vital link between green spaces and the need for cities to adapt to climate change, how does Idverde prioritize and promote the significance of these spaces, and what role do you envision the company playing in fostering a more active approach to green spaces in the future? This is a great question, as it is essential to show to our clients what they can make of their green spaces. To do more than aesthetics and well-being: a tree provides shade and helps to cool down streets and public spaces. During heatwaves, it sweats the water that its roots and branches have stored during the year, helping keep the air humid. Each of its thousands of leaves is a mini-filter for city pollution and works to absorb carbon, which it stores in its trunk and branches. A public park can also be designed to become a rain garden to protect the city against flooding during heavy rain events. Even a golf course can offer more than a sports ground: it can become a biodiversity refuge, at a time when biodiversity is in severe jeopardy. In short, we urgently need to help cities adapt to climate change by harnessing the power of green spaces to cool them down, protect them against intense rainfall events and harbour biodiversity. Cities such as Copenhagen, Manchester and Geneva are already committed to this objective, and Idverde is proud to assist them. This requires us to adapt to this new demand for “active nature”, as opposed to “nice only”, so we spend a lot of time connecting our experts from different countries so they can share innovation and best practices and bring them to their local clients. Our field teams are very aware of climate change, as they already experience its consequences day-in, day-out, and they are incredibly committed to finding solutions to protect nature and to give it its full potential in terms of environmental benefits. We owe them a lot in this journey of change. As a CEO, what have been the most significant challenges you have faced, both personally and in terms of leading the company? Our challenge today at Idverde is to protect our “business as usual”, which today accounts for more than €1bn of annual revenue, whilst finding the time and resources to grow the “business as unusual”, i.e. active nature to help adapt to climate change. The latter requires some new competences, such as designing sponge gardens and green rooftops to capture rainwater. It also needs innovation, for example precision watering to reduce water needs. And the demand for these services is growing very fast: they will soon become “business as usual”. I am lucky to work among 10,000 colleagues who are passionate about protecting nature and harnessing all its potential benefits. Given the rising emphasis on sustainability and environmental issues in today’s business landscape, and considering Idverde’s efforts, such as pursuing B-Corp accreditation, how does the company tackle these concerns? What initiatives have you been particularly passionate about or taken the lead on? We are committed to having an impact in terms of sustainability and environmental issues and to creating jobs to deliver our growth. We just need to prove our impact by measuring it. We don’t approach these benefits as “post profit” ones, which would make them limited and not sustainable. Rather, we consider them an integral part of our business model: we earn a living and make a profit by delivering solutions to adapt to climate change. The better our solutions, the stronger our profits. We have started B-corp accreditation: one of our Danish subsidiaries is already accredited and others will follow shortly. Beyond that, one thing we are working passionately on is to get nature and green spaces their own long-term funding: today, everyone wants and needs more green spaces, but there is no funding for them. By measuring their environmental benefits - the carbon we absorb via the trees we plant and maintain, and the biodiversity we protect and foster on behalf of our clients - then, sooner or “We urgently need to help cities adapt to climate change by harnessing the power of green spaces to cool them down, protect them against intense rainfall events and harbour biodiversity” CEO Today Europe Awards 2023 - FRANCE - - 8 -
that, we share our best examples from across the countries we operate in and show them to our clients wherever they are. There are some streets in Glasgow that have been planted with trees with massive topsoil underneath so that they capture as much water as possible in heavy rain and protect the city from flooding. Then they sweat the water back during hot weather and help cool down the streets. The local authority calls this blue-green infrastructure, and I guess we will see more and more of it in other cities in the future. We have a large real estate development in Geneva which has been designed to capture rainwater before it runs off and creates flooding, with every building equipped with a green rooftop (not simply rooftop gardens - we’re talking here about capturing water when it rains) and sponge gardens. These features will become commonplace in new developments. The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London is not only a great park for visitors, but also a real biodiversity refuge in an urban area. We have many other examples of active green spaces, and we use each of them to show landowners the environmental benefits they can get from nature. Our people are committed to demonstrating the power of nature and, with the acceleration of climate change, our clients are now scrambling to “activate” their green spaces to adapt to it. Many CEOs mention the importance of company culture. How would you describe the culture at Idverde, and how do you ensure it aligns with the company’s mission and values? The culture at Idverde is strong. At its core is autonomy: our countries and their local offices have a high level of autonomy, because the nature of the landscaping projects and services we deliver depends on the local climate and environmental context. Since our people need to adjust to weather conditions constantly, they are very good at taking initiatives to find solutions. And they are passionate about what they do, whether it is about creating a new green space or maintaining it. They treat nature as a living body, which they observe constantly and protect. With their initiative, passion, and commitment to making the most of nature, our almost 10,000 colleagues are genuine environmental protectors for each city or landowner we work for. This aligns very well with the company’s mission and values. What role does innovation play at Idverde? Are there any technological advancements or methods that you’re particularly excited about? Innovation is essential to address the challenges of climate change. For instance, we need to constantly innovate watering tools to deal with periods of water stress whilst protecting green assets. We are moving into precision watering, driven by electronic sensors and new forms of irrigation. We are also starting to monitor each tree for which we have the responsibility via satellite or 3D-lidar images, and we can now calculate the amount of carbon each tree captures using a software created in the US called iTree. Copenhill Copenhagen CEO Today Europe Awards 2023 - FRANCE - - 9 -
But innovation is not just technical. We are seeking to innovate financially to establish long-term funding for “active nature” and the benefits it delivers. We are working hard on this, with landowners on one side and industrial companies on the other, and I believe we are close to a breakthrough. Then there is the contractual innovation, to move to long-term and outcome-based contracts, so that we can monitor and maintain the green spaces we create in the long-term, and commit to delivering their full environmental benefits. At the end of the day, technical, financial and contractual innovations will transform the landscaping industry from a “nice to have” to a green-blue infrastructure industry that brings essential value to our cities, their populations, and the environment at large. As a leader, how do you balance short-term objectives with the long-term vision for Idverde? This is a very interesting challenge that I am really passionate about: innovation and experimentation in our sector take time before they bear fruit. Take planting a tree to cool down a street or capture carbon, or transforming a park into a green sponge so that it can protect its neighborhood from floodings. It’s at least a couple of years before benefits can be delivered, measured and monetized. And, in the meantime, the company needs to maintain its profitability. But extreme climate events have become so frequent now, and the demand from cities and landowners for nature-based solutions is so pressing, that it won’t be long before we get remunerated not only for the services we deliver but also for the solutions we provide. And we start to see the first signs of this change in pricing for our new solutions. So the best is yet to come and it should come sooner than later. What’s next for Idverde? Can you share any upcoming projects or strategic goals for the next few years? Our strategy is clearly established around three workstreams. The first is “business as usual”, continuing to to deliver and grow landscaping services in Europe, in which we are by far the largest player in the sector. Secondly, we have a very active M&A program, led by a dedicated team, in order to consolidate a sector which is today fragmented into tens of thousands of small local players. And, finally, we need a large and strong Idverde that can grow our “business as unusual” and deliver nature-based solutions for cities to adapt to climate change. Their demand is growing fast with a new sense of urgency. Our strategic goal is to make the most of these three workstreams, which complement each other, and to make Idverde a world-class player in terms of people, planet and profits. And let’s not forget our social impact, as we rely heavily on our ability to recruit and retain people in order to deliver our nature-based solutions which are in such high demand. I always keep in mind what President Roosevelt did in the 1930s during the great depression, when he created his famous “tree army”, also called the Civilian Conservation Corps, and put more than 3 million people to work to protect the natural resources of the United States. I strongly believe that our vision of “active nature” not only will deliver environmental benefits, but will also offer meaningful jobs to thousands of people who really care about our planet. “Technical, financial and contractual innovations will transform the landscaping industry from a “nice to have” into a green-blue infrastructure industry that brings essential services to our cities, their populations, and the environment at large.” Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park London CEO Today Europe Awards 2023 - FRANCE - - 10 -
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CEO Today Europe Awards 2023 - UNITED KINGDOM - - 12 - www.8848mentoring.com
CEO Today Europe Awards 2023 - UNITED KINGDOM - - 13 - Founder of 8848 Sport Mentoring Mr Palencsár, our readers may be familiar with your highly successful consultancy firm, Mentors & Partners Group. While running MPG, you entered the sports world by establishing 8848 Sport Mentoring, focusing on high-performing athletes. Could you guide us through your transition from leading Mentors and Partners Group to becoming a prominent figure in sports consultancy with 8848? I am not one to make decisions impulsively, and I usually gather and analyse a lot of information before I take a particular step. Within MPG, I have been involved in the mental preparation of athletes, teams, and coaches for 18 years. I was asked to execute the first development project by one of my most important business mentees, with whom I had been working for several years at the time, successfully developing his managers at various companies. When he became the main sponsor of one of the elite European football league teams, he asked whether we could transfer the personalitybased team-building approach used in business to sport because he was very keen to perform well. Since then, I have mentored many athletes individually, and worked with club teams and national teams from 11 countries across 19 sports. The athletes/teams we have mentored have won world championships, continental championships, Olympic medals, Champions League and national championships, and cups; in fact, they have won essentially every title now, both individually and at the team level. iklós Palencsár
Our success at the Tokyo Olympics led to serious requests to prepare more than 400 athletes for Paris, and we reached a size where it was no longer possible to fit it into MPG’s structure. This is why we founded the world’s first mental mentoring company, 8848 Mentoring, in January this year. What catalysed the creation of 8848? Our success at the Tokyo Olympics led to serious requests to prepare more than 400 athletes for Paris, and we reached a size where it was no longer possible to fit it into MPG’s structure. This is why we founded the world’s first mental mentoring company, 8848 Mentoring, in January this year. What were some of the key challenges and considerations you faced when deciding to spin off and establish 8848 as a separate consulting firm, and where does this leave Mentors and Partners? It’s interesting to look back because I thought it was just a technical step, because both areas were already working within the MPG. But the processes are completely different, my role has changed; I had to delegate a lot of work, and I had to train the right colleagues, because I had to move from the dual position of MPG’s CEO and lead mentor to just “the mentor” position, and that’s basically how these two companies, which are in otherwise separate areas, meet at the top level. Whether it is business or sport, the mentor brings the processes together and provides the final, complex advice. The field of sports consultancy is an uncommon and intriguing one and no doubt filled with high-pressure challenges for yourself as a mentor and for the athletes. Can you shed some light on a typical day in your life as a sports mentor? This is a very good question. What is a typical day like? There is no typical day in my life anymore. It’s very interesting and intense, because you have to plan all the processes professionally, because you can’t make a mistake in the CEO Today Europe Awards 2023 - UNITED KINGDOM - - 14 -
preparation for a world championship or in the development of talent in a youth academy. But what I have learned in sport is that plans are there so that you can deviate from them flexibly. Let me give you a typical example. There was a week when 4 world championships were going on at the same time, in 4 different sports, on 3 different continents. We had the plans, how many workshops each athlete/ team would need, and how long they would compete for. We had the targets, meaning what final result they would be competing for. But all at once, one of the men’s teams in the top 8 – which was the target -–marched on to the final. In contrast, another men’s team, who was expected to finish in the top 4, also made the final. Also, the women’s team, for whom just getting to the World Championships was a big event, made the semi-finals, and there was one individual athlete who achieved their target by also making the final. Mentoring these three teams filled up many days because, obviously, you don’t stop providing support for a team just because they reached their pretournament goal. What are the common challenges faced by the athletes and coaches you mentor, and how does your consultation help them overcome them? Why do athletes need external input and feedback in addition to the support they may get from their coaches and clubs? I would never have thought about what the biggest challenges are mentally in the life of an athlete/team/coach until I really saw behind the scenes. At the start of almost every project, I was told that the sports psychology they tried was completely ineffective and that they didn’t trust mental development in general. It took me a while to realise why this was the case. My biggest lesson and belief is that we need to acknowledge: athletes are human beings too! Sponsors, fans, and the average person are not aware of this. To them, they are just “beings” who are there to perform perfectly all the time. It’s also interesting that most sports people forget, even if they were an athlete once, what it was like. The effectiveness of mentoring changed dimensions when we started to look at the private lives of athletes/ coaches, when we analysed the key people in their private lives, we mentored them in that area as well. Another dimension shift occurred when we started to look at communication, image building (both internal and external), and image maintenance. We also had to realise that even the most prestigious universities do not have studies that are really useful in practice because to get real information, you have to build up a level of trust with an athlete or coach that is not possible for someone who wants to “study” them. So, we had to build our own path, our own studies, methodologies, and techniques from scratch. Your website https://8848mentoring. com/ speaks about your development programme, the RISE Human Development System. Could you provide some insights into this? How does it differ from other training/development methods, and why did you base your programme on this system? A great help, in fact the alpha and omega of everything, is the RISE Human Development System. Its basis is, of course, typification psychology (Typification psychology is the process of dividing people into groups/types by their personality), but with the help of custom research, built-in big data elements, algorithms, social media profiling, etc., it is the only system that can clearly define and separate a person’s “crisis personality” from their “present personality”. In other words, it can show exactly what that athlete is trying to show and what they will actually be like in a crisis situation, which is very common in sport. This system is now becoming increasingly popular in business, as top managers face serious crisis situations since 2020, but it is essential for success in sport. This gives a clear indication of what the athlete will face – feelings, reactions, behaviours, decisions, and of course, the exact actions – if a real crisis situation arises, and can prepare them to avoid the expected negative, failure points. 8848 has been involved in various sports, from team sports like football, basketball, and handball to individual sports like martial arts and shooting. Are there unique challenges in adapting your methodologies across such diverse disciplines? All sports, including specific events, have specific mental challenges. You can’t even compare basketball to football. But even within basketball, the competition system itself is not all the same. If, for example, a world tournament has group stages, its mental methodology is completely different from one where the competition is a knockout system from the jump. Not to mention the fact that, for example, fencing cannot be compared –3x3 minutes of intensive brain work – with show jumping, where the horse, as a living being, is a partner and part of the mental situation. That is why, for any new sport, it is a major task to build up a mental method for that sport. CEO Today Europe Awards 2023 - UNITED KINGDOM - - 15 -
Some sports people are known to have huge egos, not least as this contributes to their success. How do you overcome huge egos and work constructively with individuals like this? It was really a challenge at the beginning of my career, when I had to convince, say, a two-time Olympic champion and national captain to listen to me, without knowing him and without having proved anything to him. But, we agreed that I had a big ego too, so we should each stick to our own area of expertise: he knew his sport and I knew the mental part. Today, there is no such challenge because, although I never say who I am working with, the level is presented and they can follow it down to see if it is right for them. Even though we do not publish our results, because of word of mouth, coaches end up finding out about our work. Your website also mentions that the decision-making frequency in sports versus business is significantly different. Can you expand on this and explain how this insight impacted your approach towards mentoring in sports, and indeed what lessons can be learned for CEOs and athletes? Before 2020, we told athletes that the average non-athlete was in a “more comfortable” position, because they would shape their personality throughout their lives, they would build in new personality features that they wanted, and although there could be serious long-term consequences of not living as themselves, it was their choice. The athlete cannot do this, because the non-self-identified, builtin personality features will collapse in a crisis situation. Today, this statement is no longer true, because there are also very serious stress factors in the life of the average person, especially a businessperson, so the decisions made in a crisis situation, if not to the extent of the amount in sport, are present in a very serious way. In other words, it is now true that business is very close to sport in terms of the need to be self-identified. Can you share some of the most notable achievements of teams and athletes under the guidance of 8848 Sport Mentoring? Mentoring, especially the private mentoring that I do, is 100% confidential, so no, we never publish about an athlete or team or mention them publicly. However, anonymously, I can say that we have helped medallists of all colours at the European Championships, Pan American Games, World Championships, and Olympics. If you look strictly at the successes achieved under the name 8848 Mentoring in 2023: European Championship gold, silver, bronze, World Championship gold, silver, 4 championship titles and 2 international cup wins. In addition, there were also world championship gold and silver medals in junior sports. If I had to highlight any of these, I would definitely mention a World Championship gold and silver medal for a junior and an adult men’s team, as well as a European Championship victory, also for a men’s team. These guys travelled down a long, strict development path to reach these peaks, and the head coaches who led these teams are emotionally important to me. Looking at the evolution of sports consultancy, where do you see the future of this field, particularly in relationto 8848? The world has changed enormously. Just to give you an example, one of CEO Today Europe Awards 2023 - UNITED KINGDOM - - 16 -
The athletes/teams we have mentored have won world championships, continental championships, Olympic medals, Champions League and national championships, and cups; in fact, they have won essentially every title now, both individually and at the team level. my key people is currently attending a special course at Harvard, learning new elements, and analysing how our data is unique and deeply useful even in the highest levels of academia. So, there is no stop to the research here. The traditional “I am the sports psychologist” approach no longer works, it takes the combined knowledge and work of a complex team to prepare professionally. If I had to give a clear direction: while in the past, professionals used to say that we should concentrate on good sporting performance and, if there was time, look after the athlete’s private life, we have completely reversed the process this year, and our successes are not to be expected. The focus is on the athlete as a HUMAN being, who first has to build up their private life in a way that they, as a person, feel comfortable, breaking away from the usual social norms in many cases, because we are talking about “heroes” after all. Then the energy and mental strength generated by the happiness in their private life must be transferred to sport. This leads to stable, long-lasting peak performance and, also importantly, a happy life after a career in sport. CEO Today Europe Awards 2023 - COUNTRY - - 17 -
CEO of AG2R LA MONDIALE BRUNO ANGLES ABOUT BRUNO ANGLES Bruno Angles is the CEO of AG2R LA MONDIALE. He was appointed in May 2022, one year after he joined the Group as Deputy CEO. Bruno Angles began his career working for Civil Engineering companies before joining the French Ministry of Infrastructure, where he worked as a personal adviser to the Minister. In 1994, he was appointed CEO of Autoroutes et Tunnel du Mont Blanc. He joined McKinsey in 1996, where he became Partner in 2000. In 2004, he was appointed CEO of Vinci Energies, then moved to Mercer Delta as Senior Partner. He joined Macquarie in 2007, where he served during 9 years as President France. From 2016 to 2021, he served as CEO of Credit Suisse France and Belgium. He graduated from Ecole Polytechnique and Ecole des Ponts et Chaussées. He also holds a degree from the Collège des Ingénieurs. He is a member of the Board of RATP Group, the public transport operator for the Paris region, and of Fondation de France, a philanthropic institution. He was Chairman (2015-2019) and is now Honorary Chairman of Ecole Polytechnique Alumni association (AX). www.ag2rlamondiale.fr CEO Today Europe Awards 2023 - FRANCE - - 18 -
critical digital component and a new General Secretary in charge of reinforcing the Group’s compliance. On that very day, a “chair for the client” was symbolically placed in all the Company’s meeting rooms to emphasize our renewed focus on customer satisfaction. And a Shadow ExCo, composed of the 16 brightest managers under 40 of age, was set up to steer innovation and challenge the thinking of the Group’s leadership. The governing bodies of AG2R LA MONDIALE largely adopted the Plan’s various components, including a new framework and set of rules for all the Group’s entities on May 25th, 2022, the restructuring of the Protection & Health division on June 9th, 2022, and the IT & Digital roadmap which involves a 630m-EUR investment plan over a 6-year period in December 2022. The transformation plan was itself unanimously voted for in October 2022. The Plan’s immediate implementation has led to concrete results materializing very rapidly: - The turnaround of the Protection & Health division has been spectacular, with the division’s net result moving from a 70m-EUR loss in 2021 to achieved breakeven H1 2023. In addition, we managed to reduce overhead costs by 70m EUR. These two major achievements led the French regulator to terminate its reinforced supervision of the Group, which had been initiated back in 2017, as early as April 19th, 2023. - Our digital capabilities are being significantly enhanced with the delivery of already more than 130 major items, including a brand new 360° Customer Vision tool. - A landmark partnership with MAIF, a leading P&C insurer in France, signed on April 11th, 2023, opens new distribution channels for our products and allows us to offer a fullyfledged insurance product range to our clients. - Employee engagement has significantly improved and now displays an exceptional level of buy-in, with 3 out 4 employees stating they agree with and have confidence in the Group’s strategy. - And the Plan is praised by rating agencies: S&P has now twice confirmed our “A stable outlook” grade, underlining an exceptional level of liquidity but also the expected benefits that “Nouvelle Donne” will yield for the Group. At the same time, we have delivered stellar environmental and social performances, rewarded by 7 trophies throughout the year and by AG2R LA MONDIALE ranking top among French insurers for ESG performance. Overall, “Nouvelle Donne” and its execution showcase the Group’s intention and ability to achieve rapidly a massive step change for the sole interest of our clients. To this end, we are fully committed to pursue our efforts to grow and improve our business with a strong focus on delivering best-in-class solidarity and sustainability policies. A Unique Player in the Insurance Industry AG2R LA MONDIALE is a leading French insurance company, providing its clients with Health, Income, Pension and Saving protections through policies subscribed by individuals directly, or by their employers or trade branches. The Group’s history dates back 118 years. Today, it counts more than 15 million clients and is a daily partner for 500,000 businesses. AG2R LA MONDIALE’s footprint covers the whole French metropolitan and overseas territory, with a 15 000-employee workforce. It ranks as the second complementary pension scheme operator in France and is the leading provider of senior housing and living services through its subsidiary Domitys. For year 2022, the Group’s insurance businesses earned 11.4bn EUR of gross written premium. And AG2R LA MONDIALE held 120bn EUR in assets under management. The Group displays a unique DNA on the back of a singular governance framework involving workers’ unions, employers’ organizations and a cooperative model. As such it aims for both profitability and solidarity. Our promise to our clients is to help them “take control on tomorrow”. We do so by accompanying them at all stages of their life, including the more challenging times, by offering a complete range of personal insurance products. We also leverage our expertise to advise on the right choices they can make to have durable protections for themselves and their loved ones. Through its core businesses, the social action carried by the Group’s Pension and Health divisions, a wide range of community involvements, and a stringent ESG policy, AG2R LA MONDIALE strives to contribute positively on topics of importance, including, but not limited to, tackling the challenges entailed by climate change and population ageing. A New Deal for the Benefit of our Clients AG2R LA MONDIALE is committed to a redefining transformation plan coined “Nouvelle Donne” (“New Deal”), which places our clients at the core of our actions and decisions and aims at reinforcing the Group’s abilities to cope with a more challenging environment while seizing every profitable growth opportunity. To do so, the Plan sets out eight distinct objectives. A significant IT overhaul, a genuine omnichannel distribution model as well as a leaner organization and processes will yield increased client satisfaction and improved employee engagement. The restructuring of our Protection & Health division, a focus on expanding our profitable businesses as well as forays in meaningful new businesses and services will strengthen the Group’s financial trajectory. Concrete efforts and impact towards this transformation started on May 2nd, 2022 under the leadership of a new executive team, among whom a new CEO (Bruno Angles) to spearhead the overall effort, a new CIO to oversee the Plan’s CEO Today Europe Awards 2023 - FRANCE - - 19 -
Gregor Rosinger Rosinger Group Karl-Heinz Strauss PORR AG 22 24 AUSTRIA
Gregor has been a successful investor and industrialist since 1985, when he founded The Rosinger Group and has since taken 68 companies worldwide to the stock exchange. CEO Today Europe Awards 2023 - AUSTRIA - - 22 -
General Director of The Rosinger Group GREGOR H. ROSINGER The Rosinger Group is a leading Investments and Corporate Finance company which operates globally. The firm specialises in small and mid caps in Europe and has been involved in numerous listings and IPOs, an index launch (Rosinger Index ROSGIX) and more than 300 capital market projects worldwide. Their portfolio includes both direct and indirect investments in Company Shares (Equity), Private Equity Investments, Mezzanine Capital, Corporate Bonds/ Venture Loans, Real Estate and Mobile or Transferable Economic Goods. The Rosinger Group is also active on the Vienna Stock Exchange as a professional investor, capital market coach, direct funding partner and index owner of the “Rosinger Index” (ROSGIX). In November 2022, The firm received the European Special Mention Award from the European Commission, the Federation of European Securities Exchanges and European Issuers for its outstanding market position and significant impact on small and mid-cap issuer access to the capital markets. With their many years of experience in capital markets, The Rosinger Group can structure tailored financing components for their clients and arrange them positive due diligence checks – individually or as an overall concept, structured for the specific company concerned. The experienced team works together with their clients to find innovative and tailored financial solutions in order to safeguard financial independence in the long term and optimise conditions. The Rosinger Portfolio includes 14 own long-term investments (of which 6 were as majority investors), which focus in the industrial and finance sectors. In addition, the Rosinger Group also holds real estate and investments in financial instruments. General Director Dipl.-Ing. General Director Dipl.-Ing. Gregor H. Rosinger is General Director and Founder of the Rosinger Group. He comes from an old stockbroker and investor dynasty whose international roots go back to the Middle Ages. He has been a successful investor and industrialist since 1985, when he founded The Rosinger Group and has since taken 68 companies worldwide to the stock exchange. Aside from his position of General Director and majority shareholder of The Rosinger Group, Gregor has been awarded the Knight of the Order of Saint George and is also a Senator in the Austrian Senate of Economy and a member of the Business Advisory Council of the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) within the OSCE-Framework (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe). Gregor Rosinger holds board functions in the following group companies: • PRIVATE EQUITY Rosinger Anlagentechnik GmbH & Co KG as Managing Director (CEO) • Rosinger Anlagentechnik GmbH & Co KG as Managing Director (CEO) • Rosinger RMS GmbH as Managing Director (CEO) • Rosinger Anlagentechnik GmbH as Managing Director (CEO) • Rosinger Energieanlagen GmbH as Managing Director (CEO) • Dipl.-Ing. Rosinger Gregor Heinz u. Yvette, VVL, as Managing Director (CEO) • DI Gregor Rosinger Eigene Investments as Managing Director (CEO) www.rosingerfinance.com CEO Today Europe Awards 2023 - AUSTRIA - - 23 -
ABOUT KARL-HEINZ STRAUSS After completing the HTL for civil engineering, Karl-Heinz Strauss studied at Harvard University, at the Management Business School in St. Gallen and completed an MBA program at IMADEC University in Vienna. Until 2000, he worked in various positions at Raiffeisen Zentralbank - including in the areas of construction and real estate. He then founded Strauss & Partner Immobilien GmbH, whose best-known projects include the EURO PLAZA on Wienerberg. In September 2010 he took over as CEO of PORR AG. www.porr-group.com CEO Today Europe Awards 2023 - AUSTRIA - - 24 -
PORR’s primary goal remains to achieve a sustainable increase in corporate value for every stakeholder. PORR delivers as many construction services as possible itself, thereby covering the entire life cycle of construction projects. It has a strong, Group-wide construction and skills network as well as extensive know-how in project execution. Combined with its strong market position, this allows it to utilise the full potential of a European company in the best possible way. Our Mission We believe in a better world, a home facilitated by sustainable buildings. Those who build change the world. For more than 150 years, standing at the forefront of the construction industry with new technologies has been in our DNA. Our goal is to shape the environment sustainably, while driving innovation and growth. And with it a world worth living in for everyone – today and tomorrow. This allows us to offer holistic construction solutions from a single source – from design to construction to operations, in building construction, civil engineering and infrastructure. Our values Our corporate culture: The 5 principles of PORR. Reliability. Shoulder to shoulder. Appreciation. Passion. Pioneering spirit. These are our five PORR principles that unite us and make us unique. They form our common corporate culture and are everything we need to grow and grow together. In this way, we can become even stronger as a team and ensure the sustainable success of PORR. Pioneering spirit in the construction industry since 1869. PORR AG is one of the leading construction companies in Europe. From playing a significant part in shaping Vienna via the innovations of Arthur Porr and the development of the New Austrian Tunnelling Method through to digitisation: our pioneering spirit has been on display for more than 150 years. We have remained one step ahead, time and again, for more than 150 years. We have been setting milestones for more than 150 years. And the talent for innovation of our PORRians means that we will continue to deliver excellence in every aspect of the construction industry well into the future. We have a motto for the way we do business at PORR: intelligent building connects people. Our goal is to bring together our high standards regarding quality, technology and efficiency with every person involved in a project – whether a builder or a user. After all, we build with and for people. Values such as trustworthiness, reliability, customer focus and teamwork are an important part of our identity, as is an approach based on partnerships. PORR’s strategy is derived from the vision “PORR – Home of Construction. To Build a Better World”. As Europe’s most sustainable infrastructure construction group, PORR offers clear solutions for all the challenges of today’s changing times. The strategic focus remains on expanding the company’s strong market position in Europe and on intelligent, selective growth with “Green and Lean”. Sustainable management is driven forward together with advanced technology and environmental and social responsibility. CEO of PORR AG KARL-HEINZ STRAUSS ABOUT PORR AG CEO Today Europe Awards 2023 - AUSTRIA - - 25 -
Tim Knotnerus AgomAb Therapeutics 28 BELGIUM
ABOUT TIM KNOTERUS Tim is CEO and member of the Board of Directors of Agomab, a Belgian biotech company focusing on growth factor biology and developing therapeutics for fibrotic indications. Together with the team, he has raised around $140M from top US and EU investors since joining Agomab in 2019. Prior to Agomab, Tim held the position of VP Corporate Development at AM-Pharma where he and the team executed a Phase IIb trial in patients with acute kidney injury, secured a $600M option-to-buy deal with Pfizer and raised significant private financing rounds. Prior to that, Tim was a Senior Associate at Aescap Venture, a VC fund investing in European medical companies. During 2022, Tim received the CEO of the year award by European Lifestars and was selected as an Endpoints 20 under 40 and In Vivo rising leader. He holds an executive MBA from IMD, where he was named Valedictorian, and earned two Master degree programs from Utrecht University. www.agomab.com CEO Today Europe Awards 2023 - BELGIUM - - 28 -
CEO of AgomAb Therapeutics TIM KNOTNERUS Agomab is translating a deep expertise in growth factor biology to pioneer and develop novel treatments that aim to resolve fibrosis, repair tissue structure and restore organ function. Combining new scientific insights with robust drug development and a long-term corporate vision, we are building a broad clinical pipeline of differentiated programs with disease modifying potential in organ failure and fibrotic diseases. WHY TARGET GROWTH FACTOR PATHWAYS FOR FIBROTIC INDICATIONS? Fibrotic processes are the underlying factors in a variety of difficult-to-treat diseases, resulting in progressive organ failure. For most fibrotic diseases, blocking inflammatory events only, e.g. by inhibiting cytokine signaling, is not expected to deliver substantial disease stabilization or reversal. Because inflammation and fibrosis are such complex and interconnected processes, one needs to identify assets with broad mode of actions able to address redundancy across multiple pathways. Growth factor pathways have evolved to coordinate broad morphogenic and tissue repair programs, and can be leveraged to profoundly alleviate tissue injury, fibrotic remodeling, and organ failure. Because growth factors possess such broad activity, it is important to have a deep understanding about how to modulate them, and how to devise small molecules or biologics to do this. This is where we leverage our deep understanding of growth factor biology and employ smart small molecules targeting the TGFβ pathway and agonistic antibodies targeting the HGF/MET pathway. The company’s pipeline consists of unique assets with a novel mode of actions against well-validated and potentially disease modifying targets with the aim to repair tissue injury, resolve fibrosis and restore organ function in patients with high unmet medical need. WHY ARE WE TARGETING THE TGF-ß PATHWAY? TGF-ß is a core regulator of fibrogenic pathways and is considered the major driver of fibrosis. Once activated, TGF-ß coordinates the conversion of quiescent fibroblasts into myofibroblasts in addition to initiating the direct transcription of pro-fibrotic genes. Inhibition of the intracellular kinase domain of the TGF-ß receptor (ALK-5) is desirable in the treatment of fibrotic disorders for its potential in blocking canonical and noncanonical TGF-ß signaling. Though several TGF-ß inhibitor approaches have been stalled by systemic toxicity levels, specific ALK-5 inhibitors have shown strong anti-fibrotic effects in the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, and liver. Armed with this knowledge, we are creating organrestricted ALK-5 inhibitors to leverage blockade of the TGF-ß pathway while avoiding systemic exposure. WHY ARE WE TARGETING THE HGF/MET PATHWAY? HGF is a pleiotropic growth factor of mesenchymal origin that mediates a variety of biological processes, including cell proliferation, cell survival, cell motility and cell differentiation. The high affinity receptor for HGF is the tyrosine kinase MET. This receptor is mainly expressed by epithelial and endothelial cells but can also be found in other cell types such as muscle, neuronal and hematopoietic cells as well as in the majority of myofibroblasts. ABOUT AGOMAB THERAPEUTICS CEO Today Europe Awards 2023 - BELGIUM - - 29 -
Mads Nipper Ørsted 32 DENMARK
www.orsted.com CEO Today Europe Awards 2023 - DENMARK - - 32 -
CEO of Ørsted MADS NIPPER Mads Nipper leads Ørsted, the global green energy major and worldleading offshore wind developer, on its quest to create a world that runs entirely on green energy. He took the helm of Ørsted in early 2021 and has been heading the company during a crucial time when the global energy transformation is gaining ever stronger momentum, with renewable energy now cheaper than burning fossil fuels – but also in a time when accelerated climate action, decarbonisation, and energy independence have never been more important. Since stepping in as CEO of Ørsted, Mads Nipper has announced a company-wide ambition of installing 50 GW renewable capacity by 2030 as well as to build a global leadership position within renewable hydrogen and green fuels. He has also overseen an expansion of Ørsted’s existing sustainability stewardship, including setting a target for net-positive biodiversity impact from all new renewable energy projects commissioned by 2030, being the first energy company in the world with an SBTi-validated net-zero target, and introducing an immediate internal ban on the landfilling of wind turbine blades. Mads Nipper believes businesses should be a catalyst for change by combating climate change and meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals. For this reason, he is personally engaged in several governmental and business fora to promote a sustainable transformation. Among others, Mads Nipper is part of World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, he is Co-chair of the roundtable on hydrogen production under the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance, and he represents Ørsted in the First Movers Coalition, a public-private partnership initiated by the US State Department and WEF. In early 2022, Mads Nipper was named one of ‘12 C-suite sustainability champions for 2022’ by the world-leading sustainability media GreenBiz. Before joining Ørsted, Mads Nipper was Group President and CEO of the Grundfos Group. Prior to that, he was Chief Marketing Officer and member of the Management Board in the LEGO Group. ABOUT MADS NIPPER ABOUT ØRSTED We are a renewable energy company with a clear vision: to create a world that runs entirely on green energy. We transformed from a coal-intensive utility to a green energy major in only a decade. We’ve been working hard ever since to create a world that runs entirely on green energy. Pollution from fossil fuels is harmful to our planet. We want to change that. And our vision is clear: Let’s create a world that runs entirely on green energy. In 2008, we did a complete rethink of our business strategy, and that’s when we embarked on our journey of transforming from a fossil-fuelled to a renewables energy company. We increased our investments in offshore wind farms and started to convert our power stations from firing coal to using sustainable biomass as fuel. In 2017, we took the final step and divested our oil and gas business. We’re the global leader in offshore wind, with by far the largest installed capacity and the largest number of new projects among offshore wind developers. Our market-leading position has enabled us to reduce the costs of renewable energy, so new markets and investors can see the huge potential of offshore wind as a more profitable, efficient and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. CEO Today Europe Awards 2023 - DENMARK - - 33 -
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