Luxembourg, the Grand Duchy Where Finance Reigns

Luxembourg, the second most important financial center of Europe, is in rapid transformation in response to the new regulatory changes. Starting from this statement, Fulceri Bruni Roccia, chapter leader BAA, two years ago took the reins of the alumni group in the only Grand Duchy in the world.

The Chapter, born eight years ago and now with about 200 alumni area residents, is based on two main lines of activity, both centered around the role played by finance and economics. "The first concerns the dinner speeches, six per year," said Bruni Rocccia. "In the course of 2014 there were speeches by Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and Finance Minister Pierre Gramegna. With the latter we are planning a meeting at Bocconi to discuss the new challenges of financial regulation in Luxembourg and how the country is shifting the focus to the specialized field of financial products."

Alongside the political dignitaries, the Luxembourg dinner speeches also see the participation of technocrats such as the General Secretary of the Central Bank of Luxembourg, Etienne de Lhoneux, and entrepreneurs like Bob Kneip and Anna and Riccardo Illy (who will speak on 17 and 18 November in several meetings in Luxembourg, one reserved for BAA members, others organized by Deloitte and the EIB).

The visit of the Illys introduces the second line of action: "That is, the collaboration with institutions and companies in which there are alumni," continues the chapter leader. There is talk "of European Investment Bank, Deloitte and the Big 4 of auditing, Ferrero and World Bank." The Idea is to "offer our alumni activities that allow them to get to know the economic and social community in Luxembourg and, at the same time, to become known in it."