Anne de Hauw has always loved discovering new places. “To me, travelling is like oxygen – absolutely liberating, inspiring and eye-opening. And aviation is the preeminent enabler for travel, a key driver in economic development and, pre-Covid, generating 13.5 million direct and indirect jobs.”
Born and bred in Belgium, Anne studied fashion marketing in Paris and Florence before moving to the Principality in 2004 to work for Misaki, a Monaco-based pearl jewellery company mainly providing travel retail and duty-free markets.
“After a few years, I was hired by a global airline catering and retail company, where I was in charge of innovation. Even though I became a mom to two boys during this time, I totally enjoyed the travelling this job enabled me to do, meeting new people and discovering new places in all continents across the globe,” says Anne.
And she always loved coming back home to Monaco. “I have been to many places, but none of them is comparable to here, a perfect mix of a cosmopolitan city and a charming village that offers a wealth of opportunities in business, culture and leisure.”
In 2018, Anne decided to quit the corporate world and follow her dream to create her own venture – IN Air Travel Experience, the very first boutique consultancy focusing on customer experience, innovation and sustainability for air travel. (IN stands for Innovation, Inspiration, Influence and In-flight.)
“During my corporate life, I noticed there was a significant shift in the decision-making power within commercial airlines towards customer experience,” Anne explains. “Historically financially and operationally driven, airlines started to increasingly put the passenger in a central position within their strategy. And this is where I saw an opportunity for them to externalise passenger journey analysis and get unbiased strategic advice on how to improve certain touch points.”
With her extensive network and passion for improving passenger experience, combined with an expertise in transformational innovation, in-flight catering and retail, it was an obvious choice for Anne to create a niche consulting agency supporting airlines to ultimately increase passenger satisfaction.
But it is hard to gauge passenger satisfaction on board when there are no flights, as the global pandemic caused unparalleled disruption in many sectors, travel and hospitality being in pole position. “Even if the Covid crisis isn’t over and although the immediate future will continue to be tough, it also presents a unique opportunity to rethink the future travel experience, accelerate business transformation and embed purpose and sustainability into business strategies and day-to-day operations,” Anne explains.
“As airlines recover, restructure and re-evaluate, they must seize this moment to unlearn old habits and embrace new behaviours and new ways of working, rewriting the rules of business that are fit for the future the aviation industry needs. More than ever, it is important for businesses to truly commit to a purpose and ensure they use it to guide their thinking, planning and decision making.”
The travel consultant says that the pandemic has accelerated consumer desire to seek out organisations that aren’t just talking the talk when it comes to supporting social and environmental progress. “People want to engage with companies that are contributing to a positive impact on society and the planet.”
For IN Air Travel Experience, the announcement of lockdown in the spring meant “literally” all of its customer related airline projects came to a halt in just one week. Anne used “the unique opportunity” to accelerate a focus on innovation and sustainability. “To give you an example of one of our ideas, we developed the IN.bowl, a revolutionary in-flight dining concept that positively impacts the passenger experience. Unusual for airline food, this delicious and nutritionally-balanced dish that combats the negative effects of air travel is ultra-efficient in cost, space and handling. It is also environmentally sustainable in material use, weight and waste reduction. A triple win for the people, planet and the airline,” Anne describes.
Anne champions and defends waste reduction for air travel in order to support the industry in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. IN Air Travel Experience is a founding member of the International Aviation Waste Management Association, a non-profit organisation providing airlines and airports with a base of research and expert knowledge and aiming to advance circular economy knowledge and adoption in global aviation.
“In summary, 2020 was very different than initially expected,” she reflects. On the home front, Anne and her family went into lockdown in Monaco in March. “It was quite a radical change from our usual busy schedules, but I was grateful we were home together, safe, healthy and had food in the fridge.” Over the year, face-to-face business meetings, presentations and industry events have been replaced by endless video calls. “Despite the imposed social distancing and the seemingly people-less world out there, I believe an increased ‘togetherness’ matters more than ever and we stay connected with our customers all over the world through video conferencing.”
She admits that in terms of her bottom line, the year has not been brilliant, but her company is well advanced on purpose-driven projects and continues to build a solid foundation for the future. “As for 2021, I sincerely hope governments will cease to block travel – closing borders, quarantine measures, lockdowns – and people will be confident to fly again.”
Anne de Hauw pauses. “You know, I am still amazed how humans have managed to build a vehicle that can go up in the air and move! And I would love to learn to fly myself, one day, in a post-Covid world.”
According to Business Wire, this year’s passenger numbers are expected to drop to around 2.26 billion (similar to 2006) with passenger revenues tumbling from $612 billion in 2019 to $241 billion in 2020. Additionally, the ResearchAndMarkets.com report released yesterday states that total revenues for the industry look to fall from $830 billion to $418 billion over 2019-2020. “Despite generating around $590 billion in 2021, the industry is forecast to bear a significant loss of $15.8 billion. Restrictions on international travel and lockdowns evaporated passenger demand, with total passenger traffic estimated to decline by 52.7%.” (Source 2022)
Founded nearly 85 years ago by the educationalist Kurt Hahn, Outward Bound was built on a simple, unfashionable belief: character matters as much as academic achievement. Kurt noticed that when people were placed in challenging outdoor situations – cold, tired, and occasionally lost in nature – they grew. Confidence increased. Friendships formed. Self-expectations were exceeded.
Outward Bound programmes continue to embrace this philosophy. Students hike through mountainous terrain, scramble through gorges, climb rock faces, jump off cliffs, paddle rivers, and cook and sleep outdoors. Phones and social media are left behind. It is not designed to be easy, and that is point.
“For teenagers in an Outward Bound programme, being outdoors accelerates self-discovery by removing familiar comforts and forcing real responses to challenge,” says Debbie Gorski, General Secretary of Outward Bound Monaco.
“This is a life-changing personal development experience, with both mental and physical challenges, that enhances team working and leadership skills and confidence building. For these students, facing uncertainty and shared hardship reveals resilience and fears more honestly than a classroom can.”
Each year, Outward Bound Monaco students, aged 10 to 17, are escorted from Nice airport to centres in the Lake District, West Wales and Scotland. They return happily tired, muddier, and changed – with a supply of stories to tell instead of stories to show.
“The skills they have learned – perseverance, confidence, teamwork, and adaptability – carry directly into school, work, and home life, where challenges rarely come with clear paths or easy solutions,” says Debbie, who also does marketing, communications and PR for the Monaco chapter. “They realise that effort, resilience and calmness under pressure matter more than comfort.”
Courses run one, two or three weeks with prices ranging from €1,499 to €3,099. “At the moment, we are offering an Early Bird discount for anyone who books before January 31. And, more importantly we believe that any young person who wants to go on an Outward Bound programme should be able to do so. If you need financial assistance to pay for a course, please ask us.”
Outward Bound Monaco is a registered association in the Principality since 2004. “We are extremely honoured to have HSH Prince Albert as our Patron. He is incredibly supportive to us and always seems to enjoy meeting our triumphant excited students.”
Debbie adds, “Without phones or status symbols, our Monaco Outward Bound students learn more about who they are under pressure, how they rely on others, and that confidence often grows not from ease and luxury, but from enduring difficulty and succeeding anyway.”
For more information or to book a place, visit the website or send enquiries by email.
Article first published January 29, 2026.Photos Outward Bound Monaco Facebook.
Every year, the Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) Group, the Principality’s largest private employer, holds a grande braderie for their employees. In 2025, the sale of some 800 items of furniture, tableware, and decorative objects from SBM establishments raised €14,237.
“Since its inception, SBM has been closely linked to life in Monaco. Supporting those who are committed to the community is therefore a priority for us,” says SBM President Stéphane Valeri, who on January 16 presented a cheque to Valérie Barilaro, president of Ecoute Cancer Réconfort Monaco.
Valérie has been president for the past ten years, and Princess Stephanie is the honorary president.
Photo: Manuel Vitali/Direction de la Communication
I had the genuine pleasure to meet Valérie and learn about Ecoute Cancer Réconfort at a MonacoUSA event, the first after the pandemic lockdown. The Monegasque association was created in 1992.
Cancer support is something Valérie Barilaro knows all about. “My father, who left too soon and too young, died of cancer 27 years ago. And as a beautician, which is about wellbeing, touch and listening, I naturally leaned towards helping and supporting others, in particular with Ecoute Cancer Réconfort.”
“Thirty years ago, support did not really exist for cancer patients,” explains Valérie. “Our first president, Martine Vacarezza, realised there is an emptiness when you come out of heavy treatments after spending months going to the hospital almost daily. Overnight there is nothing left, no more appointments for three months for that first post-cancer assessment. On the outside everything seems great but for a cancer patient a deep anxiety sets in with the loss of those reassuring hospital landmarks – meeting doctors, routine tests – even if you just want to take your life back.”
Martine had the idea of setting up a support hotline but Ecoute Cancer Réconfort’s founding members quickly understood that more was needed. In the days before VLS (Véhicule Sanitaire Léger/Light Medical Vehicle) taxis that were reimbursed drove people to the hospital, the association offered a car service driven by volunteers to get cancer patients to their treatments. Over time, with a few succeeding presidents, the association evolved with volunteers keeping cancer patients company during chemotherapy.
In 2009, the life-changing Espace Mieux Etre opened its doors at l’Atalante in Fontvieille. This non-medical day care center specialises in free cancer support care provided by seasoned professionals, from psychologists who also practice art therapy through drawing, writing or painting to naturopaths (energy, plantar reflexology, mindfulness meditation, advice on nutrition). Socio-aesthetics (social and aesthetic care) is also on the menu to help manage self-image and confidence in a post-cancer world with treatment side-effects on the skin and nails, as well as alopecia and scarring. Espace Mieux Etre likewise offers sport activities essential to rehabilitation, including tai chi, yoga and hiking, as well as various workshops throughout of the year, in particular, a “self-esteem weekend”.
For anyone like me who has witnessed a family member or friend undergo cancer treatment, this association hits home. Espace Mieux Etre is open to anyone affected by cancer, undergoing treatment or in remission, as well as their families and loved ones, in Monaco and its surroundings.
One cancer patient shares, “There is no way to absorb the news of a doctor announcing face-to-face: ‘You have cancer.’ Time stops and quickly you enter into another world. You do what you have to do but it is not enough. Ecoute Cancer Réconfort is the beginning of mental recovery, a new way of absorbing your sickness. Providing all the various help you need, physical and psychological, in parallel to the treatments, they help you to regain your self-esteem, your strength and advance in your new life. They are not an option, they are an absolute necessity to your full recovery.”
Another expresses, “Ecoute Cancer Réconfort offers us a life despite the disease. We are pampered, like in a cocoon, and this allows us to face everyday life with greater ease. Psychologists, energy treatments, socio-beautician, meditation, conferences, hikes, various and varied workshops punctuate our daily lives and contribute to our wellbeing. The psychological support from each therapist, as well as the benevolence of the volunteers, allows us to go through this period as calmly as possible but also to prepare our future solidly.
“The association is a refuge, a bubble of oxygen and sometimes happiness in our daily lives, and helps us to grow, evolve and come out stronger than before the disease. We can confide without a filter, share our doubts and our fears, which we try to spare our loved ones. It is also very comforting to know that spouses or family can benefit from this support because they need it as much as we do. I am grateful to Ecoute Cancer Réconfort, I wouldn’t be who I am without their help.”
Valérie adds, “A supported patient is a patient who is doing better, who can express his or her fears, talk, exchange with a professional or another patient, or quite simply find an attentive ear, which may not necessarily be the case at home with family or friends. What we see is the evolution of patients over their time with us. Their evolution, their dynamism, their way of bouncing back from the disease when they are accompanied along their journey. We are not concerned only with statistics. ”
In October 2022, the Princess Grace Hospital Centre launched its BreastDay Centre devoting a single day to screening, diagnosis and pre-therapeutic support for breast cancer – providing results the same day.
That same year, Valérie approached Natasha Frost-Savio, president of Pink Ribbon Monaco to help them spread their message during breast cancer month and on Valérie’s initiative, all civil servants in the Principality wore a pink ribbon as a gesture of support and solidarity on October 6. “Even though Pink Ribbon specialises in breast cancer prevention and Ecoute Cancer Réconfort wears several hats, we are partners, like a sorority, and very complementary. Prevention is essential so that we have fewer serious cases on our end.”
Sign up now for the 2026 Pink Ribbon Monaco Walk on February 15.
The association organises a members’ dinner during the winter and lunch in the summer. “For Pink October we had a pink hike where patients could bring whoever they wanted. It gave us the idea to offer it to members for next year. Otherwise, there is the galette des rois in January and the general assembly which allows us to meet our members.”
Valérie says that Ecoute Cancer Réconfort is grateful to those who have supported the association all these years and without whom this would not be possible. “But we always need new sponsors, donors, members and volunteers to continue our actions because more and more people are becoming sick.”
CHPG’s BreastDay Centre is open Monday to Thursday 9 to 12 and 1 to 5 and Friday to 3:30. For more info, contact +377 97 98 99 55 or contact.sein@chpg.mc
Article first published November 15, 2022 and updated on January 30, 2025. Photo of cheque presentation: Stéphane Valeri Facebook.
Natasha Frost was born in London to an American film producer dad and British mom with a passion for writing screen plays and playing the piano and cello.
“At the time he met my mother, my dad was working with United Artists on the Beatles films when he came to London and was involved in the signing off on the first Bond film with Sean Connery, initially to be in black and white,” recounts Natasha Frost. “In 1970, he was also the first American to produce a film for the National Theatre, Anton Chekov’s Three Sisters, starring Laurence Olivier, Alan Bates, Joan Plowright.”
Flawlessly bilingual, Natasha, along with her brother and sister, learned French attending the Lycée Français in South Kensington. When her parents separated, her mom, who was re-writing a screenplay commissioned for TV, brought the kids to Beaulieu-sur-Mer so they could improve their French on holiday while her dad went to LA to produce two films. “My father ended up staying in LA and re-marrying a wonderful lady. Mom loved living in Beaulieu, where she put us into the local maternelle because she saw what a difference it was to bring up three children down here rather than in the centre of London.”
Natasha later became, literally, a kid in a candy store, when her mom remarried a Frenchman who owned (still owns) the family-run candy factory Nice Bonbon.
“While my bio-dad would send us cool things from movie sets and photos of our favourite stars that we would show off at school – a photo of him as VP of Universal Studios with my idol, David Bowie, when he sold the rights to Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, is still my prize possession! Needless to say, we also were quite popular thanks to our step-dad and the silly amounts of candy we would give out!”
Natasha admits she was an “unrepentant book worm who read voraciously,” devouring most of Zola and all Maupassant by the time she was thirteen. “I figured out how to speed read diagonally around 12, but I’m not sure I absorbed the meaning at that age! My sister and brother thought I was a real geek, back in the day when it was not cool to be a geek, but later on in life, especially when I went to LA to finish high school, I found myself quite comfortable with the curriculum. When I read Jules Verne’s Voyage au Centre de la Terre, I decided I needed to become an archaeologist-explorer.”
She was passionate about history and, in the early days of college at Humboldt State University in Northern California, “obsessed” with medieval manuscripts. “The idea had evolved to become a parchment-velum restorer,” she laughs. “Life clearly had another plan for me.”
After getting her degree in 1995, Natasha returned to France for the summer to visit her mom, step-dad and siblings for the summer. “I got a summer job at Stars’n’Bars in Monaco … and never left. I was having way too much fun to go back to school.”
Her plans certainly did change. These days, Natasha is widely known as founder and tireless campaigner of Pink Ribbon Monaco, a non-profit association to support cancer awareness. “I set it up for two reasons. Firstly, I felt there were too many cases of breast cancer that were going undetected for too long. I had family members and friends affected and I can easily say that most of the worst cases would have been easier to cure if detected earlier. I figured, let’s start doing something about it.
“Secondly, I had been to many Pink Ribbon awareness walks in LA, which were way more than a pretty stroll in pink clothes – it was a day of women’s empowerment, women supporting women and joyful sisterhood. I felt that Monaco needed some of that vibe. I thought I could bring something positive to my beloved Principality.”
Natasha was invited to speak at the United Nations in New York representing Monaco for a Breast Cancer event in march 2018. “I am still so proud to have represented Monaco in such a prestigious place,” she understates.
Over the past ten years, Pink Ribbon Monaco has gone from a small and relatively unknown local entity to a calendar event with their annual 5-km port-palace-port walk supported by the Palace (Prince Albert opened the walk last year), the government and Minister of Health and Social Services, Didier Gamerdinger, as well as the President of the National Council, Stéphane Valeri and the Commisson de Protection et Promotion des droits de la Femme (Natasha is a committee member).
“Our main events are the walk, sadly cancelled this year due to Covid, and our Pink October illuminations held on the first Thursday or Friday of October, when we ask key local landmarks to light up in pink in support of breast cancer awareness and the patients fighting the fight. We had to cancel last October, but in 2019 it was under the High Patronage of Prince Albert and attended by our special guest, Oscar winner Jodie Foster, who was awarded the Pink Ribbon Award for her positive impact on women.”
This year, the walk was scheduled to take place on Valentine’s Day, but was cancelled for obvious reasons. Instead, Pink Ribbon Monaco came up with the idea of a virtual support event on social media –#seinvalentin, a play on words as Saint-Valentin in French is pronounced the same as sein, the French word for breast.
“We are simply asking people to show their support on Sunday, February 14, by posting a photo of themselves in pink, holding a sign with a message of support, using the hashtags #seinvalentin and #Pinkribbonmonaco. We will repost everything in our story and hope to get loads of posts. This will show our support to our loved ones and remind everyone to get checked.”
Natasha does not mince her words. “Covid has had a terrible impact on our association, not only because our te10-year anniversary events have been cancelled, but, more importantly as we have been made aware of massively lower numbers of breast cancer screenings. Princess Grace Hospital reminds everyone that these screening appointments are maintained and there is no health risk in going to the hospital to get your mammogram.”
Her message is clear in reminding women that the Covid pandemic should NOT prevent testing. “Pink Ribbon in Monaco and its life-saving message is hugely important to me and I have full admiration for the devoted people at Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace doing everything they can to fight and cure breast cancer. It is safe and essential to continue testing and ensure family members do so.”
Natasha at theUN in New York.
Family is clearly a priority for Natasha, who gushes how proud she is of “my large, recomposed family and they are all part of the cool things in my life.” Her brother, Matthew Frost, is a double Clio winner (the Oscars of Advertising) and fashion photographer who has shot some of the biggest celebrities (Kate Winslet, Reese Witherspoon, Karl Lagerfeld, Cate Blanchet, Damian Hirst to name a few…) for Vogue, L’Officiel, Jalouse and others. Her step-brother, Noah Wyle, played Dr Carter in the American TV drama ER “for ages.”
Her fashion-designer sister Allegria of Balenciaga and ACNE fame is “an amazingly talented designer who also works tirelessly as an activist for the preservation of the planet.” Her youngest sister Victoria is a business entrepreneur while “my eldest, crazy sister Tabitha has amazing artistic and interior architecture talent which has influenced us all.”
Her siblings on the Wyle side are equally accomplished. “My sister Alex is one of the foremost equine vets in the US with three clinics to her name in California and my brother Aaron is a top executive at HEB in Texas.”
Natasha is currently helping her step-dad rebrand and develop his 75-year-old family-owned candy business. The confectioner has just signed a partnership with the Petit Prince-Saint Exupéry Foundation and has been granted exclusivity for a Petit Prince range of nostalgic, delicious and all-natural range of caramel sweets.
“This is a big deal for me as I have always been passionate about Le Petit Prince, and it was sort of serendipitous to have this opportunity as, since his birth, my son Magnus has reminded me physically of the main character. Way before this happened, I was reading him the pop-up child-friendly version.”
Natasha and Roberto at Blue Coast Brewing launch. Photo: Nancy Heslin
It was nearly nine years ago when Natasha was flying home from a holiday at her step-dad’s place in St Barts when Swede Roberto Savio popped on the flight at the Curacao layover. “He was seated next to me. It was a fun flight to Amsterdam,” Natasha laughs. They married and has Magnus five years ago.
The couple are also business partners. In 2017, the dynamic duo launched Blue Coast Brewing Company, an idea that came to them after a trip to a friend’s brewery in San Diego the year before. “We shared the idea with some friends and investors – including 2018 Monaco Grand Prix champ Daniel Ricciardo, 2009 F1 World Champion Jenson Button and founding partner Shane Heminway, amongst others – without whom the project would not have taken off financially. Our plan was that should things go well and become successful, we would pass the show so to speak after a certain amount of time to a new team because we are entrepreneurs at heart.”
Natasha is still the CEO of the French company but is happily passing the torch in the coming month while CEO Predrag Krupez, a “young and super dynamic guy” who was one of the first investors, continues to take the Nice-based brewery to a whole new level. “Thanks to Predrag and the talent of our brewer Robert Bush, we have a great new collaboration beer with a UK brewery and, despite Covid, great things are coming.” The couple is still amongst the top five Blue Coast shareholders.
Meanwhile Natasha is in the process of setting up a communication company, High Octane Communication. “I’ve had so many requests to share my branding and marketing skills,” she says modestly. “And Roberto and I are working together on some exciting new projects together, too. We are a team.”
Post your Pink Ribbon Monaco photos on Sunday, February 14. Remember to hold a sign with a message of support and hashtag #seinvalentin #Pinkribbonmonaco
Dec. 30 2025: Congratulations to Paula Radcliffe who has been awarded an OBE in the 2026 King’s New Year Honours list.
For the first time since Olympic marathon runner Paula Radcliffe launched Families on Track in 2019 at the Durham City Run Festival in the UK, the family relay race is coming to Monaco.
Paula’s Families on Track, which is supported by the Princess Charlene Foundation, will take place along Quai Albert 1er on Saturday February 10th, at 4 pm. Watch the video interview above as Paula explains the inspiration behind Families on Track, how the relay works and what to expect in Monaco.
This is a one-of-a-kind sport event in which families compete as a team on a safe and enclosed track made up of two lap distances – 500m and 250m. The goal is for each family to run laps in relay to complete a total of 10 kilometres. Any combination of lap distances is possible, for example,14 laps of 500m plus 12 laps of 250m.
Teams are members can run in any order and for any distance to reach the 10K total. After every leg of the relay, the family member enters the “Crazy Zone” and heads to the “Pen” from where the next team member will start their laps. Each family has a dedicated Pen where they wait and cheer each other on. This is where the fun happens.
Once the magic 10K mark is reached, the family joins together for the “Glory Leg” to the Finish Line.
Paula’s inclusive Families on Track is part of Monaco Run and is free to register. Go to the Monaco Run website to sign up.
Teams can be 3 to 5 people and all participants get a Families on Track T-shirt and goody bag. The dress code is Team Spirit. It’s recommended to wear the event tees or come in fancy dress. If you’re looking for inspiration, check out Families on Track on Instagram.
Paula is an advocate for health and fitness, and is an active member of the Monaco community. The ambassador for the Princess Charlene Foundation has participated in every edition of the Riviera Water Bike Challenge. As well, she has organised various initiatives for school children in the Principality, including at Stade Louis II for Global Running Day.
Arthur and Camille Laure officially opened the doors to La Bookinerie on August 27. The shop’s name is a clever play on the French word bouquin, which means book.
The space at 1 Promenade Honoré II (steps from Starbucks La Condamine) sells French-language books of all genres, including a decent-size children’s selection. Arthur and Camille say more stock is on the way, and in English, too.
“We want a space where everyone can pick up a book to sit and read. And children are most welcome here,” say the proud parents to 6-month-old Simon.
ARTHUR LAURE GIVES A TOUR OF LA BOOKINERIE. VIDEO BELOW.
Monegasque Arthur and Camille, who is from Cannes, both have a scientific background but had an idea to open a bookshop four years ago, during the Covid pandemic when, according to The New York Times, “many communities rallied around their local bookstores in a time of crisis.” Turns out in 2021 “publishers sold nearly 827 million print books, an increase of roughly 10 percent over 2020,” according to NPD BookScan.
Arthur and Camille saw this as a heartfelt opportunity and the couple hopes La Bookinerie will serve as a convivial meet-up for literary gatherings and author readings.
MORE THAN BOOKS! WATCH VIDEO ABOVE. Beyond books, they sell gifts (candles from Grasse, stationary, tote bags), and the friendly-feel café serves coffee, tea, juices and kombucha.
Follow La Bookinerie on Instagram (website goes live soon). Open Monday 14h-19h; Tuesday to Friday 10h-19h, and Saturday 10h-16h.
Article first published August 28, 2025. Photos and videos copyright Good News Monaco.
ARTHUR’S READING RECOMMENDATION. WATCH VIDEO BELOW.
The first Monaco edition of International Women’s Sports was celebrated on Friday, January 24, at the Prince’s Car Collection with what FIA called an “influential Monaco event celebrating women in motorsport”.
The not-for-profit conference introduced female students in Monaco, ages 14-22, to possible careers in motorsport with World Rally Vice-Champion Michèle Mouton as the guest of honour.
Iron Dames go-karter Vicky Farfus, 13, interviewed race car driver Marta Garcia (Iron Dames and F1 Academy 2023 Champion), which was followed by a panel on roles in motorsport.
Video participation integrated a welcome from Burcu Cetinkaya, Chair of the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission, Ella Häkkinen Champions of the Future go-karter and Iron Dames rally driver, Sarah Rumeau, who was participating in her first Rallye Monte-Carlo.
The event rounded off with a special thank you to Michèle Mouton by Tiffaney Perlino, President of Women in Motorsport Commission ACM, and Lacey Da Costa, co-founder Carob Tree Publishing.
BeSafe Monaco co-founders Camille Gottlieb, Margaux Grundstein and Laura Dias were also present. Founded in 2017, BeSafe Monaco is a non-profit Association for the Prevention of Drink Driving.
BeSafe Monaco co-founders Margaux Grundstein and Camille Gottlieb with Nancy Heslin.
Although supported by Iron Dames and FIA Women in Motorsport Commission, this independent event to provide access to students with women in Monaco working motorsport was co-organised by (picture below with Prince Albert at event: R-L) Martine Ackermann (Child CARE Monaco), Valérie Closier (Director Prince’s Car Collection), Tiffaney Perlino (President of Women in Motorsport Commission ACM) and Nancy Heslin (Co-founder Carob Tree Publishing).
Many of the women featured in the book were guests and there was an opportunity to meet and greet speakers, and have books signed.
Following the student event, a cocktail with HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco marked the official launch of 100 Years of Women: Motorsport & Monaco. The Prince wrote a preface for the book and was presented with a copy by Lacey Da Costa.
On behalf of the Automobile Club de Monaco, Prince Albert presented Michèle Mouton with a lifetime club membership.
100 Years of Women: Motorsport & Monaco writers L-R: Suellen Grealy, Rebecca McVeigh, Paula Farquharson, Nancy Heslin, Lanie Goodman and Chrissie McClatchie. Absent: Carla Ackermann, Suzanna Chambers and Annette Ross Anderson. Photo: P/ Farquharson.“100 Years of Women: Motorsport & Monaco” writer Carla Ackermann with ACM Steward Sophie Bensa (left) and ACM Secretary to the Monaco Marshals Joanna Luong.
This 240-page hardcover in English features the world’s greatest female drivers, from rally to F1, who have competed in Monaco since 1925. Some 65 timeless stories of women written by 9 women offer an inspiring narrative filled with glamour, adventure, and triumph in a male-dominated sport. There is also an unprecedented chapter on the women in Monaco and their roles in motorsport.
As Iron Dames founder Deborah Mayer wrote in her introduction: “This book is not only an important reminder of how far we’ve come, but also a beacon of hope and unlimited potential for the next generation and for all women who face obstacles in any traditionally male-dominated field.”
The book retails for €50. A portion of sales will support next-gen female talent in motorsport. Buy or donate a copy here.
Article first published January 30, 2025. All photos copyright Ed Wright Images.
Prince Albert speaking with Iron Dames go-karter Vicky Farfus in front of her cart.L-R: Lacey Da Costa, Valérie Closier, Laurie Clog, Tiffaney Perlino, Sara Mariani, Michèle Mouton, Christine Dacremont, Delphine Biscaye, Cathy Muller Ehrlacher and Anne-Charlotte Remy. Front: Martine Ackermann and Nancy Heslin.Legend Michèle Mouton with MyCrown Collection founder and book sponsor Sophia Vaharis
Jodie Penasa was eight years old when a friend told her about ballet. “It sparked an interest for me for some reason,” she remembers fondly. “And when I asked my mum if I could go to dance classes, she was shocked. I was a very shy child.”
Once Jodie put on her ballet shoes, she was hooked. “Even though I began dancing quite late, I had found my love. Time in the studio was always the best and so many of my happy childhood experiences and memories are involved in dance.”
To be a dancer, Jodie points out, you need many qualities – natural physicality, musicality and strength. “In my opinion, the most important in life is mental determination. Yes, you need the talent but, like in many sports, that’s not enough on its own. The strength, flexibility and discipline of the art are, to me, the reason that children should study dance.”
She adds, “For any child, the confidence of seeing hard work and focus paying off is the general life lesson we all want our kids to learn. And the physical side of dance offers children a great start in practicing a good physical healthy lifestyle. Obviously, there are the benefits of confidence and posture, too.”
Jodie started Petites Primas last year with a few students and is delighted to finally have her own dance school and bring the British-style of training to Monaco. “I am so happy to now be at the new MC Dance studios in Les Jardins d’Apolline where the school is growing. The studio is a hidden gem for Monaco, with ballet barres and full-length mirrors, it’s a little dancer’s dream.”
When Jodie first came to the Principality some fifteen years ago with her boyfriend-now-husband, she expected the stay to last a year or so. “We never went home! I soon wanted to get into teaching as I had been doing back in the UK.”
Jodie was “only nine or ten” when she took on a teaching role. “I was given my first pupil to teach my old competition dance to which, looking back, was pretty young, right? However, it never seemed strange to me. I never stopped teaching after that.”
Clearly to be a professional ballet dancer you need certain physical requirements and from a young age Jodie was told that she didn’t have enough turnout in her hips. “You may say that would be hard to manage but it only made me fight more to stay at the top. I think this gives me a benefit in teaching, I always had to work harder to find a way. I still do today.”
After loving the competitive side of dance, choreography and finishing professional dance college, Jodie knew she wanted to teach. “Like most arts, mastering something takes time and patience but when I see a child grow and improve, I can’t stop. I want more. It gives me such pleasure to be part of their journey.
“And the fantastic thing about dance as an art form is that there is always room for improvement, your work is never complete. Dance is forever moving forward and there are so many more techniques and we have ever-growing knowledge that can benefit children studying it.”
Petites Primas offers ballet and jazz classes for ages 2 (“with the help of mamas”) to teens and students can sign up for a year of training with payment made termly. “The studio is a positive place for children to learn and express themselves. Whether a child is looking for a weekly hobby or wants to study a few classes per week, I wish to help them reach their potential and teach them about their bodies and how to control them with positive feedback and encouragement,” Jodie emphasises.
“During class yesterday, a little five-year-old student told me, ‘I feel like a ballet dancer!’ She was so pleased, so proud of herself. She felt like she was centre stage in a dream. It was such a sweet and innocent comment but made me very happy.
The mother of two admits: “My aim is to share my love of dance and hope it rubs off on the students. In fact, so many mums have shared stories with me and you can see the same light in their eyes when they talk of their childhood dance memories. It’s the reason they bring their little ones to dancing. We want to pass it on.”
“I consider myself Senegalese by birth, Franco-Lebanese by origin, Monegasque at heart and a citizen of the world,” says Johanna Houdrouge, president of the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Monaco (Association des Femmes Chefs d’Entreprises de Monaco, AFCEM ).
“Growing up and living in Monaco means being able to work in a reassuringly safe environment, knowing nearly everyone – the kids I went to school with are now entrepreneurs and business leaders – and having an openness thanks to the multitude of nationalities that coexist.”
Although Johanna passed the Bar – “Why did I want to become a lawyer? Because I love the law, I love the idea of defending a cause, whatever it is” – she is vice-president of Mercure International, an import-export business that has 250 points of sale in 17 countries on three continents.
The family-run business was founded by her Monegasque father and began with their own City Sport brand. Today the company covers three sectors of activity – sport, fashion and food – with supermarkets under the Casino and Super U banners (in West and Central Africa), as well as shopping centres in Africa (Gabon, Congo, Senegal, Ivory Coast).
They have 5,000 employees worldwide, including 100 in Monaco, which is where Joanna works at the head office, alongside her father and brother. “I manage all the legal and administrative aspects of the group throughout the world. I am a specialist in business law and more particularly in OHADA, that is the Organisation for the Harmonisation in Africa of Business Law. So, even if I no longer litigate, my knowledge of law is still useful on a daily basis,” she explains.
On December 4, 2018, Mercure International opened the first N’Kids activity centre in Senegal. “N’Kids is my baby. I had been very keen to launch this concept of indoor games for children in African countries, where activities for kids are sorely lacking. Parents are delighted to be able to fully enjoy their shopping experience in our shopping centres, without feeling guilty, since their children are having fun in complete safety.”
Johanna joined AFCEM 10 years ago, and was the youngest member at the time. The network – whose slogan is “Alone we are invisible, together we are invincible” – promotes business and defends the rights and interests of women entrepreneurs. “The association’s values speak to me, they correspond with my own. I have always been very involved in the social fabric, not just in Monaco but internationally, and am very invested in the economic life of the Principality.”
Johanna’s election as AFCEM president last September allows her to carry strong messages to the “courageous and competent women entrepreneurs each in their own field.” For example, she believes the time has passed for focusing on the differences between men and women in the workplace. “Of course, we are different, it would be nonsense to deny this, but why not play on these differences to make them a strength and work together?
“I also want to pass on entrepreneurial desire to younger generations who are the business leaders of tomorrow. We owe it to them to support them, to prove to them that women, like men, are responsible, competent leaders who keep the human factor at the heart of their concerns. This is, I believe, a primary mission incumbent upon us today.”
Board of the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Monaco.
For Johanna, Monaco’s female entrepreneurship is a formidable patchwork of skills and diversity. “Our members represent all areas of activities – insurance, health, e-banking, art, new technologies … we even have a navigator among us! This diversity is a pledge of openness and human wealth.”
Covid has been particularly challenging for all businesses but women have been particularly impacted over the past year. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics, there were 2.2 million fewer women in the work force between October 2019-2020. Between January and September last year, the largest net decline was among women with two children, down 3.8 points, and among women whose oldest child is 2 to 6 years old, down 5.6 points.
A Catalyst survey of adults ages 20 to 65 working in large companies (500 or more employees) found that 2 of every 5 mothers say they must hide their caregiving struggles from colleagues while a McKinsey survey showed that 1 in 4 women was considering taking a leave of absence, reducing hours, moving to part-time, or switching to a less-demanding job. McKinsey also reported, “women in France, Germany, and Spain will have an increased need for pandemic-induced job transitions at rates 3.9 times higher than men.”
“Covid spared no one and AFCEM members were impacted to varying degrees,” Johanna states. “Our association brings together women business leaders from all sectors and some, like those in the event and travel industry, are still going through difficult times being at an economical standstill yet having to continue to cover operating costs. Fortunately, the Monaco government put in place the Economic Recovery Support Commission, which provides assistance for companies in difficulty, and also the €20 million Monaco Blue Fund, which subsidises all companies, regardless of their size, to cover 30%-70% of their digital transition.”
In addition to keeping its members informed in real time as government financial measures evolve in response to the pandemic, the association also organises conferences, like with CHPG director Benoîte de Sevelinges last December, a webinar on “The success of women in business” organised in partnership with the Monaco Economic Board on International Women’s Day, and, on March 18, Julien Dejanovic, the Director of Digital Services hosted “Extend Monaco” on digital technology and businesses.
“We want to continue our missions while keeping this entrepreneurial spirit and dynamism that defines us. Today we not only need to survive but also to reinvent ourselves. All AFCEM members live in complicated situations, both professionally and personally, but they all have this desire to emerge stronger,” asserts Johanna.
“Covid has impacted me personally and professionally, and continues to do so,” she shares. “As Mercure International is present in many countries that did not implement the same measures at the same time, you can imagine the difficulty in managing stores and shopping centres and, consequently, the men and women who work there. Our main suppliers are in China, and China was the first country to be confined, which meant no more deliveries to our stores. When China deconfined, the rest of the world confined. Production resumed, deliveries also, but we could no longer sell the goods. This was a real headache but fortunately our diversification saved us – the food sector continued to function.”
“From all of this, I will especially remember our formidable capacity for resilience. I believe that word, resilience, is definitely the word of the year 2020. We always say, “What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger”. We have seen it. When it is really necessary, we have tremendous resources within us.”
Johanna is not only an entrepreneur, but also a mother. “And like many women, I had to deal with my two children during the first confinement … and after. I had to change hats regularly in 24 hours – that of a business leader, then a school teacher, then a mom … A very complicated situation to live with mentally and physically.”
Francis Wright at Remembrance Day spot on Avenue Grande Bretagne with bust of Sir Winston Churchill behind. Photo: Ed Wright Images.
Born in Monaco in 1927 on what is today known as National Day, Francis Wright passed away this week at the age of 98. There will be a service at St. Paul’s Church Monaco on Monday December 8 at 11 am.
A few years ago, Francis shared his story with me about growing up in Monaco in the 1930s and when Italy declared war on France.
His childhood, he said, consisted of walking from his home at Rue de la Source to Lycée Albert 1er up on the Rock, every morning, lunch and evening.
“We had homework to do over lunch which we had to recite at 2 p.m. Punishment was having to go back to school on a Wednesday, our day off, for one to three hours. I was punished once and had to write what the teachers told me,” Francis recalled.
When the weather was warm, Francis and his older brother, Peter, would swim early in the morning in the Condamine harbour, where Ubaldi is now, and then walk up to the Rock for classes. “That was our joy. Before the war, there were no parks or reserved places for children to play in Monaco. We weren’t even allowed to walk around the Casino in shorts, you had to wear a tie and proper clothes,” he reminisced.
In those days, men went to work and women looked after the house and the children, who were left to their own devices to entertain themselves, like playing football or marbles in the street. Shopping was a daily occurrence. “There were at least four épiceries along rue des Roses. There were no Frigidaires at the time, so butter would melt at times. I don’t remember milk.”
Francis’ father had come to Monte Carlo in 1924 to set up a garage to service the cars of tourists who drove cars from England and through France on gravel roads. In the lead up to the war, British Motors at 5 Rue de la Source had fewer and fewer customers as there were no cars from either Great Britain nor tourists, and his business collapsed in the Thirties. “He took on a job as driver for Madame Westmacott, which took him all over France and other places. Mother looked after us alone, and that was hard.”
Francis said he will never forget June 10, 1940, the day Italy declared war on France and Great Britain. “My two brothers and I had already been badly treated by the Italian scholars because we were British, but the mood worsened, especially after Mussolini’s shouting speeches on the radio, and we weren’t welcome. The school closed that day and it was a frightening scene as the Monaco police – there was no military – rounded up all the fascists, including the baker, who were all taken to Fort Carré in Antibes.”
Francis described, “It was the first day we had air raids. Sirens went off as a warning as Italian warplanes passed over Monaco flying to Cannes and elsewhere to do some bombing, I suppose. We would hide in the garage, others hid in their caves.”
Then came the phone call.
Fleeing France: 1 ship, 900 people, 2 toilets
On June 16, which happened to be Peter’s birthday, Francis’ father received a phone call from the British consulate advising the family leave the country as the Nazis had entered Paris. He explained that there were two ships leaving Cannes for England at 8 a.m. the following morning. “They had to make the decision then and there,” says Francis. “I remember mother and father sitting around the table and it must have been a hard decision for my father to make, to leave the garage, leave the home … we had to give away our Siamese cat.”
They were allowed one case each (the boys packed a few toys for the long journey) and the only clothes they took were the ones they wore. And so, the next morning, 12-year-old Francis, Peter, 15, and their parents fled Monaco being driven by their neighbour in their old Citroën. (Francis’ oldest brother Alan had joined the Royal Air Force in 1938 and in 1940 escaped France via Cherbourg during the Dunkirk operation.)
“It was hot and we had a trunk full of sardines,” recollected Francis about the drive to Cannes that morning. “My father had thought of escaping the Italian invasion by driving into the middle of France somewhere and mother had said the best food to take would be cans of sardines. And we took with them on the ship, which was a good thing. The only rations on the ship were a couple of slices of corned beef, slices of bread, and biscuits.”
Picture of the ship Francis Wright, along with his brother Peter and his mother and father, embarked on from Cannes to Liverpool as the Nazis invaded Paris.
On the ship Saltersgate, there were only two toilets for 900 Brits and no washing facilities. “We didn’t wash until we got to Gibraltar. We were going to disembark at Oran, but the captain said we could not land there because ‘France had capitulated and we are now in French Algerian waters, enemy waters.’” Francis saw the British fleet leave Gibraltar and later discovered they were, in fact, part of Operation Catapult, which helped defeat the French fleet in Oran so their ships would not fall into the hands of the Germans.
In Gibraltar, they were able “to freshen up” — the hospital served as accommodation — and passengers were served a meal of bacon and eggs. “It was the best meal I’ve ever had, I’ll always remember that. My father fell ill with the dysentery and we thought we’d have to leave him in Gibraltar. But he recovered and on the City of Cairo ship, we had a cabin for the four of us. We left the cabin to mom and father and Peter and I slept on the deck. We landed in Liverpool on July 14 or 15.”
Francis said, “When we left Cannes, my mother had a lovely full head of brown hair. When we arrived in England three weeks later it was white.”
“Francis’ memories of the journey to freedom echo those of Somerset Maugham, who took the same journey on the same ship.” – Historian Maureen Emerson
The family stayed briefly Liverpool and then headed to Pinner in Middlesex outside of London where an aunt lived. “My mother took me to Lewis, the men’s shop for trousers, and it was the first pair I’d ever owned. I still remember that because I had always worn shorts in Monaco.”
Francis’ father found a job in Warrington as a transport manager to an air drone base, which would become one of America’s biggest bases in England. “The airplanes would arrive in crates from the U.S. to be assembled at the Burtonwood air depot, like toys being put together.”
Peter went to night school and eventually joined the RAF and Francis attended grammar school in Farnworth. “I didn’t like it at all. I was nicknamed ‘Froggy’ because of my name. It was big change and I stayed until age 16.” He spent a month in hospital having contracted pneumonia and pleurisy, and at one point he was placed on the dangerously ill list for a week. “I remember my father came to see me every night and I appreciated that very much.”
Once he “got over that” he began to work at an aviation company, working on Barracudas, where he gained great insight of airplanes and the air force.
Meanwhile Warrington was having air raids every night. “It was worse when the full moon lit up the Manchester ship canal, which if German Luftwaffe followed would guide them to the Burtonwood air depot. Liverpool got a packet during the war.”
There were no restrictions on movement or curfew and “the rationing was just about adequate, we didn’t starve. But the worst thing was the blackouts in the winter, you couldn’t see anything, not even cars and buses. I remember a blackout so intense once that biking home from work after work Peter ended up on the main railway station platform in Warrington.”
The return home, or what was left, in Monaco
Post-war, Francis moved back “home” early 1949. “There was nothing left of the apartment in Monaco, it was an absolute disaster.”
His dad had returned in 1947, alone, travelling by train all the way back to Monaco and found his garage business empty, the cars stolen by the Germans, who apparently left a note saying “something like when the hostilities were finished, we’ll hand them back to you.” (Francis still has the note.)
“There was nothing left in the apartment, the cupboard with my toys had been emptied. We had to sleep on mattresses on the floors. And we started work on the garage.”
Francis has lived through three reigning Princes in Monaco. “I was too young to remember Louis II but Rainier had a pretty good relationship with the people, and decided that buildings built during his reign were not to be more than 13 floors high, except the Millefiori.”
As Rainier had a Rolls Royce, Francis met him through the garage. He and Peter (who returned in 1948 after leaving the Air Force) were also the ones who collected Princess Grace’s Rover from Paris to Monte Carlo “to check for any faults to sort out before Monte Carlo.”
“Princess Grace brought the Americans here and Monte Carlo changed completely. She put the country on the map because the Americans loved her marrying a Prince. Americans wanted to come and see where was this place Monte Carlo.”
One of the first things Grace did was to stop the live pigeon shooting, which took place at a range above the train station, where the Fairmont is now. They substituted real pigeons for clay but ended up packing the whole thing in. “They turned the shooting range into an open-air cinema, but if two people in the film were talking quietly and a train went past, you couldn’t hear.”
Monaco then and now
For Francis, Monaco was just “a town like every other town” with commerce and workers commuting in. “It is the press, not the people, that created the image that Monaco is full of glamour, cocktail parties every night, champagne everywhere, and full of rich people. Monaco is a working town, there are lots of people that are poor, lots of people better off, and some are struggling more than others.”
Looking back, Francis felt fortunate but admitted that living in Monaco was a career choice, coming back after the war to work with his dad at the garage. Their customers were ordinary people (although Sean Connery did bring his Rolls Royce in for service). “It was successful, but we made it successful because we worked damn hard. Peter and I would do all the paperwork on the weekends.”
General Motors was the big seller in the 1950s and the American car company set up in Monaco, across from where the Marché U is now, on Boulevard Princesse Charlotte “Peter saw their showroom window and said that would be a dream to have. Then business slowed down because of space in Monte Carlo and GM went caput.”
For Francis, there were too many buildings in Monaco and not enough green spaces. “Everything is concrete now, which gives it too much heat in the summer. The Hotel de Paris had the Camembert garden/roundabout, then they got rid of it and it is just concrete. Why not have a little green space instead of a building?”
The other standout memory for Francis was when the relationship soured between Prince Rainier and Charles de Gaulle (France celebrated the 50th anniversary of his death on November 9) because of French companies evading taxes by having offices in Monaco. “There were plaques of French businesses on buildings, like the Victoria, and they didn’t pay any income tax. De Gaulle came down and sorted it out with Rainier. Suddenly Monaco had frontiers. Margare, my sister-in-law, would look out the window and see the old women carrying their baskets up the public steps leading up from rue de la Source, where French gendarmes were checking to see if they had anything to declare.”
Remembering and Remembrance
For Remembrance Day commemorations, Francis and his two brothers often laid wreaths on avenue Grande Bretagne or were flag bearers at the war memorial in the cemetery in Menton.
“For me, Remembrance Day is about the pilots during the Battle of Britain. If we had lost, that would have been the end of it all. The Germans would be in England, the Americans could never have come over to create a base in England and it would have changed the direction of the war in the German’s favour. There would never have been a D-Day.”
He always thought back to getting on that ship in Cannes in 1940. “It was the biggest event in my life getting on that ship, crossing the Atlantic as a convoy, all night the horns would blow, which meant changing course in a zigzag formation to confuse any U boats.”
“We didn’t like it but we had to live through whatever they threw at us.”
A heartfelt thanks to Ed Wright for assisting in the interview of Francis Wright.
Article first published November 19, 2020.
It’s A Date! Monaco National Day
Photo: Nancy Heslin
Since 1857, Sovereign Day in Monaco typically coincided with the day of the ruling Prince’s Patron Saint. Prince Louis II broke this tradition when he ascended, however, as Saint-Louis day was on August 25, during summer holidays. He instead chose January 17, the day of Saint Anthony the Abbot, the Patronal Feast of his granddaughter, Princess Antoinette.
When Rainier took over, the feast day of Patron Saint Rainier d’Arezzo fell on November 19, and so this date was consecrated National Day in 1952. Prince Albert decided to keep the same date as it also marked the second part of his investiture in 2005 when he was enthroned at Saint Nicholas Cathedral.
