Humans of Monaco – Page 3 – Good News, Monaco

March 16, 2021March 17, 2021

Ben Rolfe

With an opportunity to join some friends in a startup, Ben Rolfe moved to Monaco in 2003 with his family. At the time, he and his wife Sally had two girls and #3 came along in 2005 “born in our apartment on the 19th Floor of the Chateau Perigord!” (Ben fondly refers to his daughters as #1, #2 and #3.)

“I mainly wanted to get away from the commute and the politics of large organisations and Monaco was a great place to bring up the kids with great schools and loads to do,” says Ben Rolfe. “It can be quite a transient community with people coming and going but that can be a huge plus as residents are always looking to meet new faces so the social side is very full.”

Family-man Ben is certainly well known around town, especially for combining his endurance sports with raising awareness and money for charities. “I played a lot of rugby during and post-university but once that stopped, I was a bit lost and gained a ton of weight. Then I entered my first marathon for charity and was hooked,” he recalls.

From the marathon distance of 42.195 km, he graduated to ultras, pushing the boundaries partly for a challenge and partly to raise the bar to encourage people to sponsor him. His team Pussyfooting Around, comprised of family and friends, has been a staple of No Finish Line Monaco for years and by May 2018, he had raised over €100,000 for various different causes through the JustGiving website.

“I always said to my kids that if they were dedicated to training that when they turned 16, they would be able to do the Marathon des Sables – a 7-day semi self-sufficient 250 km-ultra-marathon across the Sahara Desert.”

#1 took him up on the challenge in 2018 and remains the youngest ever female finisher at 16. The dad-daughter duo raised money for Diabetes U.K. who have been brilliant at helping the Rolfe family since #2 was diagnosed as Type 1 diabetic in 2013.

#2 wanted a different challenge and so …“We climbed Kilimanjaro over five days from base camp when she was 16.”

#3 turns 16 this November and awesome dad Ben stumbled across the Camino Santiago – an ancient 900-km pilgrimage from France across Spain to the west coast.

“I like the idea of meeting a bunch of different people and also the challenge of getting up and walking every day for a month, but also focussing on what is important in life – just exercise, company and moving forwards carrying everything you need on your back. It’s just an idea at the moment but hopefully in June 2022, #3 will be walking for a yet-to-be-decided charity.”

In 2013, Ben published Running High, Running Low, Running Long, a book about a fundraising challenge he took on to try and prove to #2, when she was diagnosed Type 1 diabetes, that she could do anything she put her mind to. “I ran over 100 km from Monaco to Limone to the start of the Cro-Magnon ultra-marathon. I then did the race – another 130 km, and I achieved my goal of not coming last!”

The narrative also touched upon his journey “from fatty to fitty” to hopefully inspire other people to get off the couch. In 2004 during a routine medical, Ben, an overweight smoker at the time, was told he wouldn’t see 40 unless he changed his lifestyle. He lost 35 kilos and has since finished some of the world’s toughest ultra-marathons, including the Western States 100, the Ultra Trail of Mont Blanc and, as he mentioned, the Marathon Des Sables.“As they say, if you don’t make time for exercise, you will have to make time for illness.”

When he’s not running around the streets of Monaco in the early morning, Ben likes to have a little fun, and admits he is a fan of Eurovision. “I probably started watching Eurovision at university. We used to have Eurovision parties, sometimes in fancy dress, and friends would come round to eat drink and singalong at the TV. We always put the subtitles on for the songs which are translated into English which makes it even more hilarious.

“The event itself is fantastically mad. Somehow it seems to take itself super seriously but at the same time, there is a huge tongue-in-cheek aspect to it all, especially with the partisan voting – neighbouring countries voting in blocks and ganging up on others that they don’t like,” Ben explains. “Also the randomness of it all. I mean how can Australia be part of Eurovision? Terry Wogan was brilliant at the commentary with his sarcasm and wit and I think Graham Norton is doing a good job following in his footsteps.”

For the second consecutive year (thanks Covid), Ben virtually steps into Graham Norton’s shoes by bringing us Lockdown Eurovision. For the 2021 edition, he has created a special Facebook group, providing summaries of the 65th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest with 40 countries participating.

For the local community, Lockdown Eurovision is a breath of fresh air from pandemic news. For Ben, the last year has been extremely challenging professionally and personally. “Covid has helped me focus on the important things in life, though, staying connected with friends and family. As they say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!”

Monaco and Eurovision

The first Eurovision Song Contest, also known as Le Grand-Prix Eurovision de la Chanson Européenne, was televised live on May 24, 1956 in Lugano, Switzerland. The concept was based on the Sanremo Song Festival.

Only seven solo artists representing their countries participated in the first edition and while duos were permitted in 1957, groups were not allowed to compete until 1971.

In 2021, there are 40 countries competing, each song must be performed live but there are no live instruments.

Before mid-March, each country will have already chosen who will represent them (maximum 6 people) and with what song (maximum 3 minutes, not released before), normally through a national televised selection. Usually France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and the host country (whoever won last year) pre-qualify.

Other participating countries will then take part in one of the two Semi-Finals. From each Semi-Final, the best 10 will proceed to the Grand Final. This brings the total number of Grand Final participants to 26.

Advancement is based on a voting system, one by a jury of five music industry professionals and one by viewers at home, who can vote by phone, SMS and through the app. This year’s host country is Rotterdam and the Grand Finale is on May 22.

Monaco has participated in Eurovision 24 times since it began in 1956, in every edition between 1959 (it finished last) and 1979, and then from 2004 to 2006, when the semi-final system was introduced.

They won once – in 1971 with Séverine’s “Un banc, un arbre, une rue” – and picked up a few second and third places ribbons as well. But in its last appearance in 2006 on the Eurovision stage with Severine Ferrer’s “La Coco-Dance”, Monaco finished 21st in the semi-finals. Télé Monte-Carlo, Monaco’s broadcaster, later commented that the voting patterns in the contest give Monaco “no chance” of qualifying to the final.

March 7, 2021March 18, 2021

Susanne (Batstone) Bohush

“I am not as British as most people think,” reveals Susanne (Batstone) Bohush. Born in Ipswich, Suffolk, to a German mother and Ukrainian dad, she joined Lloyd’s bank as a Management Trainee at 18 and worked her way through all the departments including Human Resources. “It was there I learned the importance of teamwork, motivation and bringing out the best in people.”

In 1991, she decided to take a break in her career and moved to Roquebrune-Cap-Martin “initially for a couple of years.” She worked in Monaco starting in television and then the corporate world.

Four years later, when her daughter was one, she moved to Menton and has now lived there for more than half her life. “It was a safe place to bring up my two lovely children, who are now 27 and 24, and the town has certainly become livelier over the past few years with – in non-Covid times – lots of entertainment and activities.”

The former treasurer of the British Association Menton says she has always enjoyed helping people and been interested in personal development and holistic health. “I firmly believe in the link between mind, body and soul and am fascinated by the mind and the effect that our thoughts and emotions have on our physical wellbeing,” she remarks.

A chance meeting with an excellent retired Bach Flower Registered Practitioner (BFRP) trainer from the UK inspired her to study at the Bach Centre near Oxford where she completed her qualification in 2015.

Discovered by Dr Bach in the 1920s and 30s, Bach Flowers work by treating the person as a whole and work on any negative emotions by restoring inner harmony and balance. Dr Bach gave up his renowned Harley Street practice to concentrate on helping his clients in this completely natural way.

“Bach Flowers are an excellent tool for fostering a greater understanding of oneself and help people towards being the best version of themselves,” explains Susanne, adding that her role as a practitioner is to help clients become more self-aware and autonomous, responsible for their own healing.

“I have witnessed people becoming more resilient with greater confidence and a clearer vision of their life purpose. Their perception of painful outside events is calmer,” she shares. “I have also seen complete career changes and more ability to deal with day-to-day challenges.”

During Covid, Susanne has been able to do some online consultations. “People have been confronted with anxiousness, loneliness and fear more than usual.”

In addition to her full-time job in Monaco and work as a Bach Flower practitioner, Susanne has spent the last five years raising awareness and fundraising on behalf of Mothers of Africa UK, a charity in Wales founded by a friend in 2004.

In 2017, Mothers of Africa registered as a non-profit association and Organismes de Solidarité internationale in Monaco and two years later, Susanne took over as President of Mothers of Africa in Monaco (she is also Trustee of the UK Charity).

“We came on board in Monaco just as the Shiyala Primary School for 540 children was being built in Zambia. We work in the Chongwe district and our mission is to empower girls through education as we believe that through education they can take control of their lives, promote health and reduce poverty,” describes Susanne.

“We are a listening charity who never impose but wait to be invited. We have a great team, all volunteers, and have fun raising awareness and organising events.”

Typically across the year, Mothers of Africa would host a variety of events – dinners, bowling evenings, cycle rides, walks and a Christmas Market – as well as taking part in the annual Journée International Droit des Enfants and No Finish Line Monaco, but due to Covid they are limited to online functions.

They are hosting an African Dance Class on Zoom on International Women’s Day, Monday, March 8, at 7: 30 pm. “If anyone would like to take part, please make a donation through the White Feather Foundation campaign, which will go towards our next project – building a nursery school for 60 children, hopefully this summer. It is thanks to our ambassador, Julian Lennon, this joint campaign is possible.”

Susanne expressed that Mothers of Africa is also very happy to work with the International School of Monaco’s Philanthropy Club. “Our children at the Shiyala school have just received a very generous donation of solar lamps from Little Sun.com thanks to funds raised by the Early Years at the school,” she shares.

“I have been fortunate to visit Zambia twice, to help run a summer school for 25 children in 2017 and also to hand over the build of new classrooms at theEvergreen Primary School to the education authorities in 2019,” Susanne states.

“Since Covid, we have been working with a local women’s sewing circle in Chongwe, providing handmade face masks to the schools and district hospital. We have also provided PPE, signage and training for Covid to the hospital and given handmade sanitary protection packs to all the girls at the Shiyala and Evergreen schools. We will be extending this to all the girls, some 16,000 people, in the district over the next two years.”

During the Covid pandemic, Susanne has been either working from home or at her office in Monaco. “The time saved on travelling has given me more time to enjoy my garden,” she enthuses. “I have also discovered Zoom, which has been great for connecting.”

Covid has also brought the Mothers of Africa teams in UK and Monaco closer together, resulting in much brainstorming and new project ideas.

“It has been a great time of introspection and gratitude. I think it is very important to make the most of the situation as it is for the moment. Nothing is forever and staying positive rather than resisting definitely helps,” she observes.

Susanne (Batstone) Bohush’s next adventure is to start training to become a Sophrologist later this month. “I am excited to see where that leads me.”

When you make a donation through the White Feather Foundation to help Mothers of Africa Monaco build a nursery school for 50 children in Shiyala, Zambia, you will receive a link for the African Dance Class on Zoom that takes place March 8 at 7:30 pm.

February 9, 2021February 9, 2021

Gavin Sharpe

“I felt trapped in my corporate success,” says Gavin Sharpe. “However corporate life had seduced me, it controlled me rather than the other way around.”

His recruitment company, SSQ, was independently ranked by The Sunday Times as one of the best companies to work for and was placed as the most profitable in its sector. “I was losing my identity. Something was missing and that something was me,” he states.

Having grown up in a small village in Hertfordshire and studied in London, once Gavin sold his company he yearned for a different lifestyle and kinder climate. “My parents had lived in Monaco and it felt familiar. It was one of those defining moments and the start of an adventure that began some six years ago and which feels like it is just unfolding,” he describes about relocating to one of the safest countries in the world.

Gavin jumped off the corporate bus and into a career that “allowed me to be authentic and congruent. I had enjoyed my own therapy and developed a passion for the field of psychotherapy.”

As a counsellor, coach and therapist, he is now on his true life path. “The calling had always been there. When I was ready to listen, it spoke to me. I wish it was less of a cliché but it is true,” he admits.

Comparing the amount of time and money we spend on our physical wellbeing (yoga, Pilates, breathing, healthy eating) versus our mental wellbeing, Gavin observes, “I bet we are more comfortable telling the boss that we are leaving the office early for a Pilates class than for a therapy appointment. Men are certainly more likely to say they have a personal trainer to lose weight rather than a therapist to help with their erectile dysfunction!”

He believes the taboo arises from a lack of awareness and education about mental illness. “Sadly, some people do not seek out treatment due to the self-perceived stigma. Perhaps one good thing to emerge from the Covid pandemic is that there seems to be a willingness to talk about the cost on our mental health. Who knew that when you lock up humankind and hide the key, it impacts our emotional wellbeing?”

Gavin wants to make mental health more accessible and is excited by a new partnership with Rivera Radio. “Wellbeing Window” will be an hour on the first Wednesday of each month at 9 am CET addressing a topic on mental health and inviting listeners to write in with their questions.

“It was brave of Rob Harrison and Sarah Lycett to have me on the Full English Breakfast Show back in 2019. We broke new ground. I think there was a fear that people would be drowning in their cornflakes, and as a result, listeners would tune out. Instead, we found them tuning in. When I appeared last on New Year’s Eve, I ended up staying for longer than scheduled as the number of listeners writing in rocketed. Rob and Sarah have an amazing talent in being able to discuss deep and meaningful subjects that touch us all and seconds later they have us roaring with laughter over something meaningless and mundane.”

For Gavin, there is another dimension to wellbeing that has been forgotten. In his upcoming book on how we can follow our true life path rather than the one we find ourselves on, he has dedicated a chapter to Financial Wellbeing. “We all have money scripts, a set of beliefs or values about money. Do I deserve money? Is money good or bad? What does money represent to me?” he asks. “When a couple argues about money, it is never about the money per se. It is about what the money represents. I have studied financial disorders and run money intensives with individuals and couples to help them explore these deep-rooted issues.”

On Covid
Gavin’s appointment calendar was already pretty busy before a pandemic forced us to face unprecedented issues as couples. “You could have been the most solid couple in the world but if you are in lockdown in a small apartment with three children and home schooling, your relationship will likely have felt the strain. Couples who were struggling before the pandemic have unsurprisingly felt the cracks widen.”

He adds, “I think it is unhealthy for couples to be living and working together with this level of intensity. Relationships need to breathe and need spontaneity and creativity to fuel ongoing desire. The pandemic has the potential to kill desire – unless you are single in which case, you might not know what to do with your desire! There is usually hope for struggling couples. The key is to seek help before contempt sets in.”

For Gavin, the popular media is full of titillating stories informing us that the divorce rate will spiral while others indicate the opposite. “The truth is probably somewhere in between. What we do know from studies of past pandemics, such as SARS and Ebola, is that psychological reactions such as panic, depression, loneliness, anxiety, stress, grief, anxiety and PTSD are common. This obviously has entered into our relationships during the Covid pandemic.”

On Expats
A study released this year showed that US expats were two and a half times more likely to experience anxiety and depression than their US-based counterparts. “I am sure it is the same for expats based in Monaco and the South of France,” Gavin insists.

“Expats sometimes tell me they feel trapped and long for their roots. Many have moved around in childhood and coming to the Riviera is just one more notch in their portable bedpost. When we move around, we experience loss. We leave behind family, friendships, rituals and routines. I think the wellbeing litmus test for expats is the extent to which we allow ourselves to grieve those losses or do we just move on?”

For Gavin, expats can also suffer from “I should” syndrome. I should be happy. Look where I live. I have no right to be miserable. (He once replied, “If I was married to your husband, I’d be miserable, too.”) “The point is that we have to allow ourselves to experience our emotions wherever we live. Living by the sea is not a passport to happiness. We still have to work at it.”

In this part of the world, he sees men and women facing different challenges. “There is a power dynamic which troubles me. Many women move to join their breadwinner husbands. The men carry on largely as before while the women often find themselves dependent and isolated. That sometimes leaves the door open to control and abuse. Even without this dynamic, I think Monaco can be an intimidating place for women to integrate.”

He advises that if you are going to live in or around Monaco, it is helpful to know your relationship with money. “This is not the place to compete. There will always be someone out there with more. More money. More cars. More wives. I’ve worked with many successful business people who are trying to heal a childhood wound with the purchase of a larger yacht. It’s not going to happen. Heal the wound first and then think about the yacht.”

On Group Therapy
Gavin works with individuals and couples who are looking to make profound changes in their relationships and lives. “As a therapist, I wear many hats. Alongside my Masters in Integrative Psychotherapy, I am also trained in addiction, trauma and relationship and sex therapy. My services and workshops reflect this.”

He currently runs three weekly online groups – one exclusively for men, one for women and, as he is the only certified sex addiction therapist in the Riviera, the third is for male sex and love addicts.

He also holds intensive weekends throughout the year for people coming to terms with addiction. “One of my most popular workshops is my two-day couple’s wellbeing intensive. I love this workshop. It’s not so much about resolving problems – although it can be – but more about rediscovering love and building deeper intimacy and connection. We are all craving connection, pandemic or not.”

Connection is also part of what makes a good therapist. “I could have a hundred initials after my name but if we don’t have chemistry and click, I am likely to be the wrong therapist for you. Only work with me if you connect with me. That’s my mantra. The relationship is key.”

A good therapist will most likely have trained at a reputable educational establishment, ideally up to or beyond a Masters level. Therapy is an unregulated profession in the UK, so Gavin choose to be a member of several professional associations to ensure he is held accountable to the highest standards.

He underlines that a client also needs to feel that therapy offers a safe and confidential space, offline or online. “And comfortable chairs help!”

Attending a group is usually less expensive than attending one-to-one therapy which can be why some people chose only group sessions. “Let me say at the outset, I am passionate about groups. There is a lot of research which has tested the efficacy of groups. They can be transformational. Sometimes what we seek is an acknowledgment from others who have walked in our shoes and groups provide this collective empathy. Participants are able to see their pain in others and vice versa,” he emphasises.

“I don’t see group therapy as better but more as a therapy tool in the whole wellbeing toolkit. Many people find it helpful to participate in both group therapy and individual psychotherapy.”

Being a therapist on the French Riviera is unique. “I can go out for dinner and see three or four clients. My clients know that I will ignore them and respect their privacy. Sometimes we laugh about it in session.”

ON GAVIN
Like many of us, Gavin learned to mask his inward lack of confidence. “Growing up, we all experience attachment wounds – for example abuse, neglect, betrayal, loss or abandonment – and those wounds impact how loveable and worthy we believe ourselves to be. For a long time, I didn’t feel worthy and for a while, I disguised my wounds even from myself. I became what I thought others expected of me. It led to my success in the corporate world that I mentioned earlier but left a sense of emptiness inside,” he relates.

His upcoming show on Riviera Radio on March 3rd will address that inner critic and voice inside our head that often undermines our accomplishments leaving us feeling guilt and/or shame.

“I’ve learned to silence my inner critic. Of course, it crops up every now and then but like my clients, I, too, am always evolving,” says Gavin Sharpe.

Remember to post your Pink Ribbon Monaco photos holding
a sign with a message of support this Sunday, February 14.
#seinvalentin #Pinkribbonmonaco

February 7, 2021October 9, 2022

Marketa Häkkinen

It was at a 2007 golf tournament in Cologne when Markéta Remešová met her future husband, Mika Häkkinen. It wasn’t long after that the two-time F1 World Champion invited her to move to Monaco.

“Monaco was overwhelming at first,” Marketa confesses. Born in the western Czech Republic countryside, the Pilsen native spoke only Czech and German, later learning English and some basic French. “I have always been very low-key and worked hard for everything I have so it was not easy to step into Monaco society. Over time, though, I have developed a real appreciation for living here.”

A former dancer, Marketa graduated as a fashion designer in 1996 in her home country and at her winter wonderland wedding in Rovaniemi to Mika in January 2017, she designed her wedding dress. That same year, she started her own label Nordic Angels and showcased at Monte Carlo Fashion Week.

Now Marketa has launched Love Fertility Coaching in Monaco. “Trying to have a baby with my husband was not so easy,” the mom of three shares. “In school, they only teach you about not getting pregnant – “if you stop the pill, you’re going to get pregnant” – but no one speaks about what happens if you can’t get pregnant.”

She and Mika decided to see a doctor, did the necessary tests and were told that everything was in working order. “The doctor’s message was to keep trying but after a year and no pregnancy, IVF treatment was suggested and that failed. All those doctors just kept sending us for test after test without ever finding anything and then when IVF didn’t work, they didn’t know what to say.”

Marketa decided to take matters into her own hands. She signed up to online university to study a holistic and medical approach to infertility, to research and study how the human body works. ‘I was able to understand what was going on with me and was truly sad that not one of those doctors was able to help me,” she admits.

Creating her own holistic fertility program to follow with her Finnish husband, she got pregnant after four months. “I was overwhelmed with happiness and today my lovely Ella is ten,” Marketa radiates.

Two year later, her “beautiful twins” Lynn and Daniel arrived. (They are now seven). “When I became pregnant, my friends and their friends struggling with the same infertility problems came to me, and I was so pleased to help them with my holistic fertility approach. All of them got pregnant naturally or I helped prepare them for IVF treatment,” she explains.

This was the beginning of her business idea. “Infertility is mentally and physically painful and I would like to help every woman who is going through this, to give them information that can spare them from pain and frustration. There are many environmental reasons as to why the world is getting more and more infertile coupled with, unfortunately, little knowledge of women’s general health.”

During spring lockdown last year, Marketa used the time to finish her studies and create her company Love Fertility Coaching. “With my ten years of infertility experience along with many happy pregnancies, my business had an easy start. I hope many other future couples will also get pregnant with a healthy baby.”

Love Fertility Coaching offers a one-on-one three-month program – to get your body balanced and ready for conception naturally or for those undergoing IVF treatment – as well as an intensive 8-week Wake-Up Fertility group coaching program for up to four women. She also just added new pre-menopause and menopause programs.

Working mostly online from home, Marketa has been able to connect with women around the world. “Every nationality is different and you can see how each country educates women on general health, mostly missing out on quality information concerning infertility. I hope over the years we can bring a more holistic fertility approach to Europe because it would be easier for different cultures to accept the issue. Some countries, like the US, are so advanced with fertility education so it is easier to communicate with women about how they are feeling.”

Marketa says that women are still really shy about talking infertility. “They are hiding behind the pain and waiting for a miracle to happen but if they know that I understand what they are feeling, they start to open up and are ready to take the next steps. There is no shame in being infertile; the shame is not finding the root of the fertility problem.”

Does she have any advice for couples who are struggling with infertility? “Don’t give up and don’t be ashamed to ask for help if your pregnancy is not happening after six months of trying, especially as the quality of your eggs decreases massively after age 35. Trust a holistic approach, we are able to find the root of your fertility issue whereas doctors can only treat your symptoms,” she emphasises.

Covid hasn’t really impacted Marketa’s new business as she works remotely for the most part but she has noticed an increase of interest from clients in group fertility over private coaching. As a result, she has decided to launch “One Go,” a personalised plan but without follow-up. “My goal is to make fertility programs affordable for everyone,” says Marketa Häkkinen.

Photos by Danny Meier Photography courtesy of Marketa Häkkinen.

Remember to post your Pink Ribbon Monaco photos holding
a sign with a message of support this Sunday, February 14.
#seinvalentin #Pinkribbonmonaco

January 31, 2021February 1, 2021

Natasha Frost

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.”

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.”

Using local butter and sticks are made of wood, the exclusive Petit Prince range by Nice Bonbon – whose old-school website relaunches the first week of February – should be available in the early spring.

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

January 21, 2021January 22, 2021

Véronique Liesse

Véronique Liesse is a French-speaking Belgian who came to Monaco five years ago with her husband who was developing his business in the Principality.

Véronique, who also speaks fluent Dutch and English, splits her time between consultations in nutrition and micronutrients at Thermes Marins Monte-Carlo, teaching nutrition to health professionals and providing in-house training for companies to improve wellbeing and quality of life at work. Even with 20 years of professional experience and a company in Belgium, she admits, “It was a new challenge to start my work here in Monaco.”

She understates her credibility. Véronique is also an accomplished writer, having penned four books tackling health – on weight-loss mistakes, hormonal issues, energy foods and immunity boosters – all published by Broché and available on Amazon.fr. Her fifth release “Ma bible pour perdre du poids sans régimes” (My Bible For Losing Weight Without Dieting) is scheduled for release on March 16.

“The book is a summary of all the factors that can lead to becoming overweight – and it is not a question of calories. The plate is key but it is much more a qualitative aspect than a quantitative one. Other things that can block a weight loss program include hormones, microbiota, chrono-nutrition, way of life, stress, sleep … and I offer concrete steps to take along with a hundred recipes.”

Growing up, Véronique says that nutrition didn’t play a big role in her life although her mother paid attention to what the family ate. “Nutrition has been a reconversion for me,” she says. “Once I finished my studies as a dietician, I quickly felt that I was missing something and so I trained more in depth in micronutrients, nutrition for athletes, children and adolescents, and in gut microbiota.”

Véronique points out the different nutritional requirements for kids. “They are not just little men and women. Today we know the importance of adopting good habits from a young age because it increases the chances of success and good health in adulthood.”

She says the same goes for elite athletes. “There are so many different sports, with different constraints and objectives, and it is important to know what we are talking about.”

In Monaco and the French Riviera, people are fortunate to have access to a Mediterranean-style diet, which is synonymous with health and quality and with an abundance of choice in local produce. “Marrying health and the art of living is the ultimate goal for Monegasques who are very aware of their health and that precious link that exists between them and their plate,” she describes.

In fact, it is the plate that Véronique examines during consultations. She looks at what people are eating to determine any missing nutrients that could help reduce inflammation and provide the immune system with what it needs to function at its best. “I also have clients who realise that diets simply do not work and in order to lose weight permanently, or for other reasons, they need to be supervised.”

She adds, “Of course, maintaining immune system health at an optimal level is a key element in dealing with this Covid crisis. This can even help to b the effectiveness of the vaccine. Fortunately, specialists are starting to talk about the importance of taking vitamin D. It really could save lives and even for children who are not at risk of Covid, vitamin D is important.”

Véronique, who has her own YouTube channel L’Healthentiel, is adamant that the impact of Covid is largely underestimated. “Beyond the direct link with immunity, our mental and emotional health has also been strongly affected. I am afraid that the damage will not be noticeable until we come out of it all. Not to mention the people who have stopped exercising or who have gained weight …

“Since the pandemic began, doing sports has seemed normal, partly because we have had more time, and partly because we were locked up. But the majority of the population doesn’t see it useful to eat better, mostly due of a lack of information.”

Like everyone, Véronique’s consultations and training came to a complete halt during the first confinement. “We are lucky in Monaco to be supported by the government. Little by little, things have been put in place, even if the situation remains complicated. Obviously, face-to-face training is impossible and has to be done at a distance but learning to adapt and bounce back is always good,” says Véronique Liesse.

January 16, 2021January 16, 2021

Anissa Mediouni

Anissa Mediouni began her career with Engel & Völkers Residential in 2007, where she played a crucial role in developing the franchising system and supported the expansion of over 20 offices. In 2013, she was approached to develop the yachting division in Monaco, and together with an expert with experience in the top five yachting brokerage houses, they developed a network of “unparalleled synergies to provide an extensive portfolio of luxury services all under one brand name.” Three years later, she was appointed CEO Engel & Völkers Yachting, located on boulevard Albert 1er.

“Engel & Völkers has been extremely successful for over 40 years and has built not only a wonderful brand reputation but an extensive database of international clients,” says Anissa Mediouni, who speaks English, French, Italian and Lithuanian. “And thanks to the opening of our head office opening, I had the opportunity to move to Monaco. There is no better place in the world to offer yachting services to clients than Monaco, the Yachting Capital, and we see that there is a lot of interest in yachting services coming from within our network.”

Yachting is the fourth largest sector in Monaco, according to the national statistics office, IMSEE, with 1,561 offshore employees and 252 companies generating 5% of revenue – €753 million. In fact, a quarter of the world’s 100 largest superyachts fly the Monaco Yacht Club flag.

For Anissa, Monaco is not only the capital of yachting but represents an international community in the heart of the Côte d’Azur, with the Monaco Yacht Show – aka “the event of the year” – bringing together all of the industry’s high-end players, clients, shipyards, and brokerage houses to the Principality.

“Many superyacht owners worldwide have memberships to the Yacht Club de Monaco and enjoy the social climate the Principality has to offer. Unfortunately, the pandemic has put a hold on things. However, it has not taken away the optimistic spirit of the lively capital and the feeling of security.”

*Photo* and feature photo: Arsi Sebastien.

Despite Covid, the yachting industry remains resilient. “It has affected primarily the charter sector,” explains Anissa. “At the start of the pandemic, we received many charter requests as clients were eager to spend their holidays onboard a private yacht in complete security rather than a busy hotel or resort. However, as the situation developed, most of the ports closed and, due to the travel restrictions put in place, we saw clients postponing their charter escapes and then, unfortunately, cancelling.”

On the sales side, Anissa relays that buyers postponed their purchase projects as their businesses were affected by the pandemic and, without a clear picture of when things would get back to normal, they were more reluctant to jump into sizeable financial commitments. “On a positive note,” she adds, “we have continued to close sales transactions throughout the year, even with the challenge of dealing with travel restrictions for visits, surveys and sea trials.”

Looking to the future, she sees that clients are already planning their next holiday onboard a yacht. “Chartering a yacht is for many clients a safe way to spend their holidays in the current situation. Those looking to buy might speed up the buying process to have the yacht ready for summer 2021 and spend their holidays on board.”

On the personal side, Anissa admits that she misses “the travelling side of the job” but Covid has allowed her to spend more time with her family, as well as to discover that virtual meetings could be as efficient as meetings in person. “I believe that a good balance for the future will be essential,” she remarks.

Anissa, who has a 4-year Language Interpretation and Translation degree from the VLEKHO Business School in Brussels, agrees that the yachting industry is “still known as a male-driven industry” but she believes in “a good balance between male and female presence,” as both have an added value to bring in personal and professional relationships.

“Men and women tend to view things from different angles. I also believe we still attach too much attention to gender and age – if somebody is good at their job, neither age or gender should matter. I have always focused on the added value I can bring to a company and always stay true to my values, which has brought me where I am today. I hope this will encourage more women to take a leading role in the Yachting industry,” encourages Anissa Mediouni.

Riva in the Movie

The top floor lounge at the Yacht Club de Monaco – Riva Aquarama – is named after one of its original members, the inimitable Lia Riva. When the Monaco resident first joined the yacht club, it was a tiny unassuming cubbyhole along Quai Antoine 1er, just down from Monaco Boat Service, the business her father Carlo Riva opened in 1959.

Carlo was a pioneer in the development of Monaco’s boating and yachting industry. He helped transform Port Hercules with pontoons and it was his idea to build a 100-meter tunnel under the palace to store his iconic mahogany motorboats, like one would store wine in a temperature-appropriate cellar. He shared his vision with his friend Prince Rainier and when workers started blowing up the rock, “the palace windows trembled.”

Stars like Bardot, Loren and Clooney fell in love with the iconic motorboats with white and turquoise interiors while directors used Riva boats in over 60 films, from Nikita to Men in Black and from franchises like James Bond to Agatha Christie.

A new coffee table book, Riva in the Movie, gives behind-the-scene snapshots of the classic boats acting out their roles, along with photos, original film posters and stories told by the starts who drove them.

January 13, 2021January 14, 2021

Alicia Sedgwick

You may know her as a host of TEDxMonteCarlo, a third of the Lib Day Darlings, a Public Speaking teacher at the International University of Monaco or even Alicia Sedgwick Communications Coach.

Now Alicia can add published author to her list of achievements, as her book Communicating Through Change is due to be released on Amazon in paperback and Kindle format on January 19, the same day as she is throwing a Covid-safe ZOOM launch party.

“My book provides an insight into my life, and shares with the reader what I have learned through the experiences of change. I write in a way that whoever reads the book can deal with their experiences and come through them with strength and courage,” Alicia explains.

Having had a sneak peek of a few chapters in Communicating Through Change, Alicia powerfully puts herself out there without playing the victim or preacher. From trying to maintain a heterosexual lifestyle to coping with health uncertainties, she writes in a concise and effectively formatted style, written for real people who want to make real changes.

“We all go through change in our life and anyone at any age can relate to the experiences I write about in this book. Also, the practical guidance and applicable exercises enable the reader to communicate their way through the variety of different changes,” Alicia emphasises.

It is hard to imagine Alicia in her former life. Originally from Leigh on Sea in Essex – “I was actually born in the room in my mum and dad’s house, that was my bedroom!” – the professional blues singer and stage performer originally studied Law and Sociology at Warwick University “because I had more chance of getting a job at the end of my degree.”

She became a solicitor, eventually specialising in Family Law, and having her own practice. “I loved being able to help people through very difficult times for them but I hated injustice. And I did not like being undermined by my male Partners!”

She adds, “When I came to the South of France, I knew I wanted to be totally true to myself, and that meant not being a lawyer and having to tolerate all the restrictions and regulations imposed that inhibited one’s ability to serve my clients.”

In the process of a major life transition Alicia “took strength and comfort in the good that I had in my life, as I always do. Making the most of life.”

Through two South African ladies living here, Alicia was introduced “to my beloved” Annette Anderson. She travelled back and forth from the UK to see her, until she finally moved here full-time and began living a more authentic life. “Having the incredible love and support of Annette helps me beyond words to believe in myself. Finding a love that is completely balanced, equal, and where each person can be themselves and independent gives tremendous strength and peace.”

Alicia, who is a Communications Expert for the Vitruvius Partners Group, continues to meet change head on. “I learned during the health pandemic that as long as we can stay well, and are able to work, I can be very much in the present, and see this change as an opportunity.” And, more than ever, people are needing her services to help them communicate effectively, and with impact, on camera and online.

Hard to imagine but she admits, “I have been without confidence for a lot of my life, especially as a lawyer. Only in recent years have I felt fulfilled – through teaching, training and coaching in public speaking, presentation and communication skills, all of which help people, give them confidence, empower, motivate and inspire – and come into my own.”

Communicating Through Change by Alicia Sedgwick is available in paperback and for kindle on Amazon from January 19. There are only a few more spots open for her release party here – sign up here.

January 7, 2021January 7, 2021

Merrily Lustig-Tornatore

I first met American Merrily Lustig-Tornatore at Stars’n’Bars on November 3, 2016. It was election night in the US and MonacoUSA was hosting a party in the days when it was normal to have a room full of mask-free people sitting on top of each other, drinking from the bar and cheering on a country that was once synonymous with democracy.

“I decided that the only way Europeans and the rest of the world could know who Americans were was to be exemplary and bright and funny so they would not get the wrong idea by seeing Trump,” says the long-time Monaco resident.

Born in New York, Merrily moved in 1964 to Killington, Vermont – via boarding school in Switzerland with a couple of months in Karachi and also in Paris – to be a ski bum. “I got my Vermont real estate licence in 1971 … I think!”

What a unique name. “When my parents were married, in the Forties, there was a cartoon in the Sunday paper with a little girl named Merrily who had long reddish-blond braids. My father liked her so much that I ended up being Merrily and having to live up to her reputation.”

Merrily comes from a line of accomplished women. In the Thirties, her mom started Airlines, the first in-flight aviation magazine, and was a speechwriter at NASA for the associate administrator for the Office of Manned Space Flight for the Apollo program.

In 1983, she had just received a “hard-earned” Emergency Medical Technicians accreditation in Vermont when she got a call from a family member in need. “My mother’s sister who ran Society Magazine for Société des Bains de Mer needed help so away I went to Monaco. It was really an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

Working alongside her aunt, creative genius June Quin, and her financial guru husband Mark, Merrily replaced her cousin Vally who had left for London. “You name it, I did it. Having been brought up in the publishing business, it seemed second nature. I think I learned to read by helping the family proofread.”

In 1986, she met Rémy, her first aid instructor at the Monaco Red Cross and “after a long engagement” they wed in 2009. “You can never be too sure you have made the right choice,” Merrily laughs. (Rémy retired two years ago as director of First Aid for the Monaco Red Cross.)

Merrily has been a member of MonacoUSA for over 20 years and also serves on its Board. She has laid the memorial wreath for association to commemorate when the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team led the liberation of Monaco from German occupation on September 3, 1944.

She was also vice-president of the American Aid Association of the French Riviera, founded in 1948 “to assist American citizens who find themselves hospitalised, jailed, resident in retirement homes or facing other temporary financial difficulties.” For years, Princess Grace worked personally both with the association and with the former American Consulate in Nice, assisting Americans living in the region. The association, which shut down in 2019, had strong ties with the Monaco Red Cross and its social work and youth outreach.

Following the Bastille attacks in Nice in 2016, Merrily spent ten days in Nice as a First Aid volunteer with the Monaco Red Cross. “We were helping the psychologically wounded and sat with people until a professional could see them. There was an American woman who came in with an aura of pain, and I just sat apart offering to translate if necessary. If I ran into Americans, I would help them liaise with the consulate in Marseilles if they so desired.”

Merrily’s current claim to fame is to have received the Covid vaccine yesterday in Monaco. “It is absolutely fantastic, considering the world population, to be one of the first people to have the honour to live in a place where I am so well treated.”

Merrily getting Covid vaccination at Espace Leo Ferré on Wednesday.

She was contacted by letter from the Ministry of State (see letter), signed both by minister of state Pierre Dartout and minister of health and social affairs Didier Gamerdinger, explaining who, when, how and why to get vaccinated. The letter invited her to make an appointment if she wanted to get the vaccine. Additionally, there was a full page of information addressing “Les Vaccins à ARNm” – how it differs from a traditional vaccination, benefits, possible side-effects and so forth. It states that Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna (EU-approved this week) are the vaccines that will be used in Monaco.

“The organisation of the campaign is fantastic. I phoned, it took ages to get through, and said YES. They called Monday and asked if I could come in Wednesday. I was so excited, I could hardly get the words out.”

Merrily says she becomes livid when people don’t wear masks. “Being really short and OLD, I occasionally walk into a grocery store and what not saying loudly, ‘SVP, mettez vos masques sur vos nez!’ It feels great. I’m too small to hit so they usually obey.”

Her vaccination appointment was for 9:20 am and she arrived 10 minutes in advance to check in and be interviewed by the doctor with the usual questions.

“I told Rémy after I got the Covid shot Wednesday morning that if I passed out during the day, don’t blame it on the vaccine. It could very well be because of the on-going election debacle in the US.”

January 3, 2021January 3, 2021

Bertrand Petyt

Bertrand Petyt comes from a long line of scientists. The Monaco resident was expected to follow suit, as well as manage the family business, but after completing a Master of Science in Paris he moved to New York on a whim. “In 1996, I graduated from Long Island University with an MBA in Managerial Finance and that was the beginning of my career in hospitality.”

With persistence, and after a few years of learning the ropes in the American hotel industry (where he found a mentor in his general manager), Bertrand had his first opportunity to pursue his passion in the cruise line industry. “Don’t ask me why, but even as a little boy I can remember looking at cruise ship catalogues and I have collected more than 35,000 cruise brochures from all over the world, from all cruise lines, past and present.”

He says he will always remember joining his first cruise ship, Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ flagship Seven Seas Mariner in Vancouver as a junior officer. “Stepping on the gangway, I cried. The HR manager thought I needed comforting but I told him they were tears of joy as I was living my dream.”

He worked for two cruise lines, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Silversea Cruises (formerly owned by Monegasque Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio), both at sea and on land, in various positions, including corporate HR manager and hotel director. “Cruising the world was amazing and I believe that travelling is the most precious learning experience. I left the industry in 2014 but I still carry that passion and, who knows, maybe one day the sea will beckon me again.”

Bertrand returned to Monaco and became Chief Executive Officer managing the professional assets of a prominent Chinese family established in the Principality. “The family’s wealth came from real estate development but by then Parkview World had become an operator of luxury sites and assets, including hotels, restaurants, yachts, luxury shopping malls, luxury residences and museums.”

In September 2020, Bertrand transformed his knowledge of the hospitality and luxury sectors into Vitruvius Partners Group, a business he launched with his friend Lilian Bougy, first in Paris and, later this year, in Monaco. This game-changing advisory firm with 12 expert advisors and six Business Ambassadors specialises in an externalised Change Management Office solution.

“In short, we offer small- and medium-companies in corporate hospitality the benefit of change management, leadership development and corporate eco-system redesign services, a business format similar to the one of a family-office or a legal firm providing a specific service at a cost-effective price,” explains Bertrand.

Vitruvius Partners Group advises leading organisations on the four dimensions of business change — people, processes, technology and risk control — identifying problem areas and making organisations more responsive to change in their industries and markets, equipping them to take maximum advantage of emerging opportunities.

“Our business model is highly relevant and also innovative in its approach to change but we are not consultants,” he emphasises. “We are expert advisors that bring a wealth of strategic and operational experience, as opposed to only the ability to audit and sell ‘off-the-shelf’ systems like most consulting companies.”

Although the idea of this venture had been brewing for a while, the first Covid lockdown gave Bertrand that final now-or-never push. He decided to leave his secure CEO position and jump into entrepreneurship with the launch of Vitruvius Partners Group.

In the same year, the academic’s Iconic In The Midst Of Chaos was published. “This book was written as an attempt to provide guidance to those who understand that chaos – like what we are experiencing today – can be an opportunity to become iconic. The approach is a very holistic one, albeit based on proven techniques to install great leadership skills in every manager.”

On a personal level, Bertrand reflects that 2020 was a year of empathy as he witnessed most of his friends in the cruise industry affected on so many levels – losing their jobs, stuck on ships for months, separated from families, and a few suicides as well.

“I felt powerless yet during this crisis, I witnessed such kindness, community cohesion and incredible support from colleagues and friends. It produced my motto, “to enable people to tell their true stories so they may inspire greatness in their lives and for others.”

Bertrand admits that when he left Europe in 1994 for the US he never thought he would return to the continent and relocating to Monaco in 2007 was with reluctance based on his experiences as a teenager. “When I was young, Monaco did not have much to offer except for glamour and tourist-oriented activities and it was difficult for a teenager to grow with a sense of what the world had to offer. I would often spend free days in Nice, where I felt more challenged intellectually. Monaco has evolved in a much more dynamic and open way. It is a place of innovation, creativity and education – the International University of Monaco is, in my opinion, a great success story for the country. Monaco is still a village but a vibrant village,” he comments.

Bertrand, whose surname evolved from its Dutch origins Petïjt, is not a natural networker and in a large group you’ll most likely find him in the corner of the room with the people he knows and trusts. “I network for business, mostly online through LinkedIn as it offers access to a wider array of interesting people.” In Monaco, he’s been involved with various associations like Skal Monaco, the Propeller Club and Global Business Owners.

While Bertrand would chalk 2020 up as a success professionally, over the past two months an autoimmune disease has been causing him debilitating inflammation. “Nothing to worry about long term but I could not even open a laptop let alone have the energy to think. I am an extremely positive person but I can tell you that when faced with such pain, your positivity disappears and you discover a darker side of yourself, one that does not allow you to see the future as bright as you should. For the time being, I have had to slow down all my activities and focus on fully recovering my health and energy. I talk about this in my book, how our abilities rely on four pillars – our health, spirit, mental and emotional state.”

Bertrand Petyt adds, “Sometimes life has a way of reminding us how important it is to take care of our bodies. Health is the cornerstone of everything.”