LuxUnplugged Podcast

Adrien welcomes back Jacques Pütz, CEO of LUXHUB, to the show. In this follow-up conversation, they briefly discuss the exponential growth that LUXHUB has enjoyed over the last year as banks consuming its services are slowly embracing the benefits of cost mutualisation. In the same vein, Jacques also talks about the strategic partnership established with SIX, the Swiss financial infrastructure provider, and what it entails for the company and its European ambitions. And then, Jacques looks back at Luxembourg's efforts to make the local ecosystem attractive to Fintech companies and, more importantly, how it could further enhance it in a constructive and productive way.

Thierry and Adrien welcome Joe Hoffmann, COO at 4Elements Esports and President of the Luxembourg Esports Federation, to the show. A highly driven esports practitioner, Joe explains how the fastest growing online industry has evolved over the last few years in a global context. Then, he walks them through the launch of Forward with his brother to accelerate the promotion of esports in Luxembourg where the government is still reluctant to recognise this industry as a sports discipline in its own right. After highlighting the differences between a regular gamer and an esports athlete, Joe passionately emphasises on the commercial benefits that prospective companies can derive from partnering with esports organisations. Finally, he lays out the outlook for 2021 and his plans for 4Elements Esports in the future.

Adrien welcomes Stéphane Pesch, CEO at the Luxembourg Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (LPEA), to the show. In the context of the growing influence that the private equity (PE) industry exerts in Luxembourg, they discuss the role of the LPEA in underpinning this trend. A strong ESG proponent, Stéphane walks Adrien through the various initiatives that the LPEA has launched to help its members keep up with the recent requirements. Also, they talk about how the LPEA vividly promotes greater diversity in private equity, which is mainly male dominated. Finally, they explore options pertaining to opening up PE investment opportunities to smaller retail investors who normally don't get access to this more exclusive asset class.

Thierry welcomes Pierre Thein, Director at the Hein Group, to the show. A seasoned ambassador of the Luxembourg industry, Pierre talks about how the Hein Group, a state-of-the-art oven manufacturer, has successfully expanded its brand and reputation beyond Luxembourg since 1882, the year in which the company was founded. He then discusses the key ingredients for an industrial company to thrive in a highly competitive global environment, especially in Luxembourg which is predominantly a service-driven economy. Thierry also enquires about the importance of the "Made in Luxembourg" label where Pierre walks him through the latest evolution of the nation branding efforts made by the government. Finally, he weighs the pros and cons of making the Luxembourg industrial space more attractive to young talent and how to achieve this.

After a very successful year, Thierry and Adrien get together to look back at 2020. They discuss how they adapted to new conditions linked to the pandemic and how they maintained the pace given their high ambitions for the podcast. Finally, they talk about the outlook for 2021 and set new objectives for the coming months.

Thierry welcomes Oliver Schimek, CEO and Founder at CrossLend, to the show. As the CEO of a leading FinTech company in Europe, Oliver provides further clarifications on the company's Luxembourg branch after misreports in the media. They discuss the impact of covid-19 on working from home and the likely effects that are going to be felt in the coming months and years. Oliver then dives into the importance of letting companies with an unsuccessful business model fail quickly to allow the innovation process to kick in. Finally, he shares his insights into the differences between investor risk appetite in the US and Europe and how Europe should change its stance to create European market leaders.

Thierry welcomes Kevin Muller, Founder and CEO at Passbolt, to LuxUnplugged. They discuss the genesis of Kevin's idea back in India when he kicked off his career after university. Then they talk about how a free open-source platform for password management turned into a monetisable concept over time with an element of serendipity. Finally, Kevin passionately describes his experience within the Luxembourg-based acceleration programme, Fit4Start, which allowed his start-up to fast-track its journey.

Adrien welcomes back Marc Serres, CEO at the Luxembourg Space Agency. They look back at the major events that have further shaped Luxembourg's mission to establish the space sector as the next key pillar of the local economy. More importantly, Marc discusses the importance of the Artemis Accords that the grand duchy has recently signed with other major international players in the space industry and what it means for their flagship program, the spaceresources.lu initiative.

Adrien welcomes Georges Berscheid, CTO at Finologee, to LuxUnplugged. They discuss the role of RegTech firms in a context of increasing regulations and how this pans out for Luxembourg more specifically. Also, Georges shares his view on the importance of automating processes, such as digital on-boarding, in a seamless and reliable way. Finally, he extensively talks about the benefits the Luxembourg market offers and how the local ecosystem can position itself as a main hub in the regulatory space.

Adrien welcomes Serge Krancenblum, Executive Chairman at IQ-EQ, to LuxUnplugged. They discuss how IQ-EQ has become one of the leading investor services companies in the world. Serge also explains how the local ecosystem has evolved over the past decades and how his group has shaped the economy all along the way. Finally, they talk about the key institutions ensuring Luxembourg stays ahead of the game.