Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the United Kingdom

Tag: Financial Forum

Human Capital Forum: first and second editions

For 2018, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce has been delighted to introduce a brand new events series: the Human Capital Forum. The forum aims to create a space for learning and discussing relevant topics in the areas of organisational development, leadership, change management and talent. Meeting every three months, the event is open to representatives of member companies who are responsible for HR and its related fields and professions. The forum is chaired by Mónica Hernanz, Managing Director at The Client Academy and Adjunct Professor of Organisational Behaviour at IE Business School.

The first meeting of the series took place at the Chamber’s offices on Wednesday 25^th April, with the topic being: “positive psychology in the workplace: is it possible (and desirable) to be truly happy at work?” The guest speaker on this occasion was Vanessa King, a positive psychology, happiness and resilience expert. A board member for Action for Happiness and author of the book “10 Keys to Happier Living”, she regularly speaks and carries out workshops both nationally and internationally on the subject of well-being, resilience and workplace creativity.

Vanessa began the seminar by exploring the definition of happiness, explaining that it has two forms: hedonic and eudaimonic and how it compares to the notions of wellbeing and resilience. She went on to explain what determines happiness of work and the ways in which it can benefit employers if their staff are kept happy. She then proposed the discussion of what employers can do to increase the happiness of their employees and what their main advice for doing this would be.

The second edition of the Human Capital Forum took place on the 4^th July, this time to discuss the topic of “the human challenge of digitalisation: how are companies’ cultures changing them for a digital future?”. Also chaired by Monica Hernanz, this edition welcomed two guest speakers from IBM’s Talent and Engagement Practice from the London and Madrid teams: Isaac Cantalejo Fuentes and Sunaya Sahans.

The session began with all of the participants introducing themselves and describing the main challenges of digitalisation faced by their companies, of which a variety were suggested owing to the various sectors that were represented. They spoke in particular about the changing face of recruitment owed to digitalisation, with the industry being more online and fast paced than ever before. The speakers then went on to discuss the key digital transformation trends that HR Directors should be mindful of, as well as what can be learnt from companies both leading and struggling in the journey to create a more digital organisational culture. Following the presentation, participants of the forum discussed where they believed the priorities for investment should be for HR Directors in the wake of an increasingly digitalised world. Over a networking breakfast following the forum, participants expressed their views of the session; expressing how they had found it both relevant and thought provoking.

The next edition of the forum is scheduled to meet in November, with the topic being ‘the #MeToo movement in the office: how have sexual harassment and gender politics changed in the workplace in 2018 as a result of societal change?”. Towards the end of the year, members of the forum will also have the opportunity to suggest the topics of future forums in 2019.

The Human Capital Forum’s ultimate aim is to highlight the strategic value of all company’s greatest assets- their workforce. If you are interested in finding out more about this initiative, please contact Hannah.sanders@spanishchamber.co.uk

16/07/2018
A BRIEF RECAP OF THE CHAMBER’S ACTIVITIES IN 2017

The Chamber’s main aim is to promote commercial exchange by acting as an important communication link between Spanish and British companies. The events organised by the Chamber enable both member and non-member companies to develop and expand their contact networks from both countries.

Over the course of 2017 the Spanish Chamber of Commerce organised over 30 events with an average of 65 individuals attending each. These events included seminars, conferences, business breakfasts, cocktail evenings, informal parties and corporate dinners.

CORPORATE EVENTS

On the 2^nd of February we hosted our first corporate event of 2017. The New Year’s Drinks Reception was held in the exclusive Ironmongers’ Hall where the president of the Chamber, Javier San Basilio, had the opportunity to wish all member companies his best wishes for the New Year. We were honoured to welcome Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, partner of international law firm Dechert LLP and founder and chairman of Inspiring Girls, as our Guest of Honour on this occasion.

In April we also celebrated the Annual Golden Award at the Embassy of Spain in London. Mr. Josep Oliu, Chairman of Banco Sabadell, received the award on behalf the company for the acquisition of TSB the previous year. There were approximately 250 guests present at this event, our largest of the year.

The Annual Patrons Dinner took place the 28^th of March at the Spanish Embassy in London and was hosted by the Ambassador of Spain, Mr. Carlos Bastarreche Sagües. In addition to this, on the 14^th of June the Annual General Meeting, considered as one of our institution’s most important events of the year, took place at Merchant Taylors’ Hall; one of London’s oldest traditional Livery Halls that remains active. We were delighted to welcome Ms. Marisa Poncela García, Secretary of State for Trade, as our Guest of Honour on this occasion. During the members’ General Meeting, the Executive Committee of the Chamber presented the Financial Statements of 2016 as well as the memorandum of the activities and events organised by the Chamber during this year. The quadrennial Executive Committee Election was also carried out as part of this event, during which 22 members of the Chamber were chosen to join the Committee of the Chamber.

On the evening of the 6^th December we held our final corporate event of the year, the highly anticipated VIII Annual Gala Dinner which was held at the iconic Christ Church Spitalfields in the City of London. This black tie event, which saw approximately 230 guests in attendance, was presided by the Ambassador of Spain Carlos Bastarreche Sagües and welcomed António Horta Osório, CEO of Lloyds Banking Group, as its esteemed Guest of Honour.

We additionally organised a wide variety of Seminars over the course of 2017 which were led by individuals who are greatly experienced in their fields. Topics of the sessions included Brexit’s potential implications on immigration, employment and tax, the different ways to detect and investigate corporate fraud and the examination of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Furthermore, 2017 saw four Elevator Pitch events being hosted by our member companies, each being filled to full capacity. The assistance is capped each time to 16 individuals, all representing different companies with a maximum of two being from the same sector. Each participant has two minutes to give a concise presentation summarising their company’s activities, answer any questions about their work and share their business card with the rest of participants; a highly effective way for participants to expand their business networks in a small amount of time.

Finally, there were two Financial Forums that took place in 2017. This events, which are exclusively managed by the Chamber, provide Spanish professionals with the opportunity to come together and exchange ideas about the current financial climate. On these occasions, members shared their opinions with two exceptional guests: Sebastián Albella, President of the Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (the Spanish Regulatory Authority for the Securities Market) and Román Escolano, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank.

INFORMAL EVENTS

With respect to less formal events, our series of internal parties organised in collaboration with our patron Mahou proved to be a great success, each hosting an average of 90 attendees from over 50 companies. These events offered our members the opportunity to relax and expand their contact network over an after work drink. The events took place at various locations and we would like to thank Ibérica and Trison (patrons of the Chamber) along with Hispania and Dry Martini (members of the Chamber) for hosting the parties.

We would also like to mention the noteworthy activities which the Chamber has been either directly or indirectly involved with. In June, with the aim of promoting the Spanish culture the Chamber organised a Spanish Tapas Tour, a new gastronomic event which brought the very best flavours of Spanish cuisine to London. Ten of the city’s best Spanish restaurants offered a tapa and a drink at a fixed price, with dishes that represented various regions of Spain. The event was a great success with more than 350 tapas being sold.

With regards to events developed in collaboration with the Council of Foreign Chambers, the most prominent was the International Wine Tasting which took place on the 18th September at Middle Temple Hall in the City of London. Almost 300 guests came together to broaden their international business networks with peers from other Chambers while sampling a delicious array of wines, beers and spirits from around the world.

COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES

Regarding our commercial activities, last year the Spanish Chamber conducted nine Commercial Agendas within five different sectors including telecommunications, financial services and food and beverage suppliers. This service forms part of the Business Promotion activities carried out by the Chamber and provides a commercial representation for contracting companies, which are either Spanish businesses wishing to sell their products in the UK or British companies wishing to invest in and/or export to Spain.

The Spanish Chamber also successfully realised two Reverse Trade Missions in the wine sector during 2017. The purpose of this activity was to increase the importation and exportation of local products. Furthermore, it enables contracting companies to showcase the design and manufacturing of their goods and services which could be traded with potential clients to support them in reaching their exportation aims. The reverse trade missions target current and near-term business opportunities, creating immediate results and export successes for Spanish businesses.

In summary, 2017 was another successful year for the Chamber which both embraced and promoted the vital business relationships between Spain and the UK. We would like to warmly thank our members, guests and sponsors for supporting our work at the various events we held and we hope that they found them as profitable as we did.

24/01/2018
FINANCIAL FORUM – “SOVEREIGN DEBT: GREECE, THE EUROZONE AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS”

On 17^th March, the Financial Forum of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce celebrated its fourth gathering, which was held this time at the offices of White & Case, members of the Spanish Chamber.

The Financial Forum, which has been running for one year now, already counts on 26 permanent members from banks and investment funds such as Banco Santander, BBVA, Caixabank, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Société Générale, Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan among others, as well as top companies from different sectors like Ferrovial, Dragados or Deloitte.

The Financial Forum celebrated its fourth gathering in White & Case offices.

In this edition the topic was “Sovereign Debt: Greece, the Eurozone and Other Recent Developments”. The President of the Financial Forum, Professor Ahmad Rahnema from IESE BUSINESS SCHOOL, introduced three schools of thought to frame the topic: Greece would have to exit the Euro, re-implement Dracma and have the control back on their monetary policy; secondly the decision of Greece leaving the EU may have already been taken; and as a third option, Greece would remain within the Euro as the current situation is considered a political issue and middle ground would be agreed.

Dr. Rodrigo Olivares-Caminal, Professor on Financial and Banking Law at the Queen Mary University of London kicked off the debate with a brief presentation providing an overview of the current Greek situation together with some highlights from other global conflicted economies such as Argentina, Ukraine and Venezuela.

From left to right: Mrs. Inmaculada López, Head of the Economic and Commercial Office of the Spanish Embassy, Dr. Rodrigo Olivares-Caminal from Queen Mary University, and Professor Ahmad Rahnema from IESE, President of the Financial Forum.

He explained that Greece currently owes €315bn, from which 72% belongs to Public Sector. Debt has already been restructured as interest rates have decreased and a debt roll-out has taken place. However, this situation generates a major challenge as this is not only an economical or financial issue, but also a political and social one.

Once the debate was opened, interactions focused on sharing different points of view as well as to question alternatives and develop a critical opinion towards the situation. Real consequences of the potential exit of Greece from the Eurozone were discussed, not only for the country itself and its inhabitants, but also for Spain and the rest of the EU countries with an acknowledgment of new political parties, such as Syriza or Podemos in Spain.

Members of the forum had time to mingle and continue the discussion while enjoying a nice cocktail.

Before the event closure, the participants of the Financial Forum had time to mingle and keep on with the discussion while enjoying Spanish wine, courtesy of White & Case.

We would like to extend our gratitude to White & Case for kindly hosting this event as well as to all our members and special guests for their participation, which made this edition of the Financial Forum one to remember.

25/03/2015
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

As Santa is soon coming to town, we wanted to say goodbye to this intense and rewarding year and extend our best wishes for 2015 to you.

And what better way to do it than celebrating with style our Informal Christmas Party next Tuesday 9^th December? If you have not registered yet, then hurry up as places are running out fast! Mahiki will host this for the consecutive second year. This last event of 2014, offering to our cold and rainy London’s winter a warm and cheerful Hawaiian twist. It will be a second to none opportunity to say goodbye to fellow members and colleagues until next year. So if you want to join us, hurry up and book it now here!!

But now, before closing down this exciting year, it is time to look back at some of the activities and events we have organised throughout. Rightly, at the top of our list, we find the recent VI Annual Gala Dinner, that took place on 27^th November. It was a resounding successful, as around 230 fellow members gathered under the presiding of H.E. The Ambassador of Spain and Mr. César Alierta, Executive Chairman and CEO of Telefónica, as our Guest of Honour.

Members of the Executive Committee of the Spanish Chamber with our Guest of Honour, Mr. César Alierta, at our VI Annual Gala Dinner

At the beginning of the year and as a brand new initiative, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce launched officially on 31^st January the first meeting of the Financial Forum at the Spanish Embassy. Its main function is to bring Spanish professionals from the City together and provide them with a platform to promote dialogue, share best practices within the financial sector and exchange ideas about the current economic and financial context. This gathering was followed by two others in May and July, the last one being held at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

In April, we held the Annual Golden Award, which was hosted at the Spanish Embassy in London. This event rewards a Spanish company for its outstanding performance during the previous year in the UK, and the distinction in this edition went to Aena Aeropuertos.

Furthermore, we would like to highlight that the 127^th edition of our Annual General Meeting took place in June followed by a unique lunch held at one of London’s most iconic landmarks: The House of Lords, within the Palace of Westminster. The event was kindly hosted by Lord Brennan, QC, and had also the pleasure to count on Lord Bell, Chairman of Bell Pottinger, as our Guest of Honour for this special occasion.

Lord Brennan, in our Annual General Meeting hosted at the House of Lords

In addition to the above, the Spanish Chamber has also developed a wide range of activities, including seminars, networking events and informal parties, such as the International Wine Tasting Event, the Elevator’s Pitch, a popular speed networking activity, Halloween Informal Party, to name just a few.

Moreover, the Patrons’ Club has offered five exclusive activities for our Patrons in 2014, which have included the traditional annual dinner at the restaurant Ametsa with Arzak Instruction, a tour “Behind the scenes” at London City Airport and an exquisite Tasting at the New Pantry at The Marylebone Hotel in collaboration with The Doyle Collection, just to mention some of them.

Visit to the London City Airport and Dinner at the restaurant Ametsa with Arzak Instruction, two of the activities of the Patrons’ Club

On the other hand, in September, the XVI Edition of our Graduate European Programme kicked off. This year 16 participants will be carrying out work-experience at London based companies for 6 months. The programme includes Business English classes and workshops at Regent’s University London to complement the participants’ work experience.

Last but not least, our Trade and Business Development Department has kept busy and delivered several commercial agendas and trade missions. Among them, we would like to highlight the work we did in cooperation with the Chambers of Commerce of Madrid and Teruel, consisting of trade missions aimed at helping several companies from those regions to enter the British market.

Additionally, our General Secretary, Igor Urra, travelled to Girona participating in a gathering between companies from different sectors and the Chamber of Commerce. The aim was to advise and inform these companies interested in entering the UK market about the different commercial services the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain could offer them to support them in the process. Our advice was warmly welcomed as this gathering resulted in the development of trade missions with some of these companies.

It is also worth mentioning, the first edition of “A Coruña Exporpymes”, a trade fair organised in October by La Coruña Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the Spanish Chamber. It was a perfect occasion for Galician producers to present their products/ services from different sectors such as food, wine, jewellery and construction, among others, to British companies.

Our Secretary General, Igor Urra, in A Coruña Exporpymes, one of the trade missions we organised this year

Moreover, the department has successfully developed a new service: Commercial Presentations. This is a similar service to commercial agendas, but with a less commercial focus, aimed at increasing the awareness of the company with potential contacts. The commercial presentation service is especially suitable for companies that work in a mature sector. It consists of the delivery of a market proxy, identifying and introducing the products of the client company to suitable contacts. In case potential partners show interest in the products, we would support with the information management and even organise a meeting between both parties.

There is also cause for celebrating the introduction of a new membership category, the Benefactors, especially suitable for larger SME’s and companies who want to take their membership one step further and get a taste of our exclusive advantages for Patrons. At this moment, this intermediate level of membership is available exclusively by invitation to existing corporate members of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain.

We are very grateful to our members for their continuous support across all the different activities we have carried out this year, and for the ones to come in 2015. Special thanks as well to all those companies who have shown interest in our events and have participated in some of them over the past 12 months.

So, to put it in a nutshell, we can only make our farewells by wishing you “Merry Christmas and Happy 2015!”, a year that will come full of surprises and interesting activities. So, be prepared!

02/12/2014
Financial Forum: European Emerging Markets.

On Thursday 9th July the Financial Forum of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce organised it’s third meeting since it was launched in January 2014. The gathering was held in London at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The Financial Forum belongs to and is managed exclusively by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain. Its main function is to bring together Spanish professionals from the City and provide them with a platform to promote the dialogue, share best practices and exchange ideas about the current economic and financial context.

The meeting took place at the EBRD premises in central London.

The session, which was presided by Prof. Ahmad Rahnema, Chairman of the Forum, focused on “European Emerging Markets: the Ukrainian and Russian Crisis”. Mr. Philip Bennett, First Vice President, Chief Operating Officer of the EBRD and member of the Bank’s Executive Committee, addressed attendees and highlighted the importance of long term investments for the economies of these countries to move forward. As he explained, Ukrainian economy is going through a painful adjustment in order to attract foreign capital while Russia presents a much more delicate scenario where the confidence of the investor is weakening.

From left to right: Mr. Eduardo Barrachina, Mr. Antonio Oporto, Mr. Philip Bennett, Prof. Ahmad Rahnema and Mr. Javier Fernández Hidalgo.

The Forum counted with the privilege attendance of Mr. Antonio Oporto, Board Director for Spain and Mexico of the EBRD; Mr. Javier Fernández Hidalgo, President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain and Mr. Eduardo Barrachina from White & Case and Treasurer of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce. This time, representatives from BBVA, Deloitte, Deutsche Bank, Dragados, EBRD, Ferrovial, HSBC, IESE, JP Morgan, Lloyds Bank, Mapfre, Morgan Stanley, Société Générale, and Uría Menéndez were in attendance.

Attendees greeted each other moments before the event started.

After the session and subsequent Q&A, attendees were kindly invited to move on to the reception area where they could enjoy a selection of products from the markets where the EBRD is currently present. Some of the great products they enjoyed were Efes Pilsen, a refreshing Turkish beer as well as Marani red & white wines from Georgia.

Our guests tasted some original products during the cocktail.

We would like to thank all guests and the kind host EBRD for their support and participation in the Financial Forum of the Spanish Chamber. Lastly, if you are interested in the events of the Chamber and want to be informed on our current activities, please click on this link to complete the form that you will find at the bottom of the page and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

28/07/2014

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