International & World Report

Arnaud Lagardere is now the sole master on board of a subsidiary of sports rights and live shows, Lagardère Unlimited. Discreetly and after two years of wrestling with his bodyguards, the head of the Lagardère group has decided to dispose of Olivier and Stéphane Schindler Guiguet, numbers one and two sports. Two evictions, revealed by the website of the Nouvel Observateur and La Tribune, which is concomitant to that of Christophe Bouchet, the CEO of Sportfive sports rights agency and principal subsidiary of Lagardère Unlimited.

In 2006, Arnaud Lagardere has the intuition of the potential market for sports rights. He also knows that this activity requires a critical mass consistent. To quickly position, he must hit fast and hard. He does not hesitate to put on the table 865 million euros to acquire Sportfive, a leading market players.

In the process, it will expand this activity with the arrival in the lap of the group of players such as IEC in 2007 and World Sports Group in 2008, followed by the acquisition last year's Best (Blue Entertainment Sports Television) American expert in the representation of athletes and the purchase of 30% stake in the American academy of sports training Saddlebrook. Two operations to "several tens of millions of euros," he admits. Arnaud Lagardere, it is clear that the market for sport and entertainment is its future. "Sport is a market of 100 billion dollars", he still recalled when publishing the final results of the group.

Trading at European level

Aware after the time of acquisition is that of consolidation, it equips its assets in May 2010 of a new structure called the Unlimited, which succeeds Lagardère Sports.She becomes the equal of other major subsidiaries of the media and he becomes the president instead of his lieutenants.

But this tutorial is not enough to take off the activity. In 2010, its sales collapsed by 23% to 396 million and its losses amounted to 96 million euros. In defense of Arnaud Lagardere, new players with deep pockets is coming to the market beginning with the Gulf countries. In addition, the European Commission is considering changing the rules of trading rights to be bought at the European level rather than nationally. What sharpening a little more competition. For the entourage of Arnaud Lagardere, it is clear that to succeed we must therefore focus its resources on a few key disciplines such as football. The head of the Lagardère group has not given up "to be the world's number one sport in five years."

This is a first. Nearly 1000 makers and observers of the Internet will meet in Paris tomorrow and Wednesday to participate in e-G8 Forum. Sizing of the digital economy, as Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of social networking site Facebook and Eric Schmidt, Google's president, made the trip.

They rub shoulders patterns of media, such as Australian-American tycoon Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of the New York Times Arthur Sulzberger Jr. The conference will also host the rising stars of the Web as the creator of good plans Groupon Andrew Mason and Mikael Hed, Director General of Rovio, the publisher of mobile gaming success Angry Birds.The world of finance will ambassadors Niklas Zennstrom, CEO and cofounder of the fund Atomico Skype, and Sean Parker, Founders Fund partner today, Co-founder of Napster and Facebook, and bad boy of Web embodied by Justin Timberlake in The Social Network.

This casting will demonstrate the importance of the event. It was proposed by Nicolas Sarkozy, who chairs the G8 this year. For the first time, an Internet discussion has been put on the agenda of the G8, which meets on May 26 and 27 in Deauville. E-G8 Forum should provide a framework for exchanges between heads of state.These will be based on a paper presented at the next G8 e-Forum, which might detail a series of reflections and proposals on major issues of the Internet.

The conference program addresses broad issues as "The Internet and economic growth," which will discuss among others John Donahoe, eBay's CEO, Eric Schmidt, and Christine Lagarde, Minister of Finance. The debate "Internet and Society meet Andrew Mason, Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's number 2, and Jimmy Wales, founder of the collaborative encyclopedia Wikipedia.To make proposals on these discussions, stakeholders were asked to come up with key ideas that they wished to submit to the representatives of the G8.

Private funding

Issues closer to the everyday concerns of internet entrepreneurs and internet will be discussed in workshops: financing for start-up, freedom of expression and privacy, mobile issues, information sharing and value, e-government … All these exchanges are broadcast live over the Internet, will be summarized by rapporteurs and provide the basis for a "message for Deauville."

The conference was organized in record time by Publicis, whose chief executive, Maurice Levy, was given the mandate in February.Advantage: via its subsidiary Publicis Live, the communications group organizes many events which already meet the tenors of the Web and media, such as the Monaco Media Forum, the Abu Dhabi Media Summit and Davos. These are the links forged during these meetings that enabled convincing, snatching, Mark Zuckerberg to participate in the forum. He has confirmed his arrival a few days before the opening of e-G8 Forum.

In return, Publicis has not been able to rely on public funding to mount the e-G8, whose budget is estimated at 3 million. The organizer has therefore appealed to private financing from a dozen sponsors, including Orange, Vivendi, eBay, Google, Capgemini, Iliad, Microsoft and Alcatel-Lucent.Four other finance a dinner tomorrow evening at the Louvre, in which 350 handpicked guests were invited.

The most important guests of the e-G8 forum:

• Rupert Murdoch – CEO of News Corporation

The media mogul had anticipated the rise of social networking by buying MySpace in 2005. It now relies on paid content online. "Aggregators and plagiarists will soon have to pay a price for our content. If we do not take advantage of the current movement towards paid content, the kleptomaniac triumph "

• Mark Zuckerberg – Founder and CEO of Facebook

At 27, the young prodigy of the Web is the 52nd World fortune, according to Forbes. More than 650 million Internet users have joined the social network he founded in 2004 at Harvard. "The social norm (of privacy, Ed) has simply evolved over time.People are really accustomed not only to share more information, different but also more openly and with more people "

• Jeff Bezos – Founder and CEO of Amazon. Com

It has revolutionized e-commerce by creating Amazon in 1994. He is now going to online media, from books to video. "The last nugget of gold rush has disappeared. With innovation, there is no last nugget. Each update creates new questions and new opportunities "

• Jimmy Wales – Co-founder of Wikipedia

His collaborative encyclopedia celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. It has 18 million articles written and edited by Internet volunteers. "I think MySpace is doomed, I give them another two years … I think Facebook is the next Microsoft, for better or for worse.It is an incredible company that will do much good and bad things "

• Eric Schmidt – Google Chief Executive

DG Internet Group from 2001 to 2011, Eric Schmidt has handed over to Larry Page in April. He remains in charge of acquisitions, partnerships and institutional relationships. "Today your phone knows where you are, and to some extent where you go. Ultimately, your mobile does what he does best is to say, to remember everything and make proposals. You can be a better human and have a good time "

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Easyjet could not miss the opportunity. The marriage between William and Kate in the UK, which will captivate 2 billion viewers worldwide Friday, is the perfect opportunity for the airline to talk about her. For this, the low cost made the bet with the originality of the organization of a European competition for doubles.

The suitors, "duplicates of William" or "spit portraits of Kate," had until April 10 to come forward. On a website designed specially for the occasion, their pictures were displayed on a map according to their countries of origin. In 15 days, nearly 342 people came forward. "We wondered if the huge public interest in the British was the same within thirty European countries where we operate.And that's the case, "says Celine Take, communications manager of the company.

Among the candidates, two French, John Bastgen, Saint-Maur-des-Fosses, Bachelin and Mary, originally from Evreux. Even if the gossips are not their any resemblance to the royal couple, easyJet has thought otherwise. They are the ones who were chosen to form the William and Kate French. They had the onerous task of defending the colors of the Hexagon at the European finals of the competition which brought together twenty Europeans on Wednesday. Hello princely marriage proposal, throwing bouquet: their performance has been decrypted by the Communications Director of easyJet and the director of an agency look-alikes. But they do not seem to have been convincing since the impersonator is finally elected William English, while Kate is the lining of Italian. "It was a difficult choice. there were real doubles.The French were elbow to elbow, "says Celine Take

Finalists console themselves by attending (the crowd) to marry a person of their choice. As for the winners, they get a year of their easyJet air tickets for travel on the 550 routes served by low cost.

Communication "clever"

Question image, the bet is successful for easyJet online payday loans. "Doing what contest is very clever, decrypts Treguer John Paul, CEO of TVLowCost, the agency specializing in low cost TV advertising. EasyJet plays the card of derision and offset by diverting the image of William and Kate. And it is a maximum effect of buzz. According to this expert, this marketing strategy is entirely within the historic codes of low cost communication."The idea of ​​low cost groups has always been to use a communication challenges, even shocking, and humor to attract attention and sympathy from customers. This is to do things the most improbable of the most serious. Recently, Richard Branson, boss of Virgin, said he would do the service dressed as a stewardess on the plane of an Asian competitor because he lost a bet with the boss of this company. This is the example of the mastery of this communication, "adds the analyst. He said easyJet plays here on the ground Ryanair's usual "but less provocative."

The communications department of the company does not deny: "It was simple, cheap to organize and the buzz has been all alone.The competition was launched for fun and was unpretentious, the group's image, "says Celine Take, however, confirms that the competition has allowed" to promote the destinations of the company. "

In the end, "this competition reflects the values ​​of iconoclastic low cost, this idea of" one against the establishment. " Here is the idea of ​​royalty that democratised is shown with the desire to live the dream of a prince to these candidates, making possible the dream of traveling. By taking this walk-cons, easyJet won image points, "says Jean-Paul Treguer.

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"I read too often that Sodexo is a leader in Catering, complains Michel Landel, chief executive of the group. Sodexo is no longer a catering company. We have developed expertise in other trades. Today, we offer comprehensive solutions that include food services. "To illustrate his development, the boss added:" We take care of all our customers, but their job! It is a unique and original position. "

Sodexo still remains the world number two catering, behind Britain's Compass. This activity still accounts for 70% of its turnover! But for several years, this percentage tends to decline in favor of other benefits, growth and higher margins.

Sodexo now offers services ranging from assistance for the reintegration of prisoners, janitorial company and maintain medical equipment in hospitals. This year the group has won a contract with Nokia in China, to handle the technical maintenance of production plants phones manufacturer in Beijing and southern China. United States, the company was chosen by the city of Detroit for the restoration of 101,000 students in 136 public schools … But it will also provide maintenance, cleaning and maintenance of buildings and green spaces. Nothing to see, therefore, with the restoration …

Accelerate diversification

"While the food services grew on average by 3.5%, other services rose by 7.8% and their share rose from 18% to 25% of sales in four years," said Michel Landel .In 2008, Sodexo had bought the German Zehnacker, offering in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Poland services to hospitals.

To accelerate diversification, Michel Landel is considering new "small or medium-sized" acquisitions, outside catering. Irrespective of these potential acquisitions, he pointed to the prospect of 4.5% growth in turnover, while confirming the annual target for operating income up about 10%.

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World According to information dated Sunday-Monday, Turbomeca, a subsidiary of Safran's aerospace equipment, was the target of industrial espionage between January and September 2010, via its computer systems. This cyber-attack led to the opening this fall of an inquiry by the Central Directorate of Internal Intelligence (DCRI) to "introduction, removal and fraudulent alteration of computer data" the newspaper reported. Since then, more than a dozen people were put in custody, including employees of the group. Accurate knowledge of the company's computer systems have in fact led investigators to pose the question of a possible internal involvement.

The data referred mainly concern the technology of propeller systems designed by Turbomeca, the world leader in helicopter propellers, as well as financial data of its parent.Those responsible for this case considered "the most important spy of 2010" by DCRI would have gone by computer systems and mailboxes for company employees to access the global systems group, and confidential information technologies Turbomeca. Remains to be seen to what extent the employees concerned were aware or not these actions the newspaper, which refers to possible "corruption" pay day loans.

The Chinese track, yet …

As for the Renault affair in the early stages of the investigation, the question arises of a possible involvement of a Chinese company, which is more partner Safran, and would have flown the intruder. They could have been motivated by the desire to "bridge the technology gap and to ensure that Saffron does not cheat on the recharge equipment sold to the Chinese Turbomeca" said an inside source in the world.

Nevertheless, the investigation should be closely monitored in the coming weeks. The many twists on the Renault affair continues to fuel the wildest rumors. No track should be set aside for the moment to avoid a second scandal in a company the size of Safran.

A folder that is even more sensitive than the activity of Saffron is highly strategic (the group team of military aircraft) and the French state owns 30.2% stake in the aerospace equipment. The group will publish its annual results on April 21, at the same time it will hold its general meeting. Until then, it should remain very secretive about the specifics of the investigation.

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Late last year, an Ipsos found that more than half (56%) of the French were worried about their dependence … Will they be ready for all to take a day off again? Faced with an aging population and the need for funding – more than 20 billion euros per year or 1% of GDP – the state looking for new revenue sources, and according leJournal Sunday, the creation of a new day solidarity would be considered. A measure that has merit for the majority to increase state revenue without raising taxes.

2.2 billion euros per year

The idea is not new. Since 2004, after the drama of the heatwave in 2003, the French work an extra day each year, normally without pay, and employers pay a contribution – the contribution solidarity independence (CSA) – in favor of the autonomy of elderly and disabled.Initially introduced on Whit Monday, the law was later relaxed to allow employees to choose another date, or even split the solidarity day. It relates each year 2.2 billion euros. A second day would allow the Government to partially fund the additional needs estimated at 10 billion by Prime Minister Francois Fillon. Philippe Bas, former Minister of Health and Solidarity, then Hénart Lawrence, Secretary of State for the professional integration of young people in the Raffarin government, have already voted for the creation of a new day of solidarity. For the moment the terms of this new day does not stop.It is likely that the choice of date will remain free to avoid the debates that followed the abolition of Whit Monday payday advance lenders.

Extend CSA

The majority also exploring another avenue to bring in new revenue, that of broadening the base of the CSA. This idea is supported by the MP (UMP) Valérie Rosso Debord, who stresses that the day of solidarity is based only on employees. Professionals, craftsmen, tradesmen and pensioners are exempt. A peculiarity which could also soon lead to the questioning that day. The Labour Court of Angers announced in early March that he had seized the Supreme Court for a ruling on what could be considered a breach of equality before tax.Judges should give their opinion on this question of constitutionality at the end of May, which could lead to referral to the Constitutional Council.

According to the member, elect to extend the CSA to all non-employees, would allow the state to reap 2 billion euros, a sum close to that expected with the creation of a new day of solidarity .

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The result is final. According to a poll by Ifop for the Sunday newspaper Ouest France, eight in ten French (80%) believe that in recent months, the quality of services offered by the SNCF was "somewhat worse". Only 15% of respondents believe the contrary, that it was "somewhat improved". Three percent of respondents believe the situation has "not changed" in this area and 2% were undecided.

More telling, three out of four respondents (76%) say the times were "less respected" in recent months. They are only 18% say that they are "more respected". Three percent noted no change and 3% were undecided.

Malaise

The survey, conducted on 20 and January 21 with a sample of 968 people, seems to confirm the ras-le-bol general users of the station.After the subscribers of the TGV, which just received a compensation package, it's time for users of regional express trains (TER) to show their displeasure by engaging in a strike submission of tickets from Monday.

Eager to appease the discontent of its customers, the station provides a plan for improving its twelve lines called "sick". Efforts should focus on the Paris lines, RER A and D in mind.

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Two weeks after unveiling a plan of unprecedented severity, the British government prepares to take aggressive action to fight against unemployment. This new device will be presented this week by the British Minister of Labour, Iain Duncan Smith. The stated objective of the Minister is ambitious: to reduce the bill for allowances, which cost 190 billion every year sterling (220 billion euros), and "break the cycle of dependency."

Iain Duncan Smith described the new anti-unemployment as a "contract" that he intends to go with the 1.4 million long-term unemployed who receive weekly allowances of 65 pounds (75 euros). The latter would be compelled to perform 30 hours of volunteer work, so they are not paid as refuse collection, street sweeping or maintenance of parks and gardens. And this for four weeks.In exchange, the government intends to ensure the volunteer a new "universal credit" would replace the existing categories of allowances. If the job seeker does not report for duty, however, he would lose his benefits for at least three months.

Giving the unemployed a "routine work"

"This is simply to give the unemployed a work routine that will make their profile even more attractive for an employer seeking to fill a position," says a source close to the British Ministry of Labour The Guardian. Furthermore, penalties such as removal of existing allowances for recipients who refuse to participate in training or going to job interviews.

However, the new plan raises the British coalition "controversy" in the UK, the paper said.The Labour MP Anne Begg said that these periods of voluntary work would deprive the unemployed of valuable time for job search. "The problem is precisely to find a job," she said. Harriet Harman, another Labour MP, said that reforms were probably necessary, while considering the government's plans "unfair."

There are just two weeks, Britain has announced the most radical cuts in modern history of the United Kingdom. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, has confirmed the target announced in June for the reduction of public spending, then fixed at about 83 billion pounds (95 billion euros) by 2015. At this horizon, Britain will cut 490,000 government jobs, to "avoid bankruptcy" and "away from the precipice."

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Eat or be eaten. This is the alternative for Brossard. "If in one year, we always carry 66 million euros in turnover without the prospect of major development, I prefer the company to a lean largest in the industry! Le Figaro says its CEO, Guy Schumacher, who has 78% stake in the company. But we can make the company grow quickly. "

Brossard will multiply the product launches. Soon the menu, a family marbled slices pre-cut cakes and gluten free. Next year will mark his return to television advertising for the occasion and come out the icon, Papy Brossard.

To survive in a market dominated by brands and where a slew of competitors are installed (Lu, Cadbury, BN Delacre, Bonne Maman, Kambly), Brossard is also decided to exit the segment marbled, cakes and brownies.Elbow to elbow with LU, it certainly dominates this category, but it remains weak, with 300 million euros of turnover. Brossard will initiate crepes, waffles and muffins (a market of 500 million euros) and especially to develop the radius biscuits, which weighs 1.7 billion payday loans in one hour. A homecoming for the brand, dating back eighty years in the Charente-Maritime with boudoir biscuits and spoons. It still dominates the segment of biscuits with egg (20% market share), but today there realizes less than 8% of its sales.

Stiff competition

"Now that we are part of debt, with a company with good profitability, we will concentrate our resources on those activities," promised Guy Schumacher. For starters, the company could repatriate the production of his boudoir, she was forced to outsource in the past.Brossard and could in the coming months to buy cookies or small manufacturers get closer to partners: "I have identified nine midsize businesses in Europe that would allow me to build alliances," says Guy Schumacher, who remains in contact including Gervoson with Xavier, patron of the Biscuit Mont-Saint-Michel.

Diversification promises to be fierce. "Brossard will be faced with the leader of biscuits, LU, and faced with heavyweights such as United Biscuits (Delacre, BN), warns Jean-Daniel Pick, a partner in the firm OC & C. The company is in midstream. She was half way by shedding unprofitable part. "Brossard fate indeed more than two dark years.

In January 2008, the brand has been de-listed by Leclerc because she refused to follow the prices charged by the distributor.She ended up with 17% of turnover and fewer stocks to sell off. Guy Schumacher is pleased to have managed to avoid layoffs. Pinned to its price in an advertisement Leclerc few months later, Brossard has initiated proceedings against the teacher last spring and received 3 million euros in compensation 500 payday loans .

Weakened, Brossard nevertheless had to give this summer's activity frozen, less profitable than industrial bakery, group Labeyrie. This activity was, however, the group originally founded by Guy Schumacher, Flavors of France, renamed after the acquisition of Brossard Sara Lee in 2005 for 5 million euros. "To enhance the readability of the company, it was necessary to separate the two activities," says Guy Schumacher.The company found and amputated both plants and half its turnover, but it is ready for a fresh start.

However, if Guy Schumacher fails his bet by one year, then it should lean against bigger than him. It would have spoiled for choice. "Since the summer, it does not happen a week when I receive a call only to be bought," says the boss of Brossard.

Here we go. Renault-Nissan, which wants to be the first to mass market electric cars, has launched mass production of these models. It's Japanese, 43% owned by the French, who on Friday gave the ball rolling by starting the assembly of its electric Leaf. "This is a milestone for Nissan and Renault-Nissan alliance, but also for the entire automotive industry," welcomed Carlos Ghosn, CEO of the group, at a ceremony in the Oppama plant near Tokyo. The commercialization of the Leaf will begin in December in Japan and the United States and in Europe in early 2011.

Nissan claims to have already registered 6000 preorders in Japan and 20,000 in the United States. The site should make Oppama 6000 Leaf by March 2011. At full speed, he can assemble 50,000 per year.The production of this car will then begin in the U.S. late 2012, then in Britain in early 2013. In total, Renault-Nissan is a global production capacity of 500,000 electric cars in 2013 (divided equally between the two brands). Renault has, since late September, assembled twenty Kangoo Electric at its plant in Maubeuge. The large scale manufacturing is scheduled for summer 2011.

The availability of charging stations in question

The Turkish factory of Bursa will begin production early next month electric Fluence. Spain will be followed for breakfast quadricycle Twizy end of 2011 and the French plant Flins for Zoe, in mid-2012. This site will have an initial production capacity of 150 000 models.

For its part, Mitsubishi has launched its i-MiEV in Japan in April 2010.The Japanese group has also started in early October production of the i-MiEV for Europe, as well as Peugeot and Citroen C iOn Zero-suited to this model. Mitsubishi will supply a total of 100,000 electric cars to PSA Peugeot Citroen in 2015. Meanwhile, the French will assemble Peugeot Partner and Citroen Berlingo electric version in its Vigo plant in Spain by the end of 2012. Finally, General Motors will start producing its Volt in the U.S. by the end of 2010.

Renault-Nissan plans electric that represent 10% of global sales in 2020. Most of his competitors are less optimistic. Among the obstacles possible: the availability of charging stations, the autonomy of car (150 kilometers) and prices. The Leaf will cost 30,000 euros when state aid deducted, such as the Peugeot ion. The Kangoo ZERenault will be offered to 15 000 euros in France (bonus deducted) plus a monthly rental of the battery to 72 euros.

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