Slide 1
Our Mission
To bring maximum value to the members with the smallest possible time investment.
« Trees in a forest grow higher and stronger than isolated trees »
Mont Blanc Circle

MBC
Public Affairs

Billund Retreat
5 & 6th December 2024

Days
Hours
Min
Sec

MBC
Internal Audit​

Herzogenaurach Retreat
20 & 21st March 2025

Days
Hours
Min
Sec

MBC
Legal

Helsinki Retreat
15 & 16th May 2025

Days
Hours
Min
Sec

MBC
Compliance

Ludwigshafen Retreat
Spring 2025

Days
Hours
Min
Sec

MBC
Privacy

Paris Retreat
Spring 2025

Days
Hours
Min
Sec

MBC
Audit Analytics

TBD
Spring 2025

Days
Hours
Min
Sec

The Mont Blanc Circle concept

  • The different Mont Blanc Circles bring together the Seniormost Executives responsible for respectively Legal, Compliance, Internal Audit, Privacy, Public Affairs and Audit Analytics. The concept addresses the need for them to share and discuss in a open and trustful forum their experience, achievements but most importantly genuine issues they are facing in their day-to-day job. Every Circle meets up twice a year for 1 ½ days at the premises of one of the members and we also organise a number of on demand services. 

  • The number of members is capped which offers a better opportunity for developing strong personal contacts and active contribution. Membership is intuitu personae.

  • Besides the two-day Retreats we organise each Spring and Fall, the Mont Blanc Circle also provides a series of services and activities allowing the members to share and/or collect best practice information, benchmarking data and peer feedback.

  • Each Circle has a Steering Committee composed of a number of Members, the Moderator/Content Director and the MBC Managing Director. The Steering Committee vets new members, validates the Programmes of the Retreats and the other activities of the Circle. 

  • The activities of the Circles and the topics covered are based on the suggestions made by the members and therefore focus on concrete sharing and discussing common concerns. We also involve selected External Speakers who bring value with their expert insights.

  • Last but not least, the Mont Blanc Circle is an independent initiative with no sponsors or vendors involved.

MontBlanc Circle

For those who prefer figures

.

2023

Number of In Person/Hybrid Retreats

0

Number of extra Online Activities

18

Satisfaction
Rate

50 %

Numbers of
countries

0

Highest Satisfaction Rate
presentation by a member

50 %

Highest Satisfaction Rate
for an External Speaker

50 %

2022

8
44
86.16 %
22
99.21 %
96.83 %

2021

0
66
88.44 %
21
97.96 %
95.54 %

2020

0
30
87.87 %
20
92.06 %
92.86 %

SAQ (Seldomly Asked Questions)

MontBlanc Circle

Talking to leading executives showed that existing associations and networks were not fully satisfying their needs and expectations. In their experience, all were failing on one or more of the following points:

  • They were mostly polished gatherings where making a good impression was more important than displaying genuine listening skills to the enrichment of all.
  • The presentations were brought with no or little interaction with the audience and were too much of an academic nature, not bringing a lot of value for the daily practice and reality of the participants.
  • One could feel that people were not speaking openly but only sharing showcases.
  • The organisations behind these associations and networks were almost all of Anglo-Saxon origin (UK and even USA) which was reflected in their approach and programmes. Whilst this will certainly correspond to the needs of some, it was felt that there was certainly room for a strong and genuinely international initiative.
  • Most of these associations were de facto dominated by a few very big players, to the detriment of participants representing other but nonetheless really international and even (very) sizeable corporations.
  • They were sponsored by Vendors/Service providers who were eating up your time (up to and including a series of mandatory one-to-one meetings), distracting the group focus and stifling the discussions.
  • The pricing was and still is either very high (going for some between €15.000 and €75.000) or not expensive at all (a few hundreds) but delivering not much added value.

The first Mont Blanc Circle was set up in 2010 and was a peer network of General Counsels and some selected international Outside Counsels. It was very well received and received high Satisfaction Rates. Based on this good experience, some suggested to start a dedicated Circle for Compliance Officers which was done in 2015. One day, a member of the Compliance Circle invited his Head of Internal Audit to come and address the group. Back in his company, another participating member shared that presentation with his own Head of Internal Audit who wondered why there was not such Mont Blanc Circle for CAOs. This was set up in 2017. That same year, the CPO of a worldwide company came and made a presentation to the Legal Circle. From the discussions, it appeared that there was great interest in creating another Circle for this important and growing function of Privacy. Hence, the Privacy Circle was created in 2019. And similarly, we created a Circle for Public Affairs in 2020 and one for Audit Analytics in 2023.

We are not interested to set up Circles for the fun of it. But when we receive direct requests of interested leading professionals in a given function, we are happy to take action and see whether there is indeed a broader interest. Today, we also benefit form cross-fertilization between Circles in terms of speakers, contacts, referrals etc. The members consider this to be a key strength of the Mont Blanc Circle. Currently, based on new input and requests we received, we are exploring whether there is interest from other functions to set up their own Circle as well.

Whilst there are of course financial considerations in setting up and managing the different Circles, we aim first and foremost for long-term quality, both in terms of the people we bring together as in terms of the programmes we present. That is the reason why membership is intuitu personae and the very reason why we limit the membership to a number that allows strong personal contacts, intense and open interaction during and in between the Retreats and most important, the building of that genuine trust-based relationship amongst members.

Unfortunately, this happens. “Unfortunately” because there are very good and talented people we have to refuse because they do not have the most senior position in their area in their company or sometimes because the company has only a limited international footprint. We take great care in building a coherent and consistent membership so that the members are really meeting up with their peers and can learn from each other and grow together.

No, this never happened. We invite the members to give feedback and are always very open and happy to discuss any issue, there are no taboos. We are very flexible and accommodating, it is the Circle of the Members ! We understand that our members are under high pressure and have their own constraints. When members leave it is always for reasons not related to the functioning of the Circle, like a change of job outside their function, an international assignment outside Europe, an internal move to a different function, retirement, …

Following the crisis, it was decided to cancel all gatherings in 2020 and 2021. During this period, we organised regular Group Videocalls in all Circles. Meanwhile, in close consultation with all the members, we developed a series of new services and activities allowing the members to continue to share and/or collect best practice information, benchmarking data and peer feedback, even in these covid times. After covid we ran a survey in order to identify and maintain those new activities which were bringing the highest value to the members. Hence, after the covid crisis, the offer of the Mont Blanc Circle has only become richer !

Not to have dared to start the Mont Blanc Circle earlier.

Thank you for your interest in the Mont Blanc Circle.

If you want more information or if you have questions:

Drop us a line                     pascal@montblanccircle.eu

Give us a call                       +32 475 655 955