Chers adhérents, chers amis,

Bonne et heureuse année à tous et à toutes!

Wishing you the best for a joyous and prosperous New Year! MERCI to each and every one of you for making 2011 a successful year for the FACC-Chicago and for allowing us to be increasingly innovative in 2012.

Looking ahead, we are delighted to announce our 20^th Anniversary La Nuit des Etoiles gala that will take place on March 2 at the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower. We will recognize 20 years of talent and inspiration in our annual celebration of the French-American entrepreneurial spirit. Stay tuned for more information, and we certainly hope that you will be able to join us!

We also welcome you, our members, to attend our General Assembly and Annual Members Reception. Join our Board of Directors from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. on January 26 at the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower to learn about FACC’s initiatives for 2012 and to toast to a year of growth! Please do take a moment to register here.

FACC-Chicago is proud to announce the launch of its NEW InterConnect Program. You should all have received information about it; Antoine Mauuary, our new Talent Manager Consultant, will be happy to individually explain the program in further details, the new FACC-Chicago partnerships with French business and engineering schools, and the prospects for your company.

In this month’s newsletter, Collin Canright of Canright Communications provides us with in-depth analysis of foreseeable changes in how individuals and businesses make both domestic and international e-payments. You will also find information on new initiatives of several of our member companies, including those in the interior design, consulting, retail, and shipping and logistics sectors. We are also delighted to welcome two new “Programme Privilèges” members: Vanille Patisserie and La Parisianne du Chocolat. Celebrate the New Year with offers discounted exclusively to FACC members!

Bien sûr, I hope to see many of you this month! Don’t forget to register for our first Business Breakfast Seminar of 2012 on Wednesday, January 25. Doug Seville and Myriam Le Cannellier of DSML Executive Search will present on “Using Social Media for Hiring Decisions.” You can learn more about this event in our electronic invitation and register online.

As always, we are here to support you in your activities on both sides of the Atlantic.

Avec tous mes voeux,

Emmanuèle van Houdenhoven

Executive Director