In your opinion, what truly distinguishes a “national champion” from a simply high-performing company? 

Marc Lauer. – “A high-performing company may deliver good results for a few years. A ‘national champion’ is something else entirely. It is a company that endures, that grows over time, and that knows how to evolve without losing its identity. For me, there is also a dimension of trust. A national champion is a company that customers, employees, partners, and shareholders can rely on. But it is also a company that is deeply rooted in its ecosystem: one that has grown in Luxembourg, with Luxembourg, and thanks to Luxembourg. Finally, there is culture. I strongly believe in this. A company can grow, make acquisitions, and transform itself, but if it maintains a strong culture and solid values, then it builds something that lasts. That is what makes the difference. 

On a personal level, what does it take today to become a “national champion” in the business world? 

“If I had to sum it up in a simple formula, I would say: a bit of talent, a lot of hard work, and even more luck. Talent because it still takes the ability to make the right calls, to decide, and to lead. Hard work because nothing lasting is built without commitment and consistency. But luck plays a huge role. The luck of meeting the right people, of being trusted, of joining a company at the right time, in a country that also offers strong opportunities for growth. With hindsight, I think we sometimes overestimate individual trajectories. True journeys are always built with others. 

With hindsight, which decision in your career has been the most decisive? 

“Without hesitation, the most decisive decision was leaving the Commissariat aux Assurances (CAA) to join Foyer in 2004. At the time, it was not the most obvious choice: I was leaving a very secure environment to enter a private company, with all the uncertainty and responsibility that entails. Among those around me, reactions were actually mixed. But I took that risk, and looking back, I can say very simply that it was the best decision of my life. It allowed me to experience an exceptional professional journey, to discover another way of building, deciding, and acting, and, above all, to become deeply attached to a company that, over time, has become far more than just a workplace.”