Christopher Frères on backing yourself
In this series, we sit down with some of our colleagues at the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE) to talk about how they came to work at our exchange, what life at LuxSE is like for them and what they appreciate the most about their jobs.
In this instalment of our 'Life at LuxSE' series, we sat down with Christopher Frères, Head of Human Resources at LuxSE.
How does someone go from becoming a qualified French, History and Social Science teacher to Head of Human Resources at LuxSE? Well, speaking from his 4th floor office overlooking Stäreplaz, Christopher is well placed to answer this question.
Teaching and Human Resources share some commonalities. Although the ages, backgrounds and overall size of his 'class' is quite different at LuxSE, Christopher and his team are the hive from which all our training initiatives emerge. They are the first friendly faces that our new joiners meet on their first day at LuxSE and trusted confidants for some of the more well-versed employees that work on our premises.
Before forging his career in the Human Resources scene of the Grand Duchy – a career choice that has seen him stand on Paperjam’s 10x6 stage to give his two-cents on finding and acquiring the best talent – Christopher moved from teaching to sales and then back to lecturing with Generali Belgium.
It was following a move to BNP Paribas in Luxembourg that Christopher's journey into Human Resources began and paved the road that ultimately led him to our exchange in early 2022.
When asked what makes LuxSE a nice place to be and work, Christopher is quick to dive into his list.
"There is only one LuxSE - literally. We are the only stock exchange operating in Luxembourg among a forest of banks and other financial institutions. We're a small company but everything that comes out of our exchange is created within the walls of our exchange."
Having worked in some groups employing thousands of staff, the human size of our company was also a welcome breath of fresh air for our Head of Human Resources. The attention, visibility and recognition that individuals get for their work in a company of 140 people is a big selling point for Christopher.
"A place to be part of extraordinary experiences" - That's how Christopher likes to describe LuxSE.
And he’s right. For a small exchange, we’ve been part of some pretty special experiences in the last year or so alone. From welcoming HRH Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg to our exchange for our special Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony with UN Women in May 2022 to a packed auditorium of some of Luxembourg’s most influential decision makers – including HRH Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg - for our Stock Exchange Day 2023, these are moments that you would not be able to experience if you worked anywhere else.
Apart from the guest list, another very unique part of many LuxSE-organised events is that you’ll often find one of our colleagues acting as Master of Ceremony for these events – guiding our audience through the programme in an engaging way that only a LuxSE employee would know how.
Reflecting on our most recent Strategy Day, which took place at the end of September, Christopher says that this initiative perfectly captures what he means when he says that what emerges from LuxSE is created at LuxSE.
"Along with all of our employees, I’ve now had the pleasure of participating in our Strategy Day event for two years in a row. When I attended my first Strategy Day last year, it was the first time in my professional career that I’ve seen something like this – where a room is filled only with employees that have been given the mission to reimagine and brainstorm concrete ideas to be implemented in a company’s strategy."
This is a testament to the collaborative and open culture that is fostered at LuxSE. Decisions on the future direction of our exchange are not just communicated by the leadership for employees to implement – we are actively asked to bring our ideas, our experiences and our viewpoints to the table during these Strategy Days to help build on a strategy that we all created together in 2022.
When asked what words of advice he would give to someone hoping to pursue a career at LuxSE, for Christopher, the sky isn't even the limit:
In this instalment of our 'Life at LuxSE' series, we sat down with Christopher Frères, Head of Human Resources at LuxSE.
Christopher's journey to LuxSE
How does someone go from becoming a qualified French, History and Social Science teacher to Head of Human Resources at LuxSE? Well, speaking from his 4th floor office overlooking Stäreplaz, Christopher is well placed to answer this question.
Teaching and Human Resources share some commonalities. Although the ages, backgrounds and overall size of his 'class' is quite different at LuxSE, Christopher and his team are the hive from which all our training initiatives emerge. They are the first friendly faces that our new joiners meet on their first day at LuxSE and trusted confidants for some of the more well-versed employees that work on our premises.
Setting the stage
Before forging his career in the Human Resources scene of the Grand Duchy – a career choice that has seen him stand on Paperjam’s 10x6 stage to give his two-cents on finding and acquiring the best talent – Christopher moved from teaching to sales and then back to lecturing with Generali Belgium.
It was following a move to BNP Paribas in Luxembourg that Christopher's journey into Human Resources began and paved the road that ultimately led him to our exchange in early 2022.
What sets us apart
When asked what makes LuxSE a nice place to be and work, Christopher is quick to dive into his list.
"There is only one LuxSE - literally. We are the only stock exchange operating in Luxembourg among a forest of banks and other financial institutions. We're a small company but everything that comes out of our exchange is created within the walls of our exchange."
Having worked in some groups employing thousands of staff, the human size of our company was also a welcome breath of fresh air for our Head of Human Resources. The attention, visibility and recognition that individuals get for their work in a company of 140 people is a big selling point for Christopher.
Extraordinary experiences
"A place to be part of extraordinary experiences" - That's how Christopher likes to describe LuxSE.
And he’s right. For a small exchange, we’ve been part of some pretty special experiences in the last year or so alone. From welcoming HRH Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg to our exchange for our special Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony with UN Women in May 2022 to a packed auditorium of some of Luxembourg’s most influential decision makers – including HRH Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg - for our Stock Exchange Day 2023, these are moments that you would not be able to experience if you worked anywhere else.
Apart from the guest list, another very unique part of many LuxSE-organised events is that you’ll often find one of our colleagues acting as Master of Ceremony for these events – guiding our audience through the programme in an engaging way that only a LuxSE employee would know how.
A strategy built together
Reflecting on our most recent Strategy Day, which took place at the end of September, Christopher says that this initiative perfectly captures what he means when he says that what emerges from LuxSE is created at LuxSE.
"Along with all of our employees, I’ve now had the pleasure of participating in our Strategy Day event for two years in a row. When I attended my first Strategy Day last year, it was the first time in my professional career that I’ve seen something like this – where a room is filled only with employees that have been given the mission to reimagine and brainstorm concrete ideas to be implemented in a company’s strategy."
This is a testament to the collaborative and open culture that is fostered at LuxSE. Decisions on the future direction of our exchange are not just communicated by the leadership for employees to implement – we are actively asked to bring our ideas, our experiences and our viewpoints to the table during these Strategy Days to help build on a strategy that we all created together in 2022.
Words of wisdom
When asked what words of advice he would give to someone hoping to pursue a career at LuxSE, for Christopher, the sky isn't even the limit:
