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Michel Pebereau, born in 1942, is Chairman and former Chief Executive Officer of BNP Paribas. He graduated from the ecole Polytechnique in 1965 and held various positions in France’s Ministry of Economy and Finance before going into banking.
World Expositions have become an important platform to exchange innovative ideas, display historical experience while looking to the future, and to anchor economic, scientific, technological and cultural exchanges. Strong of a rich and ancient civilisation, China has been at the heart of international exchanges. Due to its remarkable economic development over the past thirty years, Western eyes see China as a fascinating country and a major centre of interest. The impact and the visibility of Expo 2010 will be considerable, not only in China but throughout the world. The choice of Shanghai for this exhibition also reflects the support and confidence of the international community in China’s reforms and its opening-up. It expresses our high expectations and our confidence in China’s future development. In this vein, I am pleased to observe that, French authorities have been the very first ones to confirm their participation in the Expo, hence symbolising their commitment to this event.
The theme“Better City, Better Life”embraces universal concepts. Looking towards the future and caring about ways to improve living conditions, it evokes sustainable development, biodiversity, diversity, technology and well-being. It reminds us that we are living in a fast changing world, more global than ever. This echoes the motto chosen for our group --“A Changing World”, a world filled with challenges and opportunities.
Our group is particularly keen in this Expo for a number of reasons. The relationship between BNP Paribas and Shanghai has always been quite distinctive. The group’s presence in China can be traced back to 1860. At the time, the Comptoir d’Escompte National chose Shanghai to open its first Asian office. I am delighted that we will celebrate BNP Paribas’150th year of presence in Shanghai in 2010. Given our long term commitment to China it is no surprise that the International Bank of Paris and Shanghai, formed in Shanghai in 1992, was the first Sino-foreign joint-venture bank in Shanghai. Nearly twenty five years later we have been able to convert our branches throughout China into wholly owned branches of BNP Paribas (China) Ltd. In this context, it is no surprise that we have also decided to register our headquarters in Shanghai.
Personally, I have had the pleasure to be closely involved in matters of importance for Shanghai, as I have been serving as a member of the International Business Leaders’Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai since 2004. This forum has offered a unique opportunity to witness, over time, the pace of development of the city and to assess its great potential to establish itself as a world-class capital and major financial centre.
