2013 will be a challenging year for all those involved in activities at the Britcham SP branch in terms of developing and improving actions which respond to its associates’ needs and make them feel special. Our strategy will be related to the importance of the value perceived by associates and others interested in our activities. The mapping of events has already been carried out and we would now like to use the points raised in an assertive form, in order to attain the necessary results.

The coordinators for the various thematic committees will also be committed to this strategy, developing events of their usual high quality and added value. In addition to the themes for each of the committees (Health, Human Resources, the Environment, Legal and Fiscal Matters, IT and Telecommunications, Economy and Business, Ethics and Social Responsibility and International Trade and Investments) will also be a general theme which will probably be on Infrastructure, to be covered at a major event organised by all the committees, with specific panels involving each one.

The success of activities in 2012 will serve as a model and encouragement for events in 2013. Among these we highlight the Breakfast Meetings organised by the Environmental Committee, with talks on Socio-environmental risks: the Viewpoint of Financial Institutions with Christoffer Wells; on the Conduct Adjustment Term: updates, controversies and the Public Prosecution Service’s viewpoint with Public Prosecutor, Fernando Akaoui; on the New Forest Code and the Environmental Sanitation Technology Company’s (Cetesb) viewpoint with engineer, Antonio Luiz Lima de Queiros and on Paying for Environmental Services with Helena de Queiroz Carrascosa Von Glehn. The Legal and Fiscal Matters Committee’s seminars were on Alterations to Transfer Pricing Legislation and Renewing Electrical Energy Concessions. The Health seminars were on Reviewing the Hospital Payment Model for Private Sources and Public Policies and Industrial Development in the Health Sector. The HR Committee’s events were a talk by César Souza on Inspirational Leadership: Attitudes which Make a Difference at NeoEmpresa; a workshop with Heitor Peixoto and Daniel Miraglia on Collapse in the Brazilian Labour Force; a talk with Vera Rita de Mello Ferreira on Economic Decisions (this event was held together with the Economy and Business Committee) and a seminar on the Ethical Challenge in Companies (together with the Ethics and Social Responsibility Committee). A talk by Rafael Kiso on the Importance and Impact of Social Media in the World of Business was organised by the Economy and Business Committee. The IT and Telecommunication Committee’s events included a talk by Massayuki Fujimoto on Mobile Payment in Brazil and a debate on Technical Advances and Trends in the Banking Sector. There were also memorable Breakfast Meetings with renowned speakers, including the Federal Deputy, Walter Feldman, on the London Experience assisting São Paulo, the city of Mega Events; José Roberto Martins on Intangible Capital and Vera Thorstensen on Exchange Rate Misalignments and Effects on Commercial Policy. Proudly drawing our activities to a close was our elegant and lively Britcham Masked Ball.

Rodrigo A. Correia da Silva
President, Britcham São Paulo