Event report
WA | International Women's Day - VIP Lunch 2019
For its 2nd time, the FACCI WA was pleased to organize its International Women’s Day VIP Lunch. The 2019 edition was focused on French-Australian links through talented and prestigious women.
This 8th of March, FACCI WA was pleased to organise its International Women’s Day VIP Lunch. This 2019 edition was focused on French-Australian links through talented and prestigious women.
Our 50 guests entered to the marvellous and gourmet Chez Pierre restaurant, where a great set dining room and a glass of champagne were waiting for them.
Some brave men were present and the ambiance was well balanced with a social and networking mood. Christine Caseris, our FACCI WA President opened the event with a speech honouring the International women’s movement who started early 1910 and how important it is to fight for equality in anything we endure in life. She then introduced our 2 special guests’ speakers: Mrs. Janet Hann, MD at Neptune Energy Bonaparte, and Mrs. Karina Waters, Chateau de Gudanes’ owner and entrepreneur.
The lunch great starters (Burgundy snails, French onions soup, Prawn crepe…) was served while Janet Hann did her presentation: with a 30-year successful career driving large, complex projects, including some of Australia’s and the world’s largest oil and gas projects with globally recognized companies, such as BP, Apache, Woodside Petroleum, Santos, Origin (APLNG) and GDF SUEZ, Janet’s presentation was based on Women involvement and importance in France and Australia. She gave key figures and details about her favourite managing Women.
Her dynamic presentation raised an excellent Q&A session, adding more information to the implication for women to be in a corporate role.
Then, no time to wait: the main course is served! Confit Duck Leg, Tender ‘Amelia Park’ rump of lamb or the fish of the day with a nice glass of wine: it was gorgeous!
To stay in the French “Art de Vivre”, it was time for our second guest speaker to stand up. Mrs Karina Waters is a West Australian, married with two children. Previously working in tax accounting, she now lives between Perth and the Pyrenees where she has undertaken the renovation of a lifetime. She and her husband purchased the Chateau de Gudanes on the border of France and Spain in 2013. The chateau is a social media star in her own right; she has an Instagram and makes frequent appearances in magazines like Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. Her presentation highlighted the love story between her family and the Chateau de Gudanes. Full of impressive and colourful pictures, her presentation followed each step of the renovation: from the search to the right property to the renovation, until today. The chateau is now living again thanks to the Waters family.
To perfectly end and conclude this lunch, the desert was a choice between a house-made Lemon Pie, a mousse cake, or the traditional Crème Brulée.
The attendees had the opportunity to network, as well as meet and greet our guest speakers. Christine ended the event by thanking everyone again, and particularly our two marvelous Women of the day: Janet for embracing the cross cultural corporate world and Karina for bringing back to life a piece of history for France!
Thank you to “Chez Pierre” Restaurant for creating a fantastic lunch and a warm welcome to all our guests.
An amazing event to celebrate the Women’s day!
