Philippe Glaesener, Georges Krombach, Julie Becker, Caroline Lamboley, Manou Hoss, Paul Konsbruck and Laurent Probst (absent on the day of the photo shoot) were the jury members that selected this year’s 100 most influential business and economic players in Luxembourg. Photo: Guy Wolff and Eva Krins/Maison Moderne

Philippe Glaesener, Georges Krombach, Julie Becker, Caroline Lamboley, Manou Hoss, Paul Konsbruck and Laurent Probst (absent on the day of the photo shoot) were the jury members that selected this year’s 100 most influential business and economic players in Luxembourg. Photo: Guy Wolff and Eva Krins/Maison Moderne

Every day, everywhere, they are working to shape a prosperous and sustainable future for our economy, which is open changeable economic pressures, sensitive to geopolitics and directly affected by global and regional crises. It is these influencers that a panel of judges has been looking at since the start of the summer, for the tenth edition that retains a tried and tested methodology, to come up with a Top 100, then a Top 10 and finally a winner to succeed Julie Becker as Luxembourg’s most influential economic personality.

"All the candidates' contributions were taken into consideration, beyond their professional activity, in particular their involvement in professional associations or federations, and their contribution to an entire industry, beyond the company they represent." , winner of the , has become Julie Becker, president of the jury for the tenth edition of this list of the country's most influential economic decision-makers, which was the brainchild of in the early 2000s.

Since the publication in the August-September 2024 issue of Paperjam , the jury - still made up of seven people, three women and four men – met on several occasions with the utmost discretion and respect for the strictest confidentiality. During this delicate exercise, which consisted of finalising an initial list of 100 personalities, then slowly working towards a top 10 and then a winner, the discussions were rich, bringing together the sometimes very different worlds of the jury members, which makes their decisions all the more relevant. While some advocated the recognition of an entrepreneur who had transformed his or her sector, others defended a more discreet figure who had influenced global economic policies. Some advanced a certain idea of the financial centre, while others ensured that the balance was respected, between sectors, between men and women, between entrepreneurs and those who, at the head of larger structures, exercise decisive leadership over the future of their sector.

Only a current snapshot

As is the case every two years, the Paperjam Top 100 is not intended to honour a decision-maker for his or her merit over the course of his or her career, but to highlight, at a given moment in time, those who are in touch with the economic reality of the country through their influence. Those who, through their functions or activities, exert a tangible influence on the economy and politics of Luxembourg were therefore eligible. "We decided to exclude representatives of the civil service, as they are more 'political' decision-makers who can certainly give a great boost to our country's economy, but they are not 'economic' decision-makers in the strict sense of the term, with a measurable financial contribution to the grand duchy's GDP," explained Becker.

Former winners of the Paperjam Top 100 are no longer eligible for inclusion, even though it seems fairly obvious that most of them continue to leave their mark on the strategic choices made by companies and by the country. The members of the jury were also excluded from this ranking, as were the employees and managers of Maison Moderne - the publisher of Paperjam. The painstaking work of the jury, carried out until this autumn with the support of the founder and CEO of Maison Moderne, , and his strategic assistant, Marie-Jo Gutenkauf, led to this snapshot of the current dynamics of the Luxembourg economy. A glance at the portraits of these 100 personalities is all it takes to appreciate the direction and messages that the jury wanted to convey in this ranking. More than just a title, this award celebrates an individual's ability to inspire and transform our times. It is a reminder that the economy is above all about human impact and vision.

The jury

Julie Becker

The CEO of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange since April 2021 is the outgoing winner of the Paperjam Top 100.

Manou Hoss is a managing partner at Elvinger Hoss, providing support to the major legal players in the business world.

Senior vice president at SES Space & Defense, specialising in space solutions.

A visionary at Luxconnect, he is developing the excellence of Luxembourg's data centres.

Commercial director of Landewyck Tobacco, he shapes growth strategies.

Founder of Lamboley Executive Search, expert in the recruitment of talented executives.

Laurent Probst

Partner at PWC Luxembourg, he innovates in digital transformation and innovation.

This article was published as part of the print edition of magazine, published on 11 December 2024. 

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