How did you come up with the idea to move to Luxembourg, and/or what made you decide to settle here? 

Joel Walker: I was invited to join Vodafone to help build out their global procurement centre that’s been based here since 2008.  It’s a brilliant business and grown to over 350 people from all over the world.  I came across to Luxembourg with my wonderful wife Sam and young family, two girls aged 2 and 3 at the time, and we fell in love with the place. It felt so calm, so interesting, really open and welcoming and after first thinking we’d stay for two years, we remain here now after what’s virtually 13 years.

I stepped away from Vodafone a few years ago to help build a procurement advisory business. It’s so welcoming and we feel so at home that there is no rush to move away.

What cultural differences surprised you the most when you arrived in Luxembourg?

I think I touched on some of that in my earlier answer. I’ve lived in a few places around the world, America and India as well as the UK, and the strength of local communities feels far stronger here.  I’m sure there will be people who will say it’s not what it once was, of course, but it’s still a very special place that shouldn’t be taken for granted as communities weaken elsewhere in the world. I’m not sure there is one specific major difference, there are dozens of smaller ones.

As I’ve said, the one that stands out is the amount of cultural events that happen everywhere almost all the time.  You can’t seem to go one weekend without something being celebrated or commemorated and the investment in infrastructure is something I’m not used to as a Brit! The schools, the infrastructure, the parks, the pools, the cycle path, how active the local communities are.

We seem to have an event on in Contern, our home for the last 13 years, almost every week. It’s nonstop. People seem really engaged in making their communities stronger, closer and more engaged with each other, which is a fabulous approach to life that really resonates with us.

What do you think about the professional or entrepreneurial opportunities available in Luxembourg?

That’s a tougher question. I led large teams of expats at Vodafone and the partners often struggled to settle if they were looking for work as well. Clearly, there are some large global employers here but the employment markets seem dominated by public sector jobs that people moving here can’t easily access and the private sector opportunities are largely in various finance roles. These are often not entry level jobs, so professional opportunities can be difficult if you don’t have great languages and a background in finance.

I hope we are seeing some early success with the Startup nation idea, where entities like the House of Startups or Tomorrow Street and others are working hard to create, support and scale more entrepreneurial firms, but it’s a tough slog.