800 biographies of Luxembourg decision makers are collated in the Paperjam + Delano Business Guide, which also features listings for 4,500 companies. The directory was published on 27 January, some 21 years after the launch of the first edition.

What is new in this 21st edition of the Paperjam + Delano Business Guide?

Sarah Macri. This year was a bit special because of the health crisis and its repercussions. In the openers [the first page of each category], I did not opt for a general article on the challenges facing different sectors, as usual, but I published figures related to 2020. For example, the number of people who have been teleworking, the percentage of companies with a website, the impact of covid on advertising investment, etc. Openers, just like the cover of the guide, highlight personalities who changed careers in 2020. For example, Gilles Feith, who took control of Luxair at the heart of the crisis; Paulette Lenert, appointed minister of health just prior to the crisis, in February. Or, looking at the Big Four side, two (of the four) have changed managing partners, with the appointments of David Capocci at KPMG and Olivier Coekelbergs at EY.

Another important change: the guide is now called the Paperjam + Delano Business Guide, so that there is a clearer synergy between the Paperjam and Delano brands. The guide was already available in French and English, as companies were able to decide how to communicate with readers via their calling card or biography. The website will also be available in two languages.

We have also added colour-coded indicators to the profiles of the decision makers listed in the last edition of the Paperjam Top 100 in December 2020.

What sort of work load does it take to produce these 500 pages?

Our team [of two--Sarah is assisted by Jezabel Scolastic] keep an eye on the media every day, because there are a lot of new companies being created, others that are closing, decision-makers that are facing new challenges, changing countries, others arriving…That mainly involves our flagship media, Paperjam, or people who inform us directly. People listed can change their profile directly on the dedicated platform, Paperjam Community. We also conduct three annual update request campaigns. We try to get up to date information on the site mainly through these means. And between the summer and October, we have six intense months of validation for the print version. Since the introduction of the 2018 GDPR act, all biographies are validated with the decision makers directly.

How can people get hold of the Paperjam + Delano Business Guide?

We have a print run of 20,000 copies, distributed to all Paperjam subscribers and to Club members. It can also be found on newsstands and in bookstores. It is also available via our e-shop. The paper version offers an overview of the Luxembourg economic landscape, and more companies and decision makers can be found in the digital version, updated daily.

The original French version of this article was published by Paperjam.