#portrait
Long before the first speaker took the stage on 30 June, conversations were already flowing through the gardens of Lyon’s Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse.
Diplomats, entrepreneurs, lawyers, consultants and executives had gathered for FIBA Lyon‘s sold-out Summer Cocktail, the association’s flagship annual event.
This year’s discussion, The Impact of Sport on Business, explored what business can learn from the way sport develops leadership, builds teams and creates trust.
Moving quietly between groups was Rachel Maury.
President of FIBA Lyon since 2022 and now midway through her second three-year mandate, she has led the association during a period in which face-to-face business networking has regained momentum after years dominated by remote working.
Throughout the evening, she welcomed long-standing members and first-time attendees alike while conversations formed naturally around her.
A network built on relationships
Founded to strengthen Franco-British business links, FIBA Lyon has become one of the region’s longest-established English-speaking business associations.
Around one hundred entrepreneurs, consultants, lawyers, accountants, translators and executives now make up a network extending well beyond its original bilateral roots.
Alongside British and French members, professionals from South Africa, the Netherlands, Sweden, North America, China and Australia reflect the international character of the association.
Under Rachel’s presidency, FIBA Lyon has diversified its programme while preserving its original purpose.
Business lunches remain central to the calendar, complemented by breakfast meetings, networking evenings and mentoring initiatives for students preparing for international careers.
Current and former committee members interviewed during the event described an organisation where professional relationships develop over time rather than through immediate commercial opportunities.
Several also observed that attendance had strengthened as companies returned to in-person events after the pandemic.
Why sport?
The evening’s panel, titled The Impact of Sport on Business, reflected practical business questions rather than sporting ones.
For many of FIBA Lyon’s members, it offered a framework to explore leadership, multicultural teams and recruitment across borders, as well as the challenge of aligning people around shared objectives.
The panel brought together Andrew Dalgleish, HM Deputy Ambassador to France; Vincent Ponsot, Chief Executive Officer of OL Lyonnes; Eric Mérand, Director of Operations for Venue Design and Regional Sites for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games; and sports business consultant Alexandra Boyi.
Drawing on experience from diplomacy, elite sport, major international events and consultancy, they discussed how organisations approach leadership, diversity, teamwork and recruitment.
The discussion also looked ahead to the French Alps Winter Olympic Games in 2030 and other major sporting events scheduled across Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
Participants highlighted the practical cooperation required between businesses, public authorities and sporting organisations as the region prepares to host them.
The discussion also explored how sport can support recruitment and social inclusion. Speakers highlighted the French Stade vers l’emploi initiative, where employers and job seekers first meet through sporting activities before formal interviews take place.
According to figures shared during the discussion, around 70 per cent of long-term unemployed participants subsequently returned to work.
Leading through connections
The themes discussed during the evening echoed the leadership style colleagues most often associate with Rachel Maury.
One long-standing member described her as having « an iron hand in a velvet glove« .
Others spoke of a president who prefers listening before speaking and who has broadened the association’s activities while preserving its identity.
Originally from north-west England and a graduate of the University of Manchester, Rachel Maury began her career in Manchester before moving to France, where she developed expertise in international marketing, brand strategy and business development.
After holding senior marketing positions with companies including Coats Viyella Home Furnishings, Dorma France and Descamps, she founded the branding consultancy Twinfish Design, which she led for almost two decades.
Between 2016 and 2022, she also taught international marketing and brand management at INSEEC, sharing her professional experience with business students.
Maury took over the presidency of FIBA Lyon in 2022 as the association emerged from the pandemic, when one of its immediate challenges was encouraging members to return to face-to-face networking after months of remote meetings.
While preserving its established business lunches, she expanded the programme with breakfast meetings, informal networking evenings and mentoring opportunities for students and young professionals preparing for international careers.
She also strengthened relationships with other Franco-British business associations across France, helping FIBA Lyon evolve into an English-speaking business community that now brings together professionals from far beyond the United Kingdom and France.
In 2020, Rachel Maury also opened PATATE, an independent organic grocery overlooking the Saône. Although her work has spanned branding, education, retail and international business, a common thread runs through each endeavour:
- creating places where people meet,
- conversations begin
- and lasting relationships develop.
Colleagues say the same philosophy defines her leadership. Rather than seeking the spotlight herself, she is known for bringing people together, encouraging others to contribute and quietly creating the conditions for meaningful exchanges to happen.
Beyond the formal programme
When the panel concluded, the evening continued in the Conservatoire’s gardens. A live jazz quartet accompanied the cocktail reception as discussions moved naturally from the themes raised on stage to recruitment, entrepreneurship, international development and future collaborations.
Small groups formed, dispersed and reassembled while conversations carried on well after the formal programme had ended.
Rachel remained among the participants until late in the evening. By the time the last guests began to leave, the panel had finished some time earlier. The conversations it had prompted were still continuing.
What stands out most about her is her ability to bring people together. She also demonstrates remarkable tact and composure in the way she leads discussions and negotiations. She could best be described as having an iron fist in a velvet glove.
Since becoming President, she has also introduced a greater diversity of speakers invited to address the luncheon meetings.
Excellent piece of editorial writing.
What stands out is the quality of the storytelling: rather than simply reporting on an event, the article weaves together leadership, international business, networking, and the role of sport as a catalyst for collaboration into a compelling narrative. The writing is engaging, well-structured, and succeeds in giving readers both context and perspective.
I particularly appreciated the balance between profiling Rachel Maury’s leadership and highlighting the broader evolution of FIBA Lyon as an international business community. It is a great example of how thoughtful journalism can turn an event into a story with lasting relevance.
Congratulations to Lyon Éco et Culture, Dorotheé Oké on publishing such a well-crafted and insightful article.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful and generous comments.
We’re delighted that the article resonated with you and that its focus on the people, ideas, and connections behind the event came through so clearly.
Your encouragement means a great deal to both Dorothée Oké and the Lyon Éco et Culture team.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.
A thoroughly engaging read.
What impressed me most was the editorial approach. Instead of focusing solely on the event itself, the article captures the people, the ideas, and the conversations that shape an international business community. It offers a genuine sense of place while illustrating how meaningful connections are built through shared experiences and dialogue.
The writing is polished, insightful, and easy to follow, making complex themes such as leadership, collaboration, and cross-cultural networking both accessible and relevant. A fine example of business journalism that informs while keeping the reader engaged.
Well done to Lyon Éco et Culture for delivering such a thoughtful and compelling piece.
Thank you so much for your kind words and thoughtful feedback. We’re truly pleased that you enjoyed the article and appreciated our editorial approach. Your encouragement means a lot to the entire Lyon Éco et Culture team. Thank you again for taking the time to write.