Lunch at the circle is an informal group of people – originally friends and friends of friends but now broader than that. There are a few things that bring us together: we are all interested in networking with other professionals; we all have a background in the technology sector; we all have experience of senior business management positions (typically 15 or more years experience); we have an international perspective; and we like to learn more about new issues and opportunities in the tech sector, to meet and to discuss.

We meet three times each season, usually over lunch, with an invited speaker (and discussion leader) learn about and to debate & discuss an interesting business and technology related subject. Another important thing is that everyone is there because he/she has been invited as a person to join – no one is there as a representative for a company.

Speakers
At most events we have an invited speaker, usually a business (non-technical) person who introduces a theme, and leads a discussion, on a topical subject. It is usually technology business focussed, with a bit of a special penchant for entrepreneurship issues. But sometimes we also do other things, like a panel debate with tree leading head hunters on how they see the market evolving, or a mini-workshop on how to deal with tricky journalists.

We have for exampled covered: Open source and its impact on IT (presented by one of France’s Open Source “gurus”); Blogs (by the pioneer of blogging in France), PriceMinister.com (by the founder), mobile marketing – what new opportunities does it give (a UK marketing consultant); IT security – why and how is it important (security consultant and ex-director of IT at a French MNC); Business models and opportunities in WiFi (two WiFi entrepreneurs)…

How is it organised?

There is no formal membership in Lunch at the Circle. Those who participate do so since they have been personally invited by one of the organisers or by a participant. Participation in the Lunch at the Circle group is on invitation only. But we do keep a list of “Friends of the Circle” – with a short profile of everyone to facilitate networking, including contact details, and members have access to a LinkedIn group for L@C.

Currently the Friends of the Circle counts some 250 people.

Language is either (or both) English or French.

Here are three examples of participants, one of which is also the organiser: P., currently involved in a start-up business development project mixing internet, tourism and wine with previous responsibilities in IT and telco European marketing, management and strategic business development; A., technology and media entrepreneur currently developing two media distribution business projects; and L., currently responsible for the southern Europe operations of a US IT company with previous responsibilities in sales and business development in the software sector.

If, for some reason, you want to contact us you can do so on the contact page.

We may not be very quick to answer since we do not check this “public” email very often, so if you really want to get in touch with us quickly you should contact someone who is a member.