(L-R): Jugera Ibrahimi, BLC Chair; Cynthia Albrecht, BLC; Ambassador John Marshall;

The British Ladies Club (BLC) hosted their monthly Professional and Entrepreneurial Women event on Wednesday 7 February 2018, at the British Ambassador's Residence in Luxembourg-ville.

The reception was hosted by Ambassador John Marshall in one of the elegant reception rooms where a group of over 30 participants enjoyed light refreshments and pleasant conversation before the panel session.

Ambassador Marshall opened by welcoming the BLC members and attendees and sharing with them a most interesting brief history of the Residence building. The BLC Chair, Jugera Ibrahimi, then also made a few remarks before handing over to the panel moderator, Anay Acosta Reyes.

During the panel session, Anay asked a series of questions that encouraged the panellists to share their stories, their challenges and how they overcame them. Though working in very different fields there were common themes discussed such as achieving a work-life balance, burnout, living and working in different countries and, above all, working on something about which they were passionate. It was this passion for what they do that inspired each of them to launch their own businesses where they could work on their own terms. They then talked about the practicalities of launching a business in Luxembourg, how they did this and where they got support through their own networks. The questioning ended with a final one on the legacy they hoped to achieve which included changing the attitudes of business to understanding that people can have a career without a cost to their health, achieving personal success in their work and raising their families well. The evening was brought to a close with a dynamic question and answer session with many interesting and enlightening discussions.

The 3 three inspirational panellists were:

- Joanna Denton, Chair of the British Chamber of Commerce and a public speaking and leadership coach who helps smart leaders excel in their careers and thrive in their lives.

- Carolina Lazo-Albrecht, a practising architect based in Luxembourg, with international experience in architecture, urban design and architectural education.

- Tina Radford, 'Gweek' Ambassador. 'Gweekspeech' is a mobile application designed to improve communication and presentation skills.

The next event will take place at 19:00 on Wednesday 14 March 2018 at the Doubletree by Hilton in Luxembourg-Dommeldange.​