Judges
Jo Hawley
Deputy Trade Commissioner for Europe and Country Director for France at the British Embassy in Paris
Jo has worked for the UK Government for more than 20 years. She began as Country Director of the Department for Business and Trade team at the British Embassy in Paris and Deputy Trade Commissioner for Europe in August 2023. Jo's previous position was as British Consul-General Guangzhou since July 2019. She led the British Government’s engagement in the provinces of South China: Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hunan and Jiangxi. From 2014-2017, she was Director of International Trade and Investment at the British Consulate General in Hong Kong. She has previously served as Private Secretary to a Minister of State and completed two postings at the UK Representation to the European Union. In addition to working for the Foreign Office and Department for International Trade, she has worked at the Cabinet Office and Department for Education in roles focused on improving and modernising public services. Jo graduated from Durham University with a degree in Modern European Languages.
Scott Ruby
Deputy Country Director at the British Embassy in Paris
Scott Ruby took up the role of Deputy Country Director at the British Embassy in Paris in October 2022. He has broad experience of the public and private sectors having started his career in management consultancy at PwC and then undertaking various Civil Service roles in London. At PwC, Scott led finance and operational improvement projects with public and private sector clients in the UK and overseas. Since joining the UK Civil Service in 2016, Scott has worked in several government departments, including the Department for Transport where he was Head of Financial Planning. Scott is an outdoors enthusiast and worked as a caddie while studying Physics at the University of St Andrews.
Françoise Rausch OBE
President of the Franco-British Chamber
With more than 40 years' experience as a manager in leading Anglo-Saxon industrial companies in the global construction and agricultural machinery markets, such as the British JCB group and the American Case group, Françoise Rausch has acquired a deep level of knowledge and expertise in international business relations at both a European and global level. After serving as Chief Executive Officer of JCB SAS for 15 years, she joined the Case group as Vice President in charge of EAME. At the end of 2000, she returned to JCB headquarters to ensure the development of global sales as Managing Director of JCB Sales and a member of the World Executive Committee.
In 2012, she was appointed Officer of the British Empire for services to British industry. Member of the board since 2015, she has been President of the Franco-British Chamber since July 2023. Françoise is also Vice-President - Treasurer of the FICIME and Honorary Judicial Expert approved by the Court of Cassation.
Catherine Le Yaounac OBE
General Manager of the Franco-British Chamber
Catherine has been the General Manager of the Franco-British Chamber since 1993, when she accepted the challenge of the Chamber's financial recovery, the creation of new services and the development of membership. Projects to which will be added include numerous innovations in event typology, the development of new digital media, and Brexit since 2016, which led to the creation in 2019 of the Think Tank, Cross-Channel Institute. The Franco-British Chamber is today one of the most dynamic chambers of commerce in the United Kingdom on European soil, and has been awarded numerous prizes (Events, Membership and Digital communication...). For her 20 years in the Chamber in 2013, her European peers awarded her "The Howard Rosen Special Award for Excellence". In February 2025, she was awarded an OBE for services to Franco-British trade. Catherine previously held positions in a Special Products Export Department of the Elf Atochem-Ceca group. She is also a board member for the “Fondation Franco-Britannique de la Colony de Sillery”.
Partners
The British Embassy in Paris
The Commercial Section of the British Embassy in Paris provides free support for UK companies selling to France and French investors expanding in the UK.
The Embassy provides links between business and government, with teams across policy, promotion, market access, trade and investment.
The Embassy drives economic growth by supporting Modern Industrial Strategy priority sectors to create jobs and opportunities across the UK.
Contact:
The Franco-British Chamber
Created in 1873, the Franco-British Chamber of Commerce & Industry is the oldest international chamber of commerce in France and Europe. Established for more than 150 years in Paris, then in the French regions, we offer our members – companies of all sizes, multi-sector and international – a wide range of tailor-made services to help them in their cross-Channel development.
The Franco-British Chamber is the premier Franco-British business network in France. You will find in the Chamber a solid interactive network of private and public partners in France and the United Kingdom.
Today, the Franco-British Chamber supports companies and brings together managers and independents – from entrepreneurs to Executives and CEOs of groups listed on the CAC 40 or FTSE 100 – to meet their business and relational expectations in the short, medium and long term.
Contact: