The Rémy Cointreau Foundation promotes the transmission of expertise and excellence

With our ambitious ^* CSR objectives, We Care Day, etc., our commitment is genuine. But Rémy Cointreau doesn’t stop there, and constantly reviews its practices, fulfilling its corporate and environmental responsibilities. Hence the creation of the Fondation Rémy Cointreau.

The result of a broad family consultation approved by the Group’s Board of Directors in 2016, the Foundation has been endowed with an initial budget of €1 million over five years. On February 27th, 2017, the Articles of Association were submitted to the Charente district’s administrative headquarters.

Dominique Hériard Dubreuil, Chairman of the Foundation, convened Hervé Dumesny (S.V.P. CSR and Public Affairs), Valérie Alexandre (S.V.P. Strategic Planning), Ludovic Legros (Consolidation manager) and Caroline Martin-Rilhac (Secretary General) within its executive committee. Together, they set out its mission based on one key value: transmission, the common thread connecting all its actions. The Foundation set itself the mission “to support public interest initiatives, in France and abroad, in order to showcase and convey invaluable savoir-faire and expertise. The Foundation also promotes and protects terroir in its cultural, environmental and human expression.”

The Board of Directors is composed of the executive committee members and two expert independent directors: Stanislas de Quercize (former Chairman of Richemont) and Agnès Lamoureux (former Communication Director of the Fondation de France). They met for the first time in June 2018.

The first decision was to focus the grants on ensuring the sustainability of outstanding traditional craftsmanship with four key commitment areas:

- Promotion of exceptional savoir-faire (investments in the tools and any other components required to practise the craft),

- Transmission (supporting apprenticeships and training),

- Reach (participation in trade shows in France and abroad aimed at raising awareness of the importance of passing on craftsmanship, heritage, etc.),

- Skill-based philanthropy (encouraging the commitment of Group employees to the Foundation’s initiatives).

Philanthropy is the main vehicle used, without counterpart, for the exercise of activities in the common good. Philanthropy is a major lever for progress towards a more harmonious, supportive and fair society.

Eight selection criteria have been choosen to guide the selection process of applications: outstanding craftsmanship, transmission, longevity, passion, aesthetics, heritage, innovation and philanthropy requirements.

Given that the Fondation Rémy Cointreau was recent, the executive committee decided not to wait for unsolicited applications and immediately launched our search for exceptional artisans. This was an intense, passionate and long journey that was full of discoveries. After meeting more than a hundred artisans, to date six have been taken on by the Board of Directors. Their exceptional expertise is part of French cultural heritage. Our Foundation will support and guide them over time (from 1 to 3 years depending on their sponsorship agreement), in the sincere hope of securing the long-term future of their studios and helping to pass on their savoir-faire. Discover their profiles on the following pages and follow them, as well as our future beneficiaries, on the Fondation Rémy Cointreau's website: www.fondationremycointreau.com