Pierre Gramegna
Position
Minister of Finance of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
The renaissance man
He could have pursued his career as an ambassador, travelling all over the world. Instead, Pierre Gramegna chose to diversify his career, while maintaining his passion for commitment and openness.
A diplomatic career
Pierre Gramegna studied both law and economics, viewing them as complementary fields. He became a diplomat at the age of 25, setting out to defend Luxembourg’s interests in Paris, San Francisco and Tokyo where he serve as Ambassador. He promoted the Grand Duchy wherever he went, enjoying a few pleasant surprises along the way: few career paths provide an opportunity to meet Sharon Stone in the heart of a Californian forest, or to play tennis with the Emperor and Empress of Japan. His best memory is the Grand Duke’s State visit to Japan in 1999, marking the first State visit to the country joined by a major economic delegation. The initiative included some exceptional moments.
Diplomacy rimes with economy
During the Kyoto Conference in 1997, Luxembourg held the European presidency. As the spokesman for this presidency, Pierre Gramegna, remembers having slept for just four hours in four days, but he did have the satisfaction of contributing towards an agreement, unlike the fiasco of Copenhagen. An admirer of performers who devote themselves entirely to their art, he later decided to leave the diplomatic world to play an active role in the economic development of a rapidly growing Grand Duchy. As the Minister of Finance since 2013, he has been working to promote the internationalisation of local companies, attract investors and take part in ongoing legislative changes.
Return to his roots
A great lover of black-and-white photography – he develops his own photos – Pierre Gramegna looks fondly at the Luxembourg that welcomed his grandfather and which he ended up representing, defending and promoting it all over the world. In the next few years, he could see himself anywhere he can continue to defend the Grand Duchy’s interests using his method: a mixture of commitment and diplomacy, guided by passion. His travels have left him with the conviction that no other country in the world has achieved such harmony in diversity. As for the more distant future, he can imagine being a more frequent visitor to Italy, the country of his roots, while appreciating to work on Kirchberg, the heart of contemporary architecture and of highly productive enterprises, which also happens to be the headquarter of the Chamber of Commerce…
Facts & Figures
-
Birthday: 22/04/1958
-
Place of birth: Esch sur Alzette (Luxembourg)
-
Nationality: Luxembourger
-
Children: 2
-
Languages: French, English, German, Italian, Luxembourgish
-
Hobbies: Tennis, travelling, photography