The chairman of the France Macau Chamber of Commerce (FMCC), Rutger Verschuren, was awarded the title and rank of Chevalier de L’Ordre National du Mérite (Knight of the National Order of Merit) last week for his role in fostering cultural and economic relations between France and Macao.
Verschuren’s honour was originally announced by President Emmanuel Macron in March 2019, but the presentation ceremony was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The event took place at the Artyzen Grand Lapa and was hosted by the consul general of France in Hong Kong and Macau, Christile Drulhe. She praised Verschuren for overseeing “a surge of interest from French companies, keen to partake in Macao’s revitalised business landscape.”
During his acceptance speech, Verschuren remarked that his “vision has always been very clear – to uplift the connection between Macao, China and France, and be creative in finding ways to build bridges in the best possible way and meet objectives set by FMCC as well as our governments.”
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The National Order of Merit is an award that was established in 1963 and is only second to the Legion of Honour, which is the highest military and civil award in the French Republic.
Rutger Verschuren, who is a Dutch citizen, has been the Chairman of the FMCC since 2014.
He has almost forty years of experience in the hospitality and business sector, and is currently the vice president of Macao operations for the Artyzen Hospitality Group, a Shun Tak subsidiary.
Founded in 2008 by Pansy Ho, the FMCC is one of the leading chambers in Macao, helping to foster networking and business opportunities for its 150 members through events such as monthly breakfast talks and business luncheons.
