On Monday 21 September, I joined around 50 journalists from countries around the world spent a morning in the company of Frédéric Oudéa, Séverin Cabannes, Michel Péretié and Daniel Truchi.

The second Media Days event, the annual meeting with the world’s press, took place at SG House in London. Frédéric Oudéa, Michel Péretié (the head of Corporate and Investment Banking) and Daniel Truchi (the head of SG Private Banking) respectively presented the Group’s ambitions and their businesses before taking journalists’ questions.

With the G-20 just round the corner, it was only natural that there were many questions on the post-crisis regulation of banks and the global harmonisation of rules and standards. Despite the fact that Frédéric Oudéa told journalists that they could ask any question they liked on more sensitive issues such as traders and tax havens, the main area of interest was the Group’s outlook and its post-crisis strategy, especially at international level.

The atmosphere was very relaxed, which allowed for some more entertaining questions. For example, if Société Générale were a football team, which one would it be: Arsenal, Chelsea or Lyon?

Séverin Cabannes rounded up the morning with a summary of the Group’s main focuses:

- Its growth drivers (corporate and investment banking, private banking and international retail banking)
- The development options in China, India and Brazil
- The measures taken by Société Générale to improve the general image of banks
- The significant potential synergies between corporate and investment banking, private banking, retail banking in France and international retail banking
- The development of human capital
- The management of resources as they grow scarce (liquidity, talented individuals, raw materials) and our duty to be exemplary

After the presentations, we had lunch with the representatives of the Group at Trinity House, where there was a presentation on the credit markets by Suki Mann, the Head of Credit Strategy.