Festival de la Francophonie • La Magie du Chocolat: From Bean to Bar

Join us for a journey into the world of chocolate, brought to you by experts from Barry Callebaut, the global leader in chocolate indulgences. From the origins of cocoa to the art of chocolate making, discover the fascinating process behind your favorite treats.

This event will offer insights into global supply chains, local production, and, of course, a tasting experience accompanied by a glass of Swiss wine; an unmissable experience for all (Swiss) chocolate lovers!

The Consul General of Switzerland in Chicago, Pascal Bornoz, will open the night.

About Barry Callebaut

The Barry Callebaut Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products. Some of its representatives will be present that evening to take you on a chocolate-making journey:

• Cédric Bono, VP, CFO, North America;
• Philipp Muheim, General Counsel;
• Chef Martin Diez, Director Global Chocolate Academy;
• Chef Dimitri Fayard, Chocolate Academy Lead North America.

About Pascal Bornoz

Pascal Bornoz was assigned to serve as the Consul General of Switzerland in Chicago in August, 2023, with jurisdiction over eleven States.

Prior to his current role, Mr. Bornoz served as Consul General of Switzerland in Lyon, France, and Vancouver, Canada. He began his career at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs in 1994. Since then, he worked in several Swiss representations abroad, more precisely in Barcelona (Spain), Santiago de Chile, Bangkok (Thailand) and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).

In 2009, he was assigned to the Directorate for Resources in Bern, Switzerland, in charge of staff recruitment and marketing. Between 2012 and 2016, he successively served as Deputy Regional coordinator for the Maghreb countries and Regional coordinator for the Middle East countries within the Middle East and North Africa Division (MENA), where his responsibilities included the bilateral relations between Switzerland and several countries in the above-mentioned regions.

Pascal Bornoz was born in 1964 in Lausanne, canton de Vaud, Switzerland. He is married with three children. Before joining the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, he held a number of positions with Swissair, both in Switzerland and abroad.

Get here

The Alliance francaise de Chicago is one block from the CTA Red line stop at Chicago Avenue. Best bus routes are the 22 on Clark and the 66 on Chicago Avenue.

Parking information:

• The easiest: $12 for 12 hours at InterPark at 100 W Chestnut St. All you need is the rebate ‘chaser" card we give participants.