A year after the disappearance of Gabriel Fal, on September 24, 2019, the general manager of CGF Bourse answers our questions. “The abrupt departure of Gabriel Fal was a real emotional shock for the entire CGF Bourse team, but we had to pull ourselves together for several reasons”. Maintenance.

A year after the death of its founder, Gabriel Fal, how is the CGF Bourse doing?
The abrupt departure of Gabriel Fal was a real emotional shock for the entire CGF Bourse team, but we had to pull ourselves together for several reasons. The particular reason is related to the fact that Gabriel Fal knew how to create companies, accompany and leave the operational several years before his call to God; it is the greatness of man. After the departure of the company's founder and chairman of the board of directors, we were able to hold together with determination and selflessness. A strong, dynamic team determined to move forward. We ended 2019 by being at the top of stock market transactions on the BRVM. Flagship operations were also structured during the period.

From the start of the 2020 financial year, on February 08, we received the distinction of best WAEMU SGI during the first edition of the BRVM AWARDS held in Abidjan. We also obtained the renewal of our management quality rating with the WARA agency with the maintenance of the five-star rating. CGF Bourse is the only SGI of the Union rated while also being ISO certified since 2005. We also obtained our approval as a listing sponsor for the support of SMEs in the 3rd compartment of the BRVM. Our ambition to strengthen advice and support for SMEs, which represent the majority of our economic fabric, is rooted in an approach that takes into account all levels of business development.

In addition, our digital IMS has grown further, boosting transaction volume and an improved customer experience. We have just received our approval authorizing the online stock market exercise. Our clients have the possibility of accessing their accounts and stock market and financial information, in real time, 24 hours a day, from a web platform called CGF Access, available as an Android and IOS mobile application. Our subsidiary CGF Gestion, with the launch of 4 new FCPs, has enabled us to expand our range of innovative, secure and profitable financial products suitable for both public investors and legal entities. Thus, CGF Bourse continues its path with its customers, partners and colleagues. Our Board of Directors appointed a new CEO on September 21. The announcement will be made to you in the coming days.

In a few words, what can we learn from the man and the financial professional?

Gabriel Fal has always been a person imbued with energy, passion, talent, charisma and so many other qualities. He had an extraordinary openness of mind and a hard-working heart. He was always in search of the best in everyone, of excellence and began each project with determination. He mastered the workings of finance but did not hesitate to call on the best experts to reinforce a technical opinion on a given sector of activity. He enjoyed sharing his knowledge and learning from others in such a pleasant and very professional way. Very welcoming with a legendary smile that marks his enthusiasm. A great listener, he was an excellent mentor for many people; Gabriel FAL inspired confidence. He was rigorous and demanding while being courteous and humble. Everything was done and said with respect. He is a great man that we have lost and it is a privilege to have known him and learned so much humanly and professionally. A great finance professional left us on September 24, 2020. ⁃ In addition to this immense loss, the CGF Bourse faced, like the entire market, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What impact has this new coronavirus pandemic had on your activities?
Indeed, the Covid has led us to reconsider certain operations, two in particular linked to impacted business sectors. We have reviewed with these companies the financing approach in order to take into account the modification of their forecasts while reviewing the agenda. A particular follow-up, with attention, is granted to them. We have compensated for these files with other mandates signed this year and by keeping the dynamism on a fairly active capital market, both in the equity compartment (speculative values), the bond compartment (strong participation of WAEMU States, as much by syndication as by auction and corporate issues) and the diversification of mutual funds managed by CGF Gestion which offer flexibility in terms of liquidity and profitability. It was not about thinking with a negative focus on the pandemic, but seizing the opportunities and moving forward.

A deadline has been set for January 2021 for the provision of online stock exchange services. Where is the CGF Bourse in relation to this requirement?

Our digital strategy has accelerated with strong ambitions initiated since 2014 allowing us to move from consulting accounts, to live monitoring of trading at the BRVM, to placing orders. This Monday, September 21, we received our authorization to exercise the online stock market after a process that allowed us to initially receive the approval of the BRVM following compliance with the specifications and then the approval of the CREPMF. A process completed at the right time and allowing us to strengthen our digital platform also composed of a platform, called CGF Placement, allowing our customers to make their deposits and aggregating several electronic payment operators. We remain convinced that digitization has become an irreversible process. Also on September 21, our Board of Directors appointed a new CEO. Savings have taken on an even more obvious context during this pandemic and the call is made to all Africans to join in the strengthening of our individual and collective savings to manage the future, the vagaries and the financing of our economies.