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For the last race of the season, CERN runners distinguished themselves by notching up third place in the inter-entreprises category of the Escalade, Geneva’s famous running race across the city.

Some of the runners from the CERN team.

On Friday 30 November and Saturday 1 December, 35 runners from CERN braved the chilly Geneva weather to take part in the 35^th Escalade race. With 81 teams competing in the race, the group representing the Laboratory took third place in the inter-entreprises category, behind the Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève and the Panards Migros teams.  

CERN’s Helenka Przysiezniak, Steffen Doebert and Camille Ruiz Llamas also distinguished themselves individually by finishing eighth, sixth and fourth in their respective categories and Patrick Villeton achieved a very good ranking in the DUC race on Friday evening and in the classic race on Saturday.

Congratulations to everyone who participated and see you next year!

Results of the first 10 runners of the team, whose times were taken into account for the inter-entreprises category ranking:

More results can be found here.

For the last race of the season, CERN runners distinguished themselves by notching up third place in the inter-entreprises category of the Escalade, Geneva’s famous running race across the city.

Some of the runners from the CERN team.

On Friday 30 November and Saturday 1 December, 35 runners from CERN braved the chilly Geneva weather to take part in the 35^th Escalade race. With 81 teams competing in the race, the group representing the Laboratory took third place in the inter-entreprises category, behind the Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève and the Panards Migros teams.  

CERN’s Helenka Przysiezniak, Steffen Doebert and Camille Ruiz Llamas also distinguished themselves individually by finishing eighth, sixth and fourth in their respective categories and Patrick Villeton achieved a very good ranking in the DUC race on Friday evening and in the classic race on Saturday.

Congratulations to everyone who participated and see you next year!

Results of the first 10 runners of the team, whose times were taken into account for the inter-entreprises category ranking:

More results can be found here.

For the last race of the season, CERN runners distinguished themselves by notching up third place in the inter-entreprises category of the Escalade, Geneva’s famous running race across the city.

Some of the runners from the CERN team.

On Friday 30 November and Saturday 1 December, 35 runners from CERN braved the chilly Geneva weather to take part in the 35^th Escalade race. With 81 teams competing in the race, the group representing the Laboratory took third place in the inter-entreprises category, behind the Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève and the Panards Migros teams.  

CERN’s Helenka Przysiezniak, Steffen Doebert and Camille Ruiz Llamas also distinguished themselves individually by finishing eighth, sixth and fourth in their respective categories and Patrick Villeton achieved a very good ranking in the DUC race on Friday evening and in the classic race on Saturday.

Congratulations to everyone who participated and see you next year!

Results of the first 10 runners of the team, whose times were taken into account for the inter-entreprises category ranking:

More results can be found here.

In this column, the Chairman of the Pension Fund Governing Board (PFGB) presents the Board's latest main decisions, initiatives and accomplishments to the Fund's members and beneficiaries.

Since my last report in October, the PFGB has passed several milestones in actuarial, technical and investment matters.

The PFGB has completed an analysis of a request by the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO) to reduce the increased cost of pension insurance for new ESO recruits that has been caused by the increased CHF/€ exchange ratio. Currently the staff of ESO are admitted to the CERN Pension Fund, pursuant to a co-operation agreement between CERN and ESO dating back to 1968. This analysis assessed the actuarial, financial, administrative and legal implications, and is scheduled to be presented to the CERN Council and the Finance Committee in December.

After an open tendering process the PFGB has selected Buck Consultants Limited to be its new actuary. Buck Consultants is one of the leading benefit consulting and actuarial firms in the world, and counts several intergovernmental organizations as its clients, including the United Nations, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. The Fund looks forward to benefiting from Buck Consultants’ extensive experience and expertise, particularly in view of the full actuarial study to be performed in 2013. I want to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing actuaries, Pittet Associés, for their work and dedication to the Fund over the past three decades.

The Fund has also approved the new Rules of Procedure of the Governing Board and of its subsidiary bodies, which replace those from 2006.

On the investments side, the implementation of the Fund’s capital preservation strategy is progressing according to plan. Approximately 50% of the portfolio has been redeployed to capital preservation strategies, with the objective to reach 80% by the end of 2013. The performance of the Fund year-to-date is on track to meet the annual actuarial return objective of 3% above inflation: as of 30 November 2012, the Fund had returned an estimated 6% year-to-date.

The Fund is further strengthening its performance monitoring process, by introduction of an additional performance indicator: the quality of returns. Measurements of the quality of returns seek to evaluate how efficient the Fund has been in reaching its investment return objective, while optimizing risks. Further enhancements of the Fund’s risk control process by the Investment Committee have also been implemented.

Along with the progress in the implementation of the capital preservation approach, one of the main achievements of 2012 has been the implementation of the full audit cycle, in compliance with the provisions of Section 5 of the Pension Fund Rules, which came into force in 2011. This audit cycle includes (i) a full annual audit of the Fund’s accounts and financial statements by CERN’s External Auditor on behalf of the CERN Council, and (ii) on behalf of the Pension Fund Governing Board a full annual audit of the Fund’s accounts and financial statements by an auditor specializing in pension fund matters, as well as an annual audit of the Fund’s Internal Control System (ICS). The Fund’s ICS documents the activities and procedures performed by the Fund, and the objective of the ICS audit is to ensure compliance with documented procedures.

Let me conclude this report with the welcome news that the CERN Pension Fund recently won two international awards: the 2012 award for “Best Risk Management Solutions” by Investments & Pensions Europe (IPE), and the “2012 Industry Innovation Award” in the category "Public pension plans below $15 Billion,” by Asset International – Chief Investment Officer (aiCIO) magazine (see the corresponding article in this issue). There were a large number of nominations by prominent institutional investors for both awards, which were judged by international juries.

Dan-Olof Riska
Chairman, Pension Fund Governing Board

In this column, the Chairman of the Pension Fund Governing Board (PFGB) presents the Board's latest main decisions, initiatives and accomplishments to the Fund's members and beneficiaries.

Since my last report in October, the PFGB has passed several milestones in actuarial, technical and investment matters.

The PFGB has completed an analysis of a request by the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO) to reduce the increased cost of pension insurance for new ESO recruits that has been caused by the increased CHF/€ exchange ratio. Currently the staff of ESO are admitted to the CERN Pension Fund, pursuant to a co-operation agreement between CERN and ESO dating back to 1968. This analysis assessed the actuarial, financial, administrative and legal implications, and is scheduled to be presented to the CERN Council and the Finance Committee in December.

After an open tendering process the PFGB has selected Buck Consultants Limited to be its new actuary. Buck Consultants is one of the leading benefit consulting and actuarial firms in the world, and counts several intergovernmental organizations as its clients, including the United Nations, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. The Fund looks forward to benefiting from Buck Consultants’ extensive experience and expertise, particularly in view of the full actuarial study to be performed in 2013. I want to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing actuaries, Pittet Associés, for their work and dedication to the Fund over the past three decades.

The Fund has also approved the new Rules of Procedure of the Governing Board and of its subsidiary bodies, which replace those from 2006.

On the investments side, the implementation of the Fund’s capital preservation strategy is progressing according to plan. Approximately 50% of the portfolio has been redeployed to capital preservation strategies, with the objective to reach 80% by the end of 2013. The performance of the Fund year-to-date is on track to meet the annual actuarial return objective of 3% above inflation: as of 30 November 2012, the Fund had returned an estimated 6% year-to-date.

The Fund is further strengthening its performance monitoring process, by introduction of an additional performance indicator: the quality of returns. Measurements of the quality of returns seek to evaluate how efficient the Fund has been in reaching its investment return objective, while optimizing risks. Further enhancements of the Fund’s risk control process by the Investment Committee have also been implemented.

Along with the progress in the implementation of the capital preservation approach, one of the main achievements of 2012 has been the implementation of the full audit cycle, in compliance with the provisions of Section 5 of the Pension Fund Rules, which came into force in 2011. This audit cycle includes (i) a full annual audit of the Fund’s accounts and financial statements by CERN’s External Auditor on behalf of the CERN Council, and (ii) on behalf of the Pension Fund Governing Board a full annual audit of the Fund’s accounts and financial statements by an auditor specializing in pension fund matters, as well as an annual audit of the Fund’s Internal Control System (ICS). The Fund’s ICS documents the activities and procedures performed by the Fund, and the objective of the ICS audit is to ensure compliance with documented procedures.

Let me conclude this report with the welcome news that the CERN Pension Fund recently won two international awards: the 2012 award for “Best Risk Management Solutions” by Investments & Pensions Europe (IPE), and the “2012 Industry Innovation Award” in the category "Public pension plans below $15 Billion,” by Asset International – Chief Investment Officer (aiCIO) magazine (see the corresponding article in this issue). There were a large number of nominations by prominent institutional investors for both awards, which were judged by international juries.

Dan-Olof Riska
Chairman, Pension Fund Governing Board

In this column, the Chairman of the Pension Fund Governing Board (PFGB) presents the Board's latest main decisions, initiatives and accomplishments to the Fund's members and beneficiaries.

Since my last report in October, the PFGB has passed several milestones in actuarial, technical and investment matters.

The PFGB has completed an analysis of a request by the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO) to reduce the increased cost of pension insurance for new ESO recruits that has been caused by the increased CHF/€ exchange ratio. Currently the staff of ESO are admitted to the CERN Pension Fund, pursuant to a co-operation agreement between CERN and ESO dating back to 1968. This analysis assessed the actuarial, financial, administrative and legal implications, and is scheduled to be presented to the CERN Council and the Finance Committee in December.

After an open tendering process the PFGB has selected Buck Consultants Limited to be its new actuary. Buck Consultants is one of the leading benefit consulting and actuarial firms in the world, and counts several intergovernmental organizations as its clients, including the United Nations, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. The Fund looks forward to benefiting from Buck Consultants’ extensive experience and expertise, particularly in view of the full actuarial study to be performed in 2013. I want to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing actuaries, Pittet Associés, for their work and dedication to the Fund over the past three decades.

The Fund has also approved the new Rules of Procedure of the Governing Board and of its subsidiary bodies, which replace those from 2006.

On the investments side, the implementation of the Fund’s capital preservation strategy is progressing according to plan. Approximately 50% of the portfolio has been redeployed to capital preservation strategies, with the objective to reach 80% by the end of 2013. The performance of the Fund year-to-date is on track to meet the annual actuarial return objective of 3% above inflation: as of 30 November 2012, the Fund had returned an estimated 6% year-to-date.

The Fund is further strengthening its performance monitoring process, by introduction of an additional performance indicator: the quality of returns. Measurements of the quality of returns seek to evaluate how efficient the Fund has been in reaching its investment return objective, while optimizing risks. Further enhancements of the Fund’s risk control process by the Investment Committee have also been implemented.

Along with the progress in the implementation of the capital preservation approach, one of the main achievements of 2012 has been the implementation of the full audit cycle, in compliance with the provisions of Section 5 of the Pension Fund Rules, which came into force in 2011. This audit cycle includes (i) a full annual audit of the Fund’s accounts and financial statements by CERN’s External Auditor on behalf of the CERN Council, and (ii) on behalf of the Pension Fund Governing Board a full annual audit of the Fund’s accounts and financial statements by an auditor specializing in pension fund matters, as well as an annual audit of the Fund’s Internal Control System (ICS). The Fund’s ICS documents the activities and procedures performed by the Fund, and the objective of the ICS audit is to ensure compliance with documented procedures.

Let me conclude this report with the welcome news that the CERN Pension Fund recently won two international awards: the 2012 award for “Best Risk Management Solutions” by Investments & Pensions Europe (IPE), and the “2012 Industry Innovation Award” in the category "Public pension plans below $15 Billion,” by Asset International – Chief Investment Officer (aiCIO) magazine (see the corresponding article in this issue). There were a large number of nominations by prominent institutional investors for both awards, which were judged by international juries.

Dan-Olof Riska
Chairman, Pension Fund Governing Board

Mr Paul Levaux, a long-standing member of the Belgian delegation to the Finance Committee and Council, passed away on 3 December 2012.

Paul Levaux first attended the CERN Council and Finance Committee in June 1970 as an Advisor, although his association with CERN goes back to the 1960s. From October 1970 until December 2007 he represented Belgium in the capacity of Council and Finance Committee delegate. He was Finance Committee Chairman from 1971 to 1973 and President of Council from 1975 to June 1978. He also served as Vice-President of Council from January 1978 until December 1980 with a second term from January 1994 to December 1997.

In addition to holding these important offices, Paul Levaux participated in an extensive number of CERN working groups. In particular, he was a member of the Working Group on Procedures for Payment of Member States' Contributions (2000-2001) and Working Group on the Review of the Tasks and Working Methods of CERN's Governing Bodies and Committees (July-December 2003), Chairman of the Study Group on Pension Fund Governance in 2007, and Chairman of the Working Group on the Procedure for future Elections of the President of Council and the Chairs of the CERN Committees in 2007.

A substantial part of Paul Levaux’s time at CERN was devoted to matters relating to the Pension Fund. As Chairman of the Governing Board of the Pension Fund from 1989 until 2002, Paul Levaux was responsible for organizing and implementing the new structure of the Fund, giving it greater operational autonomy and placing it under the direct authority of the Council. Paul Levaux’s services in the pension field were called upon again very recently when he made an important contribution to the setting-up of the new governance structure for the Pension Fund approved by the Council in 2007, whose final report now bears his name as the “Levaux Report”. As doyen of the Council and Finance Committee by a very considerable margin, Paul Levaux’s departure from CERN as a delegate represented the loss of one of CERN’s most distinguished and long-standing Member State representatives, a true “mémoire du CERN”.

Throughout his long association with CERN, Paul Levaux remained a strong supporter of the Organization and its activities and, in honour of his achievements, he was invited back to CERN last June for the Council dinner. Gratifyingly, he lived to witness the first results from the LHC, whose announcement brought him great satisfaction.
 

CERN Management, Council President and Delegates, and his colleagues and friends

Thank you all for your feedback on our latest Bulletin article on “Security is YOU!”. Indeed, I can confirm that at CERN you are, in the first instance, responsible for: the computer security of the laptops, smart phones and PCs you use; the computing accounts and passwords you own; the files and documents you hold; the programs and applications you have installed or, in particular, written; and the computer services and systems you manage. In the free and liberal academic environment of CERN, I, as Computer Security Officer, decline that general responsibility.

How can one take responsibility for something one does not control? Currently, I do not control the operating system you run, the programs and applications you install, the webpages you browse, the software you write, the files and documents you create, and the computing services you deploy. Dictating and restricting you to controlled solutions would contradict that freedom and liberty of academic working. Of course, we can change that, but I love CERN’s academic freedom too. So this is probably not the right way to go.

Rather, I see my role as finding a good balance between that academic freedom, the operational needs of the Organization and computer security - and in enabling YOU to assume your share of this balance. “Computer Security” has been delegated to you, but you are not alone. The Computer Security Team is ready to help you. We provide training and awareness, consulting and audits, general protection and detection services, as well as a central Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT). And there is the IT Department! You can delegate your responsibility to the IT Department, which provides a multitude of secured computing services.

In this respect, take this as an offer for 2013. Enjoy the end of the year and have a safe new year!

If you are interested in our work, feel free to subscribe to our monthly security report. For further information, please check our web site or contact us at Computer.Security@cern.ch.

Here are the winners of our “Hide & Seek” competition looking for confidential, but accidentally public, documents on CERN websites: Piotr Jasiun (EN/ICE), Stefan Petrovski (EN/ICE) and Charles-Edouard Sala (BE/ASR). Well done! Congratulations!

Access the entire collection of Computer Security articles here.