Board of Directors

Dr. Peter Kalantzis was appointed to the board in March 2009 and named Acting Chairman in July 2018.

He holds a Ph.D. in Economics and Political Sciences from the University of Basel and engaged in research as a member of the Institute for Applied Economics Research at the University of Basel between 1969 and 1971.

Prior to 2000, Dr. Kalantzis was responsible for Alusuisse-Lonza Group's corporate development and actively involved in the de-merger and stock market launch of Lonza, as well as the merger process of Alusuisse and Alcan. Dr. Kalantzis served as head of the Chemicals Division of Alusuisse-Lonza Group from 1991 until 1996. In 1991 Dr. Kalantzis was appointed Executive Vice-President and Member of the Executive Committee of the Alusuisse-Lonza Group.

Dr. Kalantzis has worked as an independent consultant since 2000.

Other Activities and Functions

• Clair AG, Cham (CH), Chairman of the Board since 2004
• CNH Industrial NV, Amsterdam (NL), Member of the Board of since 2013
• Degussa Sonne/Mond Goldhandel AG, Cham (CH), Chairman of the Board since 2012
• Consolidated Lamda Holdings Ltd., Luxembourg (LU), Member of the Board of since 2002
• Paneuropean Oil and Industrial Holdings SA, Luxembourg (LU), Member of the Board of Directors since 2001
• Von Roll Holding AG, Breitenbach (CH), Chairman of the Board since 2010 and Board Member since 2007
• Hardstone Services SA, Geneva (CH), Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2014 and Board Member since 2009
• Gnosis Foundation, Vaduz (FL), President of the Foundation Board since 2008
• John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, Vaduz (FL), President of the Executive Board since 2015

Paul Desmarais, Jr. has been a member of the SGS Board of Directors since 2013.

He has a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from McGill University, Montréal and an MBA from INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France. He has received honorary doctorates from various Canadian universities.

He joined Power Corporation of Canada in 1981 and assumed the position of Vice-President the following year. In 1984, he led the creation of Power Financial Corporation to consolidate Power’s major financial holdings, as well as Pargesa Holding SA, under a single corporate entity. Mr. Desmarais served as Vice-President from 1984 to 1986, as President and Chief Operating Officer of Power Financial from 1986 to 1989, as Executive Vice Chairman from 1989 to 1990, as Executive Chairman from 1990 to 2005, as Chairman of the Executive Committee from 2006 to 2008 and as Executive Co Chairman from 2008 until today. He was named Chairman and Co-CEO with Power Corporation in 1996.

After Power Financial and the Frère Group of Belgium took control of Pargesa in 1990, Mr. Desmarais moved to Europe from 1990 to 1994 to develop the partnership with the Frère Group and to restructure the Pargesa group. From 1982 to 1990, he was a member of the Management Committee of Pargesa. In 1991, Executive Vice Chairman and then Executive Chairman of the Committee. In 2003, he was appointed Co-Chief Executive Officer and in 2013 named Chairman of the Board. He is a Director of many Power group companies in North America.

Other Activities and Functions

• Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (BE), Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors
• Great-West Lifeco Inc., Winnipeg (CAN), Member of the Board (including those of its major subsidiaries)
• IGM Financial Inc., Winnipeg (CAN), Member of the Board (including those of its major subsidiaries)
• Pargesa Holding SA, Geneva (CH), Board Member since 1992, Chairman of the Board since 2013
• LafargeHolcim Ltd, Zurich (CH), Member of the Board since 2015 
• Member of the Advisory Council the European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD)
• Trustee of the Brookings Institution and a Co-Chair of the Brookings International Advisory Council (USA)
• Past Chairman and a Member of the Business Council of Canada (CAN)
  
   
   

Appointed to the Board in 1998, August von Finck is a member of the SGS Board of Directors and the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.

A German citizen, August von Finck, descends from the von Finck banking family. His grandfather, Wilhelm von Finck, founded Merck, Finck & Co. in 1870, the private bank that was at the origin of companies including Munich Re, Allianz insurance and the Löwenbräu breweries, among others.

Based in Munich, the member of the third generation of the von Finck family belongs to several Boards of directors and holds interests in a number of German, Swiss, Austrian companies as well as in groups from other countries.

In Switzerland, August von Finck's participations include Mövenpick Holding A.G. and Von Roll Holding A.G.

Appointed to the Board in May 2002, August François Von Finck is a member of the SGS Board of Directors and the Audit Committee.

August François Von Finck holds a Master of Business Administration from Georgetown University, Washington D.C. He has a banking background and is currently Managing Director of Carlton Holding in Basel.

Other Activities and Functions

• Custodia Holding, Munich (DE), Member of the Board since 1999
• Carlton Holding, Allschwil (CH), Member of the Board since 2001
• Staatl. Mineralbrunnen AG, Bad Brückenau (DE), Member of the Board since 2001
• Bank von Roll, Zürich (CH), Vice-President of the Board since 2009
• Von Roll Holding AG, Breitenbach (CH), Member of the Board since 2010

Appointed to the board in July 2013, Ian Gallienne is a member of the SGS Board of Directors and the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.

Ian has a degree in Management and Administration, with a specialization in Finance, from Ecole Supérieure des Dirigeants d'Entreprises (ESDE) in Paris and an MBA from INSEAD in Fontainebleau.

In 1992, he began his career in Spain as Co-Founder of a sales company. From 1995 to 1997, he was a member of management for a consulting firm, specializing in turning around struggling businesses in France. From 1998 to 2005, he was Manager of the private equity funds Rhône Capital LLC in New York and London. In 2005 to 2012, he founded the private equity funds Ergon Capital Partners in Brussels and was Managing Director of such funds until 2012.

In 2012, he became Managing Director of Groupe Bruxelles Lambert, of which he had been a Board Member since 2009.

Other Activities and Functions

• adidas (D), Member of the Supervisory Board 
• Imerys, Paris (F), Member of the Board and Chairman of the Strategic Committee, Member of the Compensation Committee, Member of the  Appointments Committee
• Pernod Ricard S.A., Paris, (F), Member of the Board, Member of the Strategic Committee and Member of the Remuneration Committee
• Frère-Bourgeois SA (BE), Member of the Board

Dr. Cornelius Grupp has been a member of the SGS Board of Directors since March 2011.

Dr. Grupp holds a Doctorate in law and a Master in Business Administration. He is the Owner and General Manager of Tubex Holding GmbH, Stuttgart, Germany, a company active in the packaging industry and specialized in the production of aluminum aerosol cans, aluminum tubes and plastic tubes, and of CAG Holding GmbH, Lilienfeld, Austria, active in the field of aluminum, glass and biomass.

Other Activities and Functions

• Schoellerbank AG, Vienna (AT), Member of the Board since 1999
• Stölzle Oberglas, Koeflach (AT) Member of the Board since 1989
• Honorary Consul of Austria to the Land of Baden-Württemberg

Chris Kirk has been a member of the SGS Board of Directors since 2015.

Chris holds a BSc (Hons) degree in Zoology. He began his career at SGS in 1981 in New Zealand. From 1981 to 1987 he undertook a range of different roles in the company, including Operations Manager, Business Development Manager and General Manager for SGS New Zealand.

Between 1987 and 1999, Chris held a number of senior positions in Thailand, Ghana, Singapore and Australia. He was appointed as Chief Operating Officer of the South East Asia/Pacific region in 2002 and was then appointed Vice President for Minerals and Environmental Services, a role he held for three years.

Chris was Chief Executive Officer for SGS between 2006 and 2015 before being elected to the Board of Directors. He brings to the Board his unparalleled experience in the industry and in-depth knowledge of the Group.

Other Activities and Functions

• Compass Limited, Hamilton, Bermuda, Chairman since 2016, Member of the Board since 2011
• Bata India Limited, Kolkata, India, Member of the Board since 2017

Appointed to the board in July 2013, Gérard Lamarche is a member of the SGS Board of Directors and Audit Committee.

He graduated from the University of Louvain-la-Neuve with a Bachelor’s degree in Economic Science and a specialization in Business Administration and Management. He also completed the Advanced Management Program for Suez Group Executives at the INSEAD Business school and took part in the 1998-99 Wharton International Forum, Global Leadership Series.

He began his professional career in 1983 with Deloitte Haskins & Sells in Belgium, and became M&A Consultant in the Netherlands in 1987. In 1988, he joined Société Générale de Belgique as Investment Manager. He was promoted to Controller in 1989, and was appointed in 1992 Advisor to the Director of Strategic Planning.

He became Secretary of the Suez Executive Committee (1995-1997); he was later appointed Senior Vice President in charge of Planning, Control and Accounting. In July 2000, Gérard Lamarche joined NALCO (US subsidiary of the Suez Group and world leader in industrial water treatment) as Director, Senior Executive Vice President and CFO.

He was appointed CFO of the Suez Group in 2003. He has been a Director of Groupe Bruxelles Lambert since 2011 and Managing Director since 2012.

Other Activities and Functions

• LafargeHolcim, Zurich (CH), Member of the Board, Member of the Strategy and Sustainability Committee, Member of the Finance and Audit Committee 
• Total S.A., Paris (F), Board Member and Member of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Remuneration Committee
• Umicore, Brussels (B), Member of the Board

Shelby R. du Pasquier has been a member of the SGS Board of Directors since March 2006. He is also a member of the Professional Conduct Committee and was appointed Chairman of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee in 2014.

An attorney at law, and Partner at Lenz & Staehelin law firm in Geneva, Shelby holds degrees from Geneva University Business School and School of Law as well as from Columbia University School of Law (LLM). He was admitted to the Geneva Bar in 1984 and to the New York Bar in 1989. He became a partner of Lenz & Staehelin in 1994.

Other Activities and Functions

• Swiss National Bank, Member of the Board since June 2012
• Stonehage Trust Holdings (Jersey), Member of the Board since July 2012
• Pictet & Cie Group SCA, Chairman of the Supervisory Board since 2013