BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board of Directors of Investis Holding SA consists of the following five members:
Thomas Vettiger, Christian Gellerstad, Corine Blesi, Stéphane Bonvin and Albert Baehny
All members of the Board of Directors are independent directors except for Stéphane Bonvin.
All terms expire at the next regular Annual General Meeting. The curricula vitae of the individual Board members can also be found on the Investis website.
www.investisgroup.com/en/portrait/board-of-directors
In order to strengthen the Board of Directors, Corine Blesi was elected at the Annual General Meeting in April 2023 as Board Member and Member of the Compensation Committee, replacing Thomas Vettiger as a member of the latter.
All five members of the Board of Directors are standing for re-election in 2024.
Non-executive member
Member of the Audit Committee
Swiss citizen, born in 1965
Thomas Vettiger is Managing Partner and a member of the Board of Directors of IFBC, a corporate finance and financial advisory firm, which he co-founded in 1997. Thomas Vettiger has been a member of the Swiss Takeover Board since 2015. He has taught corporate finance and valuation at the University of Zurich since 1997. He has also been a member of the Board of Directors of Globalscope, a partnership of 55 independent M&A firms worldwide, since 2021. From 2005 to 2015, Thomas Vettiger was a member of the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee of Clientis AG. From 2013 to 2015, he served as Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Audit Committee.
Thomas Vettiger holds a degree in economics from the University of St. Gallen (HSG) and a doctorate in finance from the University of Zurich.
He joined Investis Group in 2016 as a member of the company’s Board of Directors. He was elected Chairman in April 2021. Other than this, he has not been a member of the management of the Company or any of its subsidiaries in the last three financial years and has no material business relationship with the Investis Group.
Non-executive member
Chairman of the Compensation Committee
Swiss citizen, born in 1952
Albert Baehny joined the Board of Directors of Lonza Group Ltd in April 2017. He has been its Chairman since 2018. He has also held the position of Chief Executive Officer ad interim since September 2023. He served as Chief Executive Officer ad interim of Lonza Group Ltd from November 2019 to October 2020.
Albert Baehny has also been Chairman of the Board of Directors of Geberit AG since 2011. From 2005 to 2014 he was Chief Executive Officer of the Geberit Group. Before joining Geberit in 2003, Albert Baehny was Senior Vice President of the Specialties Division of Wacker Chemie AG. He has held various management positions with companies such as Vantico (2000–2001), Ciba-Geigy/Ciba SC (1994–2000) and Dow Chemical Europe (1981–1993), having started his career in the scientific department of Serono-Hypolab in 1979. Albert Baehny holds a degree in biology from the University of Fribourg (Switzerland).
He joined the Investis Group as a member of the Board of Directors of the Company in 2016. Apart from this, he has not been a member of the management of the Company or any of its subsidiaries in the last three financial years, nor does he have any major business relationships with the Investis Group.
Non-executive member
Chairman of the Audit Committee
Swiss/Swedish citizen, born in 1968
Christian Gellerstad is a member of the Board of Directors of Banque Edmond de Rothschild Group (Suisse) SA. He is also an independent director of various Swiss and French companies and a director of two foundations.
For more than 20 years, Christian Gellerstad has held various senior positions at Banque Pictet in Switzerland and abroad. From 2019 to 2023, he was Vice Chairman and Lead Independent Director of Credit Suisse Group AG and a member of the Board of Directors of Credit Suisse AG. In 2023, he was appointed Vice-Chairman of Credit Suisse AG (a member of the UBS Group) until 31 January 2024.
The Swiss-Swedish dual citizen holds a master’s degree in business administration and economics (HSG St. Gallen) and is a recognised expert in the financial services industry.
Christian Gellerstad joined Investis Group in 2021 as a member of the Company’s Board of Directors. Apart from this, he has not been a member of the management of the Company or any of its subsidiaries in the last three financial years and has no material business relationship with the Investis Group.
Non-executive member
Member of the Compensation Committee
Swiss citizen, born in 1976
As Managing Director of NZZ Connect, which includes the Swiss Economic Forum (SEF), Corine Blesi is responsible for the successful development and management of this division, a strategic pillar of the NZZ Media Group. Prior to this appointment, Corine Blesi was Head of Client Management & Business Development and Deputy CEO of the Facility Services division at Investis. At the same time, she was head of the Zurich Economic Impulse exchange and expertise platform. Prior to that, she worked for the Swiss Air-Rescue (Rega) for almost eight years. She was most recently a member of the Executive Board. After completing her studies in political science at the University of St. Gallen (HSG), she worked for several years at the World Economic Forum (WEF) as Senior Manager for North America and then as a member of the office of the Federal Department of Justice and Police in Bern.
She joined the Investis Group as a member of the Board of Directors of the Company in 2023. Apart from this, she has not been a member of the management of the Company or any of its subsidiaries in the last three financial years, nor does she have any major business relationships with the Investis Group.
Executive member
Chief Executive Officer
Member of the Executive Board
Swiss citizen, born 1967
Stéphane Bonvin founded Investis in 1994. Since then, he has been CEO of the Investis Group. With over 30 years of experience in the property sector, Stéphane Bonvin’s extensive network of contacts and in-depth knowledge of the property market have enabled the Group to gradually expand its portfolio. Between 2010 and 2014, he acquired several real estate service companies in the fields of property management and facility management. In 2006, he co-founded the Patrimonium Group, of which he was Managing Director until 2015. In August 2022, Stéphane Bonvin sold his stake in Patrimonium and stepped down from the Supervisory Board.
Current positions held outside the Investis Group: Stéphane Bonvin has been a member of the Supervisory Board of Be Capital and its subsidiaries since 2015.
Other activities and functions
Other than as described above, the members of the Board of Directors do not engage in any other activities or perform any other functions which are significant to the Group.
No member of the Board of Directors holds any official function or political office.
Regulation on the number of additional positions
According to Article 23 of the Articles of Association, no member of the Board of Directors may hold more than ten mandates outside the Investis Group, of which no more than five may be for listed companies. These Articles of Association, containing the precise wording of the provision mentioned hereafter, can be found on the Investis website.
www.investisgroup.com/en/investors/corporate-governance
These limitations do not apply to the following:
- –mandates in companies controlled by Investis or which control Investis;
- –mandates performed by a member of the Board of Directors or the Executive Board on instruction of Investis (no member of the Board of Directors or the Executive Board may perform more than ten such mandates); and
- –mandates in associations, charitable foundations and pension schemes (no member of the Board of Directors or the Executive Board may hold more than ten such mandates).
Mandates shall be deemed to include activities that the members of the Board of Directors and the Executive Board may perform in comparable functions at other companies with an economic purpose.
Mandates in different legal entities under joint control or with the same beneficial ownership are treated as one mandate.
Mandates held by a member of the Board of Directors or the Executive Board on the instructions of a group company are not subject to the limitation of additional mandates pursuant to the said Article 23 of the Articles of Association.
Election and term of office
The Board of Directors consists of at least three members.
As a general rule, the members of the Board of Directors and the Chairman are elected individually in the General Meeting and hold their posts until the conclusion of the next ordinary Annual General Meeting, subject to early resignation or dismissal. Members elected mid-term serve for the remainder of the term of the member they are replacing. Otherwise, the Board of Directors organises itself. It appoints a Vice-Chairman and designates a secretary, who does not have to be a shareholder or a member of the Board of Directors.
The members of the Board of Directors can be re-elected any number of times.
The General Meeting elects the members of the Compensation Committee individually for a term of one year ending at the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting. Re-election is permitted. The Compensation Committee is composed of at least two members. Only members of the Board of Directors may be elected. The chairman of the Compensation Committee is appointed by the Board of Directors.
The age limit for the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is in general the end of the month of their 65th birthday. The Board of Directors may decide differently in individual cases.
Members of the Board of Directors who have turned 70 may not be reappointed if their term of office has expired. The Board of Directors may, however, decide to make an exception and propose to the General Meeting the reappointment of a member who has reached the age of 70. In any event, members who turn 75 in the course of their ordinary term of office must resign at the next Annual General Meeting following their 75th birthday and may not run for another term of office.
Internal organisational structure
The internal organisation of the Board of Directors is based on the Company’s relevant valid Organisational Regulations, which are issued by the Board of Directors and reviewed regularly.
Allocation of tasks within the Board of Directors
Subject to Article 17 of the Articles of Association, the Board of Directors organises itself. It may designate one Vice-Chairman from among its members. It appoints a secretary, who does not necessarily have to be a member of the Board of Directors. The Articles of Association, containing the precise wording of the provision mentioned, can be found on the website.
www.investisgroup.com/en/investors/corporate-governance
The Chairman monitors the compliance with legal requirements, the Articles of Association, regulations and directives by the Company’s management bodies, and submits the requisite motions, requests and proposals to the Board of Directors. The Chairman also ensures, in collaboration with the Executive Board, that information is provided in good time on all major aspects of the Company which are of relevance to the monitoring of its activities and to the corporate decision-making process. Further details of the duties and authorities of the Chairman of the Board of Directors are provided in Article 20 of the Organisational Regulations.
Board Committees
The Board of Directors has formed two committees to assist it in its work: the Compensation Committee and the Audit Committee.
As a rule, the committees are constituted by the Board of Directors, unless otherwise stated in the Articles of Association or regulations. The chairmen of the committees inform the Board of Directors about their activities at the subsequent ordinary meeting of the Board of Directors; in urgent cases they also do so immediately. All of these committees have written regulations specifying their tasks and responsibilities. These regulations are reviewed regularly.
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee supports the Board in its supervisory function, in particular with respect to the completeness of the annual closing of accounts and financial statements, compliance with statutory provisions and analysis of the qualification of the external auditors and of their performance. The Committee assesses the usefulness and suitability of the financial reporting, the internal control system and the general supervision of business risks. It makes sure that communication between Group companies and the external auditors regarding financial matters and the Group’s course of business is continuous, efficient and productive.
The Audit Committee is composed of at least two non-executive members of the Board of Directors. At least one member of the Audit Committee must have recent and relevant financial experience; the others should be familiar with accounting and auditing issues. The members of the Committee are elected for a term of office of one year ending at the end of the next Annual General Meeting following their designation.
The Audit Committee has the following general duties and competencies:
- –evaluating the external auditors with regard to the fulfilment of the necessary qualifications and independence according to the applicable legal provisions, and making proposals for the attention of the Board of Directors concerning the choice of external auditors;
- –assessing the work done by the external auditors in office and approving the budget submitted by the external auditors for the audit work;
- –making proposals to the Board of Directors regarding the appointment of a compliance officer and assessing the work done by the compliance officer;
- –approving the necessary non-audit-specific services provided by the external auditors.
Furthermore, the Audit Committee has the following powers and duties in relation to the internal control system, risk management and compliance:
- –assessing the effectiveness of the internal control systems and of the risk management;
- –questioning the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Compliance Officer and the external auditor about the significant risks, contingent liabilities and other fundamental obligations of Investis, as well as assessing the measures taken to deal with these.
Finally, the Audit Committee has the following powers and duties in relation to the financial statements:
- –examining and submitting proposals to the Board of Directors regarding the approval of the annual and interim accounts of the Company (including significant off-balance-sheet positions);
- –reviewing the outcome of the annual accounts with the external auditor and issuing the necessary applications or recommendations to the Board of Directors;
- –making a summary assessment of the annual business expenses incurred by the members of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer and any other members of the Executive Board of the Company.
The Audit Committee is entitled to conduct investigations in all matters within its remit. In particular, it has full access, to the extent required for the fulfilment of its duties, to the Executive Board, employees, books and records of the Investis Group and its subsidiaries. It may also request the services of independent advisors and experts to the extent required to carry out its duties.
The Audit Committee performs an annual self-evaluation of its performance and reports the results to the Board of Directors.
The members of the Audit Committee are: Christian Gellerstad (Chairman) and Thomas Vettiger.
Compensation Committee
Investis’ Compensation Committee acts as the relevant body in accordance with the Swiss Code of Obligations and the Articles of Association. The latter can be found on the Investis website www.investisgroup.com/en/investors/corporate-governance.
The Annual General Meeting elects all Compensation Committee members individually. The committee consists of at least two non-executive members of the Board. The term of office of the members of the Compensation Committee ends at the latest with the closing of the ordinary General Meeting following their election. Re-election is permitted. The Board of Directors appoints the chairman of the Compensation Committee. In the event of vacancies, the Board appoints substitutes from among its members for the remaining term of office.
The Compensation Committee assists and advises the Board of Directors in remuneration-related matters, namely by:
- –supporting the Board in proposing motions to the Annual General Meeting so that the Annual General Meeting can vote on the aggregate amounts of remuneration of the members of the Board of Directors and the members of the Executive Board, as well as implementing resolutions passed by the Annual General Meeting in this respect;
- –assisting the Board of Directors with the preparation of the compensation report;
- –advising the Board of Directors on setting up, monitoring and regularly reviewing the compensation policy and guidelines at the highest level of the Company;
- –helping the Board of Directors set the conditions for the remuneration of the members of the Board of Directors and of the Executive Board in the form of equity securities, conversion rights and option rights, as well as assisting and advising the Board of Directors in the review and approval of general compensation and benefit policies, including any long-term incentive compensation or equity plans; and
- –submitting recommendations or motions to the Board of Directors on other remuneration-related matters.
The Compensation Committee is entitled to conduct investigations in all matters within its remit. In particular, it has full access, to the extent required to carry out its duties, to the Executive Board, employees, books and records of Investis Holding SA and its subsidiaries. It may also request the services of independent advisors and experts to the extent required to carry out its duties.
The Compensation Committee performs an annual self-evaluation of its performance and reports the results to the Board of Directors.
The members of the Compensation Committee are: Albert Baehny (Chairman) and Corine Blesi.
Working methods of the Board of Directors and its committees
The Board of Directors meets as often as business requires, but at least four times a year. Extraordinary meetings are held as needed, and decisions may also be made by way of approval of a written circular resolution. The CEO and the CFO are usually invited to attend the meetings of the Board of Directors in an advisory capacity. At every meeting, the Board of Directors must receive information from the CEO regarding the business of the Group, the Company and the other most important Group companies. Each member of the Board of Directors may request information regarding all business of the Group as a whole, the Company or other Group companies, and may request access to corporate documents at any time.
The Chairman decides whether other persons should attend all or part of any meeting of the Board of Directors, and, if so, who will be invited. These persons do not vote. The Board of Directors passes its resolutions by the majority of votes cast, each Director having one vote. Abstentions are not counted as votes cast. In the event of a tie, the chairman of the meeting has the casting vote.
Every meeting of the Board of Directors is logged. The minutes must generally be signed by the Chairman and by the secretary of the Board of Directors. Circular resolutions must be reflected in the minutes of the next meeting of the Board of Directors. The minutes of each meeting of the Board of Directors must be approved at the next meeting of the Board of Directors.
The Committees meet as often as required. Both Committees (Audit and Compensation) meet at least three times a year. Board committee meetings are held at the invitation of the chair. A Board committee meeting may also be demanded by any committee member or the CEO (and an Audit Committee meeting may also be demanded by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the CFO or the external auditors). The agenda of the Board committee meetings is compiled by the chair. Any committee member may include an agenda item. The committee members each receive documentation prior to the meetings, which enables them to prepare for discussion of the agenda items concerned. A committee meeting is quorate and empowered to submit proposals to the Board of Directors if the majority of committee members are present. The meeting votes and passes resolutions by a simple majority, with the meeting chair having the casting vote.
In addition to its members, meetings of the Audit Committee are attended by the CFO and the Head of Corporate Controlling. In addition to its members, meetings of the Compensation Committee are attended by the CEO. Minutes are kept of all Board committee meetings. Committee resolutions may also be passed by circular written communication provided no member demands that a meeting be convened.
An annual self-assessment procedure has been established to permanently monitor and if possible, enhance the performance of the Board of Directors. This evaluates how efficiently the Board and its committees are performing their functions and meeting their responsibilities, whether each Board member participates actively in Board discussions and makes contributions based on independent judgment, and whether an environment of open discussion is maintained at Board meetings.
Areas of responsibility
The Board of Directors is responsible for the overall, high-level management of the Company (which cannot be delegated) and the supervision of the CEO, the CFO and other members (if any) of the Executive Board. The list of duties that cannot be delegated can be found in the Organisational Regulations on the Company website.
www.investisgroup.com/en/investors/corporate-governance
With regard to the non-transferability and inalienability of the duties of the Board of Directors, reference is made to Article 716a of the Swiss Code of Obligations and Article 17 of the Articles of Association, and for detail to Article 16 of the Organisational Regulations. The precise wording of both provisions mentioned above can also be found on the Investis website. www.investisgroup.com/en/investors/corporate-governance
In addition to the responsibilities and powers of authority set out above, and in the interests of coordinated Group management, the Board of Directors is responsible at Group level for the following tasks in particular (without limitation):
Strategy and business orientation
- –setting the strategy and business policy of the Group;
- –approving the Group’s business plans as proposed by the CEO;
- –approving the model and defining the individual principles of the Group’s business policy;
- –approving the measures and transactions set out in Article 16 of the Organisational Regulations, to the extent they are of fundamental importance to the Group.
The precise wording of the provision mentioned above can be found on the Investis website. www.investisgroup.com/en/investors/corporate-governance
Organisation and supervision
- –approving the essential features of the Group’s organisation, management, corporate governance principles and Code of Conduct;
- –approving the organisational principles of the main subsidiaries, including the approval of amendments to parts of the Articles of Association that are of fundamental importance to the Company or the Group;
- –issuing important regulations, instructions and guidelines at the level of the Group, provided the authority to do so is not assigned to the Executive Board;
- –passing resolutions on the Group’s underlying financial, legal and organisational structure;
- –ensuring an internal control system and appropriate risk and compliance management at the Group level and for the main subsidiaries;
- –processing the management’s reporting with respect to the Group;
- –passing resolutions on contracts made by the main Group companies that do not concern their daily business, as well as resolutions on initiating and withdrawing legal actions and administrative proceedings and on the conclusion of settlements by Group companies, if the amount at stake exceeds CHF 500,000 or if the dispute is of strategic importance.
Accounting, financial controlling and planning
- –approving the annual budget of the Group and of the main Group companies;
- –approving the medium-term business plan and the investment budget of the Group;
- –supervising the financial stability (security, liquidity, profitability) of the Group;
- –receiving guidance on the business performance of the Group and each of the main Group companies, their quarterly interim accounts, and on significant business transactions and extraordinary events within the Group.
Human resources
- –giving advance notice about the appointment and dismissal of members of the Board of Directors, the Executive Board and the management of the main subsidiaries;
- –approving general policy with respect to staff.
Other business of Group companies (other than the Company)
Beyond the responsibilities listed above, the Board of Directors has the power to approve all decisions made by Group companies that are of strategic relevance for the Investis Group.
Unless stated otherwise in the mandatory statutory provisions, the Articles of Association or the Organisational Regulations, the Board of Directors delegates management of the Group (i.e. coordinated management of the Company and all other Group companies) to the CEO. According to Article 32 of the Organisational Regulations, the CEO is mainly responsible for the operational management of the Investis Group within the guidelines provided by the Board of Directors, as well as for setting Company targets, preparing and supervising compliance with the principles of general business policy, and periodically reporting to the Board of Directors.
The precise wording of the provisions mentioned above can be found on the Investis website. www.investisgroup.com/en/investors/corporate-governance
Information and controlling instruments for supervising the Executive Board
The Board of Directors makes sure it is regularly informed about the business of the Company and the other Group companies, and about any developments that may be relevant for these. It deals with the reports and proposals submitted by the committees of the Board of Directors, the CEO and the CFO.
The Chairman also monitors compliance with legal requirements, the Articles of Association, regulations and directives issued by the Company’s management bodies, and submits the requisite motions, requests and proposals to the Board of Directors. The Chairman also ensures, in collaboration with the Executive Board, that information is provided in good time about all major aspects of the Company which are of relevance to the monitoring of its activities and to the corporate decision-making process. Further details of the Chairman’s duties and powers of authority are provided in Article 20 of the Organisational Regulations. The precise wording of the provision mentioned can be found on the Investis website. www.investisgroup.com/en/investors/corporate-governance
Any member of the Board of Directors may demand to be informed about the Group’s affairs. The CEO is responsible for informing the Board of Directors about the current course of business and important business transactions occurring in the Company and its subsidiaries. The CEO reports to the Chairman at regular intervals. If a specific development with significant business or financial importance occurs in the course of ordinary or extraordinary business, the CEO must also inform the Chairman immediately, and the Chairman will in turn pass such information on to the members of the Board of Directors. Members of the Board of Directors may directly contact the CEO, the CFO and other members of the Executive Board or employees of any Group companies subject to the prior consent of the Chairman.
To ensure the Board of Directors is informed directly, the CEO and the CFO regularly attend meetings of the Board of Directors, though not if the Board of Directors or its committees need to conduct a closed session. The CEO attends all meetings of the Compensation Committee. The CFO attends all meetings of the Audit Committee. Other members of the Executive Board attend Board meetings for particular agenda items as and when required.
In addition, the Company has implemented a management information system (MIS) for the Investis Group, which is based on the individual monthly reporting by all the subsidiaries. These figures are aggregated per segment and consolidated for the Group. The figures are compared with the previous year and the budget. The attainability of the budget is assessed on the basis of quarterly reporting and forecasts. Written reports on the progress of the segment/activities are submitted to the Executive Board and the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors also reviews the implementation and observance of Board resolutions and the Company’s liquidity levels.
The Company’s risk management function provides an established risk model for identifying, managing and monitoring strategic and operational risks throughout the Group. The Group-wide risk profile consists of the risks identified (adopting the bottom-up approach) and Group-wide strategic risks (adopting the top-down approach). The present risk profile and the current status of risk-reducing measures are regularly monitored and are reported to the Board of Directors.