Retired members, Board of Directors
In 1978, Jürg Witmer joined Hoffmann-La-Roche in Basel and subsequently held a number of positions including Legal Counsel, Assistant to the CEO, General Manager and China Project Manager of Roche Far East based in Hong Kong, Head of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs at Roche headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, and General Manager of Roche Austria. From 1999 to 2005 he acted as Chief Executive Officer of the Givaudan Group in Vernier/Geneva and since then until March 2017 as Chairman of the Board. From 2008 to 2012 he was also Chairman of the Board of Directors of Clariant AG, Basel. Jürg Witmer holds the following mandates in companies that are quoted on an official stock exchange: Vice-Chairman of the Board of Syngenta AG, Basel. He holds the following mandates in companies that are non-quoted: non-executive Director of A. Menarini IFR, Florence, Italy. Jürg Witmer has a Doctorate in law from the University of Zurich, as well as a degree in international studies from the Graduate Institute of the University of Geneva.
In 1983, André Hoffmann was the Head of Administration of la Tour du Valat, a research centre for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands in France. In 1985, he relocated to London and worked several years for James Capel and Co. Corporate Finance Ltd, then for Nestlé UK in corporate finance and business development. Mandates held by André Hoffmann have included: Vice-Chairman of the Board of Roche Holding Ltd., member of the Boards of Inovalon Inc., Genentech Inc., INSEAD, Amazentis SA and Glyndebourne Productions Ltd, President of MAVA Foundation, Massellaz SA and the Tour du Valat Foundation, as well as Vice-President of WWF International. André Hoffmann studied economics at the University of St. Gallen and holds a Master of Business Administration from INSEAD.
Peter Kappeler has served in different industrial and banking companies. For 17 years, he was head of BEKB/BCBE (Berner Kantonalbank), from 1992 to 2003 as CEO and until 2008 as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Peter Kappeler acts as owner or co-owner of some small industrial and start-up companies and is also a member of various boards, including the Summer Academy Foundation at the Paul Klee Center. Mandates held by Peter Kappeler have included: member of the Boards of Cendres et Métaux SA, Schweizerische Mobiliar Holding AG and Schweizerische Mobiliar Genossenschaf. Peter Kappeler has a Master of Business Administration from INSEAD as well as a degree in engineering from the ETH Zurich.
Dr Nabil Y. Sakkab joined Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati in 1974 and retired from the same company in 2007 as Senior Vice President, Corporate Research and Development. During this time, he served on P&G’s Leadership Council and the Innovation Committee of P&G’s Board of Directors. Dr Nabil Y. Sakkab is the author of several scientific and innovation management publications and co-inventor on more than 27 patents. He was awarded the IRI Medal for R&D Leadership in 2007 and the P&G Alumni Innovation award in 2014. Mandates held by Dr Sakkab have included: member of the Boards of Altria Group Inc., Deinove SA, Biowish Technologies Inc., Celltex Therapeutics Corporation and Pharnext SAS. Dr Nabil Y. Sakkab is a graduate from the American University of Beirut with a BSc in chemistry and from the Illinois Institute of Technology with a PhD in chemistry.
Irina Du Bois started her career at Nestlé as Regulatory Affairs Manager in 1976 and became Head of Regulatory Affairs in 1986, subsequently taking on the additional function of Corporate Environmental Officer in 1990. Before retiring from Nestlé in 2010, she headed the Regulatory and Scientific Affairs department from 2004-2009. Active in a number of organisations and institutions related to the food industry, she has been chairperson of the International Standards Expert Group of the Confederation of the Food and Drink Industries of the EU; member of the International Organisations Committee of the International Life Sciences Institute; member of the Biotechnology Committee of the Swiss Society of Chemical Industries; and member of the Swiss committee of the Codex Alimentarius. She has also been Chairperson of the Fondation Pierre du Bois pour l’histoire du temps présent. Irina du Bois has a Master of Science (chemical engineering) from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).
Professor emeritus of Bank Management and Controlling at the University of Basel, scientific adviser for the ‘Zentrum für Ertragsorientiertes Bankmanagement’ (Münster/Westfalen), Member of the Supervisory Board of DIA Consult AG. Henner Schierenbeck became a Professor of Accounting (1978), and of Banking (1980), at the University of Münster. He became Professor of Bank Management and Controlling at the University of Basel (1990). He holds a PhD from the University of Freiburg, together with two honorary doctoral degrees from the State University of Riga, Latvia and Mercator School of Management, Duisburg, Germany.
Dietrich Fuhrmann started his career with Hoechst AG, Frankfurt/Main in 1969. He joined Dragoco GmbH in 1983) where he was appointed Managing Director, and later Executive Vice President, COO, (Dragoco AG) with responsibility for Flavours and Fragrances. He became Chairman and CEO for Food Ingredients Specialities SA (FIS), the food ingredient division of Nestlé in 1998, before its acquisition by Givaudan in 2002. Mandates held by Dietrich Fuhrmann have included member of the Board of Logistable Ltd. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt/Main.
In 1974, he joined the teaching staff of Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and in 1985 was promoted to the rank of full Professor. In 1987, Dr Marthinsen became acting chairman of the economics department and in 1993 chairman. From 1983 to 1988 he was active as a consultant to HandelsBank NatWest, Zürich, and from 1989 to 2000, he was a senior consultant to Roche. He is also the author of numerous articles and books. Dr Marthinsen has been Distinguished Chair in Swiss Economics at Babson College, Member of the Glavin Center for Global Management. John Edward Marthinsen holds a PhD in economics from the University of Connecticut.
In 1968, he joined the Pharma Marketing Department of Roche in Basel. In 1970, he moved to Japan as head of marketing and later became president and CEO of Nippon Roche. In 1980, he was called back to Basel where he became member of the executive committee, later deputy chairman of the executive committee and then vice chairman of the board of directors. Mandates held by Dr Leuenberger have included Member of the International Advisory Council of Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, a member of the Roche Group. Andres F. Leuenberger has a Master Degree from the University of St. Gallen and a PhD from the University of Neuchatel.
In 1956, he received his first practical experience as Bookkeeper, Accountant and General Accountant of Williams Brothers Co., in Caracas, Venezuela. He joined the World Bank Group in Washington in 1965 and worked as Financial Analyst at the International Finance Corporation and as Economist, Loan and Investment Officer and Division Chief at the World Bank. In 1974, he became a member of the Management Committee of Motor Columbus Ing AG in charge of Marketing and Financing. Dr Meier thereafter became a member of the Management Committee of Handelsbank National Westminster, Zurich, in 1979 in charge of building up investment banking. In 1986, he became a member of the Executive Committee of the Roche Group and Group Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Strategy Committee, and in 1994 was named a member of the Board of Roche Holding Ltd, Basel. He was named Chairman of the Board of Givaudan in March 2000 and retired at the General Assembly of 2005. Mandates held by Dr Meier have included director of the Grand Hotel Victoria-Jungfrau AG, Roche Holding AG, HBM BioVentures AG, Privatbank IHAG, Eufra Holding AG and a member of the Board of several foundations and start-up companies. Dr Meier is the holder of many awards in international finance, M&A, etc. as well as a Dr h.c. of the University of Basel. He is the author of many books and articles. Dr Henri B. Meier has a master's degree and a Ph.D. in economics and business administration from the Graduate School of Economics and Business Administration, University of St. Gallen. He also conducted post-graduate studies at Columbia University, New York.
Mr Bonjour began his career in 1955 with Nestlé in the chocolate department. In 1960 he became Head of Marketing for the Middle East based in Beirut. In 1973 he moved to Brussels to head up the refrigerated products department and in 1984 became the Managing Director of Nestlé Belgilux. In 1992 Mr Bonjour moved back to Switzerland to become Managing Director of Nestlé Suisse before retiring in 2001. Mandates held by Mr Bonjour have included, member of the boards of the Foundation of the Alimentarium Museum in Vevey and Nestlé Switzerland, and Givaudan in 2002.
