Members

APIA Swiss offers mutual benefits to its individual members

The union and diversity of personalities and experiences are a force for knowledge sharing, training, developing subjects useful to companies, reassuring oneself in the exercise of one’s mandates, working for the recognition and enhancement of the function of independent directors, building group legitimacy and notoriety from which everyone benefits.

APIA Swiss helps its members:

  • Promote the role of independent professional director.
  • Achieve excellence in the fulfilment of their mandates.
  • Deepen their knowledge, in particular by relying on the network of expert partners.
  • Exchange experiences and ideas between members.
  • Develop their know-how and their own projects in order to increase APIA’s influence.

Admission criteria

  • Being or having been recently and durably a SME’s general manager, in a position of true decision-maker, and having acted in this capacity with ethics.
  • Demonstrating a motivated interest in the role of independent director.
  • Adhering to and signing APIA’s mission, charter and internal rules and regulations.
  • Having professional autonomy and sufficient resources not to depend on APIA and being able to maintain its independence in the exercise of the mandates it would be entrusted with.
  • Being able and willing to invest time to develop and share one’s experience with others.

Admission procedure

Candidates are sponsored by the member or partner who introduced them to APIA. They send a CV and a motivation letter to the attention of the President of APIA Swiss. CV+ML are sent to all APIA members who have 15 days to veto or make a comment to the Executive Committee. A veto is a reasoned objection that can only be based on factual elements relating to the candidate’s behaviour with respect to APIA’s values. Any veto will result in the closure of the application file. In the absence of a veto, the candidate meets three APIA members. The conclusions of the interviews are reported to the Executive Committee, which then takes the decision to accept or reject the application or to propose the most suitable status to the applicant. This decision is based on the above-mentioned criteria and may also be based on the impression felt during the interviews. Members are individuals and must pay a membership fee of CHF 750 for the year 2019.

Associated Members

APIA Swiss offers a training ground for its future active members

Our associate members have the same rights and duties as active members. However, they may not apply for requests for independent directors received from companies.

Admission criteria

Our associate members have the potential to eventually meet the criteria for admission of active members and the willingness to become independent directors. The decision is left to the discretion of the Executive Committee.

Admission procedure

The candidates followed the procedure for admission of active members and their applications were rejected because they did not meet all the admission criteria. The Executive Committee may then decide to integrate them as associate members. The membership fee for associate members is CHF 750 for the year 2019.

List of members

Anne Abriat

Member

Profile

a.abriat@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages: French, English

Specialties
  • Specialty Chemicals, Cosmetics, Perfumes & Flavours and Start-ups
  • Academic sector CNRS, INSERM, EPFL, CISA, HUG…
  • R&D and Innovation
  • B2B business development International
  • Alignment of human, organizational and technological elements
  • Innovation Management

Jean-Christophe Barth

Committee Member

Profile

jc.barth@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages : German, French, English, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese

Specialties
  • Management of complex, large scale and long-term contracts
  • Infrastructure project, public tenders (training at the Federal Office for Construction and Logistics)
  • Resolution of disputes (e. g. dispute boards, international commercial arbitration, commercial mediation)
  • Sustainable development objectives and Public-Private Partnerships
  • Company mutation and due diligence
  • Governance redesign of organizations of all sizes (e.g. internal regulations, strategic alignment, team charter and ethics)

Olivier Bédat

Chairman

Profile

o.bedat@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages : French, English, Spanish, German

Specialties
  • Strategy and Governance
  • General Management
  • Digital strategy
  • Change management
  • Development and management of franchised networks

Grégoire Bouille

Treasurer

Profile

g.bouille@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages : French, English, German, Italian

Specialties
  • Strategy and Governance
  • General Management
  • Change management, Turnarounds, Restructuring
  • Business Development, Sales & Marketing (national & international)
  • Strategical due diligences, M&A
  • Family Office, VC, Private Equity
  • Industries: Manufacturing, Luxury goods, Cutlery & FMCG, Construction, Food & Tobacco, Biotech, Investment banking, Services

François Bouteiller

Committee Member

Profile

f.bouteiller@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages : English, Spanish, French, Italian

Specialties
  • Air transport sector

David Branch

Member

Profile
d.branch@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages : french, english, italian, spanish, german

 

Specialties
  • Strategy and Governance
  • Business development, Distribution, Marketing & Sales (national, international)
  • Due diligence, M&A, IPOs, Hi-finance debt and equity
  • Change management, Turnaround
  • Family Office, VC
  • Sectors: Real estate (urban and resorts, franchised networks, Hospitality, Travel & tourism, Luxury, Digital platforms, Start-ups

Daniel Brandenburger

Vice-Chairman

Profile

d.brandenburger@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages: French, English, German, Mandarin

Specialties

Transition Management, International SMEs

  • Market development, China, Asia
  • Operational and production analysis, audit and due diligence
  • Investment and acquisition Ombudsman
  • Start-up Coach

Katia Coudray

Member

Profile
k.coudray@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages : French, English, German

 

Specialties
  • General management, strategy, restructuring, turnaround, merger, integration
  • Innovation, product range management
  • Business development, opening of international subsidiaries
  • Risk management
  • Impact, sustainability, CSR
  • Sectors: Finance, banking, investments, textile production, distribution

Fouad Dadi

Committee Member

Profile

f.dadi@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages: French, English, Arabic, Spanish

Specialties
  • Strategy
  • Brand building
  • Business Models
  • Consumer understanding, Market landscaping
  • Advanced analytics
  • Sectors: Fast Moving Consumer Goods, Luxury, Retail and distribution

Valérie Ducrot

Member

Profile

v.ducrot@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages: French, English

Specialties
  • Gas and energy sector
  • Management

Philippe D. Etter

Member

Profile

p.etter@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages: French, English

Specialties
  • Industrial management
  • MedTechs
  • Supporting start-ups

 

Didier Forget

Member

Profile

d.forget@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages: French, English

Specialties
  • Industry ; Heating, Ventilation and Air conditioning, electro-mechanical, technique, energy
  • Definition and implementation of business strategies with tool 4S ‘Know yourself’
  • International development (organic and acquisitions)
  • Experience of group CEO (before 2016), then Boards member
  • Experience of companies own by investment funds, Venture Capital or Families
  • Strategic due diligence
  • Program of ‘business ethics’

Catherine Gambotto

Member

Profile

c.gambotto@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages: French, English, Italian

Specialties
  • General, financial and strategic management
  • International SMEs and family businesses
  • IT sectors, game-changer, sharing economy
  • Technology watch, digital transformation strategy
  • Change and risk management
  • Good corporate governance practices
  • Promotion of the role of professional women in top management and board of directors, OWIT Lake Geneva, BPW Switzerland
  • Member of the Swiss Circle of Women Directors

Stéphan Grouitch

Member

Profile

s.grouitch@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages: French, English

Specialties
  • Strategy and Corporate Governance
  • Powering of Management Teams/Organizations
  • Change and Program Management
  • Crisis Management
  • Multi-industry, consulting/service activities

Patrick Hendier

Member

Profile

p.hendier@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages : French, English, German, Spanish

Specialties
  • General management
  • IT strategy and IT governance
  • Digital and IT security strategy
  • Change management

Anne-Laure Héritier

Member

Profile
al.heritier@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages : french, english, spanish

 

Specialties
  • Corporate and Foundations strategy and governance
  • Asia / EU / Africa trading companies
  • Investment match-making and project management
  • International SMEs and family businesses
  • Start-ups
  • Sectors: Paramedical, PPE, Education, VR

Françoise Lamotte

Profile
f.lamotte@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages: French, English, Japanese
Specialties
  • General Management
  • Strategy, Digitalization and Innovation
  • New business models, diversification and internationalization
  • Customer Experience
  • Sectors: Insurance and Risk Management

Raphaël Leveau

Member

Profile
r.leveau@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages : French, English, German
Specialties
  • Mergers & Acquisitions (buy-side, sell-side, financing, Management Buy Out/In)
  • Financial, accounting and tax due diligence
  • Business valuation
  • Financial engineering
  • Swiss Certified Accountant and Certified Audit Expert

Eric Maire

Secretary

Profile

e.maire@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages: French, English

Specialties
  • Strategy and governance for technology companies
  • International business development
  • Company creation and liquidation
  • Financing strategies
  • Training in corporate governance
  • Startups

Christophe Marchal

Committee Member

Profile

c.marchal@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages: French, English, Russian

Specialties
  • General management, operational management
  • Business development, marketing
  • Change management, crisis situations, communication, digital
  • International (creation of subsidiaries, expansion, development)
  • Governance
  • Start-ups, blockchain, digital assets
  • Sectors: multi industries, FMCG, luxury, retail, services, NGO

Pierre Morgon

Member

Profile

p.morgon@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages: French, English, Spanish

Specialties
  • Strategic thinking and creative execution
  • Partnership and alliance management
  • M&A Strategy and Integration
  • Financing and valuation
  • Crisis Management
  • Sectors: Biotech, primary- specialty- and hospital care, vaccine, medical technology, healthcare IT

Alexandre Pahud

Member

Profile

a.pahud@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages: French, English, German (Swiss-German)

Specialties
  • Finance, audit, internal control
  • Occupational benefit plans and social insurance
  • Governance and strategy for foundations and NGOs
  • Crisis management (governance and/or financial)
  • Leadership, coaching of the foundation boards
  • ESG, Climate Change, Carbon Footprint
  • Non-violent communication and emotional intelligence

Raymond Palmen

Member

Profile

r.palmen@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages : Dutch, French, English, German, Spanish

Specialties
  • General Management
  • Strategy
  • Marketing B2B/B2C
  • Business Development
  • Innovation, Start-Ups
  • Change management
  • Governmental & Regulatory Affairs

David Pittet

Member

Profile
d.pittet@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages : french, english, german, swiss-german, spanish
Specialties
  • General Management, Finance, Strategy and Governance
  • Change management, Turnarounds, Restructuring
  • Business development, opening of subsidiaries
  • Risk management
  • Sustainable investment, ESG, Impact
  • Sectors: Finance, Insurance, Pension Funds, Public Sector, Consulting, Pharmaceuticals, Technology

Serge Reymond

Member

Profile

s.reymond@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages : French, English, German

Specialties
  • Business Development
  • Digital transformation
  • Team building and talent management
  • Change and innovation management
  • Turnarounds and restructurings
  • Crisis Management
  • Sectors: Media, watches and jewelry, pharmaceuticals, distribution, retail, digital platforms and education

François Samson

Member

Profile
f.samson@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages: French, English
Specialties
  • Mentoring of entrepreneurs and leaders
  • Certified Master Coach
  • Management of organizations
  • Sales and Marketing
  • Sectors: Automotive, restaurant, finance (Forex), charity and association

Alan Tawil-Kummerman

Member

Profile

a-t.kummerman@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages: French, English

Specialties
  • Start-ups, technology
  • General management

Philippe Vignon

Member

Profile

p.vignon@apiaswiss.ch
French-speaking Switzerland section
Languages : French, German (Swiss German), English, Italian

Specialties
  • General Management
  • Strategy and Governance
  • Change management (certified coach)
  • Digitization