News
IT Governance
Patrick Hendier, independent director specializing in IT governance, APIA Swiss member and independent consultant, answers all our questions on this important topic. Short definition: IT governance is an integral part of corporate governance. In fact, it aims to...
Board of Trustees vs. Board of Directors?
Alexandre Pahud, independent administrator specializing in foundation governance, APIA Swiss member and commissioner appointed by the Supervisory Authority, answers all our questions on foundation governance. "A Foundation Board is dedicated to the realization of the...
The role of an independent director in a family business
To support the content of this article, we asked APIA Swiss member Grégoire Bouille to share his experience of governance issues in a family business. Grégoire worked at board level for large multinational companies, until he decided to take over his father's...
Why is it important to have an Independent Director when your company is owned by a Private Equity?
First of all, what is a Private Equity? Private equity is the practice of investing in the equity of companies of all sizes, usually unlisted (private), by taking a majority or minority stake for a limited period. Private equity aims to finance innovation, provide...
The impact of the new SA law on the good governance of SMEs
On March 21, 2023, APIASwiss and Mazars co-hosted an event on the impact of the new SA law on the good governance of SMEs. The goal: to review the significant changes in the board of directors and more specifically in the reinforced responsibilities of the directors....
Acting in a board of directors in a start-up compared to a SME
We went to meet Anne-Laure Héritier, independent board member of companies and foundations since 2004, founder in 2009 of a fiduciary company specialized in the management of transnational projects. Anne-Laure has held various executive and non-executive positions in...
An independent director in a family business
In Switzerland, 99% of the companies are small or medium-sized. And nearly 90% of these 320,000 SMEs are family-owned. (source: https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/economie/compétitivité_pour-les-entreprises-familiales--la-suisse-a-la-classe-mondiale/44734858) This...
The importance of a “professionalized” governance to fight against uncertainties and face the next years!
The world is moving, changing, competition is growing, market volatility is increasing, access to raw materials is becoming more difficult. There is no other choice but to adapt to ensure the continuity of the company. It is the role of governance to consider these...
The independent director: A profession in evolution
We asked Eric Maire to tell us about the big changes between yesterday's governance and tomorrow's. Why is there so much interest in being an independent director today? Yesterday's board members: For me, most of the independent directors became independent by chance....
Setting up your Board of Directors!
You have decided to review the setup of your Board of Directors. Until now, you met very quickly once a year with your 'board secretary', who is also your son. But after a discussion with another leader, you realized what a professionally organized board could really...