Géraldine Picaud, CEO of SGS, Announces New Executive Committee

• New CEO announces streamlined Executive Committee of 12 members
• Focused team to implement Strategy 27: Growth, Performance & Agility, Strong Financial Profile
• Marta Vlatchkova appointed Chief Financial Officer, effective May 8, 2024

The new management team is now in place to execute Strategy 27: Accelerating growth, building trust. It comprises 12 members, rallied around CEO Géraldine Picaud, with managers from the Group and individuals from other horizons bringing complementary expertise.

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6 members are driving commercial and operational activities:

Due to the local nature of Testing & Inspection, it will be managed through 5 regions, while Certification will be managed as one global activity, named Business Assurance.

• Steven Du is appointed Head of Asia Pacific;
• Malcolm Reid is appointed Head of Europe;
• Teymur Abasov is appointed Head of Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa;
• Derick Govender is appointed Head of North America;
• Rafael Navazo joins the Group as Head of Latin America, effective July 1, 2024;
• Jeff McDonald continues as Head of Business Assurance.

2 members are responsible for Global Business Development:

• Charles Ly Wa Hoi is appointed Head of Connectivity & Products and Health & Nutrition;
• Egidijus Jokubauskas is appointed Head of Industries & Environment and Natural Resources.

3 members are responsible for Global Functions:

• Marta Vlatchkova joins the Group as Chief Financial Officer, effective May 8, 2024;
• Martin Oesch joins the Group as Group General Counsel, effective May 1, 2024. He replaces Olivier Merkt who continues to assume this role until his retirement at the end of April;
• Jessica Sun continues as Head of Group Human Resources.

Géraldine Picaud, Chief Executive Officer, commented:

“The appointment of our new Executive Committee marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for SGS. It underlines our commitment to seize the many opportunities created by the market megatrends in sustainability, digital, supply chains and regulations, as well as by the strong fragmentation of our industry.

“It also demonstrates our renewed focus on growth, innovation and accountability and will guide SGS’s operations towards higher efficiency and effectiveness.

“I am taking this opportunity to extend a warm welcome to the three very experienced leaders who are joining our Group: Marta Vlatchkova as Chief Financial Officer, Martin Oesch as Group General Counsel and Rafael Navazo as Head of Latin America. SGS will be stronger thanks to their expertise.”

Biographies of the Executive Committee members

Teymur ABASOV

Teymur Abasov is appointed Head of Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa. He was previously Chief Operating Officer, Eastern Europe and Middle East. Prior to this, he held several key roles for SGS in the region: Managing Director SGS Kazakhstan and Caspian Region, Managing Director of SGS Azeri & Georgia and Operations Manager of SGS Azeri. He joined SGS in 1994 as a senior inspector in Azerbaijan after graduating with a degree in Electrical Engineering.

Steven DU

Steven Du is appointed Head of Asia Pacific. He was previously Chief Operating Officer of SGS North-East Asia. Prior to this, he held many senior positions in Asia including Managing Director of China and Managing Director of Vietnam. He also worked for SGS Singapore and Philippines in food testing, certification and training. In 2002, he managed the establishment of China’s first commercial food testing laboratory. Steven joined SGS in 1999 and holds a Management Diploma from Shenzhen University and a Master’s degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Derick GOVENDER

Derick Govender is appointed Head of North America. He was previously Executive Vice President for Natural Resources. Prior to this, he had been Executive Vice President for Minerals Services and Regional Minerals Business and Operations Manager in South Africa. He joined SGS as Chief Chemist in 2002. Beforehand, he was Chief Chemist of Mintek’s precious metals laboratory and also worked in Randgold mine laboratories. He was educated in South Africa and holds qualifications in Analytical Chemistry and in Business Management.

Egidijus JOKUBAUSKAS

Egidijus Jokubauskas is appointed Head of Industries & Environment and Natural Resources. He was previously Head of Mineral Commodities at SGS, where he had responsibility for P&L and operational excellence in servicing global key accounts. Prior to this, Egidijus held various leadership positions within SGS, including Head of Energy Minerals. Before joining SGS in 2006, he worked for Intertek in Lithuania as manager for the Baltic states within the Agricultural business, as well as at BSI as an operations manager. Egidijus completed an Engineering degree in Marine Power Installations and a Master’s degree in Marine Transport Technologies at the University of Klaipeda, Lithuania.

Charles LY WA HOI

Charles Ly Wa Hoi is appointed Head of Connectivity & Products and Health & Nutrition. He was previously Executive Vice President for Connectivity & Products. Prior to this, he held several senior executive roles within SGS: Executive Vice President for Consumer and Retail, Global Head of Materials and Manufacturing, Global Head of Transportation, Equipment and Machinery. Charles joined SGS in 1992 and rejoined in 2008 after director-level roles at E. Leclerc and Bouygues Energy Services. He holds a degree in Electronics Engineering from ENSEIRB-MATMECA.

Jeffrey McDONALD

Jeffrey McDonald continues as Head of Business Assurance, a role he has occupied since January 2021. Previously, he was Executive Vice President for Certification and Business Enhancement. Between 2007 and 2015 he was the Chief Operating Officer for SGS North America. Prior to this, he had been Executive Vice President for Systems and Services Certification, South-East Asian Sub-Regional Manager for Certification Services as well as Manager for the Consumer Products Division in Thailand. Jeffrey joined SGS in 1994. He has a BA in Economics from Griffith University, a Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of Technology, and an Engineering degree from the Yeronga Technical and Further Education College, Australia.

Rafael NAVAZO

Rafael Navazo is appointed Head of Latin America, effective July 1, 2024. He is a seasoned business leader with over 15 years’ experience in P&L management, business restructuring, commercial & operations excellence, and supply chain integration. He was previously Vice President of Flow Control EMEA at Vesuvius, where he was instrumental in delivering high technology solutions in the steel and foundry markets, significantly contributing to the divisions' growth and sustainability. Prior to this, Rafael held several pivotal roles at Imerys, including Vice President & General Manager for South America in Filtration and Performance Additives. Rafael holds a MSc in Management from HEC Paris and a Mining Engineer degree from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. He also completed an Executive Program at INSEAD.

Martin OESCH

Martin Oesch is appointed Group General Counsel, effective May 1, 2024. His extensive experience and strategic mindset will play a vital role in providing legal guidance, ensuring compliance and supporting the Group’s ESG, growth and expansion initiatives. He currently serves as Group General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at Barry Callebaut, where he played a pivotal role in shaping the company's direction and contributing to strategic M&A and expansion projects. Prior to this, Martin was an associate with two leading Swiss law firms. He holds a Master of Laws degree from the University of Berne and the University of Chicago Law School (LLM).

Malcolm REID

Malcolm Reid is appointed Head of Europe. He was previously Chief Operating Officer, South-East Asia Pacific. Prior to this, he held the positions of Executive Vice President for Consumer Testing Services and Executive Vice President of Systems and Services Certification. He was also Managing Director in several countries, including Australia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam. He joined the company in 1987. Malcolm graduated with a BSc Chemistry (Hons) from the University of Glasgow in 1985.

Jessica SUN

Jessica Sun was appointed Senior Vice President of Human Resources in January 2022. Prior to this, she was Chief Human Resources Officer at Smart Home, Haier Group, overseeing HR management, global policy development, practices and operations for this leading appliance company. An HR professional since 1993, Jessica has held different positions at Pfizer, Baxter Healthcare, Ingersoll-Rand, and Mallinckrodt Pharmaceutical. Jessica holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law from the China University of Politics & Law Science and an EMBA from the Chinese Europe International Business School (CEIBS).

Marta VLATCHKOVA

Marta Vlatchkova is appointed Chief Financial Officer, effective May 8, 2024. She currently serves as Chief Accounting Officer at Sandoz, a global leader in off-patient medicines, where she successfully led the transition of the accounting function from a Novartis division to an independent publicly listed company. Prior to this, Marta led Group Accounting and Financial Planning & Analysis at Holcim, a global leader in building solutions. She also served as Head of Group Financial Planning & Analysis at Essilor, the world leader in ophthalmic lenses. She holds a Master’s degree in Finance from the University of Paris II Pantheon-Assas, France and a Bachelor’s degree in international Economic Relations from the University of National & World Economy in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Marta will be responsible for overseeing and optimizing SGS’s financial strategies, driving operational efficiencies, and collaborating with leadership to achieve the Group’s business goals. Her unwavering commitment to excellence, extensive expertise in efficient processes and strategic mindset will play a crucial role in shaping SGS’s financial future.

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