This week Symbiotics held its annual shareholders’ meeting in Geneva. The majority of the company’s current 64 shareholders attended and were able to have a full overview of the 2014 results and gain insights regarding the 2015 business developments and outlook.
This was an exceptional meeting with the exit of two of the founding board members: Prof. Francis Waldvogel, Chairman of the Board and Me Dominique Rochat, Secretary of the Board. Both have been instrumental in the good corporate governance of the firm throughout its first decade, serving as mentors for the founders. The company is extremely grateful and proud to have had the chance to benefit from their counsel and guidance over the years.
Ivan Pictet, formerly Vice-Chairman, was elected as the new Chairman of the Board, a logical continuation of his strong support to Symbiotics since inception and to microfinance in general. Jean-Claude Marchand, board member since 2005, was appointed as Vice-Chairman, alongside Michel Guillet, Beth Krasna-Casella and Lore Vandewalle, as well as two new members: Tineke Ritzema and Me David Ledermann. Ms. Ritzema brings a long experience as senior operations executive in private banking, in development institutions, including in microfinance, as well as more recently in governance positions in sustainable finance. Me Lederman is a business lawyer specialized in corporate finance and investment banking.
“We’re extremely pleased about this successful transition in our governance over the recent years and look forward to working in this new configuration to develop and take the firm to its next level, after a very rich and thriving decade with the inception board members,” comments Roland Dominicé, CEO. He adds: “I’m in particular very grateful for the mentorship provided to the management by both Me Dominique Rochat and Prof. Francis Waldvogel over the years and very much look forward to collaborating closely with Ivan Pictet in this new phase.”
About Symbiotics:
Symbiotics, incorporated in 2004 in Geneva, is an investment company specialized in emerging, sustainable and inclusive finance which offers market research, investment advisory and asset management services. It is an asset manager of collective investment schemes regulated by FINMA, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority and has an advisory license from the FCA, the Financial Conduct Authority, through its subsidiary in the UK. The company is headquartered in Geneva, with offices in Cape Town, London, Zurich, Mexico City Singapore with a staff of over eighty professionals. Since 2004, Symbiotics has invested over USD 2.2 billion in more than 225 microfinance institutions in 50 emerging countries, working with more than 28 investment funds and many institutional investors.
Contact :
Claire Dorey
Communications Manager
+41 (0)22 338 15 40
www.symbioticsgroup.com
