Personalities
SGS CFO becomes CFO at Managing Board of DSM
An interesting change of position is taking place at SGS (CH), Industry leading inspection, verification, testing and certification services anywhere in the world, its CFO Chief Financial Officer, Géraldine Matchett is resigning from her position she held since 2010 to become CFO at the Managing Board of DSM (NL)
Géraldine Marchett will give up her actual position with SGS after the publication of the half year results in July 2014 to become CFO at Managing Board of DSM, Royal DSM is a global science based company active in health nutrition and materials.
SGS regrets her decision to leave the company. She has been a very competent CFO. She has been awarded “CFO of the year 2014 in Switzerland”. She is able to explain complex things easy and clearly. Her replacement will be announced in due course.
German Jack Wolfskin’s boss is a true shoe professional
According to an interview in Swiss newspaper NZZ Neue Zürcher Zeitung, German Jack Wolfskin’s boss since 2012, Michael Rupp (53) is a true shoe professional with an outstanding career
He was working almost 25 years for sports good manufacturer Adidas before joining Jack Wolfskin (sportswear, tents and back packs and shoes). He spent most of his career abroad. 1995 – 2000 he built up Adidas’ business for the Middle East and was headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon, somewhat an adventure, because at that time the war had left destruction and Rupp resided first in an office in a intact hotel, bought himself a laptop and started from nil. But he felt happy and met his future wife, and he was a pioneer for Adidas. Five years later Adidas had offices in five Arab countries with 70 associates. He then returned to Germany with responsibility for Central Europe and he had to prepare for the football championship in 2006. Then he took a sabbatical and sailed with his wife and the little kid, a true adventure again, but suddenly this venture was interrupted because Adidas took over US Reebok and Rupp became COO Chief Operating Officer in the new venture in the USA, where he stayed for seven years and assumed additionally the responsibility for the new shoe member of the group Rockport.
He somehow grew up with shoes since his grandfather was a shoemaker and was running a shoe shop in Bavaria. During his studies, he also gained also some practical business experience. He started as a shoe seller at Swiss Bally shoemaker in Germany. After his graduation he became a management assistant at shoe distributor Deichmann. A year and a half later he started as assistant of the sales manager for shoes at Adidas.
In America he received the offering of Jack Wolfskin in 2012. The company was founded in 1981 and has now worldwide over 4000 sales points and belongs since 2011 to the investment firm Blackstone. The outdoor company Jack Wolfskin reported a turnover of EUR 324 million in 2013. He loves his job and enjoys an excellent relation with the ownership, knowing that one day the company might be sold to a large company. Aware of this fact, he states that his planning in such a dynamic sector is limited to a career plan over three years, not knowing where he will be standing when he turns 60, but his aim remains the same as of now, being happy.