Novartis Board of Directors announced today the appointment of Gilbert Ghostine as Chairman-designate of the new Board of Directors of Sandoz. Mr. Ghostine has served as CEO of Geneva-based Firmenich, the world's largest privately owned perfume and taste company, since 2014.
Gilbert Ghostine will become Chairman of the New Board of Directors of Sandoz, which will be formed following the spin-off from Novartis in the second half of 2023, subject to final Novartis Board of Directors and shareholder approvals.
Gilbert Ghostine was born in Lebanon in February 1960 and started his education in Lebanon at Collège des Frères Sacré-Cœur and then Collège Mont La Salle. He continued his education at the Saint Joseph University of Beirut of which he holds a BBA and MBA in Marketing. He then completed Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program.
He has been married to Roula Moujaes, also a Lebanese national since 1986 and together they have two children and are the proud grandparents of four.
Gilbert has been a business leader for 37 years managing teams from around the globe. He joined Diageo, the world's leading premium spirits company, in 1993 and stayed on for more than two decades in senior leadership roles across four continents: Africa, Asia, the United States and Europe.
Gilbert Ghostine joined Firmenich, the world's largest privately-owned perfume and taste company, in 2014, as the Group's first non-family member CEO since it was founded in 1895. A leading business-to-business company specialized in the research, creation, manufacture and sale of perfumery and taste ingredients. Firmenich is present across more than 100 markets. Its products and innovations touch billions of people around the world every day, through their foods, beverages, home & body care products and fine fragrances.
Over the past nine years, the Group has grown at above 6% organic CAGR while securing 15 strategic acquisitions and employs 11,000 people worldwide. In Fiscal Year 2022, Firmenich generated an annual turnover of US$ 5 billion and an Adjusted EBITDA of US$ 950 million. Gilbert spearheaded Firmenich's merger agreement with Amsterdam-listed DSM in 2022 to create the leading creation and innovation partner in nutrition, beauty and well-being: DSM-Firmenich. The merger will create a Swiss-based, EUR 11 billion+ revenue Euronext-listed industry champion with a potential EUR ~50 billion market capitalization, combining two iconic companies with a strong purpose, powered by science and innovation and 28,000 employees. The transaction is expected to close before the end of June 2023.
Under Gilbert's leadership, Firmenich has grown into a recognized global leader in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance, driven by bold and measurable ambitions including carbon neutral direct operations by 2025. In 2020, Firmenich achieved 100% renewable electricity in its operations worldwide, an industry-first. Today, the Group is one of only two companies worldwide that have received a CDP triple A rating for climate, water and forests for five consecutive years. Firmenich achieved an industry-leading Sustainalytics score of 7.5 that also ranked the Group as an ESG Global Top 50 Rated company worldwide, as well as a second consecutive EcoVadis Platinum Sustainability Rating, with an industry-leading score of 88/100.
Placing people at the heart of the Group's success, Gilbert is committed to enabling a working environment where all his colleagues can thrive around the world.
In July 2022, Gilbert was appointed as member of the Board of Directors of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and in October 2022, he joined the Board of Directors of Danone.
In April 2022, the Foundation for the Attractiveness of the Canton of Geneva (FLAG) was founded to strengthen and promote the attractiveness of Geneva and its quality of life in inter-cantonal and international comparison. Gilbert took on the position as President of the Board of the foundation. He is also a Trustee of the Board of the Saint Joseph University of Beirut.
Gilbert Ghostine will become Chairman of the New Board of Directors of Sandoz, which will be formed following the spin-off from Novartis in the second half of 2023, subject to final Novartis Board of Directors and shareholder approvals.
Gilbert Ghostine was born in Lebanon in February 1960 and started his education in Lebanon at Collège des Frères Sacré-Cœur and then Collège Mont La Salle. He continued his education at the Saint Joseph University of Beirut of which he holds a BBA and MBA in Marketing. He then completed Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program.
He has been married to Roula Moujaes, also a Lebanese national since 1986 and together they have two children and are the proud grandparents of four.
Gilbert has been a business leader for 37 years managing teams from around the globe. He joined Diageo, the world's leading premium spirits company, in 1993 and stayed on for more than two decades in senior leadership roles across four continents: Africa, Asia, the United States and Europe.
Gilbert Ghostine joined Firmenich, the world's largest privately-owned perfume and taste company, in 2014, as the Group's first non-family member CEO since it was founded in 1895. A leading business-to-business company specialized in the research, creation, manufacture and sale of perfumery and taste ingredients. Firmenich is present across more than 100 markets. Its products and innovations touch billions of people around the world every day, through their foods, beverages, home & body care products and fine fragrances.
Over the past nine years, the Group has grown at above 6% organic CAGR while securing 15 strategic acquisitions and employs 11,000 people worldwide. In Fiscal Year 2022, Firmenich generated an annual turnover of US$ 5 billion and an Adjusted EBITDA of US$ 950 million. Gilbert spearheaded Firmenich's merger agreement with Amsterdam-listed DSM in 2022 to create the leading creation and innovation partner in nutrition, beauty and well-being: DSM-Firmenich. The merger will create a Swiss-based, EUR 11 billion+ revenue Euronext-listed industry champion with a potential EUR ~50 billion market capitalization, combining two iconic companies with a strong purpose, powered by science and innovation and 28,000 employees. The transaction is expected to close before the end of June 2023.
Under Gilbert's leadership, Firmenich has grown into a recognized global leader in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance, driven by bold and measurable ambitions including carbon neutral direct operations by 2025. In 2020, Firmenich achieved 100% renewable electricity in its operations worldwide, an industry-first. Today, the Group is one of only two companies worldwide that have received a CDP triple A rating for climate, water and forests for five consecutive years. Firmenich achieved an industry-leading Sustainalytics score of 7.5 that also ranked the Group as an ESG Global Top 50 Rated company worldwide, as well as a second consecutive EcoVadis Platinum Sustainability Rating, with an industry-leading score of 88/100.
Placing people at the heart of the Group's success, Gilbert is committed to enabling a working environment where all his colleagues can thrive around the world.
In July 2022, Gilbert was appointed as member of the Board of Directors of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and in October 2022, he joined the Board of Directors of Danone.
In April 2022, the Foundation for the Attractiveness of the Canton of Geneva (FLAG) was founded to strengthen and promote the attractiveness of Geneva and its quality of life in inter-cantonal and international comparison. Gilbert took on the position as President of the Board of the foundation. He is also a Trustee of the Board of the Saint Joseph University of Beirut.
