About
Chief Executive Officer of FIRMENICH SA Director whose co-opting is proposed to the Shareholders’ Meeting for ratification Age 62 – Lebanese and Canadian nationality First appointed to the Board: Board of Directors of September 30, 2022, with effect on October 15, 2022 (a) DANONE shares: 3,000 Expertise – Experience – Main activities Gilbert GHOSTINE has an MBA from the University of Saint Joseph in Beirut and completed Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program. He started his career in 1986 with Group Murr, a Lebanese company in the construction sector and he was Director, Marketing & Sales at Amlevco Trading Company and then General Manager, Middle East at International Distillers & Vintners, which became Diageo in 1997. Within the Diageo group, the world’s leading premium spirits company, Gilbert GHOSTINE held, between 1997 and 2014, several senior leadership roles across four continents. He was notably Managing Director, Middle East, Africa, Central and Eastern Europe (1998-2000), President USA Major Markets and National Accounts (2002-2005), Managing Director Northern Europe (2005-2006), Managing Director Continental Europe (2006- 2009), President Asia Pacific (2009-2014) and then Chief Corporate Development Officer and President India and Greater China, a position he held until his departure in 2014. That year, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Firmenich, the Swiss largest private fragrance and taste company in the world. In this role, Gilbert has championed digital innovation, led the strategic repositioning of Firmenich into Natural, Biotech and Life Science leadership, and driven its growth into a recognized global leader in Environmental, Social and Governance. Under Gilbert’s leadership, Firmenich has delivered strong and consistent organic growth whilst securing 15 strategic acquisitions, culminating in the planned merger with DSM in the first half of 2023. Gilbert’s tenure as Firmenich Chief Executive Officer will end by end June 2023, once the merger with DSM is achieved.
Current terms of office Danone companies •Director, member of the Audit Committee of DANONE SA Other companies Foreign unlisted companies • Chief Executive Officer of FIRMENICH SA (Switzerland) (b) •Director of FOUR SEASONS HOTELS AND RESORTS (Canada) Terms of office expired over the past five years – (a) The ratification of his co-opting will be submitted to approval by the Shareholders’ Meeting of April 27, 2023. (b) His duties as CEO will end in 2023, after the completion of the merger between Firmenich and DSM in the first half of 2023.
Personal Details
Qualifications & Experience
Other directorships (state)
(only entities turnover at least $5m p/a)
Working history
Committee/s
| Company | Committee | Role | Appointment Date | Resignation Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danone | Board | Member | 30/09/2022 | |
| Danone | Audit | Member | 30/09/2022 | |
| Danone | Other | Member | 30/09/2022 |