Jacobs Holding appoints four new members to the Board of Directors
Zurich, 7 March 2019 - Jacobs Holding AG announced the appointment of four new members to the Board of Directors. Nathalie Albin-Jacobs, Valérie Chapoulaud-Floquet, Alan Hippe and Markus R. Neuhaus are new members of the Board of Directors, led by Nicolas and Philippe Jacobs as Co-Chairmen. With its three core investments Barry Callebaut, Colosseum Dental Group and Cognita, the Group considers itself well positioned for the future.
Jacobs Holding AG is an investment company founded by entrepreneur Klaus J. Jacobs, in which he brought in his entrepreneurial activities in 1994. The only economic beneficiary of the company is the Jacobs Foundation, one of the world's leading charitable foundations for the promotion of development opportunities for children and young people.
Board of Directors renewed
As part of the generational change in the Jacobs family, the Board of Directors of Jacobs Holding was renewed. Nicolas and Philippe Jacobs have been Co-Chairmen of the Board of Directors since 2015. Renata and Andreas Jacobs will leave the Board this year, while Nathalie Albin-Jacobs will join. In addition, three external personalities with a wealth of knowledge and experience from various industries and sectors will be appointed to the Board. These are Valérie Chapoulaud-Floquet, CEO of Rémy Cointreau, Alan Hippe, CFO of Roche and Markus R. Neuhaus, Chairman of the Board of Directors of PwC Switzerland. Also on the Board are Patrick Firmenich, Chairman of Firmenich, and Conrad Meyer, Professor Emeritus and Lecturer in Accounting at the University of Zurich.
Commenting on the new composition of the Board, Nicolas Jacobs said: "We are delighted to have been able to bring these outstanding personalities on board. Their extensive experience, their knowledge in various industries and their independent judgement will be of great benefit in the further development of our entrepreneurial activities."
Three core investments with good earnings and growth prospects
Jacobs Holding invests with majority interests and a long-term horizon in companies that are active in a non-cyclical business, already have or aim for a leading market position and have further growth and value creation potential. A strong management team and a healthy corporate culture are also important.
Philippe Jacobs on Jacobs Holding's strategy: "As a long-term investor, we want Jacobs Holding to develop global market leaders in attractive sectors so that they can create added value not only for Jacobs Holding and its sole beneficiary, the Jacobs Foundation, but also for society as a whole".
In addition to its majority stake (50.1 percent) in the listed company Barry Callebaut, the world's largest manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, which generated sales of CHF 6.9 billion in the 2017/18 financial year and employs more than 11,500 people at around 60 production sites worldwide, Jacobs Holding has established two new core investments over the past two years: the Colosseum Dental Group and Cognita.
The Colosseum Dental Group is the leading pan-European provider of dental services. Based in Zurich, the company focuses on high-quality dental services, preserving the interests of patients, doctors and employees, and contributing to sustainable healthcare through cost-saving and quality assurance measures. The Colosseum Dental Group takes care of the financial management, procurement, marketing, recruitment and training of personnel. This allows dentists to focus on treating patients. Following six acquisitions in 2017, the Colosseum Dental Group now operates over 260 clinics in eight countries, with approximately 1,600 dental chairs and over 2,000 dentists. These clinics generated revenues of approximately EUR 375 million in 2018. In 2018, the focus was on strengthening the management team and introducing efficient organisational structures to realize the benefits of the network.
Cognita, launched in 2004, is an extraordinary family of diverse yet connected schools spanning eight countries. Cognita shares one common purpose: to create an inspiring world of education that builds self-belief and empowers individuals to succeed. With 73 schools in Europe, Latin America and Asia, Cognita employs 7,000 teaching and support staff in the care and education of more than 43,000 students. Together, Cognita schools provide a uniquely global education that goes beyond grades to develop all-round academic excellence - equipping young people with the confidence and resourcefulness that prepares them to grow, thrive and find their success in a fast-changing world. In 2018, Cognita reported revenues of over GBP 400 million. Jacobs Holding acquired Cognita in September 2018 and brought on board two minority shareholders, BDT Capital Partners and Sofina, at the end of January 2019.
Jacobs Foundation as only beneficiary
With its three core investments, Jacobs Holding sees itself well positioned to achieve its goals, particularly to create not only economic value through its entrepreneurial activities, but also social value through the earnings flowing exclusively to the Jacobs Foundation. The Jacobs Foundation, of which Lavinia Jacobs is President of the Board of Trustees, has been committed to the development of children and young people for more than 25 years. It provides support for individuals and institutions active in research and practice in a variety of ways and runs its own programmes. All children, regardless of their origin, their place of residence or the income of their parents, should be able to fully exploit their potential. Since the foundation was established in 1989, more than CHF 550 million have been paid out cumulatively; in the last years the amount was around CHF 40 million per year.
Contact:
Andreas Hildenbrand, Lemongrass Communications
+41 44 202 52 38, andreas.hildenbrand@lemongrass.agency
