> Executives / Non-executives

Frédéric Bobo (aged 45) - Executive Chairman
Frédéric Bobo, a French national, has almost 20 years of experience in investment banking and in corporate advisory services. He began his career in 1988, as a corporate banker at Banque Bruxelles Lambert, first in New York, then in Brussels. In 1990, Frédéric joined Eurogroup Consultants in Paris, where, as a consultant in organisation strategy for financial institutions and groups, he participated in the creation of the Warsaw Stock-Exchange (Société des Bourses Françaises assignment, 1991). In 1992, Frédéric assisted Société Générale bank in creating Société Générale Finance Développement (SGFD, Managing Director), an affiliate of Société Générate Investment Banking M&A Division) which was exclusively dedicated to investment banking and corporate advisory services in emerging markets (5 offices in Eastern Europe – Commonwealth of Independent States). There, Frédéric directly led and managed over 150 assignments including privatisations, corporate sales, IPOs, industrial restructurings, cross border M&A, joint-ventures and similar direct investment schemes, complex financial and tax related capital engineering, off-shore financial engineering. In 2001, Frédéric created his own venture, Stunning partners & co, which is both an idea laboratory and a corporate advisory consulting firm, and which provides corporate finance and strategic advisory services to companies and high profile managers. He graduated from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques d’Aix en Provence (1985); and also holds an MBA from the George Washington University (Washington, USA, 1988).

Philippe Hervé (aged 51) - Executive Director
Philippe Hervé, a French national, has 26 years of experience in the retailing and furniture industries. He started his career in the Darty Group, first as Business Controller at Darty Spain (1981), then as Product Manager in Marseille (1983), before being appointed Purchasing Director in Paris (1984). In 1988, after a short period at Groupe BATA France as Marketing Director (1987), he was appointed Managing Director of Centres Maison et Jardin, a subsidiary of the Nouvelles Galeries Group with the purpose of turning the company around before leading its sale to Groupe Atlas. Philippe joined the Recticel group in 1992, as Business Unit Manager and subsequently was appointed as Deputy Manager of South Europe Bedding in 1999. In 2002, Philippe joined Cauval Industries as its CEO of the seats division. In 2005 Philippe left to pursue his own entrepreneurial ventures and in 2006 he acquired a controlling capital stake in Omoté Futons, a retail chain specializing in Asian furniture. Philippe graduated from HEC in 1978 (Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales - France).

> Executives / Non-executives

David Henderson-Stewart (aged 35) - non-Executive Director
Born in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1973, David graduated cum laude from the Sorbonne (Paris, France) as well as from Oxford University. He subsequently obtained a master's degree in European law from the Sorbonne and was admitted to the Paris Bar. From 1997 to 1999 he served at the Moscow office of Bureau Francis Lefebvre, concentrating on legal and taxation monitoring of European investments in Russia. In 2000 he joined the French office of the American law firm Coudert Brothers and subsequently the Paris bureau of the international law firm Jones Day. Since 2005, David has held the position of Managing Director of International Affairs and Member of the Board of the International Industrial Bank-Mejprombank (zao Mejdunarodny Promishleny Bank). David is also member of the board of United Industrial Corporation-OPK, zao Obyedinionaya Promishlenaya Korporatsia, and the trustee of OPK Trust Company Limited.


Pierre Rainero (aged 50) - non-Executive Director
Pierre Rainero, a French national, spent his military service as an officer in the French navy, following which he started his career in advertising in 1980 at Ogilvy and Mother, initially in Rio de Janeiro and then in Paris. In 1984, he joined the Cartier Group. Whilst at the Cartier Group, Pierre has developed a broad expertise in the luxury goods industry and a unique insight into the management of luxury brands. Pierre first worked for Cartier as International Advertising Manager in Paris and was then promoted in 1987 to Marketing Manager for Cartier Italy based in Milan. In 1999 he returned to Paris and was appointed Research and Strategy Director at Cartier International. He subsequently became a member of the Cartier’s ‘Creation Committee’ headed by the president of Cartier, Alain-Dominique Perrin. In 1995, Pierre was appointed Communication Director of Cartier and, in 1999, he also took over the artistic direction of Cartier (responsibilities including product creation, communication, and boutique design). In 2001, he was appointed Artistic, Image & Strategy Director for Cartier and was subsequently appointed to his current role of Strategy and Heritage Director of the House of Cartier in 2003. In this role, Pierre is, amongst other things, responsible for style and the cultural dimensions of the House of Cartier worldwide. Pierre is a member of the board of directors of Cartier S.A. and Hexagram (which is involved in the production of computarised images). Pierre graduated from HEC in 1980 (Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales - France). He is also a former student of Fondation Rachel Boyer (History of Art - Ecole du Louvre).

Frédéric Michel-Verdier (aged 40) - non-Executive Director
Frédéric Michel-Verdier, a French national based in London, is an Investment Director with Industry Funds Management (UK) Limited, one of the largest global investors in infrastructure assets. His responsibilities include relationship development and managing infrastructure investments for IFM. Frederic is also a Director (alternate) on the Board of Wales & West Utilities Limited, a regulated gas distribution company in Wales and South West of England.
Previously, he worked as a Director of Corporate Finance for ING Barings in London for 7 years, and prior to that had spent 4 years with SG Investment Banking, and 3 years with Ernst and Young. Frédéric Michel-Verdier has extensive experience of structuring and executing a wide range of complex cross-border M&A, capital markets and privatisation transactions in Europe and MENA region.
Frédéric has founded in 1995 News and Paper (COFIEX SAS), a Paris-based marketing and communication company, which was sold in 2008 and he is the founding partner of Blue Oak sarl, an auction website for horse breeders. Frédéric received a MSc in Finance from Sorbonne University (IAE Paris) in 1996 and a MSc in Business Administration from French business school Institut Supérieur de Gestion (Paris) in 1991.