Industrial Advisors

An innovative approach

Sagard enjoys the active support of a highly diverse team of leading senior executives and experts who contribute hands-on, in-depth knowledge of their respective industries.

Driving a successful growth strategy

The role of the Industrial Advisors ranges from identifying target companies and assessing investment projects to assisting portfolio companies in their development, at management’s request.They are also supported by independent directors like Gérard Hauser from Nexans.

Our Industrial Advisors include:

Jean-Loup Brousse de Gersigny

After a career as a London-based banker, in 1988 Jean-Loup Brousse de Gersigny founded Intermediate Capital Group Plc, a provider of mezzanine finance and fund management services. To date, the company has invested more than €7 billion in a large number of transactions and is widely recognized as a leading source of mezzanine finance in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, ICG has a market value of more than £1 billion.

Jean-Loup Brousse de Gersigny managed ICG until 2004, when he retired from the Board of Directors. He is now an advisor at Sagard, where he contributes his extensive relationship network and business knowledge. He serves on the Board of Directors of a number of companies in the Sagard portfolio.

Daniel Caille

A graduate of École Polytechnique and École nationale des ponts et chaussées, Daniel Caille joined Compagnie Générale des Eaux in 1982, where he initiated the company’s diversification into the private hospital segment and founded Générale de Santé.

He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of La Poste in 2001 and became Chief Executive oFficer of Dexia Crédit Local in January 2003.

Daniel Caille brings to Sagard his expertise in corporate services and serves on the Board of Directors of a number of companies in the Sagard portfolio.

Olivier Legrain

CEO of Materis.

Pierre Letzelter

Chairman of Go Sports.

Jean-Pierre Mattei

Honorary President of the Paris Trade Court and a member of the board of several real estate companies as well as of a bank and a number of publishing houses, Jean-Pierre Mattei offers Sagard and extensive network of business relationships and substantial experience.

Jean-Pierre Mattei’s diverse set of skills and experience gives Sagard a distinctive approach to certain projects.

Geoffroy Pinoncely

A director of a number of companies and until recently Chairman of the Havas Advisory Board, Geoffroy Pinoncely has spent most of his professional career with the Danone group, holding the top position at Amora Maille, Panzani, Blédina and a number of foreign affiliates before being appointed deputy CEO of the group and member of the executive committee. He later became Special Advisor to Chairman Franck Riboud.

In parallel, Geoffroy Pinoncely is actively involved in the media and press business, and is chairman of several industry organizations, including “Diffusion Contrôle (OJD)” and “Union des Annonceurs (UDA)”. In the spring of 2004, he has accepted to assume the role of chairman of the Groupe Moniteur Supervisory Board.

Georges Plassat

A Sagard Industrial Advisor at the start of the Fund, Georges Plassat brought in-depth industry expertise in the retail sector. It was at that time that he developed the project to buy out Vivarte, the company he formerly ran.

He was instrumental in Sagard’s decision to join in the buyout of Vivarte.

Bruno Rohmer

A member of several boards of directors and Chairman of the European Association of Independent Directors, Bruno Rohmer has an outstanding track record in print and publishing. He is the former CEO of Havas Communication and was CEO of Larousse, Groupe de la Cité and the French weekly magazines ELLE and L’Express.

Bruno Rohmer’s corporate leadership background and experience in service industries make him a valued member of the Sagard team.

Michel Sindzingre

An Industrial Advisor since Sagard was founded in 2002 and formerly with Imerys, Michel Sindzingre played a pivotal role in transforming this group with a disparate portfolio of manufacturing businesses into a world leader in specialty minerals, partly through some 60 acquisitions in less than a decade.

A graduate of Polytechnique and the École des Mines, he brings more than 40 years of industrial experience to Sagard. Michel Sindzingre participates actively in all industrial due diligence audits and reviews the development plans of Sagard’s current and potential investments.

Michel Sindzingre has been President of Industrie Minérale since 2001 and has served on the boards of a number of European and American manufacturing companies.

Jean-Paul Vettier

A Law School Graduate, Jean-Paul Vettier has carried out his career mainly in the chemical, petrochemical and oil industries.

Until 2006, he was a Member of the Executive Committee of Total and Chief Executive Refining-Marketing. Currently, he is a Senior Advisor at First Reserve, Roland Berger and a Member of different boards in the United States, Canada and Belgium.

Having managed leading international industrial groups, Jean-Paul Vettier brings to Sagard very seasoned operational know-how.