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Advisory-board

Zuellig advisory boards keep us on the forefront

Determined to operate to the highest global standards, The Zuellig Group regularly convenes advisory boards comprising top international executives who formally consider various specialist topics. Zuellig Advisory Boards allow us to seek advice and fresh perspectives on the challenges and opportunities we face today. Zuellig Advisory Board members typically have either direct or indirect experience within a core Zuellig business activity or in an adjacent area that may become of interest in the future. We value our advisors as part of an exceptional network that connects diverse industry experience of immense value. Advisory events are designed to inspire participants to adopt an enriched and broadened mindset in which productive business ideas and outlook can flourish.

Healthcare Advisory board members

Ronald Floto

Mr Floto is the founder and President of FLT International, an investment advisory and consulting firm based in Tampa, Florida. Prior to FLT International, Mr Floto spent over 10 years as Chief Executive Officer of Dairy Farm International Holdings, a US$9 billion retail conglomerate headquartered in Hong Kong and operating over 5,000 stores across 10 Asian countries and territories. He remains a director of Dairy Farm.more>

Prior to his time at the helm of Dairy Farm, Mr Floto was Executive Vice President of K Mart Corporation and President of K Mart’s SuperK hypermarket division. From 1985 through 1994 he was Chairman and CEO of Kash n’ Karry Supermarkets in Tampa.

Mr Floto is currently a director of Accel Networks. He is also a member of the Executive Advisory Board of the College of Business, University of South Florida.

Mr Floto is a graduate of West Point and a Vietnam veteran who served as an infantry platoon leader. He graduated with High Distinction from Harvard Business School in 1971. He and his wife Nancy live in Tampa, Florida.

Jean-Michel Halfon

Jean-Michel Halfon is the former president and general manager of Pfizer's Emerging Markets Business Unit (EMBU). He launched the EMBU in January of 2009 and was dedicated to building an optimised organisation and to spearheading Pfizer's growth in the emerging markets.more>

At EMBU, Mr Halfon effectively established commercial hubs in more than 70 countries across five international regions and grew the business from US$6 billion to US$8 .7 billion in 24 months. He further succeeded in integrating the Wyeth business into the EMBU, after the Wyeth business was acquired by Pfizer in 2009; increasing access to medicines for underserved patients; and pioneering partnerships with new external stakeholders.

Mr Halfon first joined Pfizer in 1977 and worked in manufacturing, market research and sales in France. After 10 years at Pfizer, he joined Merck as a marketing director in France. On his return to Pfizer, Mr Halfon focused on marketing and sales in France, and launched Zithromax, Norvasc and Zoloft. In 1994, he reorganized Pfizer France across business units and joined Pfizer Europe in developing Pfizer's European strategy.

Mr Halfon moved to Pfizer’s New York Headquarters in 1998 to head a global product development team. From 1999 to 2007, Mr Halfon was the country manager of Pfizer Canada. Prior to assuming the position of President and General Manager of the Emerging Markets Business Unit, he was Area President of Canada-Latin-America-Africa/Middle East Pharmaceutical Operations from January 2007 to December 2008.

Mr Halfon graduated from E´cole Centrale Paris and holds an MBA from HEC-ISA in France.

Gerard Kleisterlee

After performing his military service, Gerard Kleisterlee joined Philips' Medical Systems division in 1974. During a career of almost 37 years he held a number of management positions in several Philips divisions.more>

He became President of Philips Taiwan and Regional Manager for Philips Components in Asia-Pacific in 1996, returning to Europe in 1999 as CEO of Philips’ Components division. In April 2001, he was appointed President & Chief Executive Officer of Royal Philips Electronics and Chairman of the Board of Management and the Group Management Committee. Mr Kleisterlee retired from Philips in March 2011.

During his 10 years as a CEO, Mr Kleisterlee was a member and Vice Chairman of the European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT) where he led its Competitiveness Working Group. He was also Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Eindhoven Technical University from July 2001 until September 2009 and served in the two successive Dutch Innovation Councils, chaired by the Prime Minister. For his contribution to innovation in Europe he received an honorary doctorate from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium in 2005. In 2006 he was named European Business Man of the Year by Fortune Magazine. In March 2011, Mr Kleisterlee was awarded the ‘Commander of the order of Orange-Nassau’ honour by Her Majesty the Queen in recognition of his contributions to Dutch society.

Currently Mr Kleisterlee is the Chairman of Vodafone Group, a non-executive director and member of the Audit Committee of Royal Dutch Shell, member of the board of directors of Dell and a member of the Supervisory Board of Daimler AG. Mr Kleisterlee is also a member of the Supervisory Board of De Nederlandsche Bank NV and Chairman of the Foundation of the Cancer Centre Amsterdam.

Gerard Kleisterlee graduated from Eindhoven Technical University with a degree in Electronic Engineering.

Sean Lance

Mr Lance is the former chairman of Chiron Corporation. He joined Chiron as president and chief executive officer in May 1998, and served as chairman from 1999, until his retirement in 2005.more>

Prior to Chiron, Mr Lance spent over 12 years in a number of international executive roles at Glaxo Wellcome Plc including overseeing its global operations as Chief Operating Officer before resigning as Chief Executive designate at the end of 1997.

Mr Lance has also held leadership roles in a variety of international pharmaceutical associations. In the past, Mr Lance has served as president of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations (IFPMA); executive member of the International Committee of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA); director of the British Pharma Group (BPG); and member of the strategic advisory committee for the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries’ Associations (EFPIA). He has also served on the steering committee of the British Healthcare 2000 Initiative.

Mr Lance holds titles that include past president of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of South Africa; past president of the Proprietary Association of South Africa; past vice president of the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI); and past chairman of the board of directors for Global Alliance TB Drug Development (GATB).

Ian Smith

Mr Smith is currently engaged in economic and private sector initiatives with the Office of the Quartet Representative, focused on efforts that underpin the peace process in the Middle East. He concurrently serves as a member of the board for Howden's Joinery in the UK; advisor to Trilantic Capital Partners, a global private equity firm; and associate professor of business at Imperial College Business School.more>

Previously, Mr Smith served as CEO of Reed Elsevier, a FTSE 50 company; CEO of Taylor Wimpey Plc (formerly Taylor Woodrow Plc), a house building and construction company; and CEO of General Healthcare Group, which operates more than 60 private hospitals and treatment centres across the UK under the BMI brand and provides acute surgery for NHS patients under the Amicus brand. Prior to General Healthcare, Mr Smith was a member of the Plc and on the executive board of Exel, with key responsibility for the European Business.

From 1986 until 1998, Mr Smith was Managing Director for Monitor Company Europe, a strategy consulting firm, and a Partner in the world-wide company. While at Monitor, Mr Smith created and developed concepts in organisational behaviour, business economics and corporate strategy. He worked closely with two of his Monitor Partners, Professors Michael Porter and Chris Argyris, both of the Harvard Business School.

Mr Smith holds an honours degree of Master of Arts from Oxford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.