ECS Annual General Meeting
9th ECS Annual General Meeting – 24 March 2022
ECS held the 2022 Annual General Meeting in person for the first time in two years and the members, as well the ECS leadership were delighted to meet in person.
In the business portion of the meeting, the annual report and the annual accounts 2021 were approved, as well the budget for 2022 and amendment of the ECS by-laws. Two new Board members were elected Cecilia Garcia Podoley and Claudia Goetz and other Board members were re-elected. The members and entire Board welcomed the new Board members and thanked our departing Board members, Gemma Aiolfi and Walter Mäder, for their excellent service. In addition, one new auditor was elected, Ms Barbara Lustenberger to join Michele Poffo in the audit team.
The meeting then proceeded to an Open Forum on Key Compliance Trends. During this session, Board members and heads of ECS Working Groups commented on the current state of compliance. Moderated by Gabe Shawn Varges, the event led to a lively discussion, which was followed by an apéro where members interacted cheerfully with each other.
8th ECS Annual General Meeting Successfully Held, Accompanied by an Open Forum on Key Compliance Trends and a Virtual Apéro
The ECS leadership and over 40 members participated online in the 8th AGM on 25 March 2021.
In the business portion of the meeting, the annual report and the annual accounts 2020 were approved, as well the budget for 2021. In addition, a new Board member was elected, Olivier Schaller, and a new auditor, Michele Poffo, was appointed. Other Board members were re-elected.
ECS members thanked Daniel Bühr for his service as Chairman for the past two years and for his many other contributions. Consistent with the established succession planning, ECS Vice-Chairman Gabe Shawn Varges will become Chairman and Sandra Middel-Tissot will take up the Vice Chair role.
The meeting then proceeded to an Open Forum on Key Compliance Trends. During this session, Board members and heads of ECS Working Groups commented on the current state of compliance affairs in Switzerland, including on whistleblowing and on carrying out compliance in times of a pandemic. Moderated by Gabe Shawn Varges, the event led to a lively discussion, which was followed by a virtual apéro where members raised a glass to the hope of being able to meet again soon in person.
ECS Successfully Holds its 7th Annual General Meeting Coupled with Online Presentations and a Virtual Apèro
The ECS leadership and over 40 Members participated online in the 7th Annual General Meeting on November 12, 2020. Due to Covid-19, the meeting had been postponed from the original date of March 26, 2020.
The event took place in three parts. The first, for members only, covered the business of the AGM. This included approving the annual report and the annual accounts 2019 and the budget for 2020, as well as re-electing the board members and the auditors.
The second part, open also to the public, featured four presentations which led to a lively discussion. The topics were:
- Trade-based money laundering and country risks of money laundering/The Basel AML Index (Kateryna Boguslavska)
- The revised Therapeutics Act: Integrity and transparency rules for a “late” industry? (Working Group Life Sciences, Claudia Seitz)
- Tweets, chats, blogs – Have the undertakings lost the game: Will in future everyone be a whistle-blower? (Working Group Whistleblowing, Christian Hauser and Walter Mäder)
- Compliance and the Corona Virus; and other Key International Developments (Working Group Leadership and Communications and Talent Management, Gabe Shawn Varges).
The third part was the apèro. While agreeing it was not the same as in person networking, those attending found the opportunity to have virtual drinks together as a next-best substitute and a fitting way to end the AGM and raise a glass to each other.