André Hoffmann (businessman)

André Hoffmann
Hoffmann in 2021
Born (1958-05-31) 31 May 1958 (age 66)
Basel, Switzerland
EducationUniversity of St. Gallen
INSEAD
OccupationBusinessman
TitleVice-chairman, Hoffmann-La Roche
SpouseRosalie Coombe-Tennant
ParentLuc Hoffmann
RelativesFritz Hoffmann-La Roche (great-grandfather)
Vera Michalski (sister)
Maja Hoffmann (sister)

André Hoffmann (born 31 May 1958) is a Swiss billionaire businessman, environmentalist and philanthropist.

The great-grandson of Fritz Hoffmann-La Roche who founded the drug company Roche Holding in 1896,[1] he currently is the vice-chairman of the company.[2] As of November 2020, his estimated net worth is US$5.71 billion[3]

As a philanthropist, he has been an advocate for sustainability and environmental protection,[4] serving as International Vice-president of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) from 2007 to 2017.[5] He has also been on the boards of Wetlands International, the global non-profit organisation dedicated to the conservation and restoration of wetland ecosystems.

Early life

Born on 31 May 1958 in Basel, Switzerland,[6] André Hoffmann is the son of Daria Hoffmann-Razumovsky and Luc Hoffmann, a conservationist and philanthropist.[7]

He studied economics at the University of St. Gallen,[8] and holds an MBA from INSEAD, completed in 1990.[9]

Career

In 1991, Hoffmann joined Nestlé UK. Three years later, he established a family office specialized in wealth management.[10]

In 1996, he became a member of the board of Roche holding, the world's second-largest pharmaceutical company, established by his grandfather.[11]

He owns 1.5% of the company and has been vice chairman since 2006.[12]

He is on the board of Genentech, a fully owned subsidiary based in San Francisco, California.[12]

An early investor in the Maryland-based start-up Inovalon, which manages and analyses healthcare data,[9] and is a non-executive director.[8]

He is a member of the Club of Rome, a member of the board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum,[13] a member the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in San Francisco, and a member of the board of SystemIQ, a company that intends to “drive positive disruption in economic systems”.[14]

Philanthropy

Nature preservation

Hoffmann is an environmentalist,[15] involved in a number of nonprofit organizations and initiatives related to sustainability and nature conservation.

In 1998, he joined the WWF and served as vice-president of the organization from 2007 to 2017.[16]

Since 2010, he has been president of the MAVA Foundation, a major foundation in the field of nature preservation.[17]

In 2016, he became president of Fondation Tour du Valat, a French research institute dedicated to Mediterranean wetland conservation.[18]

He has also been on the boards of Wetlands International, Global Footprint Network and FIBA.[14]

Education

In August 2018, Hoffmann and his wife Rosalie made a €40 million commitment to INSEAD, establishing the Hoffmann Global Institute for Business and Society.[19] He is currently the chairman of its advisory board.[20]

In 2024, he made a £3.3million donation, alongside his wife, to the University of Exeter to fund research in providing solutions to climate change-related problems and mobilising action to mitigate the effects of climate change.[21]

Other board memberships and positions

Hoffmann is also:

  • A member of the Club of Rome[22]
  • Vice-chairman of the Board at the Venture Foundation[23]
  • Chairman of the Capitals Coalition Board[24]
  • A member of The Royal Institute of International Affairs[8] and Senior Adviser at Chatham House, its think tank[25]

Personal life

Hoffmann is married to Rosalie Coombe-Tennant[26] He owns several vineyards. In 2017, he purchased the domain Jayer Gilles in Burgundy, which became Hoffmann Jayer, with an emphasis on environment and nature preservation.[27] He also owns Domain Pierre Latine in Yvorne, Switzerland[28] and domain Alpamanta in Argentina.[29]

In 2022, he and his wife were awarded a joint Honorary Degree for their contributions and support to conservation research.[30]

References

  1. ^ Moss, Stephen (1 August 2016). "Luc Hoffmann obituary". the Guardian. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  2. ^ "Roche family adds new members to shareholder group to ensure continuity". Reuters. 5 December 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  3. ^ "Bloomberg Billionaires Index: Andre Hoffmann". Bloomberg LP. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  4. ^ Genier, Claudia; Jestin, Karin (29 November 2018). "André Hoffmann, son engagement pour l'environnement". Agefi.com (in French). Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  5. ^ "WWF celebrates innovation in conservation, corporate sustainability and philanthropy". WWF. 2 October 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  6. ^ "André Hoffmann – BILANZ". Handelszeitung (in German). 28 February 2002. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  7. ^ Duponchelle, Valérie (23 July 2016). "Luc Hoffmann, une vie dédiée à la nature". Le Figaro.fr (in French). Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  8. ^ a b c "André S. Hoffmann, 60 - Vice Chairman, Roche Holding AG". Wall Street Journal (in French). Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  9. ^ a b Ward, Andrew (21 September 2015). "Roche scion André Hoffman on benefits of family ownership". Financial Times. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  10. ^ "André Hoffmann". Le HuffPost (in French). Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  11. ^ Metcalf, Tom (1 August 2020). "These Are the World's Richest Families". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  12. ^ a b "People: Inovalon Holdings Inc (INOV.OQ) - Hoffmann André". Reuters. 27 November 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.[dead link‍]
  13. ^ "André Hoffmann milite pour un changement de mentalité". agefi.com. AGEFI. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  14. ^ a b "Board of Fellows". Stanford School of Medicine. 11 February 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  15. ^ Miller, John (10 October 2019). "Roche billionaire board member says short-term profit hunger 'destroyed the planet'". uk.reuters.com. Reuters. Retrieved 27 November 2020.[dead link‍]
  16. ^ "André Hoffmann reçoit une distinction du WWF". wwf.ch. WWF. 2 October 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  17. ^ Minet, Pascaline (31 August 2018). ""Nous cherchons à agir sur les forces profondes qui érodent la biodiversité"". Le Temps (in French). Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  18. ^ ""La nature fait partie de notre quotidien"". La Provence. La provence. 16 May 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  19. ^ "INSEAD, The Business School for the World, has received a €40 million commitment from André Hoffmann and his wife Rosalie". INSEAD. 20 August 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  20. ^ Mariathasan, Joseph (3 February 2020). "Perspective: André Hoffmann – Green results, not greenbacks". IPE. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  21. ^ Parton, Russell. "Gift of £3.3m to help establish 'impact team' to accelerate action on climate and nature". University of Exeter. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  22. ^ "Hoffmann, André". Club of Rome.
  23. ^ MarketScreener (12 November 2020). "André S. Hoffmann - Biography". Stock Market Quotes and News. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  24. ^ "Supervisory Board Recruitment". Natural Capital Coalition. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  25. ^ "André Hoffmann". Chatham House. 24 September 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  26. ^ "André Hoffmann - Roche". Bilanz.ch. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  27. ^ "Le domaine Jayer-Gilles racheté par l'industriel suisse André Hoffmann". La Revue du vin de France (in French). 10 August 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  28. ^ Lecomte, Christian (6 December 2017). "Philippe Gex, un vin d'honneur". Le Temps (in French). Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  29. ^ Patricio Tapia. Descorchados 2019: Guía de Vinos de Argentina, Brasil, Chile y Uruguay. Pehoé ediciones. pp. 153–. ISBN 978-956-9946-41-7.
  30. ^ Parton, Russell. "Gift of £3.3m to help establish 'impact team' to accelerate action on climate and nature". University of Exeter. Retrieved 4 October 2024.