Board of Directors and Management - 2023

Composition of the senior management body

In 2023, the Board of Directors was comprised of five members of whom four were independent. The responsibilities and obligations of the Board of Directors are set out by law and in the articles of association and organisational rules.

Mr Francesco Signorio, Chairman of the Board

Francesco Signorio graduated in law from the University of Milan (Università degli Studi di Milano). He began his career in 1974 as a manager with signing authority at Signorio & Co in Milan. In 1978, he was appointed as a director of CO.FI.MO. S.pa. of which he became the Director and Chairman in 1980. He was elected Representative at the Milan Stock Exchange. In 1981, he was appointed as an advisor to the “Associazione degli Agenti Commissionari” of the Milan Stock Exchange. In 1986, he founded the stock brokerage firm C.F.M. SA in Luxembourg of which he became Chairman. In 1988, he was elected Chairman of the Luxembourg Brokers Association. In 1993, he purchased a majority shareholding in Unibank (Suisse) SA, which took the name of CIM Banque SA with its head office in Geneva. He was appointed its Chairman of the Board of Directors this same year.

Dr. Konstantina K. Athanasakou, Member of the Board

Dr. Konstantina K. Athanasakou is a lawyer licensed to practice in Massachusetts and New York. She holds a double Bachelor degree in Economics and International Relations with concentration in International Finance from Tufts University, a Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law School, an LLM from Georgetown University Law Center and a PhD in international law from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. She began her career with the international law firm of White & Case LLP in Geneva and then with that of King & Spalding LLP in Geneva. She then moved in-house in the Legal Department of Credit Suisse. She is a member of the Board of CIM Banque since April 2018 and Chairwoman of the Audit and Risk Committee since July 2018.

Mr Philippe Cahen, Member of the Board

Philippe Cahen holds a Master’s degree in economics from the Université Louis-Pasteur in Strasbourg. He also holds a post-graduate degree from Solvay Business School, ULB, Brussels. He began his career in 1984 at Société Anonyme des Minerais in Luxembourg, then in London as Finance Director. In 1990, he joined the banking group IMI International in Luxembourg as a member of the Management. Since 1997, he has developed the Continental Finance Group, operating in telecommunication and media, as well as GT Satellite Systems SA, in Luxembourg as Managing Director. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of CIM Banque since April 2014.

Mr Guy Von der Weid, Member of the Board

Guy Von der Weid graduated from the School of Agriculture in Zollikofen. He began his career by working in numerous internships in several farm holdings in Switzerland, Denmark, France and the United States. He then became a consultant in equestrian circles and a Cavalry Officer. Also involved in property development, economic and social activities, he is a member of the Boards of Directors at numerous Swiss and foreign financial and agricultural companies. Since 2003, he has been a member of the Board of Directors of CIM Banque and a member of its Audit and Risks Committee since 2004.

Mr Franco Brunati, Member of the Board

Franco Brunati obtained his secondary school diploma from the Istituto Tecnico Economico in Lecco, Italy. He began his career at Banca di Roma from 1972 to 1984, where he carried out various tasks in different departments (securities/foreign/accounting/ inspection/executive secretary). He then moved to another financial institution, Credito Varesino, from 1984 to 1992, where he was branch director for corporate banking. In 1992, he returned to Banca di Roma (now named Unicredit) until 2002, as head of the credit approvals department. In 2005, he joined CIM Banque Ltd as Director of Sales for our Lugano branch, until 2019. At the same time, he served as member of the Board of Directors of Primorska Banka, in Rijeka, Croatia, from 2006 to 2018. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of CIM Bank since July 2019.

Mr Michel Vorlet, CEO of CIM Banque SA, member of the Executive Committee

Michel Vorlet graduated from the Ecole Professionnelle Commerciale Supérieure de Lausanne (Lausanne Higher Business School). He also holds the SWX (Swiss Stock Exchange) trader’s licence. He began his career at the end of the 1970s as a trader in bonds at Union de Banques Suisses (UBS) in Lausanne, then in the 1980s, he developed the sales activities in the Stock Exchange Department. Following positions held at UBS London and New York, he was in charge of this department in Lausanne in 1990 as Head of Stock Exchange. In 1995, he joined the Institutional Client Service Team at UBS Lausanne and was appointed its Manager the following year. In 1998, he joined CIM Banque SA as Trading Room Manager with the title of Executive Director. The Board of CIM Banque SA appointed him Chief Executive Officer in July 2001.

Mr Gabriele Ruffa, Managing Director of CIM Banque SA, member of the Executive Committee

Gabriele Ruffa graduated in business economics and international commerce with a specialisation in futures and options. He also holds the SWX (Swiss Stock Exchange) trader’s licence. He began his career at Studi e Investimenti Mobiliari S.I.M.S.p.A. in Turin as an advisor and specialist in the technical and fundamental analysis of futures and shares with a particular emphasis on the bond market. From August 1997 to June 1999, he worked as an adviser for Compagnie Financière d’Arbritrage in Guernsey and was in charge of commercial relations with its clientele as well as portfolio management. In 2000, he joined CIM Banque SA as portfolio manager. Since 2012, he has been a Managing Director, member of the Executive Committee, head of the Management Department and portfolio manager for private and institutional clientele.

Mr Thierry Mossé, Managing Director of CIM Banque SA, member of the Executive Committee

Thierry Mossé holds a Master’s degree in Finance and Business Administration from DESCAF Business School in Montpellier, France. He began his Relationship Manager career in 1990 at the financial company Edmond de Rothschild in Paris before joining Dow Jones. In 1994, he took on the Regional Management, in Geneva, of the US brokerage company Automatic Data Processing. He then opened the international offices of a US start-up specialising in the brokerage of news in real time before joining Realtime Forex as Commercial Director. He joined CIM Banque in 2008 in order to participate in the development of the Online strategy. He was appointed as a Managing Director and member of the Executive Committee of CIM Banque in 2012.

Ms Marie-France Monn Agboton, Managing Director of CIM Banque SA, member of the Executive Committee

Marie-France Monn Agboton holds a Master’s degree in law from the University of Fribourg with distinction in European law. She also holds a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Compliance Management. After two years spent at the Lalive law firm in Geneva as a trainee lawyer, she joined Ernst & Young SA in January 2000 as an in-house banking lawyer in the Compliance & Regulatory Service in the Financial Services Department. Appointed Assistant Director in July 2003, she started in the Practice Area of Banking & Finance in the Legal Department. In December 2005, she joined CIM Banque SA as Legal & Compliance Manager. She was appointed as a Managing Director and member of the Executive Committee in 2012.

Dr. Panagiotis Kostopoulos, Deputy Director of CIM Banque SA, member of the Executive Committee

Dr. Panagiotis Kostopoulos holds a Master's degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, which he obtained in July 2011. From January 2012 to April 2012, he worked as a project manager and software developer for Cognity SA in Athens, Greece. From September 2012 to February 2014, he was a research assistant in the computer science department at EPFL, where he contributed to several research projects and publications. In March 2014, he became a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Geneva, and he received a Ph.D. in Computer Science with a focus on Artificial Intelligence in October 2017. Until April 2019, he was a postdoctoral researcher and project manager in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Geneva. Panagiotis joined CIM Bank in May 2019 as a project manager in Artificial Intelligence. Since October 2020, he has been responsible for Information Technology, and since December 2022, he has been a member of the executive committee.