SGS S.A. is a Swiss multinational company specializing in inspection, verification, testing, and certification services.  At nearly 100,000 employees across more than 2,600 offices and laboratories globally, SGS’s organizational structure is designed to support its broad, geographically distributed operations.

Understanding the SGS org chart—how it is structured, who leads its key business divisions, and how strategic decisions are made—can be particularly valuable for partners, clients, regulators, job seekers, and analysts.

Why the SGS Org Chart Matters

Mapping the SGS organizational chart offers insights into:

• Governance and oversight — How SGS is governed through its Board of Directors and how major decisions are channeled.

• Operational structure — How business lines and regional operations are managed.

• Leadership touchpoints — Who runs SGS’s core global functions such as quality, testing, certification, compliance, and R&D.

• Strategic clarity — Which business units are prioritized and how organizational responsibilities align with business goals.

Key Elements of the SGS Org Chart

1. Governance: Board of Directors

At the top of SGS’s organizational structure sits its Board of Directors:

• Calvin Grieder is the Chairman of the Board. 

• The board includes a variety of directors overseeing key committees such as Audit, Governance, Compensation, and Nomination. 

• SGS’s corporate governance relies on a two-tier management–control system: the board provides strategic direction, while executive leadership handles daily operations.

The board is also heavily involved in sustainability governance: it delegates strategy through its Operations Council and a Sustainability Steering Committee that helps shape and monitor ESG (environmental, social, governance) priorities.

2. Executive Leadership: Operations Council & Executive Committee

Historically, SGS managed its global business via a body called the Operations Council, one of its most senior management forums. 

• The Operations Council included Chief Operating Officers (COOs) for each region, Executive Vice Presidents (EVPs) in charge of business lines, and Senior Vice Presidents (SVPs) for group functions. 

• However, according to the latest (2023) governance report, SGS is transitioning to a more streamlined Executive Committee structure for its top management.

• Key executive roles include:

  • Géraldine Picaud — Chief Executive Officer (CEO). MarketScreener+1

  • Marta Vlatchkova — CFO / Director of Finance. MarketScreener+1

  • David Plaza — Chief Technology / Scientific / R&D Officer. MarketScreener

  • Martin Oesch — General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer, reporting to SGS’s Board and Audit Committee. SGSCorp

3. Business Divisions (Lines of Business)

SGS organizes its operations into global business divisions, each managed by an Executive Vice President. Based on its corporate governance filings, these divisions include: campaigns.sgs.com+2SGSCorp+2

1. Connectivity & Products

2. Health & Nutrition

3. Industries & Environment

4. Natural Resources

5. Knowledge

6. Digital & Innovation (a cross-divisional unit) campaigns.sgs.com+1

These divisions are responsible for global strategic growth, service development, and execution in their respective areas. campaigns.sgs.com

4. Regional Structure

To manage its global footprint effectively, SGS divides operations into seven geographic regions, each overseen by a COO. campaigns.sgs.com+1 The regions include:

• Africa & Western Europe

• North & Central Europe

• Middle East & Eastern Europe

• North East Asia

• Latin America

• South East Asia & Pacific

• Additional regional groupings as per business strategy campaigns.sgs.com

This regional segmentation allows SGS to tailor its services and governance to local market needs while maintaining global standards and consistency.

5. Support and Functional Roles

In addition to business units and regions, SGS has several global support functions managed by SVPs. These include:

• Finance (SVP)

• Human Resources (SVP)

• Corporate Communications & Sustainability / Investor Relations (SVP)

• Legal & Compliance (SVP) SGSCorp+1

This structure supports cross-divisional coordination, risk management, and alignment on sustainability goals.

How the SGS Org Chart Reflects Its Strategy

Looking at SGS’s organizational chart reveals several strategic priorities:

• Decentralized Regional Operations: By having regional COOs, SGS ensures that local markets are managed by leadership familiar with those geographies.

• Specialization by Business Line: The business-division model allows SGS to focus on core competencies (testing, certification, inspection) tailored to industry verticals.

• Sustainability Integration: The Sustainability Steering Committee’s presence at high levels shows that ESG is not just a side function — it’s embedded into SGS’s governance.

• Simplification Trend: Moving from an Operations Council to a streamlined Executive Committee suggests a push for faster decision-making and leaner senior management.

Practical Uses of Understanding the SGS Org Chart

Here are some real-world ways this understanding can be useful:

• For Potential Partners / Clients: Helps identify which business division you should reach out to (e.g., Health & Nutrition, Natural Resources) when engaging with SGS.

• For Investors / Analysts: Helps analyze which lines of business or regions are prioritized by SGS’s leadership and how strategy is deployed across the globe.

• For Job Seekers: Knowing how SGS is structured globally and functionally can help you target your applications (which region, business unit, or support function).

• For Risk & Compliance Professionals: Useful to know where compliance and legal oversight sit and how they report into the board.

FAQs: SGS Org Chart

Q1: Who leads SGS at the top?
A: The Board of Directors is chaired by Calvin Grieder, and the CEO is Géraldine Picaud. MarketScreener

Q2: What is SGS’s “Operations Council”?
A: The Operations Council used to be SGS’s senior management body, composed of regional COOs, EVPs for business lines, and key functional SVPs.  However, SGS is transitioning to a simplified Executive Committee. SGSCorp

Q3: How is SGS organized by business line?
A: SGS’s global operations are divided into business divisions: Connectivity & Products, Health & Nutrition, Industries & Environment, Natural Resources, Knowledge, and a cross-divisional Digital & Innovation.

Q4: How does SGS manage its global footprint?
A: The organization is split into seven geographic regions, each led by a Chief Operating Officer (COO), responsible for implementing group strategy locally. 

Q5: How is sustainability governed at SGS?
A: SGS has a Sustainability Steering Committee, chaired by the CEO, that works alongside its Operations Council. The Board of Directors provides oversight, and there is a dedicated Corporate Sustainability Team.