Georges Muller designated to succeed Max D. Amstutz as Chairman of SGS in May 2002. Sergio Marchionne nominated new Chief Executive Officer.

The Board of Directors of SGS Société Générale de Surveillance Holding S.A. announces the following personnel decisions:

At the next Annual General Meeting scheduled for May 2nd, 2002 in Geneva, the Board will propose to the shareholders the election of Georges Muller as a new member. He is designated to succeed the present Chairman, Max D. Amstutz, who after his 4 year term will retire at the Annual General Meeting due to reaching the age limit. Georges Muller, a Swiss citizen, is 62 years old, has a degree in Law and Business Administration from the University of Lausanne and a LLM from Harvard. He has extensive experience in Board membership of public companies and is currently Chairman of the Board of Serono S.A. as well as a Director of several other companies such as Rentenanstalt - Swiss Life. In order to devote sufficient time to his new role of Chairman of SGS, he will resign his position as Director of several companies.

Antony M. Czura, Chief Executive Officer since August 1998, will leave the company at the end of January 2002 after 19 years of service. He was nominated CEO at a crucial time, when the company was in a critical earnings and liquidity situation. He built a first class management team, turned the company around and consolidated it financially, divesting several non-core businesses. He led the company out of its almost complete dependency from the ailing government contract business, enhancing and growing the other core businesses and establishing thus a more balanced earnings structure. The Board expresses its appreciation for his achievements in a most difficult period and wishes him well for the future.

To succeed Antony M. Czura, the Board of Directors has unanimously elected Sergio Marchionne as new Chief Executive Officer. He will retain his Board seat and act as Managing Director. He will assume his new functions starting February 1st, 2002.
Sergio Marchionne, a citizen of Canada and Italy, is 49 years old. He is a Barrister, Solicitor, Chartered Accountant and holds a Master of Business Administration. He began his career in Switzerland in 1994 at Alusuisse Lonza Group (Algroup) first as its Chief Financial Officer and, from 1997 on, as Chief Executive Officer. After the merger of the aluminum and packaging business with Alcan he continued as CEO of Lonza Group S.A. Since then, he has led this company with outstanding success. He stands for competence and healthy dynamism. The Board is convinced that under his operational leadership SGS will accelerate its growth and improve its margins, fulfilling the expectations and objectives which were set earlier.