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, he currently is the vice-chairman of the company. As of November 2020, his estimated net worth is US$5.71 billion As a philanthropist, he has been an advocate for sustainability and environmental protection, serving as International Vice-president of the

World Wide Fund for Nature The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the Wor ...

(WWF) from 2007 to 2017.

Early life

Born on 31 May 1958 in

Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...

, Switzerland, André Hoffmann is the son of Daria Hoffmann-Razumovsky and Luc Hoffmann, a conservationist and philanthropist. He studied economics at the

University of St. Gallen A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

, and holds an MBA from

INSEAD INSEAD, a contraction of "Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires" () is a non-profit business school that maintains campuses in Europe (Fontainebleau, France), Asia (Singapore), the Middle East (Abu Dhabi, UAE), and North America (San ...

, completed in 1990.

Career

In 1991, André Hoffmann joined Nestlé UK. Three years later, he established a family office specialized in wealth management. In 1996, he became a member of the board of Roche holding, the world's second-largest pharmaceutical company, established by his grandfather. He currently owns 1.5% of the company and serves as Vice Chairman - a position he has held since 2006. He also serves on the board of Genentech, a fully owned subsidiary based in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

, California. An early investor in the Maryland-based start-up Inovalon, which manages and analyses healthcare data, he served as its Independent Director. He is a member of the Club of Rome, a member of the board of Trustees of the

World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...

, 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”.

Philanthropy

Nature preservation

André Hoffmann is an environmentalist, 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. Since 2010, he has served as president of the MAVA Foundation, a major foundation in the field of nature preservation. In 2016, he becomes President of Fondation Tour du Valat, a French research institute dedicated to Mediterranean wetland conservation. He has also served on the boards of Wetlands International, Global Footprint Network and FIBA.

Education

In August 2018, Hoffmann and his wife Rosalie made a €40 million commitment to

, establishing the Hoffmann Global Institute for Business and Society. He is currently the chairman of its advisory board.

Other board memberships and positions

Hoffmann is also: * A member of the Club of Rome * Vice-chairman of the Board at the Venture Foundation * Chairman of the Board of the Capitals Coalition Board * A member of The Royal Institute of International Affairs and Senior Adviser at

Chatham House Chatham House, also known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs, is an independent policy institute headquartered in London. Its stated mission is to provide commentary on world events and offer solutions to global challenges. It is ...

, its think tank

Personal life

Hoffmann is married to Rosalie Coombe-Tennant and has four children. 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. He also owns Domain Pierre Latine in Yvorne, Switzerland and domain Alpamanta in Argentina.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoffman, Andre 1958 births Living people Swiss billionaires Hoffmann-La Roche people University of St. Gallen alumni INSEAD alumni Andre