PARIS, France, Jul 2, 2020 – ESI Group (ISIN Code: FR0004110310, Symbol: ESI), a global player in virtual prototyping software and services for industrials, announces the retirement of Christopher St John, Chief Operating Officer of the Group since December 2013, effective on December 31st, 2020.
Dr. Christopher St. John, COO, ESI Group
The retirement process, which is part of the evolution of ESI governance strategy, is done in 2 phases:
- On June 25, 2020, ESI Group’s Board of Directors, recorded the resignation of Christopher St John from his mandate of Chief Operating Officer taking effect on June 30, 2020.
- From July 1st, 2020, Christopher St John will remain Asia Pacific Regional Director and member of the Group Executive Committee till December 31st, 2020.
Since his arrival in the Group in 2008, Christopher St John has been an incontestable leader and a key player in charge of implementing ESI’s strategy, especially in Asia. His expertise, experience in ESI’s domain and his ability to manage and to drive business in multicultural ecosystems were key to strengthen ESI’s presence in key Asian countries including Japan, China, Korea and India.
Alain de Rouvray, Chairman of the Board of Directors comments: “I recruited Christopher 12 years ago to accelerate the development of the Group in Asia thanks to his great professional skills and personal qualities. It has been a pleasure to collaborate with him and to learn from his experiences and his unique understanding of the Asian market. He has been a major contributor to build key partnerships with our customers in their digital transformation and specifically in China and Japan.”
Christopher St John concludes: “I came to ESI later in my career and am proud to have become part of their near 50-year history and a late contributor to the evolution of their thought leadership in the industry. It is a privilege to be part of their rich community of customers, partners and employees and to assist in the transition to the new executive team. Importantly, I would like to recognize the strong support I received from Alain and the Board of ESI throughout my tenure as COO and to express my continuing commitment to the success of my colleagues, the company and our customers.”
About ESI Group
ESI Group is a leading innovator in Virtual Prototyping software and services. Specialist in material physics, ESI has developed a unique proficiency in helping industrial manufacturers replace physical prototypes by virtual prototypes, allowing them to virtually manufacture, assemble, test and pre-certify their future products. Coupled with the latest technologies, Virtual Prototyping is now anchored in the wider concept of the Product Performance Lifecycle™, which addresses the operational performance of a product during its entire lifecycle, from launch to disposal. The creation of a Hybrid Twin™, leveraging simulation, physics and data analytics, enables manufacturers to deliver smarter and connected products, to predict product performance and to anticipate maintenance needs.
ESI is a French company listed in compartment B of NYSE Euronext Paris. Present in more than 40 countries, and addressing every major industrial sector, ESI Group employs about 1200 high-level specialists around the world and reported annual sales of €139 million in 2018. For more information, please visit www.esi-group.com.
