LEM announces appointment of new CEO

Paul Van Iseghem, CEO of LEM, will be 65 next year. He has decided to retire by the end of 2010. François Gabella will join the company on July 1, 2010, taking over the function as of this date. Until the year end, Paul Van Iseghem will support the Board of Directors and the new CEO for a smooth transition of the executive management responsibilities.

Born 1958, Swiss national François Gabella graduated from EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne with an engineering degree in microtechnics and holds an executive MBA from IMD, International Institute for Management Development. François Gabella has a broad industrial background, has worked in Switzerland, the United States, Germany and France for companies such as Schlumberger, ABB and AREVA, where he has held global responsibilities. In his last position, François Gabella was CEO of TESA SA in Switzerland, a world leader in measuring instruments.

Paul Van Iseghem has earned a high reputation for his leadership and successful development of the company. Felix Bagdasarjanz, Chairman of LEM said: “Since the divestment of LEM Instruments in 2005, Paul Van Iseghem has led the company successfully during an impressive phase of profitable growth and shareholder value creation. Of special note is the expansion into new markets, in particular in China, and into new applications such as renewable energy. The Board of Directors gratefully recognizes his outstanding achievements and the excellent performance of LEM throughout the years of his mandate. We are happy to announce François Gabella as the succeeding CEO of LEM. The Board is confident that his broad experience gained in various management functions as well as his personality are a guarantee for the continuation of the strong executive leadership and the future prosperity of the company.”