Bureau Veritas on Feb. 24 announced the appointment of Hinda Gharbi, currently an executive with Schlumberger Ltd., as COO with plans to appoint her as the Paris-based company’s next CEO.

As of May 1, Gharbi will join Bureau Veritas as COO and will be a member of the executive committee. Her appointment is part of a CEO succession planning as the company’s current CEO, Didier Michaud-Daniel, is set to step down by year-end.

Hinda Gharbi Schlumberger headshot
Hinda Gharbi

“The board of directors’ decision is the result of a rigorous selection and recruitment process, as part of succession planning for the chief executive officer, led jointly by the nomination and compensation committee and Didier Michaud-Daniel,” Bureau Veritas said in a company statement.

Bureau Veritas is a world leader in laboratory testing, inspection and certification services. Created in 1828, the Group has close to 80,000 employees located in nearly 1,600 offices and laboratories around the globe.

Following a meeting on Feb. 23, the board of directors of Bureau Veritas announced the renewal of the term of office of the CEO, Michaud-Daniel, until the annual general meeting in June 2023, which will be called to approve the financial statements for the year 2022.

On Jan. 1, 2023, Gharbi will assume the position of deputy CEO of Bureau Veritas. The board of directors will appoint her as CEO at the end of the 2023 annual general meeting, according to the release.

Gharbi joins Bureau Veritas from Schlumberger, a global technology leader in the energy sector where she is currently executive vice president, services and equipment.

She had joined Schlumberger in 1996, starting her career in the field as a wireline engineer in the Nigerian offshore oil fields.

“The board of directors designed a succession plan for the chief executive officer, a position successfully held by Didier Michaud-Daniel since March 2012,” Aldo Cardoso, chairman of the board of directors of Bureau Veritas, said. “This transition will allow for an effective handover and progressive onboarding for Hinda Gharbi in her role within the group.”

“The board of directors is unanimously convinced that Hinda Gharbi’s career and personal qualities are aligned with the profile and culture of Bureau Veritas,” Cardoso continued. “Her international experience, her technical and technological expertise and her strong customers’ and people focus are in harmony with the DNA of the Group and its key priorities.”

During her 26 years with Schlumberger, Gharbi has held a variety of general management positions in operations for the company's core business activities at a global and regional level. She also assumed cross-functional responsibilities including human resources, technology development and HSE plus worked and lived on multiple continents: in Nigeria, France, Thailand, Malaysia, the U.K. and the U.S.

“Supported by Didier Michaud-Daniel and the members of the management team, Hinda will continue the development of the company by creating sustainable value for its customers, employees and shareholders. On behalf of the board of directors, I welcome Hinda Gharbi,” Cardoso added.

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