Friday, 29 January 2010 - Jean-Pierre Lavielle, Deputy President of the South Alsace Mulhouse Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was today unanimously elected to the post of President of the Board of Directors at Basel-Mulhouse Airport.

Jean-Pierre Lavielle, a member of the Board of Directors at Basel-Mulhouse Airport since November 2006, follows on from Jean-Pierre Gallo, who had been President of the Board since October 2006.

Holder of a doctorate in chemical engineering from Mulhouse National School of Chemistry (ENSCMu), Jean-Pierre Lavielle completed his studies with a course in management at the INSEAD-CEDEP Business School in Fontainebleau and an industrial marketing course at the IMD Business School in Lausanne. He has more than 30 years professional experience in the chemical industry, in which he has held several positions of high responsibility, including the position of Managing Director at SANDOZ HUNINGUE, then of CLARIANT HUNINGUE, where he went on to become Chairman of the Management Board.

Since retiring from the CLARIANT Group in 2000, Jean-Pierre Lavielle has continued to hold several offices. These include that of president of the Alsace Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry, deputy president of the South Alsace Mulhouse Chamber of Commerce and Industry, member of the Economic and Social Advice Bureau (CESA), in which he chairs the Economic and Social Development Commission, and president of the ENSCMu Business School administration council.

On his election, the new president declared his intention of continuing the work of his predecessors in developing the airport and preserving the attractiveness of the airport site, which is the second largest employer in the Upper Rhine region. He also expressed his wish to work in hand in hand with Eduard Belser, Vice-president of the Board of Directors at Basel-Mulhouse Airport since July 2002.

The Vice-president, Eduard Belser wished the newly elected President, Jean-Pierre Lavielle, every success and paid tribute to Jean-Pierre Gallo who, during his term in office, was fully committed to the extension of the Zone 6 bis, the creation of a training centre for aeronautic professions and the rail link project.