The Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Morocco Has a New President

The Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Morocco (CCSM) recently announced the appointment of Christophe De Figueiredo as its new president.

“The Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Morocco appointed its new president on July 22, 2020 in Casablanca. It is Christophe De Figueiredo, member of the Board of Directors and previously vice-president of the Chamber, who has been elected interim president until June 2022,” says a CCSM press release. The current CEO of Swissport Morocco, Mr. De Figueiredo succeeds Sami Zerelli, who has decided to devote himself to other projects, the press release states.

Upon his appointment, the new president was keen to salute the work of his predecessor, expressing his “great pleasure to serve the Swiss community in Morocco with great enthusiasm and professionalism, and in close collaboration with our Embassy”. He added: “Sami Zerelli is a president who cannot be replaced, we can only succeed him”.

“I am resigning from the presidency of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce because my new personal projects will not allow me to continue performing this role with the same commitment and availability as before,” said Mr. Zerelli, who is now Honorary President of the CCSM.

Following the health crisis linked to the pandemic of the new Coronavirus (Covid-19) and the long period of confinement, Mr. Zerelli has decided to explore new business opportunities, which will mobilize him in the coming years.

“This crisis marks a major change that requires a major adaptation and may create new opportunities that must be seized,” he noted.

During the last two years of his presidency, Mr. Zerelli and the entire CCSM team have made the satisfaction of the members of the Chamber a priority, according to the same source. ” Aware of their expectations and needs, the Chamber has organized round tables and, more recently, webinars to address their issues”.

During this period, it was also decided to capitalize on the attractiveness of Morocco and Switzerland to generate synergies. Particular emphasis was placed on innovative Swiss small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that can bring their expertise to the Moroccan companies.

At the same time, actions with Swiss and Moroccan public players were intensified so that Swiss companies and members of the Chamber, could support major national projects. Switzerland’s participation in 2019 as guest of honour at the Salon International de l’Agriculture au Maroc (SIAM) in Morocco was a very good example of bilateral relations, with 11 agreements signed between the two countries, the press release concludes.