Structure of the Ethos Group
Ethos Foundation oversees the group's activities and ensures compliance with the values set out in the 1997 Charter. Ethos Services offers a range of funds and services entirely dedicated to SRI.
The Ethos Foundation is a foundation governed by Swiss law and supervised by the Federal Department of Home Affairs. Its members must be Swiss pension funds or charitable foundations. In accordance with the law, its supreme body, the Foundation board, has full powers. However, in order to ensure an exchange of views and to enable the members to express their opinions on the governance of the Foundation, an annual general meeting is held, at which they can make recommendations to the Foundation board.
Ethos Services is the operational arm of the group. It is 70% owned by the Ethos Foundation and 30% by 16 pension funds that are members of the Foundation (including the two founding members). The Ethos Foundation also benefits from the right to use the Ethos brand and has a representative on the board of directors of Ethos Services. The Annual General Meeting of Ethos Services elects the members of the board of directors, which in turn supervises and appoints the management. Ethos Services has offices in Geneva and Zurich. It currently employs more than 40 people, including a team of ESG analysts with unique experience and expertise in Switzerland.
Both the Ethos Foundation and Ethos Services voluntarily submit to an ordinary audit of their accounts, even if the conditions for such an audit are not met.
