Swiss Development Group’s board and management team bring a depth of experience in the acquisition, development, management, and marketing of luxury real estate.

Team Members

Nicolas Garnier

Chief Executive Officer & Member of the Board

Nicolas Garnier, Chief Executive Officer of SDG, leads the company’s investments and real estate development. Mr. Garnier brings more than 20 years of experience in the development of major resorts in Switzerland, France, Asia, and North America. His experience in acquisitions, development, and construction is complemented by an in-depth knowledge of finance and hotel operations. Prior to joining SDG, Nicolas was Vice President of Intrawest Europe SA, where he pioneered the development of the multi-award winning resort of Arc 1950 (Savoy, France). Before this, as Director of Development at Pierre & Vacances SA, Paris, he was responsible for the acquisition and organization of resorts and residential projects throughout France, including Pont Royal in Provence, Cap Esterel, Deauville, Paris etc. He was also General Manager of Spie Batignolles, a building company in France. Mr. Garnier graduated from the Ecole d’ Architecture des Beaux Arts in Paris before earning a M.Sc. from the University of Cincinnati in the United States. He is a citizen of both Switzerland and France.

Marc Gillieron

Administrator and Member of the Board

Marc Gillieron, a member of SDG’s Board of Directors, is a partner at the Swiss law firm Chabrier & Partners, where he specializes in international trade and finance. His recent experience includes advising a real estate development company on a 150 million (CHF) residential development in Switzerland and advising Swiss and foreign investors in the acquisition of a real estate portfolio with assets located in several countries. Mr. Gillieron trained at Ziegler Poncet & Grumbach, a Geneva-based law firm where he worked on numerous international litigations and arbitrations. A Swiss citizen, he graduated from the University of Geneva in 1998.

Cesare Cerrito

Chief Financial Officer

Before joining SDG in 2009 as CFO, Cesare Cerrito worked in the financial and investment banking industries for 10 years in London, Milan, and Geneva. As a Manager in Corporate Finance - Strategy Group for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Milan he supervised financial and strategic advisory services related to transactions, joint ventures, and IPOs in real estate, private equity, and several other industries. Mr. Cerrito graduated with a master’s degree in Corporate Finance from SDA Bocconi University in Milan and also holds a Bsc in Business Administration. A native speaker of Italian, Mr. Cerrito is also fluent in French and English

David Gaymard

Director of Acquisitions

David Gaymard, who joined SDG in 2008, is responsible for many aspects of property acquisitions, operations, and residential sales, including due diligence, sales contracts, building permits, negotiations with hotel management companies, and sales contracts for clients. He was previously Director of Global Corporate Services for CBRE, a multi-national commercial real estate firm, where he handled tenant representation, provided valuation analyses for acquisitions and dispositions, and negotiated leasing terms. Mr. Gaymard earned a master’s degree in real estate, construction and town planning law from the University of Montesquieu Bordeaux IV in 2001, a master’s degree in Business Law from the University of Lausanne in 1996.

Lois Vitry-Trapman

Director of Sales and Marketing

Lois Vitry-Trapman, who joined Swiss Development Group SA in 2009, promotes SDG’s real estate projects in Switzerland and abroad. Based in Geneva, Mrs. Vitry-Trapman brings significant experience in the marketing of culture and properties in Switzerland. Previously, as the leader of the Sales and Marketing force for real estate developer Le National de Montreux SA, she was responsible for sales of prestigious properties on the Swiss Riviera. Prior to that she worked for the Montreux Music and Convention Centre as Business Development Manager, implementing the sales strategy in select European markets. Mrs. Vitry-Trapman graduated from the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, Switzerland with a BSc in Hospitality Business, and also holds a degree in Interior Architecture from Atheneaum Lausanne. She holds dual citizenship in the United Kingdom and France, is bilingual in English and French, and proficient in German, Italian, and Spanish.