Ernesto Bertarelli is a Swiss entrepreneur recognized for his leadership in business, finance, sports, and philanthropy. Born in Rome in 1965, he graduated from Babson College in 1989 and earned his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1993. In 1996, Ernesto became CEO of Serono, guiding its shift from pharmaceuticals to biotechnology and tripling its revenues. In 2000, Serono was listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and in 2007, it merged with German pharmaceutical giant Merck to form Merck Serono.
Today, Ernesto steers B-FLEXION (formerly Waypoint Capital), an entrepreneurial investment firm that oversees growth-focused businesses and asset managers. With an approach that combines the Bertarelli family’s values, a true entrepreneurial mindset and institutional private equity disciplines, B-FLEXION has significant track-record of investing in and partnering with asset managers across sectors including Life Science, Private Equity, Venture Capital, Infrastructure, Technology, Real Estate, Hedge Funds, Public and Private Credit, and Public Securities. From 2002 to 2009, he also served on UBS’s board of directors, bringing to bear his family’s values and an entrepreneurial mindset.
Alongside his sister Dona, Ernesto co-chairs The Bertarelli Foundation and is Vice Chair of the Harvard Medical School Board of Fellows, a member of the Strategic Advisory Board at EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), and a member of the Stanford Medicine Board of Fellows. In 2008, he was inducted into Babson College’s Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs. He has also been honoured with the Légion d’Honneur by President Jacques Chirac of France and the Cavaliere di Gran Croce by President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi of Italy.
Alongside his sister Dona, Ernesto co-chairs The Bertarelli Foundation and is Vice Chair of the Harvard Medical School Board of Fellows, a member of the Strategic Advisory Board at EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), and a member of the Stanford Medicine Board of Fellows. In 2008, he was inducted into Babson College’s Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs. He has also been honoured with the Légion d’Honneur by President Jacques Chirac of France and the Cavaliere di Gran Croce by President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi of Italy.
