Executive Leadership Team

dss⁺helps the world’s biggest organisations protect, transform and sustain what they care about. Based on our expertise, our commitment to purpose and values — and our diverse leadership. Read on to learn about the leaders who help us save lives and create a sustainable future.

Executive Leadership Team
Board of Directors

Davide Vassallo

Chief Executive Officer, dss⁺

Davide leads a global operations management consulting business that transforms workplaces and work cultures to deliver sustained improvements in safety, productivity and capability. Since joining dss⁺ in 2010, Davide has focused on helping corporations manage operational risk, achieve operational excellence and improve performance while reducing their environmental footprints. He brings experience across industries from oil and gas to transportation, telecommunications, and manufacturing.

Claudio Bertora

Chief Financial Officer, dss⁺

Claudio Bertora is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for dss⁺. Claudio brings nearly 30 years of experience and leads the Finance function with a focus on driving financial performance and positioning dss⁺ for growth through commercial reporting, business partnering, and process efficiencies. He is highly experienced at delivering shareholder value, a key aspect of his role with dss⁺ as CFO. Claudio is based in London, United Kingdom.

Melissa Barrett

Managing Director: Agriculture and Consumer Goods

Dr Melissa Barrett has over 20 years' professional experience in Sustainability Strategy with a consulting background at Accenture and Arthur D. Little. Melissa has a focus on strategic sustainability — bridging growth, strategy, trust and implementation through partnerships, product innovation, value chains, and systems change projects. She has worked with agriculture and F&B clients across complex markets, and with food and consumer industry associations driving both value and sustainable impact.

Thorsten Querfurt

Chief Operations Officer

Thorsten has more than 20 years of experience as a management consultant, a partner in a global firm, and more recently as a leader of international professional services businesses. In his current role, with dss⁺, he will focus on ensuring that we deliver client solutions efficiently and effectively. He holds an MBA from London Business School and a Textile Science degree and is bilingual in English and German.

Marco Pagnini

Managing Director, EMEA

Marco joined dss⁺ 10 years ago and has been instrumental in delivering transformational projects to clients across the Oil & Gas, Chemicals, Mining & Metals, and Manufacturing industries in the EMEA region. In his current role, he will continue to drive the regional strategy and expand our focus on industry growth and practice diversification. Previously, Marco led the global Mining and Metals industry. He has led large-scale programmes to reduce risk, improve business performance and organisational effectiveness.

Srinivasan Ramabhadran

Managing Director, dss⁺

Srini has over 35 years of experience in managing operations and management consulting. In his current role, he will focus on global growth initiatives aligned to our strategy and will continue to lead our key accounts in the Asia Pacific region. In previous roles, he was Managing Director for Asia Pacific, Business Director for India and ASEAN teams, and Asia Pacific Fulfillment Director. Previously he worked as the Global Director for Operations Risk Management (ORM) and led a regional team of solution architects and consultants. He also led the development of a risk-based approach to safety globally.

Cedric Parentelli

Managing Director, Asia Pacific

Over his career which spans 20+ years, Cedric has focused on operational improvement to deliver measurable and sustainable operational and financial results. In his current role, he will focus on the growth of our consulting capabilities to deliver transformational impact across the Asia Pacific region. In previous roles, he led multiple global business transformation programmes across various industries focusing on identifying and delivering rapid and sustainable business results in terms of cash, cost, and service level. Cedric has a Master’s degree in management and a Bachelor's degree in engineering.

Sandy Gosling

Managing Director, US & Canada

Sandy brings 25 years of consulting experience, with a strong track record of driving value for her clients across multiple firms and industries. She specializes in transforming supply chain operations, spanning strategic design, enablement, and execution. Her experience building and leading practice teams, combined with a people-centric leadership style, has enabled consistent growth throughout her career. Sandy is deeply committed to talent development and takes a client-led approach to strengthening individual and team capabilities.

Julio Albernaz

Managing Director, Latin America

Julio is the Managing Director for Latin America and has over 24 years of experience in consulting, key account management, and client engagements across the region. He has extensive experience in management of E&P multi-million capital projects, practice projects and groups, and business process excellence and standardisation, such as mergers and acquisitions. His expertise lies in digital transformation, CAPEX project management, and he is an industrial specialist in international projects.

Emma Cuttler

Chief People & Culture Officer

Emma has been with dss⁺ for more than nine years and brings over 20 years of international HR experience to the team. She is responsible for engaging global teams to execute business initiatives that enhance the company culture and add value for the business. Emma’s expertise includes strengthening employee engagement, talent acquisition, business acquisitions and integrations, performance management and initiating capability development programs.

Chris Afors

Head of Strategy and Global Head of Private Equity & Principal Investors

Chris has 20+ years of experience in professional services. He started his career in investment banking, advising multinational clients on M&A and capital structure optimisation, then moving to the buy-side where he spent 15 years in private equity investing. He works alongside the leadership team to help drive the long term strategic value of dss⁺, while also leading the Private Equity & Principal Investors (“PEPI”) team, collaborating closely with colleagues across all Industries and Practices to deliver the best of our services to clients.

John Alexander

Chair of the Board, dss⁺

John Alexander is the current Chair of the dss⁺ Board of Directors. Previously, he served as CEO of ERM from 2008 to 2017, then as Chairman from 2017 to 2019. During his tenure, he significantly grew ERM's value from approximately $500 million to over $2 billion through multiple private equity investment cycles. Since leaving ERM, Alexander has held several Chairman and Investor roles at globally recognized, private equity-backed consulting firms. This includes joining HKA in 2017, where he guided its transition to a standalone business and remains a leader today. He has also served as Chairman and Investor for PA Consulting Group since 2018, working with Carlyle on a successful exit, leading a succession process, and working with Jacobs, the current majority stakeholder. Additionally, he was Chair and Investor at Analysys Mason for nearly two years (2023-2024).

Davide Vassallo

Chief Executive Officer, dss⁺

Claudio Bertora

Chief Financial Officer, dss⁺

Guy Semmens

Founder, Gyrus Capital

Guy co-founded Gyrus Capital in October 2018 and has over 25 years of experience in private equity.  Previously, Guy was managing partner of Argos Soditic, where he had overall responsibility for the management, fund raising, investor relations and back office of the firm as well as heading the Swiss operation. Before joining Argos Soditic, Guy was a solicitor with Clifford Chance, the international law firm, where he was part of the firm's management buy-out group.

Isabelle Pagnotta

Partner and Head of Business Services Sector, Inflexion

Isabelle has over 20 years of Private Equity experience and is a Partner and head of the Business Services sector at Inflexion. She is responsible for leading the origination and execution of majority and minority investment opportunities in this sector across Europe. Before joining Inflexion, she was a Managing Director at OMERS Private Equity in London for nine years where she led Services and Software transactions across the UK and continental Europe. Prior to joining OMERS, Isabelle worked at Bridgepoint for four years, and Arcapita for six years. She began her career at Bear Stearns in London. Isabelle has a Master of Science in Business Administration from ESCP Business School. She sits on the boards of dss⁺ and K2 Partnering Solutions.

Srinivasan Ramabhadran

Managing Director, dss⁺

Cédric Perlet

Partner, Gyrus Capital

Cédric Perlet joined Gyrus in May 2019 as a Partner. He has over 18 years of experience in investment and consulting. Previously, Cédric was a senior investment executive with Argos Soditic from 2007 – 2019, working with Guy for more than 10 years. Earlier in his professional career, Cédric was Management Consultant at PWC Advisory in Corporate Strategy, Restructuring and M&A projects. Cédric holds a master degree in business administration from the University of Zurich.

Umberto Massucco

Assistant Director, Inflexion

Umberto is an Assistant Director responsible for evaluating and executing transactions and supporting the origination of investment opportunities with a focus on Business Services and Education. Umberto has 10 years of Private Equity and M&A experience. Before joining Inflexion in 2024, Umberto was a private equity Principal at OTPP, where he focused on direct private equity investments predominantly within the Business & Financial Services as well as Education sectors. During his time at OTPP, Umberto was involved in Busy Bees, Techem, Burton’s Biscuits, OGF and European Camping Group. Umberto began his career in the M&A division of Rothschild & Co and Robert W. Baird in London where he advised on several M&A, capital markets and financing transactions, predominantly within the Business Services, Industrials and Retail sectors. Umberto holds a cum laude degree in Economics and Business Administration from ESCP-Europe.