Industrial Executive & Board Moves

Industrial Executive Moves

Alcon

• As of September 2024, Sue-Jean Lin, who had served as Chief Information and Transformation Officer, is no longer part of the management team.

• Meanwhile, Kimberly (Kim) Martin has taken on the additional responsibility of Corporate Communications, becoming the Chief Human Resources and Corporate Communications Officer.

• Ian Bell has transitioned from his role as President of Global Business & Innovation to COO.

Amcor

• Amcor's Board of Directors has appointed Peter Konieczny as CEO, effective September 4, 2024, following his tenure as Interim CEO since April 2024. The Board also plans to nominate him for election as a director at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders in November 2024. Konieczny, who has been with Amcor since 2010, brings extensive experience in leadership roles within the company, including his recent position as CCO.

Arbonia

• Arbonia has appointed Uwe Schiller as its new CFO, effective October 2024, and he will join the company's Executive Management. Schiller succeeds Daniel Wüest, who announced his resignation effective the end of September 2024. Schiller, a dual German and Swiss citizen, previously led finances at Eraneos Group and served as CFO at Sunrise from 2020 to 2021.

Aryzta

• The Aryzta Board of Directors has appointed a new CEO, Michael Schai, who will take over the role from the current interim CEO, Urs Jordi, starting January 1, 2025. Jordi, who has been managing the additional responsibilities for four years, plans to refocus on his position as Chairman of the Board of Directors from 2025.

Belimo

• Sandra Pitt has been appointed as a member of the Executive Committee of Belimo, effective January 1, 2025, and will assume the role of CHRO. Her promotion reflects her significant contributions since joining as Head of Global Human Resources in January 2022 and aligns with the company's growth strategy.

BKW

• BKW has appointed Manuela Wendland as the new CHRO, succeeding Daniela Aeberhard who is leaving the company. Wendland will assume her role at the end of March 2025, joining the extended executive board and overseeing HR strategy for over 12,000 employees across ten countries.

Cablex

• Effective January 1, 2025, Roger Keller will assume the role of CEO at Cablex, following the interim leadership of Francesco Castelletti, who will retire at the end of 2024 after over 40 years with Swisscom. Keller, who previously led the SME business unit at Swisscom Business Customers, brings extensive experience in sales and business unit leadership.

• Additionally, Ulrich Schädler will take over as CFO of Cablex on January 1, 2025, succeeding Urs Ringgenberg. Schädler, a seasoned Swisscom executive, has significant expertise in finance, network construction, and maintenance.

CKW

• The Board of Directors of CKW has appointed Angela Krainer as the new Head of the Energy Division and member of the Executive Board. She will succeed Thomas Reithofer, who will take over the Networks Division, starting in December 2024.

Competec

• Roman Reichelt joined the Competec Group as Chief Marketing & Communications Officer on September 16, 2024. With extensive experience, including roles at Migros and Credit Suisse, Reichelt will focus on enhancing the group's brand identity and digital presence, following Simon Thoma's departure.

dormakaba

• dormakaba has announced a temporary change in the leadership of its global finance organization due to CFO Christina Johansson taking medical leave to focus on her health and recovery. During her absence, René Peter, Head of Global Controlling, will assume the role of interim CFO effective immediately.

Farner

• Melanie Faithfull Kent succeeded Roman Geiser as the new CEO of Farner starting in September 2024, and will lead the group into its next phase. Geiser will now serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors, focusing on strategic development, key accounts, and growth through M&A.

Givaudan

• Givaudan announced that Stewart Harris will succeed Tom Hallam as CFO. Harris, who currently serves as Head of Corporate Finance and Business Development, will assume his new role in February 2025, following Hallam's retirement on January 31.

Google

• Marianne Janik, formerly the head of Microsoft Germany until March, will join Google Cloud in October 2024, succeeding Daniel Holz as the head of Google Cloud's business in Northern Europe, including Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Daniel Holz, who has been with Google since mid-2020, is leaving the company.

Holcim

• Carmen Diaz, has been appointed Chief People Officer, taking over from Feliciano González Muñoz, who will retire at the end of the year. Diaz has led a successful business turnaround in Spain and fostered a strong performance culture.

• Lukas Studer, currently General Counsel Corporate and M&A, will become Chief Legal Officer effective November 1, 2024, succeeding Mathias Gaertner. Studer has played a crucial role in Holcim’s M&A strategy, closing over 100 transactions in the past five years.

• Jaime Hill, previously the country head for Mexico, is appointed as Head of North America, succeeding Toufic Tabbara.

HUBER+SUHNER

• The Board of Directors of HUBER+SUHNER has appointed Richard Hämmerli as the new CFO and member of the Executive Group Management effective January 1, 2025. He will succeed Ivo Wechsler, who will step down at the end of 2024. Hämmerli brings extensive leadership experience from his roles in finance, HR, and IT, most recently serving as Group CFO and interim CEO at Belimed AG.

Implenia

• Implenia announced leadership changes effective in 2025, with CEO André Wyss stepping down in March to focus on new mandates, and Jens Vollmar, currently Head of Division Buildings, appointed as CEO from April 1, 2024.

• In addition, Erwin Scherer succeeded Christian Späth as Head of Division Civil Engineering as of September 1, 2024, bringing extensive experience in tunneling and infrastructure projects.

Kudelski

• The Kudelski Group, has named David Chétrit as the new CEO of Kudelski Security as of July 2024. He succeeds Jacques Boschung, who is leaving the company.

Leonteq

• Leonteq CEO and co-founder Lukas Ruflin announced his intention to step down after more than six years, pending the appointment of a successor. The Board plans to propose Ruflin as a new member at the next General Meeting.

Medartis

• Medartis has appointed Matthias Schupp as CEO, he will start at the beginning of November. He succeeds Christoph Brönnimann, who will ensure a seamless transition. Schupp brings with him excellent knowledge of the global medical technology sector, as he has held various management positions at the Straumann Group in Europe and Latin America over the past 17 years.

Meyer Burger

• Gunter Erfurt will be stepping down as CEO, with Franz Richter, the current Chairman of the Board, taking over the role as of September 2024. Erfurt will continue to support the company in an advisory capacity during the transition.

• Markus Nikles, the current CFO, will also be leaving the company end of September 2024. The responsibilities for finance and controlling will be taken over by Ralf Hermkens and Frank Zimmermann, both of whom are currently serving as Executive Vice Presidents at Meyer Burger.

Mobilezone

• At the end of June 2024, Markus Bernhard stepped down as CEO at his own request. Bernhard has been at the helm of the company since 2014. As of July 2024, Roger Wassmer - CEO of Mobilezone Switzerland since 2020 - and Wilke Stroman - CEO of Mobilezone Germany since 2020 - jointly took over the Group Management as Co-CEOs. Both will continue to manage their national companies.

Nestlé

• Nestlé's Board of Directors has appointed Laurent Freixe as CEO, effective September 1, 2024, succeeding Mark Schneider, who is stepping down after eight years. Freixe, currently Executive Vice President and CEO of Zone Latin America, is also nominated for the Board of Directors at the 2025 Annual General Meeting.

OC Oerlikon

• Oerlikon has appointed Markus Richter as CFO for both the Group and Surface Solutions division, effective October 1, 2024, succeeding Philipp Müller. Richter, who joined Oerlikon two years ago and has significant experience in finance and transformation, will drive the company's growth and efficiency. Meanwhile, Philipp Müller will transition to TK Elevator as CFO.

Orior

• Sacha Gerber will succeed Andreas Lindner as CFO of Orior, joining the company on November 1 and assuming full responsibility on January 1, 2025. Gerber brings extensive experience from his previous role as CFO at Emmi and positions at Calida, Hero, and the Swatch Group. Lindner will assist with the 2024 year-end close before leaving on January 31, 2025.

Peach Property

• Peach Property Group announced that COO Marcus Schmitt will resign for personal reasons, leaving the group on December 31, 2024.

Richemont

• Louis Ferla, currently CEO of Vacheron Constantin, will succeed Cyrille Vigneron as CEO of Cartier, effective September 2024.

• Catherine Rénier, currently CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre, will succeed Nicolas Bos as CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels, effective in September 2024. Rénier will report to Bos following his recent appointment as Richemont's CEO.

Rieter

• Rico Randegger, Head of the After Sales business unit and member of the Executive Group Management at Rieter, will step down from his position end of December 2024. The Board of Directors has appointed Alexander A. Özbahadir as his successor, effective January 2025. Özbahadir, a German national with extensive experience in sales, marketing, and management roles at Jungheinrich and Schindler, will take over responsibility for the After Sales business unit.

Santhera

• Santhera Pharmaceuticals has appointed Dr. Oliver P. Kronenberg as Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, effective August 1, 2024. Oliver Strub, formerly head of the legal department, will transition to the newly created role of Head of Compliance, focusing on the company's compliance program.

Saurer

• Hailin Xu became CEO of the Saurer Group in July 2024, succeeding Dr. Uwe Rondé, who is leaving the company at his request. Hailin Xu joined the Saurer Group in 2018 as Senior Vice President and Managing Director of the Global Open End Product Line. Born in China and now a Swiss citizen, he brings extensive management experience and high intercultural expertise.

Sensirion

• Sensirion announced that CFO Matthias Gantner will retire at the end of 2024. He will be succeeded by Martin Wirz, who has held various leadership roles at Sensirion for over eleven years.

SFS

• Iso Raunjak, currently the Head of the D&L Switzerland Division since 2020, will assume the role of CHRO on January 2025. He will succeed Arthur Blank, who has been with SFS since 1982 and who will retire at the end of 2024 after serving as interim Head of Corporate HR & Communications.

SGS

• SGS announced the departure of HR Chief Jessica Sun due to family obligations. Until a successor is appointed, Géraldine Picaud will temporarily lead the HR department.

Siegfried

• The Board of Directors of Siegfried has appointed Marcel Imwinkelried as the new CEO with effect as of September 2024. He will succeed Reto Suter, who has been leading the Siegfried Group as CEO ad interim since May 2024, and will now focus again on his role as CFO.

StarragTornos

• The Board of Directors of StarragTornos has appointed Markus Jäger as the new CFO and member of the Executive Board, effective October 1, 2024, succeeding Stéphane Pittet, who is leaving for a new professional opportunity.

Straumann

• In July, Straumann Group merged its Data & Tech team with the Digital Platform & Technology department, appointing Thomas Friese as Chief Technology & Information Officer (CTIO). With over 17 years of leadership experience, Friese will continue to enhance customer experiences through integrated digital dental workflows. The company also expressed gratitude to Christian Ullrich, former Chief Information Officer, for his contributions before his departure in July.

Swiss Re

• Swiss Re announced that Anders Malmström will succeed John Dacey as Group CFO on April 1, 2025. Malmström, joining from Athora Holdings, brings extensive finance and insurance expertise. John Dacey will retire from his executive role but continue as a non-executive director on the boards of FWD and CPIC.

Temenos

• Temenos has appointed Isabelle Guis as Chief Marketing Officer and Monty Bhatia as Executive Vice President for Global Alliances and Partner Ecosystem. Guis, with over 20 years of experience in the U.S. and 10 years in SaaS, will join the executive team. Bhatia brings 30 years of industry experience and is based in the U.S., aiming to strengthen Temenos' SaaS services and U.S. presence.

Zattoo

• Zattoo has appointed Roger Elsener as the new CEO, effective October 2024, succeeding Nick Brambring, who stepped down after over twelve years. Elsener joins from CH Media, where he served as CEO of CH Media TV AG, and has previous experience with AZ Medien AG, 3+ Group, and Viacom International Media Networks.

Zwahlen et Mayr

• Guido Bigoni, CFO of Zwahlen et Mayr, will resign for personal reasons by December 31, 2024. He will continue his duties until a successor is appointed.

Contact

Dominik Brülisauer
Russell Reynolds Associates
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