Industrial Executive & Non-Executive Board Moves in Switzerland

Board Moves

Accelleron

• Ahead of its AGM, Accelleron put forward Monika Krüsi as the proposed successor to Board Chair Oliver Riemenschneider. She contributes extensive governance and strategy expertise and currently serves as Vice Chair, Chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Nomination and Compensation Committee. Riemenschneider has decided not to stand for re-election in order to accelerate the Board’s renewal.

• In a separate board change announced the same day, Accelleron nominated Mieke Van de Capelle for election to the Board and the Nomination and Compensation, succeeding Gabriele Sons, who will not stand for re-election. Van de Capelle brings more than 30 years of international HR leadership experience across Europe and the US and currently serves as Chief Human Resources Officer at dsm-firmenich.

Adecco

• As part of the Board changes announced on 25 February 2026, Adecco put forward Tobias Knechtle, Matthias Rebellius and Jacques Sanche for election at the AGM, while Kathleen Taylor and Didier Lamouche will not seek re-election. Knechtle brings strong financial expertise from CFO roles at several listed companies, while Rebellius and Sanche add extensive CEO experience together with deep technology and digital know-how.

• The company also said Chairman Jean-Christophe Deslarzes will stand for re-election for a final term, ahead of his planned departure in 2027.

Aebi Schmidt

• Aebi Schmidt announced on 24 February 2026 that, as part of a planned reduction in Board size at the 2026 AGM, Peter Spuhler, Jim Sharman and Paul Mascarenas will not stand for re-election.

• The company nominated CEO Barend Fruithof for election as Chairman, while Terri Pizzuto is expected to become Vice Chairman and Andreas Rickenbacher Lead Independent Director.

Alcon

• Richard Scott Herren was nominated by Alcon for election as an independent Board member at the AGM on 30 April 2026, while Scott Harlan Maw will not stand for re-election. He contributes extensive global finance and governance experience from senior leadership roles, including CFO positions at Cisco and Autodesk. Alcon announced the planned Board change ahead of the 2026 AGM.

Allreal

• Philipp Gmür was proposed by Allreal for election as the new Chair of the Board at the AGM on 17 April 2026, with current Chair Ralph-Thomas Honegger not standing for re-election. A Board member since 2019, Gmür brings broad leadership, legal and governance experience from his time as CEO of Helvetia and from multiple board and foundation mandates.

• Allreal also nominated Beat Fellmann and Martin Frischknecht for election to the Board, while Peter Spuhler will likewise not seek re-election.

Amrize

• Amrize reshuffled its Audit Committee, appointing Robert S. Rivkin as chair and naming Holli Ladhani to the panel as a qualified financial expert.

• Separately, the company said Don P. Newman and Jacques Wolf Sanche will stand for election to the board at the April 2026 AGM, adding financial and industrial expertise.

• Theresa Drew stepped down from the board at the same time, with Amrize saying her resignation was unrelated to any disagreement over the company’s operations, policies or practices.

Arbonia

• Christoph Ganz-Hemmi was proposed by Arbonia as the next Chairman, with the planned handover scheduled for April 2026 and current Chair Alexander von Witzleben not standing for re-election. Ganz-Hemmi brings longstanding industrial and governance experience from senior leadership and board roles, including his position as Vice Chairman of Arbonia’s Board.

Asmallworld

• Asmallworld announced on 3 February 2026 that Chris Hartley would step down from its Board of Directors due to other professional commitments. The company said Hartley had served on the board since 2022 and had contributed to its strategic development following the partnership with Global Hotel Alliance.

Autoneum

• At Autoneum, Yanni von Roy-Jiang will not seek re-election to the Board at the AGM on 28 April 2026. The company said the decision was driven by potential conflicts of interest linked to her new professional commitments.

Banque Cantonale de Jura (BCJ)

• BCJ put forward Christophe Mettler for election to the Board at the AGM on 12 May 2026. He adds broad legal, banking and governance experience from his current executive role at Banque Cantonale de Fribourg, where he is responsible for legal, risk and compliance, as well as from earlier positions at Crédit Agricole Financements Suisse and UBS.

Belimo

• Karina Rigby joined the Board of Belimo effective 23 March 2026, succeeding Stefan Ranstrand, who stepped down for personal reasons. She brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in global industrial businesses, including senior roles at Eaton and Siemens.

• Belimo also confirmed that Vice Chair Martin Zwyssig will not seek re-election, with Ines Pöschel proposed to take over that role.

Calida

• At Calida, Felix Sulzberger will not seek re-election as Chairman at the AGM, as announced on 18 March 2026. CEO Thomas Stöcklin has been proposed as his successor in a move intended to ensure continuity at Board level and support an orderly succession process, while the company also plans to appoint a Lead Independent Director to reinforce corporate governance.

Cavotec

• At its 10 February 2026 announcement, Cavotec named Niklas Edling as its proposed new Chairman for election at the AGM. He is set to take over from Patrik Tigerschiöld, who will not stand for re-election, and adds both continuity from his service on the Board since 2019 and executive leadership experience as CEO of Nodica Group.

Cham Swiss Properties

• Cham Swiss Properties announced that Dr. Annelis Lüscher Hämmerli and Urs Simeon had been proposed for election to the Board of Directors at the AGM on 4 May 2026, succeeding Dr. Felix Thöni and Prof. Dr. Annelies Häcki Buhofer, who will not stand for re-election.

Clariant

• Clariant announced that Albert Manifold and Regula Wallimann had been proposed for election as independent, non-executive Board members. Manifold brings extensive international industrial leadership experience, including his role as Chairman of BP and his previous tenure as CEO of CRH, while Wallimann adds broad financial and governance expertise from senior leadership and board roles across Swiss listed companies.

Colosseum

• Alan Hippe left the Board of Colosseum in February 2026. He brought extensive international finance and governance experience from senior roles at Roche and other global industrial businesses. No successor has yet been publicly announced.

Comet

• On 24 March 2026, Comet Holding put forward Anna Peter and Mads Joergensen for election to the Board at the AGM. Peter adds legal and corporate governance expertise from her role as partner in the Corporate/M&A practice at Homburger, while Joergensen contributes deep finance leadership experience as Group CFO of Georg Fischer. They are set to replace Mariel Hoch and Heinz Kundert, who will not stand for re-election.

Dätwyler

• Dätwyler announced on 12 February 2026 that Chairman Paul Hälg plans to step down at the 2027 AGM after overseeing the company’s transformation programme until then. A successor has not yet been named.

DKSH

• DKSH announced on 17 February 2026 that Julie von Wedel-Keller had been nominated for election to the Board as the proposed successor to Andreas W. Keller, who will not stand for re-election. As a fifth-generation member of the founding family, she brings continuity and stability, alongside experience from the advisory board of Diethelm Keller Holding and board roles at Angela Bruderer and DK Premium Brands Holding.

• DKSH also nominated Valerie Diele-Braun and Corine Tap for election as independent Board members at the same AGM, as the proposed successors to Wolfgang Baier and Suwannee Ratthayabandith, who will not seek re-election. Diele-Braun brings international leadership experience from the chemicals and technology sectors, including CEO roles at Nexture, IMCD and CABB, while Tap adds more than 20 years of leadership experience across Asia, Oceania, Africa and the Middle East from FrieslandCampina, Unilever and Danone.

DocMorris

• As part of the Board changes announced on 3 March 2026, DocMorris put forward Thomas Bucher, Dr Thomas Reutter and Nicole Formica-Schiller for election at the AGM, while Prof Stefan Feuerstein, Dr Christian Mielsch and Rongrong Hu will not seek re-election.

Endress + Hauser

• Endress+Hauser put forward Steven Endress to take over as Chairman of the Supervisory Board from Matthias Altendorf at the AGM on 13 April 2026. Endress is a grandson of the company founder, he adds both board continuity as a member since 2024 and operational experience from 12 years at Endress+Hauser UK, including as Managing Director.

• The group also appointed Sandra Genge as Vice Chair of the Family Council, succeeding Urs Endress, with the next generation thereby taking on greater responsibility in the company’s governance.

Ferring

• Luzi von Bidder retired from Ferring’s Board in December 2025 after more than a decade of service, with the company stating that a successor will be appointed in due course.

Forbo

• Forbo announced that it had proposed Ilias Läber for election to the Board at the AGM on 2 April 2026 as an additional member. Läber, co-founder and managing partner of SEO Management AG, brings broad industrial experience to the Board. The company added that the other six Board members are standing for re-election.

Franke

• Sabine Krauss joined the Board of Franke Holding and also took a seat on the HR Committee, as announced in March 2026. She succeeded Michael Reinhard, who stepped down after seven years on the Board for age-related reasons, and adds more than 20 years of international experience in human resources, business transformation and leadership development.

Galderma

• Galderma reshaped its Board following changes in its shareholder base, announcing on 20 March 2026 that Delphine Viguier-Hovasse, Samuel du Retail and Harry Kirsch had been proposed for election.

• Michael Bauer and Marcus Brennecke are stepping down from the Board following the dissolution of the former EQT-led shareholder group, while the remaining members are standing for re-election.

Georg Fischer

• Georg Fischer announced on 18 February 2026 that Christopher Guérin had been nominated for election to the Board at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting. He brings extensive international industrial and infrastructure leadership experience, having served as Group CEO of Nexans from 2018 to October 2025 and led a broad transformation of the company’s strategy, operations and sustainability profile. Together with the previously announced nomination of Ton Büchner, his proposed appointment would expand GF’s Board from seven to nine members.

Graubündner Kantonalbank

• At Graubündner Kantonalbank, Ines Pöschel stepped down from the Board effective 31 March 2026 after choosing not to stand for a third four-year term. During her eight years on the Board, she contributed extensive governance and legal expertise. Michèle Hess was elected as her successor, bringing long-standing banking, compliance and financial-sector experience from hs-consult, PwC and FINMA.

Hilti

• In February 2026, Matthias Gillner stepped down from the Board of Hilti. He contributed extensive company and financial leadership experience, having spent more than two decades with Hilti, including in Executive Board roles overseeing finance, tax, human resources, IT and corporate development.

Idorsia

• As part of the Board changes, Idorsia put forward Natalia Misciattelli, Gabriel Baertschi and former CEO André Muller for election at the AGM on 6 May 2026, while Bart Filius will not seek re-election.

Interroll

• Interroll announced on 5 February 2026 that Barbara Bergmeier and David Kurmann had been nominated for election to the Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting. Bergmeier brings extensive global operations, manufacturing and supply-chain leadership experience from senior roles at BMW, Dräxlmaier, Airbus and Jaguar Land Rover, while Kurmann adds strong expertise in portfolio management, value creation, corporate development, M&A and transformation.

Julius Bär

• Julius Bär announced on 2 February 2026 that Richard Campbell-Breeden will not stand for re-election at the 2026 AGM and will step down as Vice Chairman, with Jürg Hunziker proposed to succeed him in that role subject to shareholder re-election. Hunziker brings around 40 years of international experience in technology and financial services, including CEO experience and a track record in building customer-focused businesses, while the group said his appointment would ensure continued senior representation in Switzerland.

• Also Julius Bär announced that Urban Angehrn had agreed to join the Board after the AGM, bringing more than 30 years of Swiss financial-sector experience, including his most recent role as CEO of FINMA and earlier positions at Zurich Insurance Group.

• A further Board update followed on 16 March 2026, when Julius Baer said Olga Zoutendijk would not seek re-election at the AGM and confirmed Colin Bell as an additional Board nominee alongside Urban Angehrn.

Komax

• David Dean will step down as Vice Chairman of Komax after reaching the Board’s term limit. A member of the Board for 12 years and Vice Chairman since 2019, he has been recognised by Komax for his longstanding commitment. No successor has been proposed, with the remaining six Board members standing for re-election.

Kudelski

• Françoise Hélène Béguin was nominated by Kudelski for election to the Board. She brings broad legal, governance and business leadership experience. Dr Patrick Foetisch will not stand for re-election, stepping down after helping shape the group’s development for more than 35 years.

Leonteq

• Leonteq announced that the previously planned chair succession Felix Oegerli would not proceed at the 1 April AGM. Oegerli withdrew his candidacy in light of the pending Raiffeisen share transaction, and Christopher Chambers and Vice Chairman Philippe Weber will instead stand for re-election for a transitional period until an extraordinary general meeting later in 2026.

• Leonteq also put forward Barbara Heller and Jürg Steiger for election to the Board. Their appointments would increase the number of independent directors on the Board to seven.

Lonza

• On 13 February 2026, Lonza put forward Sami Atiya for election to its Board at the AGM, while Roger Nitsch decided not to seek re-election. Atiya adds broad leadership expertise spanning healthcare, robotics, automation and artificial intelligence, most recently as a member of ABB’s Executive Committee, whereas Nitsch is stepping down to devote more time to his entrepreneurial activities.

Medartis

• As part of the Board changes planned at Medartis, Yang Xu is due to join the Board on 23 April 2026, while Jennifer Dean will not stand for re-election. Xu brings senior international finance leadership experience, currently as CFO of JDE Peet’s and previously as CFO of Straumann Group.

Migros

• Migros announced that its delegates had re-elected Ursula Nold as Chair of the Administration for the 2026–2028 term. Edith Spillmann was also confirmed as Chair of the Assembly of Delegates, while all other members of the 13-person Administration were re-elected unchanged. The outcome ensures continuity in Migros’ governance, with no new appointees or departures.

Mobimo

• At Mobimo, Peter Schaub stepped down as Chairman effective 31 March 2026. Markus Schürch succeeded him as Chairman, moving from his previous role as an Independent Board Member and bringing continuity and board experience to the transition.

Molecular Partners

• Molecular Partners put forward Clare Fisher for election to the Board. She adds more than 20 years of healthcare experience, particularly in strategy, business development and M&A, and currently leads global business development and corporate acquisitions at BeOne.

• Separately, Steven H. Holtzman will not seek re-election, while the other seven Board members are standing again.

Nestlé

• Nestlé announced in February 2026 that it had nominated Thomas Jordan and Fama Francisco for election to the Board of Directors at the AGM on 16 April 2026. Jordan brings deep central banking and international financial policy expertise from his time as Chairman of the Swiss National Bank, while Francisco adds global consumer-goods leadership experience as CEO of Procter & Gamble’s Baby, Feminine and Family Care business.

Novartis

• At the March 2026 Annual General Meeting, Novartis shareholders elected Dr Robert Charles Swanton to the Board, while Daniel Hochstrasser stepped down and did not stand for re-election. Swanton adds deep medical, scientific and governance expertise as a clinician, scientist and oncologist with extensive experience in translational R&D and large-scale programme leadership.

• At the same AGM, Simon Moroney assumed the role of Lead Independent Director while continuing as Vice Chair, succeeding Patrice Bula, who remained on the Board as an Independent Director.

Novavest

• As part of the Board changes announced in February 2026, Novavest put forward Adrian Nösberger and Salome Wieser for election at the AGM, while Claudia Suter and Stefan Hiestand will not seek re-election.

OC Oerlikon

• At Oerlikon, Eveline Steinberger-Kern assumed the role of Lead Independent Director effective 24 March 2026, while Stefan Brupbacher stepped down from that position and continues as an Independent Director. Steinberger-Kern brings board continuity and governance experience through her existing mandate on the Board.

Orior

• Orior disclosed that Dr. Patrick M. Müller had already stepped down from the Board in mid-December 2025 by mutual agreement due to differing views on the group’s leadership structure. Müller had joined the Board in 2024 and brought broad international leadership experience from senior roles in industry and energy-related businesses.

Raiffeisen

• Raiffeisen announced that Basil Heeb had been nominated as the new Chairman of the Board for election at the general meeting in June, succeeding Thomas Müller, who had announced his departure in September 2025. Heeb brings extensive banking leadership experience from his former role as CEO of Basler Kantonalbank, as well as earlier positions at Notenstein La Roche and Bank Wegelin.

• The Board also nominated Yvan Gaillard, Simon Gfeller and Philipp Kronenberg as new members, with the three candidates set to replace outgoing directors Olivier Roussy, Thomas Rauber and Andrej Golob.

Roche

• At the 10 March 2026 Annual General Meeting, Roche shareholders elected Lubomira Rochet to the Board. Rochet brings extensive experience in digital transformation and technology-driven business change from senior leadership roles in the global consumer and technology sectors.

RUAG International / Beyond Gravity

• RUAG International announced that Astrid Schnidrig, Lutz Bertling and Michael Menking had been nominated for election to the Board at the AGM in 2026. Schnidrig brings strong expertise in finance, governance, risk and audit management, while Bertling and Menking add deep space, technology and industrial leadership experience from senior roles in the aerospace sector. The three nominees are intended to succeed Chairman Rainer Schulz as well as Board members Jürg Oleas and Andreas Spreiter.

SBB

• SBB put forward Dino Cauzza and Dominique Pierre Locher for election to the Board at the AGM on 29 April 2026. Cauzza contributes CEO and finance expertise from Swiss Medical Network and Alameda, while Locher adds around 30 years of experience in retail and the digital transformation of customer-focused business models. The company said the two nominees would broaden the Board’s capabilities in marketing, customer focus, finance and controlling.

Siegfried

• Siegfried announced on 5 February 2026 that Thomas Wozniewski and Karl Petersson had been nominated for election to the Board of Directors. Wozniewski brings deep pharmaceutical manufacturing and global supply expertise from senior roles at Takeda and other healthcare groups, while Petersson adds strong capital markets, investment and corporate development experience from Interogo Long-Term Equity and private equity.

Sika

• At its Annual General Meeting in March 2026, Sika elected Barbara Frei-Spreiter and Lukas Gähwiler to the Board, while Paul Schuler stepped down and did not stand for re-election. Frei-Spreiter brings senior international industrial and technology leadership experience as a former member of Schneider Electric’s Executive Committee, while Gähwiler adds broad banking and governance expertise as Vice Chairman of UBS Group.

Skan

• Skan announced on 26 January 2026 that Dr. Christian Schlögel had been nominated for election to the Board of Directors at the AGM on 7 May 2026, succeeding Patrick Schär, who will not stand for re-election after 16 years on the board.

SoftwareOne

• In February 2026, SoftwareOne put forward Barend Fruithof for election as an additional independent Board member. As CEO of Aebi Schmidt Group, he contributes broad leadership, strategy and integration expertise, alongside experience in cross-border transactions, capital markets and post-merger integration.

Stadler

• Stadler announced that Sabrina Soussan and Michael Schöllhorn had been proposed for election to the Board of Directors at the AGM in May 2026, succeeding Christoph Franz and Wojciech Kostrzewa, who will not stand for re-election. Soussan brings broad international industrial and mobility experience, including senior leadership roles at Siemens Mobility and Henkel, while Schöllhorn adds longstanding industrial expertise from his position as CEO of Airbus Defence and Space and earlier roles at BSH.

Straumann

• In a board transition announced on 18 February 2026, Straumann nominated Sébastien Schatzmann and Wolfgang Becker for election, while Thomas Straumann and former CEO Marco Gadola will not stand for re-election. Schatzmann brings entrepreneurial, financial and business expertise, while Becker adds deep company knowledge after 40 years in senior leadership roles across the group, including as head of the EMEA region and as a member of the Executive Management Board until June 2024. Thomas Straumann is due to become Honorary Chairman after more than 36 years on the Board, while Gadola will remain available to the group in an advisory capacity.

Swatch

• Swatch announced in February 2026 that Andreas Rickenbacher had been proposed for election to the Board of Directors. He brings extensive Swiss industrial and governance experience, including his roles as President of Switzerland Innovation and CSEM, Chairman of Suva, Vice-Chairman of BKW and a board member of Aebi Schmidt.

Swiss

• The airline announced, Doris Russi Schurter is set to leave the Swiss Board of Directors in March 2026. Over her ten years on the Board, she supported the company through the coronavirus crisis and the subsequent strategic and operational stabilisation, including in her role as Chair of the Audit Committee.

Swisscom

• Swisscom put forward Lonza CFO Philippe Deecke for election to the Board of Directors at the AGM on 25 March 2026. He contributes more than 20 years of financial leadership experience in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, including senior finance roles at Novartis and his current position at Lonza. The company nominated him as the proposed successor to Frank Esser, who will not stand for re-election.

• Swisscom also announced that it is planned that Deecke will take over as Chairman of the Audit Committee at the 2027 AGM, when Roland Abt is due to step down from the Board after reaching the statutory age limit.

Swiss Investment Fund for Emerging Markets (SIFEM)

• The Swiss Federal Council announced that Mirjam Staub-Bisang will become Chair of the Board of Directors of SIFEM, succeeding Jörg Frieden, who will step down at the end of May 2026. She brings extensive experience in strategic leadership and sustainable investing, including her current role as Chair of BlackRock Switzerland and previous position as the firm’s country head.

Swiss Life

• Swiss Life announced on 29 January 2026 that Philomena Colatrella had stepped down from the Board with immediate effect ahead of taking on a new mandate in the insurance industry in spring 2026.

Swiss Re

• As part of the changes announced on 27 February 2026, Swiss Re put forward Jean-Jacques Henchoz for election to the Board at the AGM, while Larry Zimpleman will not stand for re-election. Henchoz brings deep reinsurance expertise and proven leadership credentials from his time as CEO of Hannover Re and from earlier senior roles at Swiss Re.

Tecan Group

• Tecan announced that Nina Beikert, Gitte Pugholm Aabo and Guillaume Daniellot had been proposed for election to the Board at the AGM on 15 April 2026, while Chairman Lukas Braunschweiler and Board member Oliver Fetzer will not stand for re-election. Beikert brings CEO and clinical diagnostics expertise from Labor Berlin, while Aabo and Daniellot add international life sciences and medtech leadership experience from their previously announced nominations.

• The company also confirmed that Vice Chairman Matthias Gillner has been nominated as the new Chair of the Board.

TX Group

• At TX Group, Pascale Bruderer will not seek re-election to the Board at the AGM on 10 April 2026. Christian Osterland has been proposed as her successor, bringing strong classifieds, marketplaces and growth-investing expertise from his role at General Atlantic. Bruderer is stepping down after six years on the Board to focus on her own projects.

UBS

• UBS put forward Agustín Carstens and Luca Maestri for election to the Board, while William C. Dudley and Jeanette Wong will not seek re-election. Carstens contributes extensive central banking and regulatory expertise from his time as General Manager of the BIS and Governor of the Bank of Mexico, while Maestri adds deep CFO and corporate leadership experience from Apple and earlier senior roles at Xerox, Nokia Siemens Networks and General Motors.

• UBS also reiterated that Vice Chairman Lukas Gähwiler is due to step down, with Markus Ronner proposed as his successor.

V-Zug

• V-Zug announced in February 2026 that Ivo Wechsler and René Zahnd had been nominated for election to the Board of Directors at the AGM, while Petra Rumpf, Tobias Knechtle and Jürg Werner will not stand for re-election. Wechsler brings extensive industrial and financial leadership experience, including expertise in strategy and corporate governance, while Zahnd adds broad real estate and operational management experience from Swiss Prime Site and Implenia.

Walliser Kantonalbank

• Walliser Kantonalbank nominated Antoine Fournier for election to the Board as a representative of minority shareholders. His appointment is intended to support appropriate minority-shareholder representation within the bank’s nine-member Board.

Zurich Insurance

• At its 19 February 2026 results announcement, Zurich proposed Mary Forrest for election to the Board of Directors at the AGM. She brings extensive insurance-sector expertise from senior leadership roles at Munich Re in North America and Canada.

• Zurich also indicated that Jasmin Staiblin is intended to become Vice-Chair, with Christoph Franz not standing for re-election after reaching the maximum term of office.

Contact

Dominik Brülisauer
Russell Reynolds Associates
Stampfenbachstrasse 5 | 8001 Zurich | Switzerland
Direct: +41-44-447-30-46
Mobile: +41-79-549-80-28
dominik.bruelisauer@russellreynolds.com