Board of Directors

Paul Hälg was appointed to the Board of Directors and President of Datwyler Holding AG at the 2017 Annual General Meeting. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Datwyler IT Infra AG, an affiliate of the listed Datwyler Holding AG. From 2004 to the end of 2016, he was CEO of the Datwyler Group. Prior to joining Datwyler, he was a member of the Forbo Group Executive Board as Head of the Adhesives division. From 1986 to 2001 Paul Hälg held various senior positions within Gurit-Essex (Gurit-Heberlein Group), most recently as its CEO. Prior to that, he worked at the Swiss Aluminum Group for five years. Paul Hälg is Chairman of the Board of Directors of publicly listed Sika AG and Board of Directors of Sonceboz Automotive S. A. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the ETH Foundation, Swisscontact and the Swiss Air Rescue Service (Rega). He graduated from ETH Zurich (Swiss polytechnical university) with a doctorate in chemistry (Dr. sc. techn.).

Hanspeter Fässler has been a member of Datwyler Holding AG since 2004 and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2017. He is Chairman of the Nomination and Compensation Committee and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Datwyler IT Infra AG, an affiliate of listed Datwyler Holding AG. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Axpo Holding AG and Hatebur Umformtechnik AG. As founding Chairman of the Robotics startup ANYbotics AG, he contributes valuable digital expertise to the Datwyler Board of Directors. Hanspeter Fässler worked for the ABB Group in various management positions at home and abroad, including as CEO of ABB Switzerland and from 2006 to 2010 as the Head of ABB Mediterranean Region and Chairman of the Executive Board of ABB Italy. From 2010 to 2011 he was CEO of the Implenia construction services group. He received his doctorate in the specialty area Mechatronics/Robotics (Dr. sc. techn.) at ETH Zurich. He also holds an Engineer’s Degree from Stanford University, USA.

Jens Breu was appointed to the Board of Directors of Dätwyler Holding Inc. in 2019 as a representative of the public shareholders. He’s a member of the Nomination and Compensation Committee. Since the beginning of 2016 he has been CEO of the publicly listed SFS Group, where he has held various positions since 1995. Among other things, during this time, Jens Breu was production manager in the USA for eight years. In 2012 he was promoted to Head of the Industrial Division and in 2014 to Chief Operating Officer. Jens Breu has a mechanical engineering degree from St. Gallen University of Applied Sciences and an MBA from Cleveland State University in the USA.

Claude R. Cornaz was appointed to the Board of Directors of Dätwyler Holding Inc. at the 2018 General Meeting. He is a member of the Nomination and Compensation Committee. From 2000 to 2017, Claude R. Cornaz led the Vetropack Group as a delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO. He was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Vetropack Group at the 2018 Annual General Meeting. Since 2002, he has been a member of the Board of Directors of the listed Bucher Industries Group. He is also on the Board of Directors of Glas Trösch Holding AG and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of H. Goessler AG and Cornaz AG Holding. Claude R. Cornaz is a certified mechanical engineer ETH/BWI.

Jürg Fedier was appointed to the Board of Dätwyler Holding Inc. at the 2015 Annual General Meeting. He is Chairman of the Audit Committee and a representative of the public shareholders. From 2009 to 2019, he served as Chief Financial Officer of the listed Oerlikon Group. From 2007 to 2008 he acted as CFO of Ciba Group. Between 2006 and 2007, he was Head of Finance of Dow Europe and a Member of the Executive Board. From 2002 to 2006, Jürg Fedier served as Vice President Finance for Dow Chemical, Performance Chemicals, USA, between 2000 and 2002 as Global Business Finance Director for Dow Chemical, Thermosets. From 1978 to 2000, he filled several management positions with Dow Chemical in the USA and in Asia. Jürg Fedier is Director of the listed Ascom Holding Inc. and OC Oerlikon Corporation AG. He holds a Commercial Diploma from the College of Commerce in Zurich, Switzerland, and completed international executive management programmes at the IMD, Switzerland, and the University of Michigan, USA.

Martin Hirzel was appointed to the Board of Directors of Dätwyler Holding Inc. in 2021 as a representative of the public shareholders. He has been President of Swissmem, the association of the Swiss mechanical, electrical and metalworking industries, since the beginning of 2021. He is also Vice-Chairman of Economiesuisse and a member of the Economic Advisory Board of the Swiss National Bank. Furthermore, Martin Hirzel is a Director of the listed Bucher Industries AG and two small privately held companies. From 2011 to 2019, he was CEO of the listed automotive supplier Autoneum Holding AG. Prior to that, he was a member of the Executive Committee of Rieter Automotive Systems with responsibility for the South America, Middle East and Africa region. From 2000 to 2007 he built up the Chinese business of Rieter Holding AG from Shanghai. Martin Hirzel holds a degree in management and business administration from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences and is a GMP graduate of Harvard Business School.

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Gabi Huber was appointed to the Board of Dätwyler Holding Inc. in 2013. She is a member of the Audit Committee. Gabi Huber has been practicing as a self-employed attorney and notary since 1982 and was certified as a mediator in 2006. She is co-owner of the law firm Bachmann Huber Zgraggen in Altdorf, Switzerland. From 2003 to 2015 she represented the canton of Uri in the National Council. From 2008 to 2015 she chaired the FDP Liberal faction of the Swiss Federal Councillors. Prior to her election to the National Council, Gabi Huber served as a member of cantonal government and finance director of canton of Uri from 1996 to 2004. From 2002 to 2004 she headed the government of Uri as chief magistrate (Landammann). She is Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of UBS Switzerland AG. She is also a member of the board of trustees of the Swiss Air Rescue service (Rega). Gabi Huber graduated from the University of Freiburg in 1980, studied law at Columbia University in New York and earned a doctorate in 1990.

Hanno Ulmer was appointed to the Board of Dätwyler Holding Inc. at the 2015 Annual General Meeting. He is a member of the Audit Committee. From 1994 to 27 September 2019, he was Managing Director of Doppelmayr Holding SE, the parent company of the world's leading Austrian ropeway manufacturer. Since 27 September 2019, he has been Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of this company. Hanno Ulmer has held various finance and management positions within the Doppelmayr Group since 1976. He is also Chairman of Ropetrans AG and a Supervisory Chairman of Bank für Tirol und Voralberg AG. Hanno Ulmer holds an accounting diploma from WIFI Voralberg and completed university studies in export and international management.

For 35 years, Roland Zimmerli has been instrumental in shaping the development of the Datwyler Group into a global player with his dedicated work in widely diverse management positions. After the IPO, he prudently converted Datwyler from a family-owned and run company into a public company.

In recognition of his merits for the Datwyler Group, in 2005 the Board of Directors appointed him President emeritus. From 1999 to 2005, Roland Zimmerli had chaired the Board of Directors. Prior to joining the Board of Directors, he served as Chairman of the Executive Board of Datwyler Holding AG from 1991 to 1999. His experience was also in demand on boards of directors of renowned Swiss companies. He completed his education with the Business Management Licentiate at the University of Zurich.