Board of Directors

Paul Hälg was appointed to the Board and Chairman of Dätwyler Holding Inc. 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 Dätwyler Holding Inc. As former Datwyler CEO (2004 to 2016), he knows the company's markets and potential. Having been CEO and Chairman of listed companies for many years, he is very familiar with strategic issues. Furthermore, as a PhD chemist, he has a link to elastomer technology which is relevant for Datwyler. 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 Director of Sonceboz Group S. A. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the ETH Foundation 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 Director of Dätwyler Holding Inc. since 2004 and Vice Chairman since 2017. He is Chairman of the Nomination and Compensation Committee and a member of the Board of Directors of Datwyler IT Infra AG, an affiliate of listed Dätwyler Holding Inc. As Chairman of Gravis Robotics AG and Director of the robotics startups ANYbotics AG and thanks to his ETH PhD in mechatronics/robotics, he contributes expertise in automation, digitalization, technology and innovation amongst other skills to the Datwyler Board. He is also a Director of Hatebur Umformtechnik AG. 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 Dätwyler Holding Inc. in 2019 as a representative of the public shareholders. He’s a member of the Nomination and Compensation Committee. As CEO of the listed SFS Group (since 2016), Jens Breu knows Datwyler's target markets and is very familiar with the strategic issues of a global component supplier. He has worked for SFS since 1995 and has acquired broad entrepreneurial experience in various functions. Among other things, Jens Breu contributed to shaping the SFS presence in the USA for eight years as Head of Production. 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 Dätwyler Holding Inc. at the 2018 General Meeting. He is a member of the Nomination and Compensation Committee. As a member of the majority shareholder family, Claude R. Cornaz has been steering the strategic course of the listed Vetropack Group since 2000 as former CEO and current Chairman. He enriches the Datwyler Board with his entrepreneurial experience, among other skills. From 2000 to 2017, Claude R. Cornaz led the Vetropack Group as a delegate of the Board of Directors and CEO. He has been Chairman of Vetropack Holding Ltd. since 2018. Furthermore, he is a Vice-Chairman 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. As a long-standing CFO and director of listed companies, he contributes his comprehensive experience in finance, auditing and business development amongst other skills to the Datwyler Board. 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 Dätwyler Holding Inc. at the 2021 Annual General Meeting. He is member of the Audit Committee and a representative of the public shareholders. As the former CEO of automotive supplier Autoneum, Martin Hirzel has in-depth knowledge of the global automotive industry, an important sales market for Datwyler. He also contributes his many years of experience in China and South America amongst other skills to the Datwyler Board. He has been President of Swissmem, the association of the Swiss mechanical, electrical and metalworking industries, since 2021. He is also Vice-Chairman of Economiesuisse and President of the Economic Advisory Board of the Swiss National Bank. Furthermore, Martin Hirzel is a Director of the listed Bucher Industries AG and four privately held companies. From 2011 to 2019, he was CEO of the listed 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.

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. As PhD in law and former member of the Swiss Parliament, Gabi Huber contributes her experience in law, compliance and governance amongst other skills to the Datwyler Board of Directors. 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 Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of UBS Switzerland AG and was a Director of Credit Suisse (Switzerland) AG from November 2023 to July 2024. Gabi Huber graduated from the University of Freiburg in 1980, studied law at Columbia University in New York and earned a doctorate in 1990.

Dirk Lambrecht was appointed to the Board of Dätwyler Holding Inc. as a representative of the public shareholders at the 2024 Annual General Meeting. He is Chairman of Dätwyler IT Infra AG, a sister company of the listed Dätwyler Holding Inc. As the former CEO of Datwyler (2017 to the end of March 2024), he knows the company's markets and potential and is very familiar with strategic issues. From 2005 to 2017, he led the Sealing Solutions and Sealing Technologies divisions at Datwyler. Before joining Datwyler, Dirk Lambrecht held various international management positions at Phoenix AG in Hamburg from 1987 to 2005. He is a board member of Swissmem, the association of the Swiss mechanical, electrical and metalworking industries, and also Industrie- und Handelskammer Zentralschweiz (IHZ) and is a member of the advisory board of >>Venture>>. Dirk Lambrecht holds a degree in mechanical engineering specializing in apparatus engineering from Hamburg University of Applied Sciences and completed additional studies, including programmes at the Management School of St. Gallen.