Board of Directors

Jens Alder (CH)

Chairman | non-executive member

Jens Alder served as Executive Chairman of Alpiq Holding Ltd. in Lausanne, Switzerland, from 2019, and was Chairman of its Board of Directors from 2015 until the end of 2021. Between 2009 and 2018 he was a Board member of several companies, including CA, Inc., New York, USA, from which positions he largely resigned after joining Alpiq. Over the past decade, Jens Alder has served as Chairman of various companies including Goldbach Group AG, Küsnacht, Switzerland, Sanitas Health Insurances, Zurich, Switzerland, BG Ingénieurs Conseils, Lausanne, Switzerland, and Industrielle Werke Basel, Switzerland. From 2006 to 2008 he was CEO of TDC A/S in Copenhagen, Denmark. From 1999 to 2006 he was CEO of Swisscom AG, based in Berne, Switzerland. Jens Alder previously held management positions at Swisscom, Alcatel Switzerland, Motor-Columbus, Alcatel STR and Standard Telephon & Radio. Jens Alder holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Electrical Engineering from ETH Zurich, Switzerland, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France.

 

Barend Fruithof (CH)

non-executive member

Barend Fruithof is currently CEO of the globally operating Aebi Schmidt Holding AG based in Zurich-Oerlikon. Before joining Aebi Schmidt Holding AG in 2017 Barend Fruithof held various executive positions at major Swiss banks as well as at Raiffeisen and cantonal banks with focus on corporate and institutional customer services. Most recently, he was Head of Switzerland & Global Custody and member of the Executive Board at Bank Julius Baer & Co. AG, Zurich. Mr. Fruithof is currently a member of the Board of Directors at esisuisse (Einlagensicherung), AMAG Leasing AG, HRS Real Estate AG and Zugerberg Finanz AG. In addition, he is member of the Board at Swissmem. Mr. Fruithof holds a degree in business administration (KLZ), a master of marketing (eidg. dipl. Marketingleiter) from the University of Bern and an Executive MBA from the University of St. Gallen (HSG).

 

David Metzger (CH/FR)

non-executive member

David Metzger is an experienced Investment Professional serving a range of international companies in the areas of investments, M&A and portfolio strategy. He is currently with Liwet Holding AG. Previously, he was Investment Director at renewable energy fund Good Energies AG (now Bregal Energy, part of COFRA Holding, 2007 to 2011), Senior Manager at Bain & Company (2000 to 2007), and has also worked at Novartis and Morgan Stanley.. Besides his executive positions, he has at present other non-executive appointments as a member of the Board of Directors of Sulzer AG and Medmix AG. David Metzger holds a Master’s degree in Business Economics (lic. oec.) from the University of Zurich (CH) and a Master of Business Administration from INSEAD (Fontainebleau, FR).

 

Mario Rossi (CH)

non-executive member

Mario Rossi was CFO of Swisscom AG from 2013 until 2021, where he held various senior finance positions from 1998. Mario Rossi was Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cablex AG until January 2022. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. and the Hasler Foundation, as well as a member of the Sanction Commission of the Swiss Stock Exchange. Mario Rossi is a certified public accountant of the Swiss Academy for Audit.

Dr. Michael Schwarzkopf (AT)

non-executive member

Dr. Michael Schwarzkopf has been Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Plansee Group, Reutte (AT) since 2017. At Plansee, he was a member of the Executive Board from 1993 to 2017, serving as its Chairman from 1996 to 2017. Before joining the Plansee Group, he was Managing Director of Sintermex S.A. de C.V. in Quéreatro (MX) from 1991 to 1993. After completing a trainee program at Thyssen AG in Düsseldorf (DE) in 1989, he moved to Sinterstahl GmbH in Füssen (DE), where he worked as Manager Corporate Development from 1989 to 1991. His Board of Directors mandates included voestalpine AG, Linz (AT) from 2004 to 2018, Molibdenos y Metales S.A. from 2011 to 2018, Molyporc Inc. from 2013 to 2015, and Mayr-Melnhof Karton AG, Vienna (AT) from 2009 to 2019. Dr. Michael Schwarzkopf holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) as well as a PhD in materials sciences from the University of Leoben.

Oliver Streuli (CH)

non-executive member

Oliver Streuli has been CEO of the holding company PCS Holding AG, based in Frauenfeld, since 2019. Mr Streuli is a member of the Board of Directors of Autoneum Holding AG and a member of the Supervisory Board of Traktionssysteme Austria GmbH. Oliver Streuli holds a Master's degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of St. Gallen (HSG).

 

Emese Weissenbacher (DE)

non-executive member

Emese Weissenbacher has been CFO at Mann + Hummel International GmbH & Co KG in Germany since 2015. Since 1994 she has held management responsibilities at the company in the financial area of the holding as well as in the operational business. Ms. Weissenbacher is currently a member of the Board of Directors at Kongsberg Automotive Holding ASA and a member of the Advisory Board of Kreissparkasse Ludwigsburg. As of September 28, 2022, Emese Weissenbacher was appointed as a new member of the Supervisory Board of Horváth AG, the holding company of the international management consultancy of the same name. Emese Weissenbacher holds a Master's degree in Economics, Controlling & Business Development from the University of Stuttgart and a degree in Advanced Management from Harvard Business School, Boston.