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Board of Directors 

The Articles of Association of Sonova Holding AG state that the Board of Directors must consist of a minimum of three and a maximum of nine members. The members of the Board of Directors are elected individually by the Annual General Shareholders’ Meeting.
The primary duties of the Board of Directors of Sonova Holding AG are defined in the Swiss Code of Obligations, the Articles of Association as well as the Organizational Regulations and include:

  • Strategic direction and management of the corporation
  • Approval of the policy and the strategy of the Group
  • Establishment of the organization and enactment of management regulations
  • Structuring of the accounting, financial controlling as well as financial planning
  • Appointment and removal of the Management Board and other key executives
  • Ultimate supervision of the operational management entrusted with the management
  • Establishment of the business report as well as the preparation of the Annual General Shareholders' Meeting and the carrying out of its resolutions
  • Notification of the judge in case of over-indebtedness
Name Position Nationality Born First election End current Board term
Andy RihsChairman, co-founder, non-executiveSwiss19421985 Chairman since 1992AGM 2009
William D. Dearstyne Vice-Chairman, non-executiveAmerican19402003AGM 2009
Heliane Canepa Non-executive memberSwiss19481999AGM 2011
Dr. Michael Jacobi Non-executive memberGerman19532003AGM 2009
Robert F. Spoerry Non-executive memberSwiss19552003AGM 2009

 Members

Andy Rihs - Chairman, co-founder, non-executive
Andy Rihs (born in 1942, Swiss citizen) has been Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sonova Holding AG since 1992. He is one of the founders of the Group, together with his partner Beda Diethelm and his brother Hans-Ueli Rihs. He owns several companies, which are mainly active in the real estate and cycling business. In addition, he is investor and board member in a few start-up companies.
In 1966, Andy Rihs joined Beda Diethelm, who came to Phonak a year earlier as technical manager. Andy Rihs began to build up the marketing and commercial aspect of the company. He first established a sales organization for Switzerland, then gradually built up a global distribution network. Andy Rihs led Sonova as CEO until April 2000, and as interim CEO from April to September 2002. Under his leadership, the company grew continuously and succeeded in establishing an outstanding brand image for Sonova – known for products of the highest technological standard and reliability.
Andy Rihs completed his education and business training primarily in Switzerland and France.
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William D. Dearstyne - Vice-Chairman, non-executive
William D. Dearstyne (born in 1940, US citizen) retired in April 2003 from his position as Company Group Chairman and member of the Medical Devices and Diagnostics Group Operating Committee of Johnson & Johnson.
During the 34 years of his career managing diversified healthcare companies, he gained valuable business experience in Asia, Central and Eastern Europe as well as Latin America. He served in many different functions during his 26 years at Johnson & Johnson. Within this period, he also led two major acquisitions for the company – Cordis and DePuy – both of which today occupy leadership positions in interventional cardiology and orthopedics, respectively.
William D. Dearstyne studied at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, and at Syracuse University in New York where he earned an MBA in International Business.
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Heliane Canepa - Non-executive member
Heliane Canepa (born in 1948, Swiss citizen) was President and CEO of Nobel Biocare AB, Sweden and CEO of the Group parent company Nobel Biocare Holding AG until September 1, 2007.
Before joining Nobel Biocare, Heliane Canepa was for 20 years CEO of the Switzerland- and US-based company Schneider Worldwide, a medtech company in the cardiology, balloon dilatation field. In 1995, Heliane Canepa was named “Female Entrepreneur of the year” and in 2000 and in 2006 “Entrepreneur of the year” in Switzerland. In 2005, she was ranked No. 6 in the Financial Times, Women in Business Europe’s Top 25.
Heliane Canepa completed business school in Dornbirn, Austria, West London College in London, Sorbonne University in Paris, and the Foreign Executive Development Program at Princeton University, New Jersey.
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Dr. Michael Jacobi - Non-executive member
Dr. Michael Jacobi (born in 1953, German citizen) has been working as an independent consultant since 2007.
From 1996 to 2007, he was CFO and member of the Executive Committee of Ciba Specialty Chemicals Inc. Prior to this, since 1978, Michael Jacobi held various management positions in the area of finance at Ciba Geigy Group in Brazil, the US and Switzerland.
Michael Jacobi studied economics and business administration at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, at the University of Washington in Seattle and at the Harvard Business School in Boston. He graduated with a doctoral degree from the University of St. Gallen in 1979 with a thesis on International Accounting.
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Robert F. Spoerry - Non-executive member
Robert F. Spoerry (born in 1955, Swiss citizen) has been Executive Chairman of the Board of Mettler-Toledo International Inc., a leading global manufacturer and marketer of precision instruments and related services for use in laboratory, manufacturing and food retailing applications.
Robert F. Spoerry joined Mettler-Toledo in 1983 and was Chief Executive Officer from 1993 to 2007. He led the buyout of Mettler-Toledo from Ciba-Geigy in 1996, and the company’s subsequent Initial Public Offering on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in 1997. In 1998, he was nominated Chairman of the Board.
Robert F. Spoerry graduated in Mechanical Engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich and holds an MBA of the University of Chicago.
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Copyright © 2007 Sonova All rights reserved. Please read our legal information.
Last modified: 27.07.2007
Copyright © 2007 Sonova All rights reserved. Please read our legal information.
Last modified: 27.07.2007