Board of Directors

Biography

Robert F. Spoerry (born 1955, Swiss citizen) has been Chair of the Board of Directors of Sonova Holding AG since March 30, 2011, and a non-executive member of the Board of Directors since 2003. 

Robert F. Spoerry is also the non-executive Chair of the Board of Directors 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. He joined Mettler Toledo in 1983 and was CEO 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 as Chair of the Board of Directors.

His long-standing experience in the technology sector, his deep knowledge of Sonova and his strong technical background with innovation-driven companies provides a substantial benefit to the Group and its shareholders. Robert F. Spoerry devotes a substantial amount of his time to his service as Chair of the Board of Directors.

Robert F. Spoerry graduated in mechanical engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, Switzerland, and holds an MBA from the University of  Chicago.
 

Outside mandates

Listed companies:

• Member of the Board of Directors of Bystronic Holding AG (former Conzetta Holding AG)
• Non-executive Chair of the Board of Directors of Mettler Toledo International Inc.

Other mandates:

• n.a.

Meeting attendance during the financial year 2023/24

• Regular Board of Directors meetings: 5 out of 5 meetings attended
• Additional calls of the Board of Directors: 1 out of 1 calls attended
• Audit Committee: 4 out of 4 meetings attended as a guest
• Nomination and Compensation Committee: 4 out of 4 meetings and 2 out of 2 calls attended as a guest

Holdings as of 31.03.2024

• Shares: 59,539
  Restricted Shares¹⁾: 9,432

Biography

Stacy Enxing Seng (born 1964, US citizen) has been a non-executive member of the Board of Directors since 2014 and serves on the Nomination and Compensation Committee. She became Vice Chair of the Board of Directors at the 2021 AGM.

She previously served as President of Covidien's Vascular Therapies division. Stacy Enxing Seng joined Covidien as president of its vascular therapies division in July 2010 through its acquisition of ev3 where she was a founding member and executive officer responsible for leading ev3’s Peripheral Vascular Division from inception. She has also held various positions at Boston Scientific, SCIMED Life Systems Inc., Baxter Healthcare, and American Hospital Supply. 

With her broad experience in the medical technology sector and her strong track record in growing startups and leading multinational companies, she brings further important perspectives to the Group. Her expertise in working with regulatory agencies around the globe brings valuable insight to the Board of Directors.

Stacy Enxing Seng received an MBA from Harvard University and has a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from Michigan State University.

Outside mandates

Listed companies:

• Member of the Board of Directors of LivaNova, Inc.

Other mandates:

• Chair of the Board of Directors of Cala Health
• Executive Chair of the Board of Directors of Contego Inc.
• Member of the Board of Directors of Corza, Inc.
• Member of the Board of Directors of Imperative Care
• Operating Partner of Lightstone Ventures

Meeting attendance during the financial year 2023/24

• Regular Board of Directors meetings: 5 out of 5 meetings attended
• Additional calls of the Board of Directors: 1 out of 1 calls attended
• Nomination and Compensation Committee: 4 out of 4 meetings and 2 out of 2 calls attended

Holdings as per 31.03.2024

• Shares: 10,321
• Restricted Shares¹⁾: 3,129

Biography

Gilbert Achermann (born in 1964, Swiss citizen) has been a non-executive member of Sonova’s Board of Directors since June 2024. 

Gilbert Achermann served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Straumann Group from 2010 until 2024. Before that, he was Straumann Group’s CFO and later CEO for a total of over 12 years, during which time he played a central role in building the company into a global leader in the dental industry. In 2020, he became a member, and in 2022 the Chair of the Board of Directors of Ypsomed Group, a manufacturer of injection and infusion systems. Since 2020, Gilbert Achermann is also a member and since 2024 Vice President of the Management Board of the Swiss Medtech Association. From 2012 until 2024, he served on the Board of Directors of Julius Baer Group.

Gilbert Achermann brings extensive international business and executive experience, along with a profound understanding of the Medtech industry to Sonova. Together with this strong financial background and his long-standing tenure as Chair of the Board of Directors at various companies, he provides valuable insights to the Board of Directors.

Gilbert Achermann holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Applied Science in St. Gallen, Switzerland, and completed the Executive MBA program at the IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland, where he is a member of the Supervisory Board.

Outside mandates

Listed companies:

• Chair of the Board of Directors of Ypsomed Group

Other mandates:

• Chair of the Board of Directors of Unilabs S.A.
• Member of the Board greenteg AG
• Member of the Management Board and Vice President of the Swiss Medtech Association 
• Supervisory Board of IMD – International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne

Biography

Gregory Behar (born 1969, Swiss citizen) has been a non-executive member of the Board of Directors since 2021.

Since January 2024 he is the CEO of Recipharm AB, a leading Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) in the pharmaceutical industry. From 2014 until December 31, 2023, he served as CEO of Nestlé Health Science, a global leader in the science of nutrition, and became a member of the Nestlé Executive Board in 2017. From 2011 to 2014, he was President & CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. (USA). Prior to that, he held various leadership positions with Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH (Germany), Novartis AG, and Nestlé SA.

With his broad international business and executive experience in the healthcare industry as well as his strong track record in leading successful global businesses, Gregory Behar brings valuable insight to the Board of Directors.

Gregory Behar earned an MBA from INSEAD, France, a Master of Science in mechanical engineering and manufacturing from EPFL Lausanne, Switzerland, and a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of California in Los Angeles, USA.

Outside mandates

Listed companies: 

• n.a.

Other mandates:

• CEO of Recipharm AB
• Member of the Board of Directors of Amazentis SA
• Member of the Board of Directors of New Biologix (mandate held at the direction of Recipharm AB as part of his role as its CEO and thus, shall not be considered as an additional outside mandate)

Meeting attendance during the financial year 2023/24

• Regular Board of Directors meetings: 5 out of 5 meetings attended
• Additional calls of the Board of Directors: 1 out of 1 calls attended
• Audit Committee: 3 out of 4 meetings attended since AGM 2023

Holdings as per 31.03.2024

• Shares: 1,737
• Restricted Shares¹⁾: 1,737

Biography

Lynn Dorsey Bleil (born 1963, US citizen) has been a non-executive member of the Board of Directors since 2016 and serves as member of the Audit Committee.

She retired as Senior Partner (Director) from McKinsey & Company in the US in 2013 after more than 25 years of advising senior management and boards of leading healthcare companies on corporate and business unit strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and public policy across all segments of the healthcare value chain. She was also a member of the Board of Directors of Auspex Pharmaceuticals until its sale to Teva in March 2015, and DST Systems until its sale to SS&C in April 2018.

With her extensive experience in advising North American healthcare companies across the entire value chain and through her various board mandates in this sector, she brings very valuable strategic perspectives to the Group and contributes her broad knowhow as a Board member.

Lynn Dorsey Bleil holds a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University and a Master's degree in Business Administration from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Outside mandates

Listed companies:

• Member of the Board of Directors of Alcon Inc.
• Member of the Board of Directors of Stericycle Inc.
• Member of the Board of Directors of Amicus Therapeutics, Inc.

Other mandates:

• Chair of the Intermountain Healthcare Wasatch Back Hospitals Community Board (a non-profit organization)

Meeting attendance during the financial year 2023/24

• Regular Board of Directors meetings: 5 out of 5 meetings attended
• Additional calls of the Board of Directors: 1 out of 1calls attended
• Audit Committee: 4 out of 4 meetings attended

Holdings as per 31.03.2024

• Shares: 7,120
• Restricted Shares¹⁾: 3,129

Biography

Lukas Braunschweiler (born 1956, Swiss citizen) was the CEO of the Sonova Group from November 2011 until March 31, 2018 and has been a non-executive member of the Board of Directors since 2018 and serves as member of the Nomination and Compensation Committee. 

Before joining the company, Lukas Braunschweiler was CEO of the Swiss technology group RUAG from 2009 until 2011. From 2002 to 2009, as President and CEO, he headed the Dionex Corp-oration. The California-based company, active in the life sciences industry, was listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange. Previously, from 1995 to 2002, he held various group executive positions in Switzerland and the US for Mettler Toledo, a precision instruments manufacturer. 

Lukas Braunschweiler brings broad CEO experience from a variety of tech-oriented companies and industries in an international environment. Having served as CEO of Sonova from 2011 to 2018, he has not only a comprehensive knowledge of Sonova as a company and its business but also a broad experience in the global hearing aid industry. 

Lukas Braunschweiler received a Master of Science in analytical chemistry (1982) and was awarded a Ph.D. in physical chemistry (1985) from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich.

Outside mandates

Listed companies:

• Chair of the Board of Directors of Tecan Group AG

Other mandates: 

• n.a. 

Meeting attendance during the financial year 2023/24

• Regular Board of Directors meetings: 5 out of 5 meetings attended
• Additional calls of the Board of Directors: 1 out of 1 calls attended
• Nomination and Compensation Committee: 4 out of 4 meetings and 2 out of 2 calls attended
   

Holdings as per 31.03.2024

• Shares: 18,415
• Restricted Shares¹⁾: 3,129
• Options: 31,603

Biography

Roland Diggelmann (born 1967, Swiss citizen) has been a non-executive member of the Board of Directors since 2021 and serves as member and chair on the Nomination and Compensation Committee. 

From 2019 until March 31, 2022, he has been CEO of Smith & Nephew plc, a UK-based leading global medical technology company active in orthopedics, sports medicine, and advanced wound management. From 2008 to 2012 he was managing director for the Asia / Pacific region and from 2012 until 2018 CEO of Roche Diagnostics. He previously held senior management positions in sales and marketing as well as strategic planning at Zimmer Holdings and Sulzer Medica (later known as Centerpulse).

With more than 20 years of executive experience in the medical device industry across many parts of the world and as CEO, Roland Diggelmann provides valuable input to the implementation of Sonova’s strategy. 

Roland Diggelmann studied Business Administration at the University of Bern, Switzerland.

Outside mandates

Listed companies: 

• Member of the Board of Directors of Mettler Toledo International Inc.

Other mandates:

• Member of the Board of Directors of Berlin Heals AG
• Member of the Board of Directors of HeartForce AG
• Member of the Board of Directors of Navignostics AG
• Member of the Board of Directors of Osler Diagnostics Ltd.

Meeting attendance during the financial year 2023/24

• Regular Board of Directors meeting:  5 out of 5 meetings attended
• Additional calls of the Board of Directors: 1 out of 1 calls attended
• Audit Committee: 4 out of 4 meetings attended
• Nomination and Compensation Committee: 4 out of 4 meetings and 2 out of 2 calls attended

Holdings as per 31.03.2024

• Shares: 1,737
• Restricted Shares¹⁾: 1,737

Biography 

Julie Tay (born 1966, citizen of Singapore) has been a non-executive member of the Board of Directors since 2022 and serves as member on the Nomination and Compensation Committee. 

She served as Senior Vice President and Managing Director Asia Pacific in Align Technology Inc from 2013 to 2022. She was also a member of the global Executive Management Committee. Align Technology is a leading global medical device company that designs, manufactures, and sells the Invisalign system of clear aligners, iTero intraoral scanners, and exocad CAD/CAM software for digital orthodontics and restorative dentistry. 

Before that she held various management positions at Bayer Healthcare, JohnsonDiversey and Johnson & Johnson Medical. With her broad executive experience in the medical device industry and her executive experience, Julie Tay brings valuable insight to the Board of Directors.

Julie Tay holds a BA from the National University of Singapore and an MBA in International Marketing from the Curtin University of Technology in Australia.

External mandates

Listed companies: 

• Member of the Board of Directors of EBOS Group Ltd.

Other mandates:

• n.a.

Meeting attendance during the financial year 2023/24

• Regular Board of Directors meeting: 5 out of 5 meetings attended
• Additional calls of the Board of Directors: 1 out of 1 calls attended
• Nomination and Compensation Committee: 4⁷⁾ out of 4 meetings and 1⁸⁾ out of 2 calls attended

Holdings as per 31.03.2024³⁾

• Shares:  1,258
• Restricted Shares¹⁾: 1,258

Biography

Ronald van der Vis (born 1967, Dutch citizen) has been a non-executive member of the Board of Directors since 2009 and serves as member of the Audit Committee, which he chaired from 2019 to 2021.

Ronald van der Vis served as Group CEO of Esprit Holdings Limited, a global fashion and lifestyle company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, from 2009 until November 2012. Prior to this, since 1998, he held various general management positions at GrandVision NV, the world's leading optical retailer. He was group CEO at GrandVision NV from 2004 to 2009. 

With his extensive international expertise in the retail sector and his broad M&A, corporate finance and strategic experience, Ronald van der Vis provides valuable input to the Group's vertically integrated business strategy.

Ronald van der Vis graduated from the Nyenrode Business University in the Netherlands and received his Master's degree in business administration from the Alliance Manchester Business School in the UK. He has gained significant financial expertise both through his education and through his business experience as CEO and private equity partner.

Outside mandates

Listed companies:

• n.a.

Other mandates:

• Operating Partner, Co-Investor and Industry Advisor
• Chair of the Supervisory Board of European Dental Group
• Chair of the Supervisory Board of Equipe Zorgbedrijven
• Chair of the Supervisory Board of United Veterinary Care
• Member of the Supervisory Board of HEMA BV
   

Meeting attendance during the financial year 2023/24

• Regular Board of Directors meetings: 5 out of 5 meetings attended
• Additional calls of the Board of Directors: 1 out of 1 calls attended
• Audit Committee: 4 out of 4 meetings attended
   

Holdings as per 31.03.2024

• Shares: 7,090
• Restricted Shares¹⁾: 3,129

Biography

Adrian Widmer (born 1968, Swiss citizen) has been a non-executive member of the Board of Directors since 2020 and serves as a member and Chair on the Audit Committee. 

Since 2014 he is Group CFO of Sika AG, a global specialty chemical company based in Switzerland. He previously served as Head Group Controlling and M&A at Sika from 2007 to 2014. Prior to joining Sika, he held various management positions at BASF, Degussa and Textron Inc. in the areas of finance and controlling, business development and general management. 

With his broad management background, his experience in M&A and business development and particularly his financial expertise as active CFO, Adrian Widmer is well qualified to serve on and lead the Audit Committee as a financial expert and is an ideal sparring partner for Sonova's CFO.

Adrian Widmer holds a Master of Science degree in Business and Economics from the University of Zurich, Switzerland and completed the Advanced Management Program of INSEAD Fontainebleau in France.

Outside mandates

Listed companies:

• Group CFO of Sika AG

Other mandates:

• n.a.

Meeting attendance during the financial year 2023/24

• Regular Board of Directors meetings: 5 out of 5 meetings attended
• Additional calls of the Board of Directors: 1 out of 1 calls attended
• Audit Committee: 4 out of 4 meetings attended

Holdings as per 31.03.2024

• Shares: 2,468
• Restricted Shares¹⁾: 2,468