4 Group Executive Board
Since 1 January 2021 the five-person Group Executive Board has consisted of the following members.
4.1 Members
f.l.t.r.: Suzanne Thoma, Ronald Trächsel, Roland Küpfer, Philipp Hänggi, Corinne Montandon
Group Executive Board
Composition | Role | Since |
Dr. Suzanne Thoma | CEO, Member of the Group Executive Board since 2010 | 2013 |
Ronald Trächsel | CFO, Deputy to the CEO | 2014 |
Dr. Roland Küpfer | Head of Power Grid | 2017 |
Dr. Philipp Hänggi | Head of Production | 2020 |
Dr. Corinne Montandon | Head of Energy Markets & Group Services | 20211 |
1 The Board of Directors elected Dr. Corinne Montandon as a member of the Group Executive Board on 3 December 2020 with effect as of 1 January 2021. She succeeds Dr. Antje Kanngiesser who left the Group Executive Board at the end of October 2020. In the interim during the months of November and December Energy Markets & Group Services was represented on the Group Executive Board by Urs Meister.
Departures
Dr. Antje Kanngiesser, Head of Group Markets & Services, left the Group Executive Board of BKW at the end of October 2020 and departed from BKW at the end of February 2021.
4.2 Activities and vested interests
Suzanne Thoma (1962, CH)
PhD in chemical engineering
Professional background, career
Since 2013 CEO
2010 – 2013 Head of Networks
2007 – 2009 Head of the Automotive division of the WICOR Group in Rapperswil
2002 – 2007 CEO of Rolic Technologies Ltd
Significant mandates
- Member of the Board of OC Oerlikon, Pfäffikon
- Member of the Board of Valora Holding AG, Muttenz
- Deputy Chair of Avenir Suisse
Mandates held on the instruction of BKW
- Chairman of the Board of BKW Building Solutions AG, Ostermundigen
Ronald Trächsel (1959, CH)
Lic. rer. pol
Professional background, career
Since 2014 CFO
2008 – 2014 CFO Sika Group
2000 – 2008 CEO and CFO Vitra Group
Significant mandates
- Member of the Board and Head of the Audit Committee of ContourGlobal PLC, London
- Member of the Board of Valiant Holding AG, Lucerne
Mandates held on the instruction of BKW
- Chairman of the Board of AEK Onyx AG, Solothurn
- Member of the Board of Swissgrid Ltd., Laufenburg
- Member of the Board of Kraftwerke Oberhasli AG, Innertkirchen
Roland Küpfer (1958, CH)
PhD in economics, MBA, degrees in electrical engineering, computer engineering
Professional background, career
Since 2017 Head of Power Grid
2013 – 2017 CEO of technology company Multiple Dimensions
2009 – 2013 CEO of Cicor Group
2007 – 2009 Member of the Executive Board of ASCOM Security Communications, Internationalisation
2001 – 2009 Division Head, Schaffner Components, Member of Group Management
Significant mandates
- Member of the Board of Balluff AG, Bellmund
Mandates held on the instruction of BKW
- Chairman of the Board of Arnold AG, Wangen an der Aare
- Member of the Board of cc energie SA, Murten
- Chairman of the Board of BKW Infra Services AG, Wangen an der Aare
Antje Kanngiesser (1974, CH)
Dr. iur. EMBA
Professional background, career
Since 2019 Member of the Group Executive Board of BKW AG
2017 Head of Energy Markets & Group Services, BKW AG
2014 – 2017 Head of the Group Management division, member of the expanded Group Executive Board, BKW AG
2007 – 2014 Various roles, Energie Ouest Suisse/Alpiq Gruppe
2005 – 2007 Lawyer, Schnutenhaus & Koll, Berlin
2003 – 2005 Lawyer, Gassner, Groth, Siederer & Coll, Berlin, Director, EnergieVerein e. V., Berlin
Significant mandates
- None
Mandates held on the instruction of BKW
- Chair of the Board of cc energie SA, Murten
- Member of the Board of Directors of Société des Forces Électriques de la Goule S. A., Saint-Imier
Philipp Hänggi
Dr. sc. techn. ETH, exec. MBA HSG
Professional background, career
Since 2020 Head of Production, Member of the BKW Group Executive Board
2014 – 2019 Head of Nuclear and Coal, BKW Energie AG
2004 – 2014 Managing Director swissnuclear, Alpiq Schweiz AG
Significant mandates
- None
Mandates held on the instruction of BKW
- Member of the Board of Kernkraftwerk Leibstadt AG, Leibstadt
- Member of the Board of Kraftwerke Oberhasli AG, Inntertkirchen
- Member of the Board of Grande Oixence S. A., Sion
- Members of the Board of Directors of Nagra, National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste, Wettingen
- Chairman of the Board of Directors of Swissnuclear, Olten
4.3 Number of permitted activities
The members of the Group Executive Board may hold no more than six senior managerial and governing body mandates in for-profit companies outside of the BKW Group, no more than three of which may be stock-exchange listed companies, and no more than five mandates with other legal entities such as foundations and associations that are required to be entered in the commercial register. Before accepting such new mandates, the members of the Group Executive Board are obliged to obtain the permission of the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Exceptions and further information can be found in Art. 21 of the articles of incorporation at www.bkw.ch/statutes.
4.4 Management contracts
BKW has not delegated any management responsibilities to third parties outside the Group.