Daetwyler : Datwyler with early succession plan for Board of Directors and Executive Management

04. March 2016

The Datwyler Group is taking early action to resolve succession issues involving senior positions, with the emphasis very much on continuity. The new CEO from 1 January 2017 will be Dirk Lambrecht, the long-standing Head of the Sealing Solutions division. Meanwhile, long-standing CEO Paul Hälg will be recommended for election to the post of Chairman at the Annual General Meeting in March 2017. He will succeed Ulrich Graf, who will be stepping down from his post for age-related reasons after 12 years at the 2017 Annual General Meeting. Zhiqiang Zhang will be recommended for election as a new additional member of the Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting of 5 April 2016.

In accordance with the long-term direction of the Datwyler Group, the Board of Directors has resolved in good time the various succession issues involving senior positions at Datwyler. After many years of service, Chairman Ulrich Graf will step down from his post at the Annual General Meeting in March 2017 having decided, for age-related reasons, not to stand for re-election. In terms of his successor, Datwyler's long-standing CEO Paul Hälg will be recommended for election to the post of Chairman at the 2017 Annual General Meeting. The Board of Directors has appointed Dirk Lambrecht as the new CEO of the Datwyler Group. Having been Head of the Sealing Solutions division for many years, he will take up his new position at 1 January 2017.

'2017 will see another personality with tremendous energy at the helm of Datwyler, when Dirk Lambrecht, a manager with a proven track record at the company and a wealth of international experience, takes over as CEO,' says Chairman Ulrich Graf.

Proven managers to pursue the same strategy
The personnel decisions taken by the Board of Directors are informed by the need for continuity and intended to ensure the Datwyler Group continues to enjoy sustainably profitable growth. As Head of the Sealing Solutions division, Dirk Lambrecht has done much since 2005 to influence the development of the Datwyler Group to a focused industrial supplier. In addition to his value-enhancing approach to portfolio management, his main achievements include the successful merger of the two divisions previously known as Sealing Technologies and Pharma Packaging and the rapid integration of sealing specialists acquired in China and Korea. Aged 55, Dirk Lambrecht is a qualified mechanical engineer. His succession as Head of the Sealing Solutions division and member of the Executive Management will be communicated in due time.

Election to the Board of Directors
With a view to strengthen the internationality of he highest management body, the Board of Directors will recommend Zhiqiang Zhang for election as a new additional member of the Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting of 5 April 2016. The Chinese national has been been a member of the wid-er management team at the Swedish firm Sandvik since 2012 in his capacity as Chairman for the Greater China Region and Head of Emerging Markets. Zhiqiang Zhang has previously been employed in various management roles at Siemens and Nokia, with responsibility for tapping into and developing the Chinese market. The 55-year-old has experience of various industries and has a sound network of contacts across the Chinese economy. Since 2005 he has been a member of the Board of Directors at the Georg Fischer Group. The Board of Directors will also recommend the current Director Jürg Fedier for election as a new additional representative of bearer shareholders at the Annual General Meeting of 5 April 2016.

Portrait Dirk Lambrecht (1960, German)
Dirk Lambrecht, as a member of the Executive Management, is heading the Datwyler Sealing Solutions Division, in which the former Sealing Technologies and Pharma Packaging Division have been combined. From 2005 until 2012 he was head of the Sealing Technologies Division. Before joining the Datwyler Group, he managed Phoenix Traffic Technology GmbH, a subsidiary of Phoenix AG. Prior to that, from 1987 to 2003, he held a number of international management positions with Phoenix AG in Hamburg. He earned a degree in mechanical engineering, specialising in apparatus engineering, from Hamburg University of Applied Sciences and completed further studies, including programmes at the Management School St. Gallen amongst others.

Datwyler Group (www.datwyler.com)
The Datwyler Group is a focused industrial supplier with leading positions in global and regional market segments. With its technological leadership and customised solutions, the Group delivers added value to customers in the markets served. Datwyler concentrates on markets that offer opportunities to create more value and sustain profitable growth. The Technical Components division is one of Europe's foremost high-service distributors of electronic, ICT and automation components and accessories. The Sealing Solutions division is a leading supplier of custom sealing solutions to global market segments, such as the health care, automotive, civil engineering and consumer goods industries. With a total of more than 50 operating companies, sales in over 100 countries and some 7'000 employees, the Datwyler Group generates annual revenue of some CHF 1'200 million. The Group has been listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 1986 (security number 3048677).

Enquiries: Guido Unternährer, Head of Corporate Communications, [phone]

Portrait photos of the mentionned persons:
Dirk Lambrecht
Zhiqiang Zhang

Financial Calendar:
Annual Press Conference/Analyst Conference: 4 March 2016
Annual General Meeting: 5 April 2016
Interim Report: 12 August 2016

Press release as download