Executive Committee

The Executive Committee – the Group’s most senior management below the Board level – is responsible for the operational management of the Comet Group within the powers delegated to it. In December 2017 the following changes in the Executive Committee were announced. Charles Flükiger will leave the Group in the course of 2018. From January 2018, Prisca Hafner assumed the position of Chief Human Resources Officer and Stephan Haferl became President of the Industrial X-Ray Modules segment. As of December 31, 2017, the Comet Group’s Executive Committee had the following seven members.

René Lenggenhager

(b. 1960, Swiss and Italian citizen) Chief Executive Officer With Comet since May 1, 2017; also Interim President of Industrial X-Ray Modules until Dec. 31, 2017

Education

Elektroingenieur HTL degree in electrical and electronics engineering; Dipl. Phys. master's degree and Dr. sc. nat. doctorate in physics from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich; Executive MBA from University of St. Gallen (HSG)

Professional experience

Until 2000: Head of R&D at Landis & Gyr AG, Switzerland, and of Siemens Building Technologies, Switzerland; 2000 to 2015: At Mettler-Toledo, Switzerland, incl. from 2004 as General Manager of Global Business Area Laboratory Weighing; from 2015 to beginning of 2017: CEO of Bruker BioSpin Group, Switzerland, Germany and USA

Markus Portmann

(b. 1959, Swiss citizen) Chief Financial Officer With Comet since Aug. 23, 2004

Education

Betriebsökonom FH degree in business administration from Berne University of Applied Sciences (HWV); Controller SIB from Controller Academy, Zurich;
Executive MBA from University of Rochester, NY

Professional experience

1992 to 1996: controller at SRG, Switzerland; previously: various management positions in finance; 1996 to 2001: CFO of Der Bund Verlag AG, Switzerland; 2001 to 2004: CFO of Enterprise Communication division at Ascom, Switzerland

Eric Dubuis

(b. 1964, Swiss citizen) Chief Information Officer With Comet since Oct. 17, 2005. Also CHRO from Jan 1, 2017 to Dec. 31, 2017

Education

Lic. phil. nat. degree in applied mathematics from University of Berne; Dr. phil. nat. doctorate in computer science from University of Berne; Executive MBA from University of Rochester, NY

Professional experience

1998 to 2000: MTS and technical manager, Lucent Technologies, Bell Labs, NJ; previously: various positions in software development; 2000 to 2003: director, Xebeo Communications, Inc., NJ; 2003 to 2005: senior software engineer, Akadia AG, Switzerland

Charles Flükiger

(b. 1960, Swiss citizen) President of ebeam Technologies With Comet since Dec. 8, 1980

Education

Ingenieur FH in engineering from Berne University of Applied Sciences; Betriebswirtschaftsingenieur FH / NDS degree in engineering from Berne University of Applied Sciences; MBA from University of St. Gallen (HSG)

Professional experience

Until 1996: various leadership positions in production; 1996 to 2000: Head of Technology (production and R & D); since 1989: Member of Executive Committee; f2002 to 2016: President of Industrial X-Ray segment; since 2017: President of ebeam Technologies segment

Michael Kammerer

(b. 1961, Swiss citizen) President of Plasma Control Technologies With Comet since  Jan.  1, 2008

Education

Eidg. dipl. Einkäufer degree in procurement, SVME; MBA in strategy and procurement management from University of Birmingham, UK

Professional experience

1997 to 2000: head of purchasing and logistics, Von Roll Betec AG, Switzerland; 2000 to 2002: head of purchasing and logistics, Swisscom Solutions AG, Switzerland; 2002 to 2007: head of purchasing and supplier quality assurance, automotive, Saia-Burgess AG, Switzerland / Johnson Electric, Hong Kong

Thomas Polzer

(b. 1965, German citizen) Chief Operating Officer With Comet since Aug. 1, 2016

Education

Dipl. Ing. (BA) degree in mechanical engineering, Heidenheim, Germany; Executive MBA in corporate management from University of Augsburg, Germany

Professional experience

2002 to 2005: Managing Director, ASML Optics (USA); previously: various operational positions at Zeiss group; 2006 to 2008: EVP Service Centers, Carl Zeiss AG, Germany; 2009 to 2017: CEO, Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH, Germany

Detlef Steck

(b. 1965, Swiss and German citizen) President of X-Ray Systems With Comet since Apr. 1, 2016

Education

Dr. sc. techn. doctorate in industrial engineering from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich; lic. oec. master's degree in business from University of St. Gallen (HSG)

Professional experience

1997 to 2016: at ABB Switzerland and ABB Management Services, including head of the business units MV Drives and Robotic Systems, Power Electronics division, Switzerland, Quality & Operational Excellence globally and Central Europe region for the Industrial Automation and Drives division

Activities and interests outside the Group

Section 27 of the Bylaws, which have been revised for compliance with the OAEC and approved by the Shareholder Meeting, specifies the allowable number of other, external positions that members of the Executive Committee may hold on top management or supervisory bodies, as follows:

  • Members of the Executive Committee may each not hold more than one external position on the top management or supervisory body of an exchange-traded (i.e., listed) company and not more than four such external positions in non-listed companies.
  • Not more than ten such positions may be held in associations, non-profit foundations, family foundations and employee pension funds.
  • Positions in companies controlled by Comet Holding AG, or positions controlled by it, are not subject to restriction.
  • The members of the Executive Committee did not hold positions outside the Comet Group on management or supervisory bodies of significant Swiss or foreign private sector or public sector companies, institutions or foundations at December 31, 2017. Some members of the Executive Committee held board positions at subsidiaries of the Comet Group.

    Related party transactions

    There were no business transactions with parties related to members of the Executive Committee.

    Interim management contracts

    No interim management contracts existed in the Comet Group.