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 June 2018 it was announced that Comet was realigning its organization from an operations perspective and that Thomas Polzer would leave the Group. In July it was announced that Detlef Steck was handing over the management of the X-Ray Systems division and leaving Comet. Thomas Wenzel took over as President of the X-Ray Systems division on December 1. In December it was also announced that Markus Portmann, Chief Financial Officer of the Comet Group, has decided to leave the company. As of December 31, 2018, the Comet Group’s Executive Committee had the following eight members.
René Lenggenhager
(b. 1960, Swiss and Italian citizen) Chief Executive Officer since May 1, 2017; also Interim President of ebeam Technologies division
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 since Aug. 23, 2004
Education
Betriebsökonom FH degree in business administration from Berne University of Applied Sciences (HWV); Controller SIB from Controller Academy, Zurich;
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 since Oct. 17, 2005
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
Michael Kammerer
(b. 1961, Swiss citizen) President of Plasma Control Technologies division 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 until June 13, 2018
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; 2005: VP quality, ASML B.V., Netherlands; 2006 to 2008: EVP service centers, Carl Zeiss AG, Germany; 2009 to 2017: CEO, Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH, Germany
Prisca Hafner
(b. 1967, Swiss citizen) Chief Human Resources Officer since Jan. 1, 2018
Education
Eidg. dipl. Bankkauffrau diploma in banking; Certified Advanced Studies in Human Resource Management and Executive Coaching (Institute of Applied Psychology, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Zurich)
Professional experience
1997 to 2007: Credit Suisse and Credit Suisse Asset Management (Switzerland, UK, Luxembourg) in various international and local HR leadership and expert roles and in various divisions; 2008 to 2016: at Oerlikon Balzers and Oerlikon Surface Solutions as global head of human resources, including post-merger integration project (Switzerland); 2017: sabbatical and volunteer work in Switzerland and abroad
Stephan Haferl
(b. 1972, Swiss and Norwegian citizen) President of X-Ray Modules division since Jan. 1, 2018
Education
Dr. sc. tech. doctorate in mechanical and process engineering from ETH Zurich; Advanced Management Program, Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania, PA
Professional experience
2002 to 2007: various management positions at the Bartec Group, Switzerland From 2007: various management positions in Comet’s X-Ray Technology business (VP Supply Chain, VP of R&D, General Manager of Industrial X-Ray Technologies (IXT)
Thomas Wenzel
(b. 1965, German citizen) President of X-Ray Systems division since Dec. 1, 2018
Education
Dipl. Informatiker degree in computer science (University of Erlangen, Germany); Dr. Ing. doctorate in materials science and materials engineering (Saarland University, Germany)
Professional experience
Until 2008 was group leader, development of x-ray inspection systems and, from then until 2015, department head, Process-Integrated Test Systems, Fraunhofer Development Center for X-Ray Technology, Germany; from 2015: at Comet as Technology Scout and Senior CT Expert
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:
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, 2018. 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.