Executive Committee
The Executive Committee – the Group’s most senior management below the Board level – is responsible for the operational management of the Group within the powers delegated to it.
As of July 1, 2022, Dionys van de Ven joined Comet as President of the X-Ray Systems division. On September 1, 2022, Stephan Haferl assumed operational leadership of the Group as CEO. Further, Michael Berger was appointed to succeed Stephan Haferl as President of the X-Ray Modules division. Outgoing CEO Kevin Crofton left the Comet Group on August 31, 2022. In the prior year, departures from the Comet Group were that of CIO Eric Dubuis on January 31, 2021, and Thomas Wenzel, President of the X-Ray Systems division, on April 30, 2021.
No member of the Executive Committee performed any consulting or third-party services for Comet Holding AG or any of its subsidiaries before their appointment to the Executive Committee.
As of December 31, 2022, the Group’s Executive Committee had the following six members.
Stephan Haferl
(b. 1972, Swiss and Norwegian citizen) Chief Executive Officer since Sep. 1, 2022 and President of X-Ray Modules division from Jan. 1, 2018 until Aug. 30, 2022
Education
Dr. sc. tech. doctorate in mechanical and process engineering from ETH Zurich; Advanced Management Program, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, USA
Professional experience
2002 to 2007: various management positions at the Bartec Group, Sainte-Croix; from 2007: various management positions in Comet’s X-Ray Technology business (VP of Supply Chain, VP of R&D, General Manager of Industrial X-Ray Technologies (IXT)
Elisabeth Pataki
(b. 1981, US citizen) Chief Financial Officer since Oct. 1, 2020
Education
Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Spanish, Boston College, Mass., USA; Master of Business Administration, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, USA
Professional experience
2008 to 2015: various senior management positions at Raytheon Company in USA and Europe, including CFO for NATO Business Line, France, part of a joint venture between Raytheon and Thales Group; 2015 to 2020: Global Head of Internal Audit, Switzerland, at EF Education First, and before that CFO North America, USA, at EF
Keighley Peters
(b. 1971, UK citizen) Chief Information Officer since Dec. 28, 2020
Education
Master of Sciences in Information Technologies, University of Liverpool, UK
Professional experience
2011 to 2020: Senior Director Global IT, SPTS Technologies, UK; previously CIO in interim functions, IT Services Associate Director, Global IT, Cenduit Ltd and IT Consultant for the pharmaceutical industry and IT services sectors
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, Thun; 2000 to 2002: Head of Purchasing and Logistics, Swisscom Solutions AG, Worblaufen; 2002 to 2007: Head of Purchasing and Supplier Quality Assurance, Automotive, Saia-Burgess AG, Murten/Johnson Electric, Hong Kong
Michael Berger
(b. 1973, Swiss citizen) President of X-Ray Modules division since Sep. 1, 2022
Education
Executive Master of Marketing Management, Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH)
Professional experience
2003 to 2005: manager of the production department at Band Cooperative, Bern; 2005 to 2013: various executive management positions at Teltronic, Biberist; 2013 to 2018: Production Manager, X-Ray Technology, Comet; 2018 to 2022: VP of Operations of Industrial X-Ray Modules, Engineering and Supply Chain, Comet
Dionys van de Ven
(b. 1968, Dutch citizen) President of X-Ray Systems division since Jul. 1, 2022
Education
Master’s degree in mechanical engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
Professional experience
2007 to 2017: Senior Director of Customer Programs, Service and R&D at Philips Healthcare, Hamburg, Germany; 2017 to 2021: Managing Director of Baker Hughes Digital Solutions GmbH, Cologne area, Germany; 2017 to 2020: Chief Technology Officer of Waygate Technologies, Cologne area, Germany; 2018 to 2020 member of the Board of Directors of GE Inspection Robotics, Zurich, Switzerland; 2020 to 2022: Executive Business Leader of x-ray business unit at Waygate Technologies, Germany
Activities and interests outside the Group
Article 27 of the Articles of Association, which is compliant with the OAEC, 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.
Some members of the Executive Committee hold board positions at subsidiaries of the Group. In addition, as of December 31, 2022, Stephan Haferl was a board member of Belimed AG, Zug and Michael Berger was a board member of Band Cooperative, Bern. The other members of the Executive Committee did not hold positions outside Comet on management or supervisory bodies of significant Swiss or foreign private sector or public sector companies, institutions or foundations at the balance sheet date. Therefore, no member of the Executive Committee of Comet Holding AG exceeded any limits for additional positions.
Management contracts
As of December 31, 2022, Comet had not entered into any management contracts with companies or natural persons not belonging to the Group (prior year: nil).
Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest
No member of the Executive Committee had any material business relationships with Comet Holding AG or any of its subsidiaries in fiscal year 2021 or 2022. In the event of a potential or impending conflict of interest, the Executive Committee member concerned is required to inform the Chair of the Board of Directors immediately.