Oerlikon announces the appointment of Dr. Brice Koch as Group Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Koch, who will assume the role during the first quarter of 2014, comes to Oerlikon following a successful career at ABB where he has been a member of the Group Executive Committee since 2010.
This appointment further demonstrates Oerlikon’s commitment to technological leadership and expansion of its global footprint. Oerlikon Chairman Tim Summers said “The Board of Directors is delighted to welcome Dr. Koch to the Oerlikon Group as Chief Executive. His breadth of experience will guide Oerlikon through the next phase of our development, and the Board looks forward to working with him.”
Brice Koch (49) has held a number of successful leadership roles over the last 20 years and is now a member of the ABB Group Executive Committee and head of the USD 8 billion Power Systems division. Dr. Koch holds a PHD in material science from the ETHZ (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich) and brings with him tremendous industrial management experience.
He speaks fluent English, French and German and is a member of the ETH Zurich Foundation Board of Trustees. “I look forward to leading the Oerlikon team – which is clearly deeply talented – into the future and help them build on such a strong foundation of technological leadership and global reach. The opportunity to bring this pearl of Swiss industrial heritage to the next level is very exciting.” said Dr. Koch.
Jürg Fedier, interim Chief Executive Officer since 14 March 2013, will resume full-time financial leadership of the Group as CFO during the first quarter of 2014. Mr. Fedier, 2012 Swiss CFO of the year, was instrumental in Oerlikon’s transformational 2010 balance sheet restructuring and the architect of the Group’s 2012 comprehensive and successful refinancing.
Tim Summers said “Jürg’s stewardship during this transition period facilitated seamless operational continuity – the Board of Directors joins me in extending sincere thanks for a dedicated and successful result. Jürg is a fully dedicated CFO and will play an important role alongside the new CEO.” Jürg Fedier commented: “I look forward to working with Brice as we take this great company to the next level of performance.”
Oerlikon is a leading high-tech industrial group specializing in machine and plant engineering. The Company is a provider of innovative industrial solutions and cutting-edge technologies for manmade fibers manufacturing, drive systems, vacuum, coating, and advanced nanotechnology. A Swiss company with a tradition going back over 100 years, Oerlikon is a global player with around 13 000 employees at around 160 locations in 34 countries and sales of CHF 2.9 billion in 2012.