Board of Directors

Education

MSc Chemical Engineer, University of Gent, Belgium

Career

2017 - 2022: CEO, AkzoNobel, Amsterdam, Netherlands

2016-2017: Head Specialty Chemicals and Executive Committee Member, AkzoNobel, Amsterdam, Netherlands

2015-2016: President Fluoroproducts, Chemours; President Chemours EMEA, Geneva, Switzerland, and Wilmington, USA

1989-2016: various functions within DuPont:
Vice President DuPont Performance Coatings EMEA, Cologne, Germany
Global Business & Marketing Director Fluorochemicals, DuPont, Wilmington, USA

Mandates in listed companies:

Member of the Board: Cabot Corporation, Boston, USA (Member of Audit Committee)

Mandates in non-listed companies and organizations:

Chair of the Board: Aliaxis Group NV, Brussels, Belgium
Member of the Board: Etex NV, Brussels, Belgium
Board Advisor: Stahl Coatings BV, Waalwijk, Netherlands

Key Skills and Experience:

Having held various management positions in the chemical sector for more than 30 years, Thierry Vanlancker brings with him extensive global and industrial experience. He possesses in-depth knowledge of strategy, M&A, product development, sales, and marketing with specific know-how in chemicals markets and distribution. He held the position as CEO of AkzoNobel, a large international paints and coatings company active in more than 150 countries, recognized for its leading ESG performance in all relevant benchmarks. He contributes with strong expertise about the management of large international companies, management of differentiated channels to market as well as in-depth experience of sustainability strategy implementation. 

Education

Certified Public Accountant (CPA), School for Swiss Certified Accountants, Switzerland 

Career

June 2023-December 2023: Interim CFO, Master Builders Solutions, Germany

2021-2022: CFO, RWDC Industries, USA

2016-2019: Executive Vice President and CFO, LyondellBasell Industries, USA and the Netherlands

1996-2015: Various functions within Holcim:
Group CFO and Member of Executive Committee, LafargeHolcim
CFO and Senior Vice President, Holcim Inc., USA
CFO and Senior Vice President, Holcim Apasco, Mexico
Head Corporate Controlling, Holcim Group Support Ltd., Switzerland 

1988-1996: Audit Senior Manager, PwC, Switzerland and Hongkong

1983-1987: Tax Specialist, Cantonal tax authorities, Switzerland

Mandates in listed companies and organizations:

Member of the Board: Solvay SA, Brussels, Belgium (Chair of Audit Committee); dormakaba Holding AG, Rümlang, Switzerland (Chair of Audit Committee and Vice Chair of the Board)

Key Skills and Experience:

Thomas Aebischer brings more than 30 years of international experience in the chemical and construction industries. His career has taken him to the USA, Mexico, and Asia where he has been active in industries with market structures and technologies relevant for Sika. With his profound knowledge in the fields of strategy, business development, and M&A he makes a valuable contribution to the continued strategic development of Sika. Having spent many years as CFO of several multinational companies, he possesses proven financial and risk management skills which makes him highly suitable to chair the Audit Committee. 

Education

MSc Chemical Engineer, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH); M.A. Economics, University of St. Gallen (HSG), Switzerland

Career

2007-2018: CFO Barry Callebaut Group, Zurich, Switzerland

1996-2006: Director of Niantic Group (Family Holding)

1991-1995: Principal of Adinvest AG, Zurich, Switzerland

1989-1991: Head Corporate Finance, Marc Rich & Co Holding AG, Zug, Switzerland

1985-1989: Financial Analyst and Manager, EniChem International AG, Zurich, Switzerland, and Milan, Italy

Mandates in listed companies:

Member of the Board: Givaudan AG, Vernier, Switzerland (Chair of Audit Committee and Member of Compensation Committee); Medacta International SA, Castel San Pietro, Switzerland (Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee); KWS Saat SE & Co. KGaA, Einbeck, Germany (Chair of the Audit Committee)

Mandates in non-listed companies and organizations:

Member of the Board: Swiss Federal Audit Oversight Authority (RAB), Bern, Switzerland; Hemro AG, Zurich, Switzerland; Louis Dreyfus Company International Holding BV, Amsterdam, Netherlands (Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee)

Key Skills and Experience:

Viktor Balli brings a wealth of financial and management experience, including his more than 10-year tenure as CFO for the Barry Callebaut Group, a global manufacturer of chocolate and cocoa products with sales activities in more than 140 countries. In this period, he was co-steering the development of an industry leading CSR strategy. With his extensive know-how in the areas of reporting, auditing, and risk management, he possesses competencies that are becoming increasingly relevant for corporates’ non-financial disclosure and performance. In addition to his managerial experience in globally active companies, holding master’s degrees both in chemical engineering (ETH) and in economics (HSG), he brings with him extensive knowledge in two highly relevant areas for Sika’s strategic development.

Education

MSc Materials Engineering, University of Gent, Belgium; MSc Polymers & Composites Engineering, University of Leuven, Belgium; Executive Business Education Insead, Paris, France and IMD, Lausanne, Switzerland

Career

2019-2023: Executive Vice President Polyolefins & Chief Technology Officer,  Borealis Group, Vienna, Austria
2014–2018: Vice President and General Manager Rubber Additives & Chief Commercial Officer, Eastman Chemical, Zug, Switzerland
1996–2014: various functions within Dow Chemical Group:
general / business (P&L) leadership, commercial, marketing & strategy leadership, M&A as well as research, product & application development across a broad range of industries spanning transportation, healthcare, food & nutrition, electronics, building & construction, oil & gas and water treatment, in Belgium, France, Switzerland, China, and the United States
1992–1996: Research, Product & Application development, Tyco, Kessel-Lo, Belgium and Menlo Park, USA

Mandates in listed companies:

Member of the Board: Royal Vopak, Rotterdam, Netherlands (member of Audit Committee and member of Remuneration Committee); Amcor plc, Bristol, United Kingdom

Mandates in non-listed companies and organizations:

Member of the Board: Borouge (a joint venture between Borealis and ADNOC), Abu Dhabi, UAE
Member of the Steering Board: Plastics Europe (industry association enabling a sustainable future), Brussels, Belgium

Key Skills and Experience:

Lucrèce Foufopoulos brings with her 25 years of experience in the chemicals and materials industry, serving global multinationals such as Tyco, the Dow Chemical Group, Eastman Chemical and the Borealis Group, across a broad range of downstream industries and markets. She possesses in-depth knowledge of global business leadership with P&L responsibility, strategic planning, M&A, marketing and sales excellence, as well as technology and innovation. She has a particular appetite for turning around business portfolios for sustainable growth, and is passionate about people and organization, science and innovation for the purpose of building a more sustainable environment. With her strong engagement, extensive know-how, and highly relevant insights and competencies, she is a key contributor to Sika’s continued strategic development in the areas of innovation and sustainability.

Education

LL.B and B.C.L, McGill University, Canada

Career

Since 2010: Senior Investment Manager, Cascade Asset Management Company, Kirkland, WA, USA

2007-2009: Vice President, Investment Banking, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, New York, NY, USA

2003-2007: Associate, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, New York, NY, USA

Mandates in listed companies: 

Member of the Board: Canadian National Railway Company, Montreal, Québec, Canada (member of Governance, Sustainability and Safety Committee, member of Human Resources and Compensation Committee, and Chair of Pension and Investment Committee)

Key Skills and Experience:

Justin Howell is a senior investment professional and experienced corporate director. He brings with him in-depth knowledge of international financial and capital markets, private and public equity, shareholder activism, corporate governance, and law. With his extensive international experience in corporate finance and M&A and with his wide network across industries, he significantly contributes to Sika’s continuous strategic development. With over 10 years of experience working for a large asset owner with a strong focus on sustainable, long-term investment, he possesses a broad expertise in the areas of sustainability, modern governance principles and strategy-aligned compensation models. Further this experience and know how makes him well-suited to chair the Nomination and Compensation Committee. 

Education

BSc Human Resource Development and Labor Relations, University of Stockholm, Sweden

Career

2019–2024: Chief HR Officer, Adecco Group, Zurich, Switzerland

2015–2018: Chief HR Officer, Signify, Amsterdam/Eindhoven, Netherlands

2008–2015: Senior Vice President Group Function Human Resources, Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget SCA, Stockholm, Sweden

1991–2008:  various functions within Ericsson:
Vice President HR & Organization, Business Unit Global Services, Sweden
Director HR & Organization, Market Unit Nordic & Baltics, Sweden
Regional HR Manager, Market Unit Nordic & Baltics, Sweden
Senior HR Manager, Swedish Business Unit, Market Operations Western Europe and North America & Customer Service, Sweden
Senior HR Consultant, USA

Mandates in non-listed companies and organizations:

Member of the Foundation Council: Adecco Innovation Foundation (creates practical solutions to increase the employability and access of underserved populations to labor markets), Zurich, Switzerland

Key Skills and Experience:

Gordana Landén brings broad international leadership experience from a number of global enterprises with a focus on human resources as well as people and leadership development. She possesses in-depth knowledge in aligning organizations and compensation systems with the business strategy as well as in creating inspiring work environments that allow people to grow and unlock their potential. Throughout her career she has been a driving force of equity, diversity, and inclusion agendas and has gained a wide experience in the deployment of big data analytics to support strategic human capital planning and development. Moreover, she has been actively involved in several M&A processes. Gordana Landén’s comprehensive skills in human capital management are highly relevant since it is key to safeguard and preserve Sika’s unique corporate culture as the company continues to grow.

Education

lic. oec. University of St. Gallen (HSG)

Career

2006–2013: CEO, Panalpina AG, Basel, Switzerland

2005–2006: CFO, Panalpina AG, Basel, Switzerland

2000–2005: Chief Information Officer (CIO), Panalpina AG, Basel, Switzerland

1991–2000: various functions within Controlling, IT and Global Project Management, Panalpina AG, Basel, Switzerland

Mandates in non-listed companies and organizations:

Chair of the Board: SBB AG (Swiss Federal Railways), Bern, Switzerland

Key Skills and Experience:

As a former CEO of the global transport and logistics company Panalpina, Monika Ribar brings with her a wide experience in business, operational and strategic leadership. In addition to her deep knowledge of international transportation and logistics, she possesses a broad expertise in financial management and IT. With her extensive experience as Board member in companies from various sectors and her management background as CEO, CFO, and CIO, she enhances the Board expertise and, in particular with her well-founded finance and risk management know-how, possesses the relevant skills to be a Member of the Audit Committee.

Education

MBA, Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Washington/Zurich

Career

2017-2021: Chief Executive Officer, 2007-2021: Member of Group Management, Sika AG, Baar, Switzerland

2013-2017: Regional Manager EMEA Sika AG, Baar, Switzerland

2007-2012: Regional Manager North America; General Manager Sika USA

1988-2006: Various management functions within Sika in Germany and Switzerland

1982-1988: International Key Account Sales Manager Switzerland, EMS Chemie AG, Domat/Ems, Switzerland

1980-1982: Project Manager Air Condition Plants, Luwa AG, Hong Kong, China

1976-1980: Production Manager, Hemair AG, Richterswil, Switzerland

Mandates in non-listed companies and organizations:

Chair of the Board: Swisspearl Group AG, Niederurnen, Switzerland

Key Skills and Experience:

With his extensive knowledge of the markets Sika operates in, as well as of its products, technologies, and its corporate culture, Paul Schuler contributes with highly relevant expertise to the Board. He has played a key role in developing and executing Sika's successful growth strategy and has a profound understanding of Sika’s values and global, empowered organization. After having held various management positions in the industry for more than 40 years, Paul brings with him a wealth of experience in international leadership, M&A, strategic management, and talent development.