From the Sector

Shareholders Adopt All Motions Proposed by the Board of Directors

• Distribution of a dividend of CHF 1.50 per share approved
• Remuneration Report 2022 and future remuneration of Board of Directors and Group Executive Committee formally accepted
• All members of the Board of Directors who stood for re-election were elected
• Thomas Oetterli newly appointed to the Board of Directors
• KPMG newly elected as statutory auditors
• Amendments to the Articles of Association approved

On April 20, 2023, 325 shareholders, who represent 66.2% of the share capital, attended the 132nd Annual General Meeting of Rieter Holding Ltd.

Dividend
The shareholders approved the proposal of the Board of Directors to distribute a dividend of CHF 1.50 per share. The dividend for the 2022 financial year will be paid on April 24, 2023.

Annual Report, Financial Statements, Consolidated Financial Statements and Remuneration Report
The shareholders also adopted all other motions proposed by the Board of Directors, namely approval of the annual report, financial and consolidated financial statements for 2022. Moreover, they formally approved the actions of the members of the Board of Directors and those of the Group Executive Committee in the year under review.

By way of a consultative vote, the shareholders also approved the Remuneration Report 2022.

Remuneration of the Members of the Board of Directors and the Group Executive Committee
In two separate binding votes, the proposed maximum total remuneration of the members of the Board of Directors and the Group Executive Committee for the 2024 financial year was approved.

Re-Election of the Members of the Board of Directors
The Chairman of the Board, Bernhard Jucker, and the Directors, Hans-Peter Schwald, Peter Spuhler, Roger Baillod, Carl Illi, Sarah Kreienbühl and Daniel Grieder were confirmed for a further one-year term of office. In addition, Thomas Oetterli was newly elected to the Board of Directors for a term of office.

The members of the Remuneration Committee who were standing for election –
Hans-Peter Schwald, Bernhard Jucker and Sarah Kreienbühl – were likewise re-elected for a one-year term of office.

Election of KPMG as Statutory Auditors
The shareholders also adopted the proposal of the Board of Directors to elect KPMG AG, Zurich, as new statutory auditors for the financial year beginning January 1, 2023.

Amendments to the Articles of Association
The shareholders further approved the proposals of the Board of Directors to amend the Articles of Association of Rieter Holding Ltd., in order to implement the requirements of the reform of the Swiss company law, which came into force on January 1, 2023.

At the Annual General Meeting of Autoneum Holding Ltd on 24th March 2023, a clear majority of the shareholders approved the introduction of a capital band in the amount of approximately CHF 100 million net proceeds to finance the acquisition of Borgers Automotive. The proposal to waive the payment of a dividend for the 2022 financial year in view of the lower net result was also approved. In addition, Board member Rainer Schmückle as well as CEO Matthias Holzammer were given a farewell.

221 shareholders attended today’s Annual General Meeting of Autoneum Holding Ltd in Winterthur. 66.48 percent of the share capital was represented.

The shareholders approved the Annual Report, the Annual Financial Statements and the Consolidated Financial Statements for 2022. The proposal of the Board of Directors to waive the payment of a dividend for the financial year 2022 due to the lower net result was also approved by the Annual General Meeting.

In addition, the shareholders of Autoneum Holding Ltd granted discharge to all members of the Group Executive Board and the Board of Directors by a large majority of votes.

Chairman Hans-Peter Schwald and the other members of the Board of Directors Liane Hirner, Norbert Indlekofer, Michael Pieper, Oliver Streuli and Ferdinand Stutz were confirmed in office for another year. Hans-Peter Schwald, Norbert Indlekofer, Ferdinand Stutz and Oliver Streuli were re-elected to the Compensation Committee.

The consultative vote on the 2022 remuneration report was approved by 85.55%. The proposals for the remuneration of the Board of Directors and the Group Executive Board for the 2023 financial year as well as the other proposals were also approved by a large majority.

With 99.03%, a clear majority of the shareholders approved a capital band authorizing a capital increase of approximately CHF 100 million net proceeds. The purpose of the capital increase is to partially finance the acquisition of the automotive business of the Borgers Group announced by Autoneum on January 9, 2023. The Annual General Meeting also approved the other proposals of the Board of Directors for partial amendments to the Articles of Association.

Rainer Schmückle did not stand for re-election. He had been Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chairman of the Audit Committee and member of the Strategy and Sustainability Committee since Autoneum became independent in 2011. CEO Matthias Holzammer, who will leave Autoneum for family reasons, was also bid farewell.

At the same time, Hans-Peter Schwald welcomed the new CEO Eelco Spoelder, who will take over the management of the Group from Matthias Holzammer on March 27, 2023: "With Eelco Spoelder, Autoneum gains an accomplished leader with many years of experience in the automotive supply industry. At Faurecia and previously at Continental, Mr. Spoelder has successfully proven that he can ensure strategic continuity and operational excellence even in a difficult market environment. I and the other members of the Board of Directors warmly welcome Eelco Spoelder and look forward to our future cooperation."

• Carbios strengthens its Board of Directors with the appointments of Prof. Karine AUCLAIR, Sandrine CONSEILLER, Amandine DE SOUZA and Mateus SCHREINER GARCEZ LOPES
• Carbios has reached its CSR objective of 60% independent directors ahead of 2024 target date, and has increased its female representation

Carbios‘four new members to its Board of Directors:  Prof. Karine AUCLAIR, professor of Chemistry at McGill University, Sandrine CONSEILLER, former CEO of Aigle, Amandine DE SOUZA, General Manager of LE BHV MARAIS, Eataly and Home, DIY and Leisure Purchasing at Galeries Lafayette Group, and Mateus SCHREINER GARCEZ LOPES, Global Director for Energy Transition and Investments at Raizen, have all been appointed members of Carbios’ Board of Directors.  In the new structure, Prof. Karine AUCLAIR succeeds Jacqueline LECOURTIER, Sandrine CONSEILLER succeeds Jean FALGOUX, Amandine DE SOUZA succeeds Alain CHEVALLIER, and Mateus SCHREINER GARCEZ LOPES succeeds Jean-Claude LUMARET.

Three of the new members have strong, proven expertise in various industries covering fashion, retail and energy, as well as business development and senior executive management in high-growth markets and sectors around the world.  The new scientific expertise will also help enhance and advance Carbios’ research into biological solutions for the life cycle of plastics and textiles.  In addition, a sensitivity to CSR issues and proven results in this field was also a key selection factor to join the Board.  The new members’ combined strategic vision, solid industry experience and CSR commitments will support Carbios in its industrial and commercial plans.
 
Prof. Karine AUCLAIR is Professor of Chemistry at McGill University and holds the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Antimicrobials and Green Enzymes.  She has received numerous awards over the years, including the Clara Benson Award of the Canadian Society of Chemistry, the McGill Tomlinson Professorship, the Leo Yaffe Teaching Award, and the McGill Fessenden Professorship, to name a few. She is an internationally recognized bioorganic chemist with significant scientific contributions to the fields of antimicrobial resistance, biocatalysis and enzymology. Her research led to several patents notably in the clean enzymatic depolymerization of untreated, high crystallinity PET plastics for closed-loop recycling.  Her work has been published in nearly 100 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals, and often highlighted by the media.  As a recognized leader in her field, she is often invited to speak at industrial and academic conferences around the world, and to review theses and grant applications for worldwide institutions.
 
Sandrine CONSEILLER is former Chief Executive Officer of Aigle (the emblematic French brand committed to sustainable fashion).  Prior to joining Aigle, Sandrine was Group Marketing & Branding Executive Vice-President at Lacoste (another historic French fashion brand) from 2011 to 2015.  She contributed to the Lacoste maison turnaround with strong growth and numerous professional awards including several Cannes Lions Awards.  She was also Member of the Executive Board.  Sandrine began her career at Unilever and spent 20 years leading global businesses within various divisions, mainly in Personal Care, in Latin America, Europe, and Asia.  Sandrine is also Member of the Board of Phildar (the iconic French knitwear brand), Member of the Board of Raise Sherpa (the first philantropic endowment fund dedicated to start-ups) and is a funding partner of NEO FOUNDERS (a venture fund mentoring impact start-ups).
 
Amandine DE SOUZA is General Manager of LE BHV MARAIS (French retail, decoration and fashion department stores), Eataly (an Italian gastronomy concept franchise) and Home, DIY and Leisure Purchasing at Galeries Lafayette Group since 2018.  She has been a Member of its Executive Committee since 2020.  Amandine has 17 years’ experience in different types of companies of various sizes: from family business, to start-up,  and multinational.  She was General Manager for France at Westwing (an e-commerce start-up) from 2015 to 2018.  From 2009 to 2015, she was International Merchandise Director at Casino Group (food and non-food retail distribution).  Prior to this, she worked as a strategic consultant at Bain & Company within their Distribution and Consumer Goods Division in France and internationally.
 
Mateus SCHREINER GARCEZ LOPES is Global Director for Energy Transition and Investments at Raizen (global leader in bioenergy from Brazil), leading technology, new business development and intellectual property at the company.  He was previously Global Manager for Innovation and Business Development in Renewable Chemicals at Braskem (the largest producer of thermoplastic resins in the Americas and the world’s largest producer of biopolymers).  Before his transition to the corporate world, Mateus held several researcher and lecturer positions on Synthetic Biology and metabolic Engineering at Universities in Mexico, Germany, United States and Brazil.  He is also a Board Member of Iogen Energy Corporation, Vice-Chairman of the Board of the Brazilian Association of Bio Innovation, and Advisory Committee Member from the MIT Energy Initiative.

Norbert Klapper, who has led Rieter as CEO for nine years, has informed the Board of Directors that he wishes to take on new professional challenges. Thomas Oetterli has been appointed as his successor as CEO of Rieter.

Thomas Oetterli (53) has made a significant contribution to the successful development of the world-leading Schindler Group, starting in 2006 as CEO Switzerland, later as a member of the Group Executive Committee responsible for Europe and China, and from 2016 until 2022 as CEO of the Group. With his comprehensive leadership skills and many years of industrial and international experience, Thomas Oetterli brings ideal prerequisites to lead Rieter as a global market leader through the current challenges and successfully develop it further in the long term. He will take over the function of CEO from Norbert Klapper on March 13, 2023.

The Board of Directors would like to thank Norbert Klapper for his many years of hard work for Rieter and his lasting contribution to the company, particularly in terms of further strengthening its technology leadership, developing the components and service business, completing the systems offering. Following his departure as CEO, he will be available to the Chairman of the Board of Directors as Senior Advisor until the end of September 2023.

In view of the current challenges Rieter is facing in the current economic and market situation, which require close cooperation between the Board of Directors and the Group Executive Committee, the Board of Directors considers a dual function of Thomas Oetterli as CEO and member of the Board of Directors to be advantageous and in the interest of all stakeholders. It will therefore propose Thomas Oetterli for election as a member of the Board of Directors at the upcoming Annual General Meeting on April 20, 2023.

MS Printing Solutions and JK Group announce the appointment of Christopher Bernat as General Manager of North America and the Caribbean markets. He will be the main point of contact for overall business in the region. Chris joins MS Printing Solutions and JK Group with over 20 years of industry experience.

He was Director of Sales at Sawgrass Technologies prior to starting Vapor Apparel in 2004. He currently serves on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of Printing United and resides in Charleston, South Carolina.

Gunnar Meyer has been assigned the new Managing Director of A. Monforts Textilmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG in Mönchengladbach, Germany, as of January 1st 2023.

He started his career with Monforts and has spent his whole working life in the textile machinery industry. Between 1985 and 2010 he was a key part of the Monforts team in various roles related to sales and commercial issues, including as General Sales Director. He returned to the company in 2019 after working for other well-known German textile machine manufacturers in the field of nonwovens.

“Working in other parts of the textile industry, I have gained a lot of experience in the management of complex technical textile projects and my special focus will certainly be on challenges like the current energy crisis, alternative heating systems and sustainable textile finishing,” stated Meyer.

Matthias Holzammer is handing over the operational management of Autoneum for family reasons as of March 27, 2023. As his successor the Board of Directors has appointed Eelco Spoelder, who has over 25 years of experience in the automotive supply industry.

Eelco Spoelder has held global leadership positions in the automotive supply industry at Faurecia and previously Continental, where he ensured operational competence and strategic continuity even in a challenging market environment.
He has extensive experience in operations, manufacturing, purchasing, customer satisfaction, quality and IT and has proved successful in transforming businesses and delivering profitable growth. His core competencies include negotiating with an international network of customers and suppliers in the automotive supply industry. He is also deeply familiar with technology trends in the automotive industry.

“In view of the many challenges and opportunities in the automotive industry, we are proud to have found in Mr. Spoelder a very accomplished and experienced leader who will further develop and implement our proven strategy,” said Hans-Peter Schwald, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Autoneum Holding Ltd.

Matthias Holzammer is leaving Autoneum at his own request for family reasons and will hand over operational management of the Group to Mr. Spoelder on March 27, 2023. He will then serve as Senior Advisor to the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the new CEO until June 30, 2023.

Swiss-based SANITIZED AG is increasing its innovation expertise by appointing a new CTO, Dr. Martin Čadek, who will oversee global technological activities for the specialist antimicrobial hygiene brand. Dr. Čadek will lead the company’s Competence Centre for Technology Innovation and will focus on breaking new ground to develop innovations in sustainability.

Dr. Čadek is a graduate physicist with a master’s degree in polymer science with many years’ experience in the industry working with polymers, fibres, industrial textiles, and extruded polymers. He is joining SANITIZED AG from his most recent role as Managing Director for German subsidiary the Flint Group. His previous roles include the Global Head of Innovation for Energy and Polymer Systems at Evonik/Orion, the Head of Extrusion Technology Business Unit in Europe for Emerell AG, and work with the SGL Group.

The Competence Centre for Technology & Innovation will provide services to all three of SANITIZED’s business units: Textiles, Polymer Additives, and Coatings and Preservation. It will be built on top of SANITIZED’s TecCenter for Analytics, Microbiology and Applications and its regulatory department.

The Montalvo Corporation, an international company in web tension control products and services based in Gorham Maine, has promoted Inside Sales Support Manager Vince Mullen to Manager of North American Sales.

Russ Hall, Montalvo CEO said, “Vince has more than proven himself in his years of working with Team Montalvo on the Inside Sales Support Team. And most recently he has done an impressive job leading that department. He will continue leading that department in addition to taking on a more direct role of working with all of our Field Sales Representatives across North America.”

About the new position Mullen said, “having joined Montalvo since moving to Maine from the UK I have enjoyed working with and learning from the very best in web tension control. It’s a great honor to have been given this promotion and I am excited for the future of our company as new developments enter our product portfolio, along with working with our more traditional lines. Our teams at Montalvo are fully committed to embracing the day to day and long term needs of our customer base and I am especially looking forward to working closely with our nationwide network of representatives.

Dr. Harald Weber will become the new managing director of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association on 1 January 2023. The 44-year-old industrial engineer succeeds Thomas Waldmann, who has held the position since 1991 and will retire at the end of the year.

After completing his doctorate at the Technical University of Darmstadt and working as a lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences Mittelhessen (THM), Dr. Weber joined the VDMA in 2011. Since then, he has been responsible for the topics of technology and innovation in the Plastics and Rubber Machinery Association.

Dr. Janpeter Horn, Chairman of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association and Managing Director of August Herzog Maschinenfabrik, commented on the change of personnel: "From his previous work in the plastics industry, Dr. Weber has profound knowledge and experience in topics that are also gaining in importance in textile machinery manufacturing. Examples include recycling and the circular economy, as well as digitalisation and especially the communication standard OPC UA."

Dr. Horn added: "We combine our warm welcome to Dr. Weber with a big thank you to Thomas Waldmann. 30 years as managing director at the Textile Machinery Association also stand for constantly changing framework conditions. Mr. Waldmann has always had his finger on the pulse of the industry and, together with his team, has represented the special interests of the member companies: From technology policy to challenges of market access to the leading trade fair ITMA and the European association CEMATEX. ITMA 2007 in Munich was certainly a highlight. The executive board of the association wishes Mr. Waldmann all the best for the new phase of his life that is now beginning."