Experience

Sihl Group

• Switzerland
• Paper and Forest Product Manufacturing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• CEO

  • May 2020 - Present

  Sihl is the leading expert for printing media solutions in a fast growing digital imaging market. As a high-performing, international company, Sihl offers all important technological expertise and in-depth, comprehensive knowledge of the industry. With its futureproof product solutions, Sihl strengthens its customers’ market position and makes a significant contribution to improving its customers’ and partners’ added value with innovative services that support their processes. Sihl is the leading expert for printing media solutions in a fast growing digital imaging market. As a high-performing, international company, Sihl offers all important technological expertise and in-depth, comprehensive knowledge of the industry. With its futureproof product solutions, Sihl strengthens its customers’ market position and makes a significant contribution to improving its customers’ and partners’ added value with innovative services that support their processes.



Infiana Group

• Germany

• Chief Executive Officer

  • Jan 2015 - Nov 2019

  In 2014, it was decided to carve out the business division Films Global from the Huhtamaki Group. I led the management buyout process from initiation to completion and turned the business into a private-equity-sponsored independent company. As with any new business venture, a new corporate brand identity was created and implemented within 100 days after spinoff. We named it “Infiana.” The Infiana Group develops and produces engineered and innovative films for both, the consumer and the industrial market, employing 800+ employees in Germany, Thailand, and the US. As a global market leader, Infiana serves an unmatched portfolio of product solutions and 5 dedicated end markets: ● Personal Care ● Building & Construction ● Composites ● Pressure Sensitive Materials ● Healthcare The strategic development of the business—with a clear and powerful vision, a genuine value creation, and a continuous enhancement of our customer offerings is crucial for the future success. ACHIEVEMENTS ★ Achieved significant growth, improved profitability, and created value by divesting underperforming units ★ Led a profitable exit after 4.5 years holding time with the sale of the business from one private equity investor to the next one. Show less



Huhtamaki

• Finland
• Packaging and Containers Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Executive Vice President Films Global

  • 2008 - 2014

  Maintaining excellent professional relationships always pays off, as well as an extraordinary reputation for high-quality work and performance. So much so that former work colleagues always love having you on their team. That’s just what happened to me, and I was able to fill a leadership position. When I rejoined, many changes took place at Huhtamaki. A new CEO was appointed, introducing a new focus, which resulted in new business structures and opportunities. I was nominated to join the executive team and assumed P&L responsibility for the Films business. I led the €200M business with 4 locations in Europe, Asia, Brazil, and North America with more than 1,000 employees. During the years 2012–2013, I operated the division from the US to achieve constant global exposure as a worldwide active corporation. To ensure growth through innovation, the business strategy was adapted to become a focused, global business model based around target segments. As a result of this strategic alignment, the business generated earnings growth and could then begin to lead from a position of strength. An important key to the business’s success was the recruitment and development of talented people—engaged, high-performing employees. Know-how, innovation, and experience constitute the main advantages that organizations can have over their competitors. The most talented employees drive these advantages. Successful projects: A greenfield operation was started in Thailand—by building a new production plant—and a Brazilian company with 200+ employees was acquired to strengthen the global market position. As world leading experts in the field of plastic films, I wanted to sustain this status, and thus the underperforming paper business unit was sold. ACHIEVEMENTS ★ Generated steady cash flow year after year, improved cost positions, and increased value-added margins by enriching the portfolio, applying strict working capital measurements, and releasing unprofitable business segments. Show less



Chesapeake

• Deutschland

• Director Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Division

  • 2006 - 2008

  Throughout my entire career, I have been driven by the hunger to benefit from interesting opportunities and be the decision maker that makes an impact. “Stay hungry, stay foolish,” is what Steve Jobs once said. What sounded like the next significant opportunity in enhancing my experience, sooner or later revealed that it was simply a mistake. As these things happen much more often than we want them to, we need not worry because new opportunities are just around the corner. Even though times were difficult, I managed a $400M business with 18 locations across Europe and 2,300 employees, as well as a startup operation in Shanghai, China. ACHIEVEMENTS ★ Introduced new business methodologies, such as Continuous Improvement, resulting in new cost-saving opportunities. Show less



Huhtamaki

• Finland
• Packaging and Containers Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Division President │ Molded Fiber Europe

  • 2004 - 2005

  As the business unit in my prior position had been sold to a competitor, I decided to look for another management challenge and took on a €135M business division with 9 locations and 600 employees across Europe at the Finnish packaging conglomerate Huhtamaki. The business was highly interesting and offered several opportunities to do even better. Shifting more assets into low-cost countries and implementing robotization in high-labor-cost units resulted in a substantial improvement in supply and cost positions. Unifying competing sales teams under the umbrella of a pan-European sales organization was a mind-broadening exercise in itself, but ultimately led to better results and a better team spirit, injecting new innovative processes into a rather established industry. ACHIEVEMENTS ★ Better business focus, better results, and more team spirit. Show less



Rexam PLC

• United Kingdom
• Packaging & Containers
• 700 & Above Employee

• Managing Director

  • 2001 - 2004

  My time at GE and the Marketing experience was fabulous, but I wanted to assume full P&L responsibility. For this reason, I decided to go back to the UK and join Rexam, the world’s leading manufacturer of beverage cans. I was part of the Healthcare Division and became the Managing Director for the £46M business unit Healthcare Flexibles Europe & Asia. It was an attractive business with a large number of blue chip healthcare and pharma customers that were served from plants in England and Singapore, as well as through sales offices in China and Germany. Throughout this great journey, the challenge had always been to change the company from a production-oriented to a market-oriented business—in other words from inside-out to outside-in. Opening the scope and becoming a partner rather than a supplier proved to be the right formula, as one key competitor found it ultimately interesting enough to acquire the business unit. ACHIEVEMENTS ★ Obtained 180-degree cultural change from a production-led business to a customer-led business, resulting in outstanding business results and increased team morale. Show less



GE

• United States
• Industrial Machinery Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Global Marketing Director │ European Business Leader │ European Marketing Manager

  • 1995 - 2001

  ● Global Marketing Director, (2000–2001) ● European Business Leader Aesthetics, (1998–1999) ● European Marketing Manager Extrusion Industries, (1995–1997) I was proud to be promoted—at General Electric Plastics—to lead the Global Aesthetics Marketing Program—defining, developing, and implementing growth strategies, launching new product portfolios, and setting up 3 innovation centers were key opportunities. What started as a European business initiative, evolved into a worldwide marketing program. I was challenged to find creative solutions to differentiate and position products by using plastics, and to ensure that these plastics were more than just a functional feature. The extraordinary success of the first iMac was only the beginning; the idea was later applied to many other consumer electronics. Therefore, I collaborated with manufacturers and designers to be ahead of the process. In terms of business fun and innovation, this was a great time!! We used tree-like-structures to showcase more than 3,000 color options for our customers and used the fashion-show approach to introduce our branded portfolio to the industry and its players. Using the catwalk product presentation was truly the first of its kind in the industry and gained us huge reputation as an Innovator, which was really the global achievement that we celebrated as a team. A global and consistent approach to position a plastic producer as a partner for innovation is by understanding not only our clients but also our clients’ customers. Show less



BASF

• Germany
• Chemical Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Managing Director

  • 1991 - 1995

  After successfully completing the Training Program, I was asked whether I would be interested in leading a subsidiary in the UK. And of course, I was! I took on my first management role at Ultra Polymers with 15 employees—the official distributor for BASF Thermoplastics in the UK. I held full P&L responsibility for a £6M company, including strategic planning, sales, advertising and marketing strategies, financial accounts, and budgets. ● Designed and developed a distribution concept that set a good example for BASF and was implemented as a leading standard in other countries. ACHIEVEMENTS ★ Increased revenue and grew profitability to double-digit return on sales. ★ Created and implemented world-class distribution concept for BASF in the UK. Show less



BASF

• Germany
• Chemical Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Business Management Program

  • 1987 - 1990

  I began my career as a trainee at BASF and received comprehensive corporate training in sales, marketing, logistics, and finance. I had a great opportunity to gain knowledge in all business activities, familiarizing myself with the key processes and tasks involved. I was based at the headquarters in Ludwigshafen, Germany but also spent 3 stints of 12 weeks each at BASF locations in the UK and Germany. I began my career as a trainee at BASF and received comprehensive corporate training in sales, marketing, logistics, and finance. I had a great opportunity to gain knowledge in all business activities, familiarizing myself with the key processes and tasks involved. I was based at the headquarters in Ludwigshafen, Germany but also spent 3 stints of 12 weeks each at BASF locations in the UK and Germany.