Members of the Board of Directors

On December 31, 2011, the Board of Directors was composed of six members.

Albert M. Baehny (1952)

Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2011,
elected until 2014
Swiss citizen
Resident in Arlesheim (CH)

Albert M. Baehny graduated with a degree in biology from the University of Fribourg (CH). In 1979, he started his career in the research department of Serono-Hypolab. His further career comprised various marketing, sales, strategic planning and global management positions with Dow Chemicals Europe (1981-1993), Ciba-Geigy/Ciba SC (1994-2000), Vantico (2000-2001) and Wacker Chemie (2001-2002). For more than 20 years, Albert M. Baehny gathered relevant knowledge and expertise with global business responsibility. Before joining Geberit, he was Senior Vice President of “Wacker Specialities”. At Geberit he was Head of Group Division Marketing and Sales Europe from 2003 to 2004. Albert M. Baehny has been Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Geberit Group since 2005. Since 2011 he is Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Robert F. Spoerry (1955)

Vice Chairman and Lead Director of the Board of Directors since 2011, non-executive, independent member of the Board of Directors since 2009, elected until 2013
Swiss citizen
Resident in Herrliberg (CH)
Chairman of the Board of Directors Mettler-Toledo International Inc., Greifensee (CH); President of the Board of Directors Sonova Holding AG, Stafa (CH) since March 2011; member the Board of Directors Conzzeta AG, Zurich (CH)

Robert F. Spoerry holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich and an MBA diploma of the University of Chicago. He has been with Mettler-Toledo since 1983 and was its CEO from 1993 to 2007. He oversaw the separation from Ciba-Geigy in the year 1996 and the initial public offering of Mettler-Toledo on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in 1997. In 1998, he became Chairman of the Board of Directors. Robert F. Spoerry has had no significant business relations with the Geberit Group in the past five years.

Randolf Hanslin (1942)

Non-executive member of the Board of Directors since 2006, elected until 2012
Swiss citizen
Resident in Rapperswil-Jona (CH)
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Maestrani AG, Flawil (CH); member of the Board of Directors, Franke Artemis Holding AG, Aarburg (CH)

Randolf Hanslin graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich. He started his career in 1968 as an internationally active consulting engineer with Dr OHC Messner. In 1977, he joined the former Geberit AG as Head of Product Research and Development. Shortly afterwards he was appointed as a member of the Management Board of Geberit AG as well as of the Group. In addition, in 1988/89, he was Head of the Group Division Marketing and Sales. From 1991 to 1994, Randolf Hanslin was Chief Executive of Geberit AG. From 1995 to 2004, he was Head of a Group Division being responsible for sales and production companies in various countries as well as for the quality and environmental operations of the Group. Lastly, he was Head of the Group Division Products with global responsibility for research and development, purchasing, production and logistics. Randolf Hanslin retired in April 2006 from his operational activities within the Group Executive Board.

Robert Heberlein (1941)

Non-executive, independent member of the Board of Directors since 2003, elected until 2012
Swiss citizen
Resident in Zumikon (CH)
Counsel in the law firm Lenz & Staehelin, Zurich (CH); member of the Board of Directors, Gurit Holding AG, Wattwil (CH); member of the Board of Directors, Coltène Holding AG, Altstätten (CH)

Robert Heberlein studied law at the University of Zurich and received his doctorate in law in 1969. He graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with a Master of Comparative Law (MCL) in 1970. After working in various law firms including in New York and Paris, he joined Staehelin & Giezendanner, now Lenz & Staehelin, in 1972. He was a partner of this office from 1977 to 2008; today he is Counsel there. He is principally involved in corporate law, tax law and succession planning. The law office of Lenz & Staehelin has advised Geberit in some legal matters, although Robert Heberlein was not involved in this capacity.

Hartmut Reuter (1957)

Non-executive, independent member of the Board of Directors since 2008, elected until 2014
German citizen
Resident in Nürensdorf (CH)
Member of the Shareholders Committee and Supervisory Board of Vaillant GmbH, Remscheid (DE); Chairman of the Advisory Board of GBT-Bücolit GmbH, Marl (DE); Member of the Board of Directors of Elmove AG, Zurich (CH)

After graduating in industrial engineering from Darmstadt (DE) University of Technology, Hartmut Reuter joined the Bosch Group in Stuttgart in 1981. During more than 15 years with Bosch, he occupied management positions in various industrial business units, at last he was Director in the division planning and controlling at the Bosch headquarters. From 1997 to 2009, Hartmut Reuter was member of the Group Executive Board of the Rieter Group in Winterthur; for the last seven of those years he was CEO of the company. He has had no significant business relations with the Geberit Group in the past five years.

Susanne Ruoff (1958)

Non-executive, independent member of the Board of Directors since 2009, elected until 2012
Swiss citizen
Resident in Crans-Montana (CH)
CEO British Telecom Switzerland AG, Wallisellen (CH); member of the Industry Advisory Board Computer Science, ETH Zurich (CH); member of the Board of Directors Bedag Informatik AG (CH)

In addition to her foundation studies in education, Susanne Ruoff obtained an MBA diploma at the University of Fribourg and attended a Client Executive Program at INSEAD in Fontainebleau. She started her career in 1989 at IBM Switzerland. In her 20-year affiliation with IBM, she held several management postitions in the areas of marketing, sales and services. As a member of the Management Board of IBM Switzerland, she was responsible from 2005 to 2009 for the area of Global Technology Services, which included the entire maintenance, outsourcing, and service project area. She was also a member of the Foundation Board as an employer representative of the IBM Pension Fund for six years. She took over the management of British Telecom, Switzerland, as its CEO on April 1, 2009. Susanne Ruoff has had no significant business relations with the Geberit Group in the past five years.

Elections and terms of office

The term of office for a member of the Board of Directors is maximum three years and the statutory retirement age limit has been established at 70 years. Members of the Board of Directors are re-elected on a staggered and individual basis.

The terms of office of Randolf Hanslin, Robert Heberlein and Susanne Ruoff are set to expire at the General Meeting on April 4, 2012. Having reached the age limit specified in the articles of incorporation, Randolf Hanslin and Robert Heberlein are retiring from the Board of Directors. Susanne Ruoff is standing for reeclection to another three year term.

A proposal will be submitted to the General Meeting to elect Jørgen Tang-Jensen and Jeff Song to the Board of Directors, each for a term of office of three years.

Internal organizational structure

The organization of the Board of Directors is based on the → “Organization Regulations of the Board of Directors of Geberit AG” (see also → “Definition of areas of responsibilities”).

The Board of Directors is self-constituting. After the ordinary General Meeting in which new/re-elections are held, the Board of Directors elects the Chairman and the Vice Chairman from among its members.

The reorganization in the Board of Directors was communicated and explained in detail prior to the 2011 General Meeting. This is a short-term solution intended to aid in determining the best possible succession for the management positions in the company. Albert M. Baehny holds the position of Executive Chairman, Robert F. Spoerry that of Vice Chairman and Lead Director. The Lead Director is invested with additional authorities so that – despite the positions of Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO being combined – exemplary corporate governance is guaranteed. For instance, the Lead Director can independently convene meetings of the independent members of the Board of Directors, and he chairs the Board of Directors in the event of conflicts of interest on the part of the Chairman or when resolutions regarding the compensation of the Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO are to be passed. Robert F. Spoerry was elected an independent member of the Board of Directors of Geberit AG and, because of his extensive experience incorporate management and on company boards, has the best credentials to carry out his responsibilities on Geberit’s Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors meets whenever business so requires, usually six times every year for one day each (2011: seven meetings). Meetings shall be chaired by the Chairman or, in the event of his incapacity, by the Vice Chairman. The Board of Directors shall appoint a Secretary, who need not be a member of the Board of Directors. The Chairman of the Board of Directors may invite members of the Group Executive Board to attend meetings of the Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors shall be quorate if a majority of its members are present. Attendance can also be effected via telephone or electronic media.

The regular meetings of the Board of Directors and committees are scheduled early, so that as a rule all members participate in person. Participation rate in 2011 was 100%.

The Board of Directors has formed two committees composed exclusively of non-executive Board members:

• Personnel Committee

  The members of the Personnel Committee are Robert F. Spoerry (Chairman), Robert Heberlein and Susanne Ruoff. The committee meets at least twice every year for a half day each (2011: two meetings, participation rate 100%). It develops proposals to be submitted to the entire Board of Directors, including, in particular, personnel decisions and the determination of compensation regulations and models (salaries, variable compensations, share and option plans) for the entire Group management, as well as the annual determination of the compensation for the Board of Directors and Group Executive Board. Therefore, the tasks and responsibilities of a compensation and a nomination committee are combined in this committee. Detailed responsibilities are stipulated in the → organization regulations of the Personnel Committee.

• Audit Committee

  The Audit Committee is composed of Hartmut Reuter (Chairman), Randolf Hanslin and Robert F. Spoerry. It meets at least twice every year for a half day each (2011: two meetings, participation rate 100%). It develops proposals to be submitted to the entire Board of Directors. The committee’s responsibilities include, in particular, the supervision of the internal and external audit as well as the control of the financial reporting. It determines the scope and planning of the internal audit and coordinates them with those of the external audit. For every meeting, the internal and external auditors provide an all-inclusive report about all audits carried out and the measures to be implemented. The Audit Committee monitors the implementation of the conclusions of the audit. The committee also assesses the functionality of the internal control system, including risk management (refer to → “Information and control instruments vis-à-vis the Group Executive Board”). CEO and CFO as well as the internal and external auditors attend the meetings if necessary. Furthermore, the committee is entitled to hold meetings exclusively with representatives of the external as well as the internal auditors. Both, the external and internal auditors, have access to the minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors and Group Executive Board. The detailed responsibilities are stipulated in the → organization regulations of the Audit Committee.

Definition of areas of responsibility

Pursuant to article 716a, subparagraph 1 of the Swiss Law of Obligations (Schweizerisches Obligationenrecht), the Board of Directors of Geberit AG has the following non-transferable and irrevocable responsibilities:

• supervision of the company and giving the instructions required
• determination of the organization
• design of the accounting, financial control as well as financial planning to the extent required for managing the Group
• appointment and dismissal of the persons responsible for management and representation; supervision of the persons responsible for management, in particular with respect to compliance with the laws, articles of incorporation, regulations and instructions
• establishment of the annual report and preparation of the General Meeting and the implementation of its resolutions
• notification of the judge in case of a debt overload

The Board of Directors determines the strategic objectives and the general funds for achieving these, and decides on major business transactions. To the extent legally permissible and in accordance with the Organization Regulations, the Board of Directors has assigned the operational management to the Chief Executive Officer.

The Group Executive Board is composed of the Chief Executive Officer and four other members. The members of the Group Executive Board are appointed by the Board of Directors based upon the proposal of the Personnel Committee. The Board of Directors of Geberit AG has appointed Karl Spachmann as Head of the Group Division Sales Europe, effective April 1, 2011.

The Organization Regulations of the Board of Directors regulate the duties and powers of the Board of Directors as a governing body, of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman and Lead Directors and the committees. Thus it also defines the rights and duties of the Group Executive Board that are set forth in more detail in the Internal Regulations for the Group Executive Board. The → Organization Regulations of the Board of Directors, the → Personnel Committee and the → Audit Committee can be viewed at → www.geberit.com/infocenter.

Information and control instruments vis-à-vis the Group Executive Board

At every meeting, the members of the Group Executive Board inform the Board of Directors of current business developments and major business transactions of the Group or Group companies, as the case may be. Between meetings, the Board of Directors is extensively informed in writing about current business developments and the company’s financial situation on a monthly basis. Essentially, this report contains key statements on the Group and on the market development, information and key figures on the Group sales and profit development, (in January, April, July and October, it contains only statements on sales development and not on profit development), statements about the course of business in the individual product lines and countries as well as an analysis on the share price development. The more extensive quarterly report additionally contains the expectations of the operational management on the development of results until the end of the financial year, information on the development of the workforce and on the investments made, an updated company valuation, the composition of the shareholders as well as market expectations in regard to the business development. In the past year, the Board of Directors held seven ordinary meetings. In addition, decisions were made using conference calls.

Furthermore, the Vice Chairman and Lead Director of the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer were in contact at regular intervals with respect to all major issues of corporate policy. Each member of the Board of Directors may individually demand information with respect to all matters of the Group or Group companies, as the case may be.

Based on the Organization Regulations of the Board of Directors, the Audit Committee has implemented an extensive system for monitoring and controlling the risks linked to the business activities. This process includes the risk identification, analysis, control and reporting. Operationally, the Group Executive Board is responsible for the controlling of the risk management. In addition, responsible persons are designated in the company for significant individual risks. These responsible parties decide on specific actions for the risk management and monitor their implementation. Every other year, the Internal Corporate Audit Department issues a risk report to the attention of the Audit Committee on the management of financial risks → See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, 4. Risk assessment and management. In addition, the internal Audit Department reports to the Audit Committee at every meeting on completed audits and on the status of the implementation of findings and optimization proposals of previous audits.