4. Group Executive Board

At the end of 2016, the Group Executive Board was composed of seven members.

Christian Buhl (1973)

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) since 2015
Member of the Group Executive Board since 2015
with Geberit since 2009
Swiss citizen

Christian Buhl studied physics (Dipl. Phys. ETH) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich (CH) before undertaking his doctorate (Dr. oec. HSG) in the area of financial market research at the University of St. Gallen (CH). From 2000 to 2003, he worked as a teaching and research assistant at the Swiss Institute of Banking and Finance in St. Gallen and in research and teaching at the Centre for Economic Research at the University of Basel (CH). From 2004 to 2008, Christian Buhl worked at McKinsey & Company, Zurich (CH), where he undertook projects for various Swiss and international industrial companies, supporting them in the areas of strategy, M&A, marketing and organisation. He joined Geberit in 2009, initially as Head Strategic Planning, before taking over responsibility for the Geberit AquaClean shower toilet business. From 2012 to the end of 2014, Christian Buhl was Managing Director of the German sales company – the most important sales unit within the Geberit Group. He has been the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Geberit Group since 2015; see also Management Structure.

Roland Iff (1961)

Member of the Group Executive Board since 2005
with Geberit since 1993
Head of Group Division Finance (CFO)
Swiss citizen
Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors VZ Holding AG, Zurich (CH)

Roland Iff studied economics at the University of St. Gallen (CH) and graduated with the degree of lic.oec. (major: accounting and finance) in 1986. He started his professional career in 1987 as internal auditor with the American Mead Corporation in Zurich (CH) and at the company’s headquarters in Dayton (US). Subsequently he worked on different market development projects in Brussels (BE) before he was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Mead’s Italian subsidiary in Milan (IT) in 1990. In 1993, Roland Iff joined Geberit as Head of Corporate Development. In 1995, he became Head Group Controlling. Beginning in October 1997, he served as Head Group Treasury. Roland Iff has been Head Group Division Finance (CFO) of the Geberit Group since 2005; see also Management Structure.

Martin Baumüller (1977)

Member of the Group Executive Board since 1 September 2016
with Geberit since 2011
Head of Group Division Marketing & Brands
Swiss citizen

Martin Baumüller completed his Master’s degree in International Management at the University of St. Gallen (CH) and an MBA at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore (SG) in 2001. In 2005, he received his doctorate from the University of Bern (CH) with his dissertation on “Managing Cultural Diversity”. He began his career as a freelance consultant for strategy and market expansion projects from 2001 to 2003. From 2005 to 2010 he worked for McKinsey & Company in Zurich (CH), first on various projects for pharmaceutical, chemical and transportation clients and later as Engagement Manager res­ponsible for global projects in various industries and as a member of the Strategy & Corporate Finance team. He joined Geberit as Head Strategic Planning in 2011. From 2012 until the end of August 2016 he was res­ponsible as Head Geberit AquaClean for the management and development of the entire shower toilet business of the Geberit Group. The Board of Directors of Geberit AG has appointed Martin Baumüller as Head of Group Division Marketing & Brands with effect from 1 September 2016; see also Management Structure.

Michael Reinhard (1956)

Member of the Group Executive Board since 2005
with Geberit since 2004
Head of Group Division Operations
German citizen
Member of the Board of Directors Reichle & De-Massari AG, Wetzikon (CH)

Michael Reinhard studied mechanical engineering at the Technical University Darmstadt (DE) and was awarded a PhD in materials science from the Deutsche Kunststoffinstitut. He started his professional career in 1987 as a project manager with Automatik GmbH, Gross-Ostheim (DE). In 1990, he joined McKinsey & Company and was soon promoted to senior associate. In 1992, Michael Reinhard joined Schott, Mainz (DE), where he was entrusted with management functions of increasing overall responsibility. In 1995, he became Vice President of Schott’s Pharmaceutical Packaging Division and in 1998 Senior Vice President of the Tubing Division comprising 2,400 employees. At Geberit, Michael Reinhard became Head Group Division Sales in 2005. From 2006 until the end of August 2016 he was Head Group Division Products. Since 1 September 2016 he has been Head Group Division Operations; see also Management Structure.

Egon Renfordt-Sasse (1957)

Member of the Group Executive Board since February 2015
with Geberit since 1997
Head of Group Division Product Management & Innovation
German citizen

Egon Renfordt-Sasse completed his mechanical engineering studies at RWTH Aachen University (DE) in 1986. He began his career at Battenfeld-Fischer in Troisdorf (DE), where he held several positions until 1997, the last of which as manager of the Technical Parts profit centre. In 1997, he joined the Geberit Group as product manager res­ponsible for the Installation Systems product line. From 2001 to 2003, he was res­ponsible for Sales Engineering – among other things – at Geberit’s German sales company. He then became Head Products Sanitary Systems at the Group, a position he held until 2012. Since then, he has been Head Group Marketing. From 2015 until the end of August 2016 he was Head Group Division Marketing & Brands. Since 1 September 2016 he has been Head Group Division Product Management & Innovation; see also Management Structure.

Karl Spachmann (1958)

Member of the Group Executive Board since 2011
with Geberit since 1997
Head of Group Division Sales Europe
German citizen

Karl Spachmann graduated in business and organisational studies at the University of the German Armed Forces in Munich (DE). He began his career with the German Armed Forces in 1983 where he served as radar commanding officer, platoon leader and press officer until 1990. In early 1990, he joined Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG in Künzelsau (DE), initially as Assistant to the Managing Director of Sales and later as Regional Sales Manager for North Rhine-Westphalia. In 1995, he moved to Friedrich Grohe AG in Hemer (DE) to work as res­ponsible Sales Manager for Germany. Since 1997, he has been res­ponsible for the German sales company of the Geberit Group, initially as Managing Director focusing on field service, and since 2000 as Chairman of the Management Board. Karl Spachmann has been Head of the Division Sales Europe since 2011; see also Management Structure.

Ronald van Triest (1969)

Member of the Group Executive Board since 2015
with Geberit since 2015
Head of Group Division Sales International
Dutch citizen

Ronald van Triest completed his Master’s degree in Management and Organisation at the University of Groningen (NL) in 1996. He started his career at Royal Philips, where he held various roles until 2006. These were initially in the areas of marketing and sales, before a second phase where he took on wide-ranging responsibilities in the areas of product management, M&A and executive management. He operated predominantly from Singapore and Hong Kong. From 2007 to 2009, he was General Manager Sales at China Electronics Corporation in Shenzhe (CN), where he was res­ponsible for the sales, marketing, service and logistics and managed staff in China, Singapore, Russia and Turkey. From 2010 to 2015, he worked for Ellipz Lighting in Singapore. As CEO and Managing Director, he was res­ponsible for setting up and developing the Asian business. Among other things, he established a joint venture in Beijing, set up the local production, R&D and sales and created sales channels in South-East Asia and the Middle East, as well as a joint venture in India. Since 2015 Ronald van Triest has been Head of Group Division Sales International of the Geberit Group; see also Management Structure.

Members of the Group Executive Board may hold up to two mandates in profit-oriented legal entities and up to four mandates in non-profit-oriented legal entities or charitable legal entities outside the Geberit Group.

Mandates of a member of the Group Executive Board in legal entities which are controlled by the company, or which control the company as well as mandates held by such member in their capacity as a member of the Group Executive Board of the company, or held by order and on behalf of the company or legal entities controlled by it, shall not count as mandates in legal entities outside the Geberit Group.

Mandates of a member of the Group Executive Board of the company in legal entities outside the Geberit Group which are under common control, as well as mandates held by such member in their capacity as a member of the supreme governing body or of the group management of a legal entity outside the Geberit Group or held by order and on behalf of such legal entity or legal entities controlled by it, shall be deemed one mandate outside the Geberit Group.

The acceptance of mandates from members of the Group Executive Board in legal entities outside the Geberit Group must be approved in advance by the Board of Directors or, if delegated to it, the Nomination and Compensation Committee.

Mandates in the sense of the Articles of Incorporation of Geberit AG are mandates in supreme governing bodies or in an advisory board of legal entities that are required to be recorded in the Commercial Register or in a corresponding foreign register.

The Group has not entered into any management contracts with companies (or natural persons) outside the Geberit Group.