Executive Committee

Professional background

Suzanne Thoma (Swiss) was elected as a member of Sulzer’s Board of Directors in 2021 and as Chair in 2022. In addition, she was appointed Executive Chair of Sulzer as of November 1, 2022. Before joining Sulzer, Suzanne Thoma served as CEO at the International Energy, Engineering and Service company BKW AG in Bern, Switzerland, from 2013 to 2022. Prior to her appointment as CEO of BKW, she was a member of the Group Executive Committee, responsible for the Networks division. Before that, she was Head of the Automotive division for the WICOR Group in Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland, and CEO of Rolic Technologies Ltd., Allschwil, Switzerland. Earlier in her career, Suzanne Thoma held various management roles in a number of countries at Ciba Specialty Chemicals Ltd. (now BASF).

Professional background

Thomas Zickler (German/Swiss) was appointed Chief Financial Officer and member of the Executive Committee on May 1, 2022. He joined Sulzer as Head of Group Treasury in 2015 and most recently served as Head of Group Corporate Finance & Shared Services. Since 2016, Thomas Zickler has been a Member of the Board of Trustees for the company's pension plans, the Sulzer Vorsorgeeinrichtung (SVE) and Johann Jakob Sulzer-Stiftung (JJS). Before joining Sulzer, he worked as Country Treasurer for ABB Switzerland in Baden (2010-2015). From 2006 until 2009, he was Vice President and Head of the External Financial Reporting & Technical Accounting Policies department for ABB Group in Zurich. Prior to that, from 1996 until 2006, he held various positions within Finance (controlling, accounting, treasury, IT consulting) at DaimlerChrysler in Stuttgart and Berlin. Thomas Zickler began his career in 1995 within the controlling department at Sherwood Medical and Metallgesellschaft in Frankfurt on Main. During his studies, he worked for Siemens AG in the Central Finance Department and Siemens Capital Corporation, in Munich and New York City. He was also an analyst at Georg Hauck & Son Bankiers in the equity research department in Frankfurt on Main.

Professional background

Haining Auperin (French) was appointed Chief Human Resources Officer and member of the Executive Committee on January 1, 2023. She joined Sulzer in 2016 as Division Head of HR for Flow Equipment and most recently served as Head of Group Human Resources Operations. Before joining Sulzer, Haining Auperin was the Senior Vice President Human Resources Boiler Business for GE Power from 2014 to 2016. Prior to that, she held various senior HR leader positions in different areas within GE, AREVA and Ansaldo.

1) Appointed on January 1, 2023

Professional background

Uwe Boltersdorf (German) was appointed Division President Chemtech and member of the Executive Committee on January 1, 2023. He had joined Sulzer in 2021 as Global Head of Technologies and Operational Excellence for Chemtech. From 2014 to 2021, Uwe Boltersdorf held various management roles at thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions in the EPC, plant engineering and licensing business, including the Chief Sales Officer role for its chemical plant engineering business (former “Uhde”). Before thyssenkrupp, he served as Head of Group Function Corporate Development for the Lanxess Group (2009-2014), a specialized German chemicals company then active in chemicals, polyamides, rubbers, additives and custom manufacturing for pharma and agrochemicals. Uwe Boltersdorf gained his international experience by assignments at Lanxess and Bayer (2001 to 2014) in process engineering, production and site management as well as in strategy functions and M&A processes.

1) Appointed on January 1, 2023

Professional background

Jan Lueder (German) joined the Sulzer Executive Committee as Division President Flow Equipment on January 1, 2023. Before joining Sulzer, Jan served since 2019 as CEO of the Mining Technologies business unit for thyssenkrupp, which has been acquired by FLSmidth in August 2022. Prior to this assignment, he held the position of CEO of thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions South East Asia in Singapore. In parallel, he held the position of CEO of thyssenkrupp South East Asia (since 2018). Previously, Jan worked for almost 20 years, from 1995 to 2015, for Siemens in the Power Plant and Industrial Solutions business in several long-term assignments in Asia, including Malaysia, from 1997 to 2000, and China, from 2011 to 2015, and within Europe (Finland from 2002 to 2004 and Austria from 2008 to 2011).

1) Appointed on January 1, 2023

Professional background

Tim Schulten (Swiss) joined the Sulzer Executive Committee as Division President Services in 2022. Prior to that he was the Group Head for Marketing, Strategy and Digital. Before joining Sulzer, Tim Schulten was the General Manager and responsible for global Product Support & Marketing for Caterpillar’s Electric Power Business. From 2012 to 2015 he was General Manager for Sales & Distribution for Caterpillar’s global gas engine business, responsible for building and leading the organization during the post-acquisition integration of MWM. From 2007 to 2012, he was a Division Manager responsible for Caterpillar’s Electric Power Retail business in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Prior to that he held various positions in sales, marketing and product support with Caterpillar and he spent several years in California working in technology start-ups.