There’s a surprise change in Sulzer’s top. The Chairman of the Board of Directors, Suzanne Thoma, has been appointed Managing Director by the Board of Directors and thus assumes the operational management. It is designed to test the previous strategy. Thoma replaces CEO Frédéric Lalanne, who announced his resignation at the end of October 2022, Sulzer announced on Monday. Lalanne took over the CEO role from longtime boss Greg Poux-Guillaume last February and continued to run the largest division, Flow Equipment.
At the same time, Thoma was tasked by the board with “a comprehensive review and realignment of the strategy.” Considering the ever-changing market environment and the consequent structural change in demand in the energy and infrastructure sector, action is needed based on reason.
Sulzer claims to have “leading technologies” in the growing energy, environmental and industrial process markets, but also sees “high, untapped potential”, particularly in the areas of resource and energy efficiency, decarbonisation, water treatment, bio-based polymers. and circular economy.
Strategy will be presented in 2023
“The dramatically changing demand as a result of geopolitical developments and climate change is both a challenge and an opportunity for Sulzer,” said Matthias Bichsel, Executive Vice President. “We must act quickly and decisively now to take advantage of the opportunities involved. To do this, a comprehensive overhaul of our strategy is required.”
It is aimed to appoint Thoma to the general management of Sulzer and to review the strategy, to ensure optimal coordination between the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee in this process, and to ensure continuity in the company’s management at the same time. Thoma is said to remain as Chief Executive Officer, at least until the new corporate strategy is developed and the first phase of its implementation is completed. Sulzer plans to report the first findings from the strategy review in the first half of 2023. (SDA)