Corporate Governance

Professional background and education

Jane Cao, Regional President China, is a member of the Management Board at Oerlikon. As a seasoned executive, Ms. Cao brings extensive expertise in business strategy, digital transformation, and operational excellence within the advanced manufacturing industry. Since joining Oerlikon in 2014, she has held several leadership positions, including Director of Sales and Operations, Senior Manager Digital Strategy, and Senior Manager Business Development & Strategy in Additive Manufacturing. Throughout her tenure, Ms. Cao has been instrumental in driving organizational growth, championing innovation and achieving impactful results. Before her career at Oerlikon, Ms. Cao gained valuable experience as a Business Development Officer at Dalkia Asia, a Research Associate at Deutsche Bank, and a Project Consultant at Europraxis Consulting. Ms. Cao holds a master’s degree in International Business from HEC Paris, where she also earned a certificate in "Energy in a Carbon Concerned Economy". Additionally, Ms. Cao holds a degree in Accounting from the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University, where she was awarded a research scholarship for her work in corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Professional background and education

Dr. David Franz, Regional President Europe and concurrently President of Oerlikon France, is also a member of Oerlikon’s Management Board. He joined Oerlikon in 1999 in R&D and has since held multiple operational and strategic leadership roles across the Group. With over two decades of international experience, including ten years spent living abroad, he has successfully led P&L organizations, overseen post-merger integrations, driven business turnarounds, and contributed to key strategic transformation initiatives. He holds a Ph.D. in Plasma Physics and a diploma in Engineering Physics from the Swiss Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne.

Professional background and education

Dr. Sumeet Gupta, Regional President APAC, is a member of Oerlikon’s Management Board. He is a seasoned executive with over 18 years of experience in business development and operational roles, driving growth and transformation. Previously, Dr. Gupta served as Global Head of Mergers & Acquisitions at Oerlikon, where he played a key role in reshaping the company’s strategy after the global financial crisis, including a strategic and portfolio transformation leading to Oerlikon’s current pure-play structure. Dr. Gupta successfully led over 25 cross-border transactions as Head of M&A at Oerlikon. He holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from ETH Zurich, a master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from Iowa State University, USA, and a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India.

Professional background and education

Andrea Lai, President Global Operations at Oerlikon, is a member of the Management Board. Mr. Lai is a senior executive with extensive experience in operations, procurement, and supply chain management. He has been with Oerlikon since 2013, where he has held several key leadership positions, including Chief Operating Officer, Group Chief Procurement Officer, and Head of Direct Material Category Management. In these roles, he has been a principal advisor on operational strategy and business transformation, contributing significantly to the company’s ongoing success. Prior to joining Oerlikon, Mr. Lai served in senior procurement roles at Ferrari Racing F1 and Ferrari Road Cars, leading strategic sourcing activities for both vehicle and body components. He holds a Master of Business Administration from SDA Bocconi, as well as advanced degrees in engineering from the University of Illinois and Politecnico di Torino.

Professional background and education

Andrea Peruch, CEO of HRSflow, is a member of the Oerlikon Management Board. He brings extensive international management experience in the hot runner systems industry. Mr. Peruch joined the Group in 2021 as General Manager following Oerlikon’s acquisition of Inglass Spa, where he played a key role in the acquisition, due diligence, and integration. As CEO, Mr. Peruch has focused on increasing market share and driving product portfolio diversification. Mr. Peruch holds a Master of Business Administration from Kansas University and degrees in Industrial Engineering from the University of Udine and Windsor University.

Professional background and education

Katharina Rick, President of Oerlikon Luxury, is a member of the Management Board. Since 2021, Dr. Rick has served as Head of Strategy for Oerlikon Surface Solutions and Head of Integration Luxury. From 2018 to 2021, she supported a portfolio company of Advent International in Austria through the carve-out from GE, where she was responsible for the Transformation Office at INNIO. Previously, Dr. Rick was Partner & Managing Director at The Boston Consulting Group, working mainly in the Energy sector across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. Since 2016, she has contributed to the creation of BCG Gamma (now BCG X), developing digital solutions. Dr. Rick holds a Dr. oec. and lic. oec. from the University of St. Gallen.

Professional background and education

Guilherme Rocha, Head of Group Strategy, BD, and Commercial Excellence, is a member of Oerlikon’s Management Board. With over 15 years of experience in designing, managing, and implementing business strategy and digital transformation initiatives for industrial companies, Mr. Rocha is highly accomplished in this field. Since joining Oerlikon in 2019, he has held various strategic, product, and program management positions, successfully leading transformation initiatives and shaping the group’s long-term strategy. Previously, he held different roles at Accenture Ltd. serving large corporations in the Energy, Utilities and Manufacturing industries. Mr. Rocha holds a Master of Business Administration from St. Gallen University, Switzerland, and a bachelor’s degree in Control and Automation Engineering from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Professional background and education

Brett Rosenthal, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Oerlikon, is a member of the Management Board. He brings more than a decade of distinguished experience as a senior leader in technology and innovation within multinational organizations. In his role as CTO, Mr. Rosenthal serves as a principal advisor to the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee on technology strategy and innovation. Since 2021, he has held executive positions at Oerlikon, overseeing portfolio management, innovation, and research and development for advanced materials and coatings. Previously, Mr. Rosenthal served as CTO at Precision Surfacing Solutions and held influential engineering roles at Tesla Motors and Apple. He earned his degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Professional background and education

Thomas Schmidt, Head of Corporate Communications, is a member of the Management Board. He has 30 years of leadership experience in corporate communications for leading industrial companies. Prior to joining Oerlikon, Mr. Schmidt led Group External Communications at Alstom Group SA, Paris. Before that he was Head of Communications and Public Affairs at Bombardier Transportation Ltd., Berlin, and prior to that Head of Public Affairs and Group External Communications at ABB, Zurich. He began his career at Mercedes-Benz AG and Deutsche Aerospace AG. Mr. Schmidt holds master’s degrees in Economics from the London School of Economics and in Business Studies from Aberdeen University.

Professional background and education

Dr. Wolfgang Schmitz serves as the Regional President Americas and is a member of the Management Board at Oerlikon. He has extensive executive experience, having held full profit & loss responsibility for over 20 years. In addition, Dr. Schmitz has accumulated a decade of Board and Joint Venture directorship experience, working across Europe, the Americas, and China. Since joining Oerlikon in 2014, Dr. Schmitz has occupied several senior leadership positions. Notably, he led the global Balzers Business, playing a pivotal role in advancing the company’s operations and strategic initiatives on a global scale. Before his tenure at Oerlikon, Dr. Schmitz held executive roles at Vestas A/S in Denmark and Germany, where he served as Group Senior Vice President and President Central Europe. He also worked at Alcan Inc. as Divisional President in Canada, Germany and Switzerland. Dr. Schmitz earned a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from RWTH Aachen University, Germany.