Management

EXECUTIVE BOARD

JAHANGIR (JAN) DOONGAJI

Jan Doongadji_MG_2024.jpg

Chief Executive Officer

Jahangir Doongaji (born 1967) assumed CEO responsibilities as of January 2023. He has been a member of the Executive Board since 2014, being responsible for the Electric Tools & Accessories Business Area and Corporate Research. Jahangir Doongaji started his Hilti career in 2000, initially leading customer service in the Swiss market organization. In 2002, he moved to corporate headquarters in Schaan, where he has held various positions in different Business Units. From 2006 to 2013, he headed the largest Business Unit, Power Tools & Accessories, before moving to the Executive Board. Recently, Jahangir Doongaji led the development of the Hilti Group Strategy Lead 2030. 

FELIX HESS

Felix Hess

Corporate Functions

Felix Hess (born 1975) took over responsibility for Finance, Tax, Human Resources, IT and Corporate Development as of January 2023. He started his career with Hilti in 2011 as Head of M&A and Strategic Controlling at headquarters. His roles since then include responsibilities for Finance in the Southern Europe region from 2012 to 2015, and in the Asia/Pacific region from 2015 to 2017. In 2017, Felix Hess became the Head of Global Finance & Controlling at the company’s global headquarters in Schaan.

TASSILO DEINZER

Jahangir (Jan) Doongaji

Fastening & Protection Business Area and Global Logistics

Tassilo Deinzer (born 1971) joined the Executive Board in 2022 and is responsible for the Fastening & Protection Business Area and Global Logistics. He joined Hilti headquarters in Schaan in 2003 in Corporate Development. Shortly afterwards, he led the strategy work in Hilti North America before relocating to Germany to assume responsibility for a sales region. From 2006 on, Tassilo Deinzer had multiple roles as Head of various Business Units at Hilti headquarters prior to moving into the position of Head of the Power Tools & Accessories Business Unit in 2013.

THOMAS HILLBRAND

THOMAS HILLBRAND

Electric Tools & Accessories Business Area and Corporate Research

Thomas Hillbrand (born 1975) joined the Executive Board in 2022 and is responsible for the Electric Tools & Accessories Business Area and Corporate Research. He started his Hilti career in 2005 in Corporate Development in Schaan. In 2007, he joined the German market organization, where he initially led the Hilti Stores. In 2009, Thomas Hillbrand took over responsibility for the Electric Tools & Accessories Business Area in Germany and later for the Central Europe region. Upon returning to headquarters in 2012, he led the marketing teams of different Business Units. In 2017, Thomas Hillbrand assumed the role of Head of the Measuring Systems Business Unit.

AVRAHAM (AVI) KAHN

Dr. Stefan Nöken

FAsia and Americas Markets, Energy & Industry Business Area

Avraham Kahn (born 1977) has been a member of the Executive Board since January 2020 and is responsible for Asia and the Americas markets, as well as the Energy & Industry Business Area. He began his Hilti career in sales in the USA in 2004. After holding various management positions, he was promoted to General Manager for Hilti Canada in 2011. In 2017, Avraham Kahn took over responsibility for the entire North American region.

JOAQUIM SARDÀ

JOAQUIM SARDÀ SOLSONA

European, Middle East & African Markets, Strategic Marketing

Joaquim Sardà (born 1974) has been a member of the Executive Board since January 2020. He is responsible for the European, Middle East and African Markets and for the Strategic Marketing unit. Joaquim Sardà started his Hilti career in 2005 in Corporate Development at headquarters. Later he held multiple management positions in sales in Italy and Germany. In 2012, Joaquim Sardà took over the position of General Manager of the Italian market organization and the Southern Europe region.

Board of Directors

Michael Hilti

Michael Hilti

Honorary Chairman of the Board

Schaan, Liechtenstein

Michael Hilti (born 1946) was elected Honorary Chairman of the Board of Directors at the 2018 Annual General Meeting and has been a member of the Board of Directors since 1990. The son of company founder Professor Martin Hilti joined Hilti in 1975, one year later he was named to the company’s Executive Board. He served as Deputy CEO from 1978. In 1990 he was named CEO, a position he held until the end of 1993. He was Chairman of the Board of Directors from 1994 to 2006. Michael Hilti further serves as a Trustee of the Martin Hilti Family Trust, as Chairman of the Hilti Art Foundation, as Chairman of the Hilti Family Foundation Liechtenstein, and as a member of the Board of the Hilti Foundation. He has held numerous directorships, including being named a Princely Commerce Councilor by H.S.H. Prince Hans-Adam II von und zu Liechtenstein, and was also awarded the title Honorary Senator by the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland).

DR. CHRISTOPH LOOS

Heinrich Fischer

Chairman of the Board of Directors

Christoph Loos (born 1968; elected until the 2025 Annual General Meeting) assumed Chairman responsibilities in January 2023. Upon graduating from University of St. Gallen (HSG) in 1994 he worked for Boston Consulting Group, in both Munich and Shanghai, for six years before joining Hilti in 2001. Following positions in Corporate Development, Strategic Marketing and Sales, and after serving as General Manager of Hilti’s German market organization, he was appointed to the Executive Board in 2007, where he was initially responsible for all corporate functions. After four years he assumed responsibility for the emerging market regions and the global Energy & Industry business before eventually serving nine years as Group CEO, from 2014 to 2022. Since 2022, Christoph Loos has also been Chairman of FUCHS Petrolub SE (Germany).

DR. DANIEL DAENIKER

DR. DANIEL DAENIKER

Daniel Daeniker (born 1963; elected until the 2024 Annual General Meeting) joined the Board of Directors in 2018. Since 2023, hes has also been a Trustee of the Martin Hilti Family Trust. Daniel Daeniker is the Senior Partner of Homburger AG, a business law firm in Zurich, where he joined as a trainee in 1988 and was made partner in 2000. His practice focuses on mergers & acquisitions, corporate governance, equity capital markets and financial services regulation. He studied at the University of Zurich (Dr. iur. 1992) and at the University of Chicago (LL.M. 1996). Daniel Daeniker is a lecturer at the University of Zurich and the President of the donor foundation of Avenir Suisse, Switzerland's leading free-market think tank.

MICHÈLE FREY-HILTI

MICHÈLE FREY-HILTI

Michèle Frey-Hilti (elected until the 2025 Annual General Meeting) joined the Board of Directors in 2022. She studied at the European Business School London and graduated in 2011 with a BA in International Events Management. She is the granddaughter of the company founder, Professor Martin Hilti, and joined the Hilti Group in 2012. Her first position in the company was Customer Service Representative and she later served as a Product Manager. From 2016 to 2019, she was Managing Director of the Hilti Foundation, and subsequently held the position of Managing Director of the Hilti Family Foundation Liechtenstein until 2022. From 2015 to 2022 she headed the communications department of the Martin Hilti Family Trust. Michèle Frey-Hilti is Chairwoman of the Board of the Hilti Family Foundation Liechtenstein, member of the Board of the Hilti Foundation as well as the Hilti Art Foundation and Vice Chair of the Lebenswertes Liechtenstein Foundation.

CARLA DE GEYSELEER

CARLA DE GEYSELEER

Carla De Geyseleer (born 1968; elected until the 2025 Annual General Meeting) joined the Board of Directors in 2019. She is the Group CFO of the Schindler Corporation, Ebikon (Switzerland). She previously served as Chief Financial Officer for Volvo Car Group (Sweden), for SGS in Geneva (Switzerland), for mobile operator Vodafone’s subsidiary, Vodafone Libertel B.V., and for the logistics company DHL Express Benelux. Before that, she served in multiple regional and global roles in finance and business development at DHL. She started her career as an auditor at EY in Brussels (Belgium). She holds a board mandate at Polestar Automotive Holding Ltd (UK) and is a member of the Advisory Board of Geneva School of Economics and Management. Carla De Geyseleer also holds an Executive MBA from the Institute for Management Development in Lausanne (Switzerland).

MATTHIAS GILLNER

 MATTHIAS GILLNER

Matthias Gillner (born 1967; elected until 2025 Annual General Meeting) joined the Board of Directors in January 2023. A chemical engineer by training, he started his Hilti career in April 2000 after working for Boston Consulting Group, in Munich, for seven years and obtaining an MBA at INSEAD, Fontainebleau. Following roles in Corporate Development, Human Resources and various business unit assignments, he was appointed to Hilti’s Executive Board in 2011, and was initially responsible for Electric Tools & Accessories and Corporate Research. In 2014, he transitioned within the Executive Board, leading the emerging market regions and the global Energy & Industry business before taking charge of Finance, Tax, Human Resources, IT, Corporate Development and the global Energy & Industry business between 2017 and 2022. Since 2023, he has also been a Trustee of the Martin Hilti Family Trust and Chairman of the Hilti Foundation. Matthias Gillner is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Tecan Group (Switzerland).

 

Marco Meyrat

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Marco Meyrat (born 1963; elected until the 2023 Annual General Meeting) joined the Board of Directors in 2020. In January 2023 he was appointed Speaker of the Trustees of the Martin Hilti Family Trust. In the previous three years he served as a Trustee of the Martin Hilti Family Trust and as the Chairman of the Hilti Foundation. From 2005 to 2019, he was a member of the Hilti Group Executive Board, being responsible for global sales and marketing. After graduating from University of St. Gallen (HSG) he began his career at Hilti in 1989 as a Product Manager in the Direct Fastening Business Unit at corporate headquarters in Liechtenstein prior to assuming different roles in marketing, sales and general management in France, Switzerland and Germany. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of Ardex GmbH, Witten (Germany), and member of the Board of Directors of the Hälg Group, St. Gallen (Switzerland). Marco Meyrat is also the Chairman of Venture Incubator AG, Zug (Switzerland), a member of the Foundation Board of the Cantonal Hospital Grisons (Switzerland) and Chairman of the Toni Hilti Family Trusteeship (Liechtenstein).

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DR. PETER TERWIESCH

Peter Terwiesch (born 1966; elected until the 2025 Annual General Meeting) joined the Board of Directors in 2022. He is President of the Process Automation business area and a member of the Group Executive Committee of ABB since January 2015. He joined ABB in 1994 and was head of the Central Europe region from 2011 to 2014 and Chief Technology Officer from 2005 to 2011. In 2013, he was nominated as a Fellow by IFAC (International Federation of Automatic Control). Since 2020 he is an executive member of the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance (ECH2A). Peter Terwiesch studied electrical engineering in Karlsruhe (Germany) and Strasbourg (France), holds a PhD from ETH Zurich (Switzerland), and is an alumnus of Harvard Business School’s General Manager Program (US).

Barbara Milian Thoralfsson

Barbara Milian Thoralfsson

Barbara Milian Thoralfsson (born 1959; re-elected until the 2023 Annual General Meeting) was elected to the Board of Directors in September 2014. She has an MBA in marketing and finance from Columbia University in New York (USA) and a BA in psychology from Duke University in North Carolina (USA). She has held Chief Executive Officer positions in the telecom and consumer goods sectors and has extensive experience as a non-executive director of both public and privately held multinational companies in a wide variety of industries. Since 2006, she has been an entrepreneur in the industrial sector, building the largest plastic recycling company in Scandinavia. Barbara Milian Thoralfsson is a member of the Board and Chairwoman of the Audit Committee of SCA AB and Essity AB (Sweden). She is Chairwoman of Exclusive Networks SA in France.