The BKW Group is a Bern-based international energy and infrastructure company employing about 7,000 people. Its company network and extensive expertise allow it to offer its customers a full range of overall solutions. The Group plans, builds and operates infrastructure to produce and supply energy to businesses, households and the public sector, and offers digital business models for renewable energies. Today, the BKW Group portfolio comprises everything from engineering consultancy and planning for energy, infrastructure and environmental projects, through integrated offers in the field of building technology, to the construction, servicing and maintenance of energy, telecommunications, transport and water networks.
![[Translate to English:] Suzanne Thoma](https://bkw-portal-static.s3.amazonaws.com/Webcontent/bkw.ch/fileadmin/_processed_/6/4/csm_Thoma_gross_eb07c1cca4.jpg "[Translate to English:] Suzanne Thoma")
CEO of the BKW Group
1962 – Swiss national
Chemical engineer ETH
Suzanne Thoma was Head of Networks at BKW in 2010 before being appointed as CEO in 2013. Until 2009 she was Head of the Automotive Division of the WICOR Group in Rapperswil. Before that, as CEO of Rolic Technologies Ltd., she led a high-tech supplier to the electrical industry. She had previously worked for 12 years in a range of roles and countries for Ciba Spezialitätenchemie AG.
Head of the Group Markets & Services division
1974 – Swiss and German citizenship
Dr. iur, EMBA (IMD Lausanne)
Antje Kanngiesser has worked for BKW since 2014. After a year as General Secretary, she worked as Head of Group Management from 2015 to 2017 and a member of the extended Executive Board, and has served as Head of Markets & Services since autumn 2017. Before joining BKW, Antje Kanngiesser held various managerial positions at the Alpiq Group and Energie Ouest Suisse (EOS). From 2001 to 2007, she worked in Berlin as a lawyer specialising in energy, infrastructure and commercial law.
Head of Networks
1958 - Swiss national
PhD in Business economics, MBA, Electrical engineer FH
Roland Küpfer is a technology expert with longstanding management experience: over the past four years, Küpfer has been expanding Multiple Dimensions AG’s business activities. Before that, he was CEO of the Cicor Group, a member of the executive management at ASCOM Security Communication and Executive Vice President of the Schaffner Group.
![[Translate to English:] Hermann Ineichen](https://bkw-portal-static.s3.amazonaws.com/Webcontent/bkw.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/4_Ueber_BKW/Unternehmen/Fotos_KL/Ineichen_gross.jpg "[Translate to English:] Hermann Ineichen")
Head of Production
1957 – Swiss national
electrical engineer ETH and MSc in Energy Management, EPFL
Hermann Ineichen joined BKW in 1996. He was Head of Trading at BKW until the end of 2000, and prior to that he headed the Tariffs department of Centralschweizerische Kraftwerke AG.
Did you know...
... Hermann Ineichen is a keen hiker and climbs some 25,000 m in altitude every year?
![[Translate to English:] Ronald Trächsel](https://bkw-portal-static.s3.amazonaws.com/Webcontent/bkw.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/4_Ueber_BKW/Unternehmen/Fotos_KL/Traechsel_gross.jpg "[Translate to English:] Ronald Trächsel")
Head of Finance and Services/CFO
1959 – Swiss national
lic.rer.pol.
Before joining BKW in 2014, Ronald Trächsel was CFO at the Sika Group, where he had been responsible for finance and IT since 2008. Prior to that, he spent eight years as CEO and CFO at Vitra, a company with a presence on the global stage. From 1995 to 1999 Ronald Trächsel was CFO of Ringier International.
Head of Corporate Communications
1967 – Swiss citizen
Lic. iur, Executive Master in Communication Management
Martin Schweikert has worked at BKW since mid-2013 and heads the Corporate Communications, Brand Management and Public Affairs divisions. He previously worked with Swisscom for around eight years, where he was responsible for marketing and corporate communications for the company’s fast-growing IT division. After completing his studies, he worked for around ten years in business and communications consulting, for a number of companies in the technology and industry sector, and for associations.
*extended Executive Board
Head of the Infra Services divison
1964 – German citizen (B permit)
Surveying technician/EMBA (FH)
Werner Sturm joined the BKW Group in 2008 as Managing Director of Arnold AG. Previously, he had been Managing Director of SAG Kommunikationstechnik Schweiz AG for eight years. For seven years prior to that he was responsible for a GIS system in his role as managing director of a Swiss software concern. His career began in an engineering office for construction and surveying in Rheinfelden.
*extended Executive Board
Head of the Engineering division
1962 – Swiss citizen
Michael Schüepp joined BKW in late 2014 and assumed responsibility for the development and expansion of BKW Engineering. For over ten years prior to that, he served as managing director and COO in the finance and telecommunications field, as well as non-executive director for private equities, most recently as CEO for a mid-sized company.
Previously, he operated as an independent entrepreneur for licensed personnel evaluation systems for 15 years before successfully selling the company.
*extended Executive Board
Head of the Building Solutions division
1967 – Swiss citizenship
Lawyer, EMBA HSG
Mathias Prüssing has worked at BKW since 2016. He first headed the Markets division before being appointed CEO of BKW Building Solutions in November 2017. He had previously served a number of years as CEO of Comfone AG and Infonet Schweiz AG, both companies in the telecom/IT sector with an international presence. Prior to that he filled a number of roles at Swisscom AG for about ten years
*extended Executive Board
| Name | Nationality | since | In office until | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urs Gasche | CH | 2002* | GA 2019 | Chair of the Board, Chair of the Remuneration and Nomination Committee |
| Hartmut Geldmacher | D | 2009* | GA 2019 | Vice Chair of the Board, Member of the Remuneration and Nomination Committee |
| Roger Baillod | CH | 2013 | GA 2019 | Member |
| Kurt Schär | CH | 2012 | GA 2019 | Member |
Carole Ackermann | CH, A | 2018 | GA 2019 | Member |
Rebecca Guntern | CH | from sept 2018 | GA 2019 | Member |
Andreas Rickenbacher** | CH | 2018 | GA 2020 | Member, Member of the Remuneration and Nomination Committee |
* Date when member joined the board of BKW FMB Energie Ltd. before changing to the holding company structure.
** Canton of Berne delegate
Solutions for a liveable future.
We make a major contribution to society.
We serve our customers with enthusiasm.
We are successful thanks to our employees.
We are attractive to our investors.
We build strong partnerships.
You can rely on us
We set standards
Commitment to our customers
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