About us
The BKW Group is a Bern-based international energy and infrastructure company employing around 10'000 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.
Executive Board
Executive Board
Dr. Suzanne Thoma
![[Translate to English:] Suzanne Thoma](https://bkw-portal-static.s3.amazonaws.com/Webcontent/bkw.ch/fileadmin/_processed_/6/4/csm_Thoma_gross_390a97539d.jpg "[Translate to English:] Suzanne Thoma")
CEO of the BKW Group
1962 – Swiss citizenship
Chemical engineer ETH
Dr. Suzanne Thoma has been CEO of BKW AG since 2013. She joined BKW in 2010 as head of the Grid division and a member of the Executive Board. Before joining BKW, she led WICOR Group’s international automobile supply business in Rapperswil. Prior to that, as CEO of Rolic Technologies AG, she headed a start-up specialised in high-tech materials and technology licences. She previously worked at Ciba Spezialitätenchemie AG (today BASF AG) for about 10 years in a variety of management roles, both in Switzerland and abroad. Dr. Thoma holds a PhD in chemical engineering from ETH Zurich.
Dr. Antje Kanngiesser
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.
Dr. Roland Küpfer
Head of Networks
1958 - Swiss citizenship
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.
Ronald Trächsel
![[Translate to English:] Ronald Trächsel](https://bkw-portal-static.s3.amazonaws.com/Webcontent/bkw.ch/fileadmin/_processed_/a/9/csm_Traechsel_gross_72150d34e5.jpg "[Translate to English:] Ronald Trächsel")
Head of Finance and Services/CFO
1959 – Swiss citizenship
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.
Martin Schweikert*
Head of Corporate Communications
1967 – Swiss citizenship
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
Werner Sturm*
Head of the Infra Services divison
1964 – German citizenship (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
Michael R. Schüepp*
Head of the Engineering division
1962 – Swiss citizenship
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
Mathias Prüssing*
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
Board of Directors
| Name | Nationality | since | In office until | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urs Gasche | CH | 2002* | GA 2021 | Chair of the Board, Chair of the Remuneration and Nomination Committee |
| Hartmut Geldmacher | D | 2009* | GA 2021 | Vice Chair of the Board, Member of the Remuneration and Nomination Committee |
| Roger Baillod | CH | 2013 | GA 2021 | Member, Chairman of the Audit and Risk Management Committee |
| Kurt Schär | CH | 2012 | GA 2021 | Member, Deputy Chairman of the Audit and Risk Management Committee |
Carole Ackermann | CH, A | 2018 | GA 2021 | Member, Member of the Audit and Risk Management Committee |
Rebecca Guntern | CH | from sept 2018 | GA 2021 | Member |
Andreas Rickenbacher** | CH | 2018 | 31/05/2022 | Member, Member of the Remuneration and Nomination Committee |
