The Board of Directors consists of eight members. They are Sika's highest governing body and bring with them a vast array of experience, skills, and expertise that are in line with our strategic goals.
Thierry F. J. Vanlancker
Chair of the Board of Directors
Former CEO of multinational paint and coating Company (AkzoNobel)
Year of birth: 1964
Nationality: Belgian
Member since: 2019
Chair of the Board since: 2024
Thierry F. J. Vanlancker is considered to be independent.
Education
MSc Chemical Engineer, University of Ghent, Belgium
Career
2017 - 2022: CEO, AkzoNobel, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2016-2017: Head Specialty Chemicals and Executive Committee Member, AkzoNobel, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2015-2016: President Fluoroproducts, Chemours; President Chemours EMEA, Geneva, Switzerland, and Wilmington, USA
1989-2016: various functions within DuPont:
Vice President DuPont Performance Coatings EMEA, Cologne, Germany
Global Business & Marketing Director Fluorochemicals, DuPont, Wilmington, USA
Mandates in listed companies:
Member of the Board: Cabot Corporation, Boston, USA (Member of the Audit Committee)
Mandates in non-listed companies and organizations:
Managing Director: Aliaxis Holdings S.A., Brussels, Belgium
Key Skills and Experience:
Having held various management positions in the chemical sector for more than 30 years, Thierry Vanlancker brings with him extensive global and industrial experience. He possesses in-depth knowledge of strategy, M&A, product development, sales, and marketing with specific know-how in chemicals markets and distribution. He held the position as CEO of AkzoNobel, a large international paints and coatings company active in more than 150 countries, recognized for its leading ESG performance in all relevant benchmarks. He contributes with strong expertise about the management of large international companies, management of differentiated channels to market as well as in-depth experience of sustainability strategy implementation.
Thomas Aebischer
Board of Directors
Former CFO of multinational companies in the chemical and construction sectors
Year of birth: 1961
Nationality: Swiss
Member since: 2024
Chair of the Audit Committee
Thomas Aebischer is considered to be independent.
Education
Certified Public Accountant (CPA), School for Swiss Certified Accountants, Switzerland
Career
June 2023-December 2023: Interim CFO, Master Builders Solutions, Germany
2021-2022: CFO, RWDC Industries, USA
2016-2019: Executive Vice President and CFO, LyondellBasell Industries, USA and the Netherlands
1996-2015: Various functions within Holcim:
Group CFO and Member of Executive Committee, LafargeHolcim
CFO and Senior Vice President, Holcim Inc., USA
CFO and Senior Vice President, Holcim Apasco, Mexico
Head Corporate Controlling, Holcim Group Support Ltd., Switzerland
1988-1996: Audit Senior Manager, PwC, Switzerland and Hongkong
1983-1987: Tax Specialist, Cantonal tax authorities, Switzerland
Mandates in listed companies and organizations:
Member of the Board: Solvay SA, Brussels, Belgium (Chair of the Audit Committee); dormakaba Holding AG, Rümlang, Switzerland (Chair of the Audit Committee and Vice Chair of the Board)
Key Skills and Experience:
Thomas Aebischer brings more than 30 years of international experience in the chemical and construction industries. His career has taken him to the USA, Mexico, and Asia where he has been active in industries with market structures and technologies relevant for Sika. With his profound knowledge in the fields of strategy, business development, and M&A he makes a valuable contribution to the continued strategic development of Sika. Having spent many years as CFO of several multinational companies, he possesses proven financial and risk management skills which makes him highly suitable to chair the Audit Committee.
Viktor Waldemar Balli
Board of Directors
Former CFO of global manufacturer of chocolate and cocoa products (Barry Callebaut)
Year of birth: 1957
Nationality: Swiss
Member since: 2019
Member of the Audit Committee, Member of the Sustainability Committee
Viktor W. Balli is considered to be independent.
Education
MSc Chemical Engineer, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich; M.A. Economics, University of St. Gallen (HSG), Switzerland
Career
2007-2018: CFO Barry Callebaut Group, Zurich, Switzerland
1996-2006: Director of Niantic Group (Family Holding)
1991-1995: Principal of Adinvest AG, Zurich, Switzerland
1989-1991: Head Corporate Finance, Marc Rich & Co Holding AG, Zug, Switzerland
1985-1989: Financial Analyst and Manager, EniChem International AG, Zurich, Switzerland, and Milan, Italy
Mandates in listed companies:
Member of the Board: Givaudan AG, Vernier, Switzerland (Chair of the Audit Committee and Member of the Compensation Committee); Medacta International SA, Castel San Pietro, Switzerland (Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee); KWS Saat SE & Co. KGaA, Einbeck, Germany (Chair of the Audit Committee)
Mandates in non-listed companies and organizations:
Member of the Board: Swiss Federal Audit Oversight Authority (RAB), Bern, Switzerland; Hemro AG, Zurich, Switzerland; Louis Dreyfus Company International Holding BV, Amsterdam, Netherlands (Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee)
Key Skills and Experience:
Viktor Balli brings a wealth of financial and management experience, including his more than 10-year tenure as CFO for the Barry Callebaut Group, a global manufacturer of chocolate and cocoa products with sales activities in more than 140 countries. In this period, he was co-steering the development of an industry leading CSR strategy. With his extensive know-how in the areas of reporting, auditing, and risk management, he possesses competencies that are becoming increasingly relevant for corporates’ non-financial disclosure and performance. In addition to his managerial experience in globally active companies, holding master’s degrees both in chemical engineering (ETH) and in economics (HSG), he brings with him extensive knowledge in two highly relevant areas for Sika’s strategic development.
Lucrèce Foufopoulos-De Ridder
Board of Directors
Former Executive VP Polyolefins & Chief Technology Officer at global provider of chemicals and circular polyolefin solutions (Borealis Group)
Year of birth: 1967
Nationality: Belgian, Swiss
Member since: 2022
Chair of the Sustainability Committee
Lucrèce Foufopoulos-De Ridder is considered to be independent.
Education
MSc Materials Engineering, University of Gent, Belgium; MSc Polymers & Composites Engineering, University of Leuven, Belgium; Executive Business Education Insead, Paris, France and IMD, Lausanne, Switzerland
Career
2019-2023: Executive Vice President Polyolefins & Chief Technology Officer, Borealis Group, Vienna, Austria
2014–2018: Vice President and General Manager Rubber Additives & Chief Commercial Officer, Eastman Chemical, Zug, Switzerland
1996–2014: various functions within Dow Chemical Group (incl. Rohm and Haas and Dow Corning): general / business (P&L) leadership, commercial, marketing & strategy leadership, M&A as well as research, product & application development across a broad range of industries spanning transportation, healthcare, food & nutrition, electronics, building & construction, oil & gas and water treatment, in Belgium, France, Switzerland, China, and the United States
1992–1996: Research, Product & Application development, Tyco, Kessel-Lo, Belgium and Menlo Park, USA
Mandates in listed companies:
Member of the Board: Amcor, Zurich, Switzerland (Chair of the Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee, Member of the Compensation Committee); Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Member of the Investment Committee, Member of the Sustainability, Risk, and EHSS Committee); Tronox, Stamford, USA (Member of the Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee); Quaker Houghton, Conshohocken, USA (Member of the Compensation and HR Committee and Member of the Sustainability Committee)
Key Skills and Experience:
Lucrèce Foufopoulos brings with her 25 years of experience in the chemicals and materials industry, serving global multinationals such as Tyco, the Dow Chemical Group, Eastman Chemical and the Borealis Group, across a broad range of downstream industries and markets. She possesses in-depth knowledge of global business leadership with P&L responsibility, strategic planning, M&A, marketing and sales excellence, as well as technology and innovation. She has a particular appetite for turning around business portfolios for sustainable growth, and is passionate about people and organization, science and innovation for the purpose of building a more sustainable environment. With her strong engagement, extensive know-how, and highly relevant insights and competencies, she is a key contributor to Sika’s continued strategic development in the areas of innovation and sustainability.
Justin Marshall Howell
Board of Directors
Broad expertise in global investment banking and law
Year of birth: 1971
Nationality: Canadian, American
Member since: 2018
Chair of the Nomination and Compensation Committee
Justin M. Howell is considered to be independent.
Education
LL.B and B.C.L, McGill University, Canada
Career
2010-2025: Senior Investment Manager, Cascade Asset Management Company, Kirkland, WA, USA
2007-2009: Vice President, Investment Banking, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, New York, NY, USA
2003-2007: Associate, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, New York, NY, USA
Mandates in listed companies:
Member of the Board: Canadian National Railway Company, Montreal, Québec, Canada (Member of the Governance and Sustainability Committee, Member of the Human Resources and Compensation Committee)
Key Skills and Experience:
Justin Howell is a senior investment professional and experienced corporate director. He brings with him in-depth knowledge of international financial and capital markets, private and public equity, shareholder activism, corporate governance, and law. With his extensive international experience in corporate finance and M&A and with his wide network across industries, he significantly contributes to Sika’s continuous strategic development. With over 10 years of experience working for a large asset owner with a strong focus on sustainable, long-term investment, he possesses a broad expertise in the areas of sustainability, modern governance principles and strategy-aligned compensation models. Further this experience and know how makes him well-suited to chair the Nomination and Compensation Committee.
Frankie Ng
Board of Directors
Former CEO of a global testing, inspection, and certification services company (SGS)
Year of birth: 1966
Nationality: Swiss and Chinese
Member since: 2025
Member of the Audit Committee
Frankie Ng is considered to be independent.
Education
BA, Economics and Econometrics, University of Essex, Great Britain
Career
1994-2024: Various functions within SGS:
CEO and Operations Council Member, Switzerland
Executive Vice President of Industrial Services, Switzerland
Executive Vice President of Consumer Testing Services, Switzerland
Managing Director of US Consumer Testing Services, USA
Operations Manager, Consumer Testing Services, China
Consumer Product Division Manager, SGS-CSTC Standards Technical Services, China
Management Trainee, Switzerland
1987-1989: Quality Assurance Engineer, Sodeco S.A., Geneva, Switzerland
Mandates in listed companies:
Member of the Board: Logitech International, Lausanne, Switzerland (Chair of the Nominating & Governance Committee, Member of the Compensation Committee)
Key Skills and Experience:
As the former CEO of SGS, a Swiss-listed, global leader in testing, inspection, and certification services, Kwok Wang (Frankie) Ng brings extensive experience in managing a large, global organization with operations in 115 countries and close to 100,000 employees. During his 30-year tenure with SGS, he has held various senior management positions in China, Switzerland, and the United States, gaining experience in both consumer and industrial goods sectors. With his background as a leader of a global company with a decentralized profile similar to Sika's, coupled with profound knowledge of Asia and a broad geographical experience, Frankie Ng makes a valuable contribution to the development of Sika’s growth strategy, while at the same time safeguarding the culture of empowerment.
Gordana Landén
Board of Directors
Former Chief HR Officer at global human resources provider (Adecco Group)
Year of birth: 1964
Nationality: Swedish
Member since: 2022
Member of the Nomination and Compensation Committee
Gordana Landén is considered to be independent.
Education
BSc Human Resource Development and Labor Relations, University of Stockholm, Sweden
Career
2019–2024: Chief HR Officer, Adecco Group, Zurich, Switzerland
2015–2018: Chief HR Officer, Signify, former Phillips Lightning, Amsterdam/Eindhoven, Netherlands
2008–2015: Senior Vice President Group Function Human Resources, Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget SCA, Stockholm, Sweden
1991–2008: various functions within Ericsson:
Vice President HR & Organization, Business Unit Global Services, Sweden
Director HR & Organization, Market Unit Nordic & Baltics, Sweden
Regional HR Manager, Market Unit Nordic & Baltics, Sweden
Senior HR Manager, Swedish Business Unit, Market Operations Western Europe and North America & Customer Service, Sweden
Senior HR Consultant, USA
Key Skills and Experience:
Gordana Landén brings broad international leadership experience from a number of global enterprises with a focus on human resources as well as people and leadership development. She possesses in-depth knowledge in aligning organizations and compensation systems with the business strategy as well as in creating inspiring work environments that allow people to grow and unlock their potential. Throughout her career she has been a driving force of equity, diversity, and inclusion agendas and has gained a wide experience in the deployment of big data analytics to support strategic human capital planning and development. Moreover, she has been actively involved in several M&A processes. Gordana Landén’s comprehensive skills in human capital management are highly relevant since it is key to safeguard and preserve Sika’s unique corporate culture as the company continues to grow.
Paul Schuler
Board of Directors
Former CEO of Sika
Year of birth: 1955
Nationality: Swiss
Member since: 2021
Member of the Nomination and Compensation Committee, Member of the Sustainability Committee
Due to his recent function as CEO of Sika AG, Paul Schuler is considered to be non-independent.
Education
MBA, Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Washington/Zurich
Career
2017-2021: Chief Executive Officer, 2007-2021: Member of Group Management, Sika AG, Baar, Switzerland
2013-2017: Regional Manager EMEA Sika AG, Baar, Switzerland
2007-2012: Regional Manager North America; General Manager Sika USA
1988-2006: Various management functions within Sika in Germany and Switzerland
1982-1988: International Key Account Sales Manager Switzerland, EMS Chemie AG, Domat/Ems, Switzerland
1980-1982: Project Manager Air Condition Plants, Luwa AG, Hong Kong, China
1976-1980: Production Manager, Hemair AG, Richterswil, Switzerland
Mandates in non-listed companies and organizations:
Chair of the Board: Swisspearl Group AG, Niederurnen, Switzerland
Key Skills and Experience:
With his extensive knowledge of the markets Sika operates in, as well as of its products, technologies, and its corporate culture, Paul Schuler contributes with highly relevant expertise to the Board. He has played a key role in developing and executing Sika's successful growth strategy and has a profound understanding of Sika’s values and global, empowered organization. After having held various management positions in the industry for more than 40 years, Paul brings with him a wealth of experience in international leadership, M&A, strategic management, and talent development.