Early succession plan for Hilti's top leadership

Schaan (FL), November 28, 2016 – The leadership teams of the Martin Hilti Family Trust and the Board of Directors of Hilti Group will be subject to changes at the occasion of the company’s Annual General Meeting on April 5, 2017: Pius Baschera will take over from Michael Hilti as Family Trust Speaker and Heinrich Fischer will succeed Pius Baschera as Chairman of the Board of Directors. With this, the company is heralding in the succession of leadership at the top of both the Family Trust and the Hilti Group at an early stage. 

The Martin Hilti Family Trust is the sole shareholder of the worldwide Hilti Group. It was established in 1980 with the objective of securing the successful development of the company and to ensure maximum continuity. This can only be achieved by timely succession planning for the leadership teams of the Trust and the Board of Directors. “Over the next few years, we will be faced with major generational change both at the helm of the Trust and the Board of Directors,” says Michael Hilti. “By nominating the first non-family Trust Speaker and the first Chairman of the Board who has not had an operational role in the Group, we are taking yet another important step in our long-term succession process.” 

Michael Hilti will remain Trustee in the Martin Hilti Family Trust and member of the Board of Directors of Hilti Group. Furthermore, he will continue to be the spokesman and representative of the Hilti Family. As of April 2017, Pius Baschera will become a Trustee and Speaker of the Family Trust. Apart from this, he will continue to serve as ordinary member of the Board of Directors of Hilti Group. Heinrich Fischer who has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2007 will succeed Pius Baschera as Chairman of the Board.

Having accompanied the company for many years, Pius Baschera and Heinrich Fischer are two experienced persons to take over these important positions. “Pius Baschera has dedicated himself to the company for more than three decades and has played a significant role in its success. It is with great satisfaction that we have won him over for this significant position of responsibility,” says Michael Hilti. “Heinrich Fischer, having served on the Board of Directors for some ten years, is also highly familiar with the company. He is a proven leader and enjoys our full confidence in view of contributing to a further positive development of the company.”

Looking forward to his new role, Heinrich Fischer says: “By initiating this change in the Board of Directors, we do not intend to change the company but carry on successfully what has existed before with the aim of achieving our ambitious strategic objectives.” Pius Baschera adds: “The decision to initiate the changes in the Trust and the Board of Directors were taken jointly by the Hilti family, the Trust and the Board of Directors. We are all convinced that this is the right decision to secure the long-term future and continuity of management in both the Trust and the Hilti Group. Furthermore, this step will create clarity and certainty for our employees, our customers and our partners.”

Members of governing bodies as of April 5, 2017

Martin Hilti Family Trust: Pius Baschera (Trustee and Speaker); Michael Hilti, Egbert Appel, Giorgio Behr, Albert Dietrich, Michael Jacobi, Klaus Risch (Trustees)

Board of Directors, Hilti Group: Heinrich Fischer, Chairman of the Board (Rüschlikon, CH), Michael Hilti (Schaan, FL), Pius Baschera (Zurich, CH), Barbara Milian Thoralfsson (Oslo, NOR), Kim Fausing (Sonderborg, DK), Michael Jacobi (Binningen, CH) und Tis Prager (Zumikon, CH).