Corporate governance

As a family-owned company, we can remain agile while keeping a close eye on the market and upcoming trends. Our flexible organizational structure allows us to respond swiftly to our customers’ concerns and needs. Kistler follows the Swiss Code of Best Practice for Corporate Governance and has a certified quality management system in place as per ISO 9001.

Executive Committee

Marc Schaad
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Responsible for the strategic direction of the organization, implementation of business plans and monitoring of operational performance

Born in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1971. After graduating from ETH Zurich with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, he worked as a development engineer at the textile machinery company Rieter in Winterthur, Switzerland. Starting in 1997, he spent seven years at Schweiter Technologies (textile winding machines) in Horgen, Switzerland, as a project and development manager and a member of the management team. From 2006 to 2008, he was responsible for corporate R&D testing and qualification at the elevator and escalator company Schindler. After a two-year stint as Chief Technology Officer at the Italian company Itema, the global market leader in weaving machines, he became Chief Technology Officer of the Kistler Group in 2010. Marc Schaad has been Chief Executive Officer of the Kistler Group since January 2025.

Timo Gutbub
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Responsible for Group Finance, Controlling & Accounting, Order Management, and Corporate Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

Born in Uster, Switzerland, in 1983. He holds a master’s degree in Finance and Accounting from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences in Business Administration (HWZ). From 2008 to 2010, he was a project controller at ABB. He then became a commercial controller at the SR Technics Group. He joined Kistler in 2013, initially as a controller, later becoming Head of Controlling in 2016. Timo Gutbub took over as Chief Financial Officer in October 2020.

Dr.-Ing. Marc Hehle
Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Responsible for Corporate Research & Technology

Born in 1974 in Konstanz, Germany. He studied Mechanical Engineering and completed his doctorate at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). He worked at MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH from 2005 to 2018 – initially as a development engineer, later as a team leader in Research & Technology, and finally as a team leader in Process Optimization / Manufacturing Engineering in assembly. He joined Hug Engineering in Elsau, Switzerland, in 2019 – first as Vice President of Research & Development before becoming Chief Technology Officer in 2022. He joined the Kistler Group as Head of Research & Development Sensors in July 2023. Marc Hehle took over as Chief Technology Officer in January 2025.

Peter Höffgen
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)

Responsible for the business platform with the three business units Industrial Production, R&D, and Infrastructure and Generic Products

After graduating from the University of Siegen with a degree in Industrial Engineering, he worked for Siemens Automotive in Germany from 2000 on, holding various positions including sales manager, project manager, and Head of Strategic Planning, Marketing and Communication in the Powertrain Division. From 2008 to 2014, he was Director of Product Line Fluid Sensors at Continental. He then became the Director of Product Line Acoustic Performance at Forvia/Faurecia in France. Starting in 2019, he worked for Hug Engineering in the positions of General Manager Europe, Chief Sales & Project Officer, and, for almost a year, ad interim Chief Executive Officer. In June 2023, he joined the Kistler Group as Head of Advanced Products and a member of the Group Executive Board. In January 2025, Peter Höffgen took over as Chief Marketing Officer.

David Stucki
Chief Sales Officer (CSO)

Responsible for the global sales and service organization

Born in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1987. He completed vocational training in Mechanical Engineering, followed by a bachelor’s degree in Communications. From 2019 to 2021, he completed a master’s degree in Marketing Management and Sales while working at Kistler.

He began his career at Rieter in 2003 – initially as a mechanical engineer, and later in marketing. From 2011 to 2017, he held various marketing positions at BIG KAISER-Europe, a Japanese manufacturer of cutting tools. He joined the Kistler Group at the end of 2017. Until 2020, he was Divisional Marketing Manager for the Sensor Technology Division. He was appointed Head of Test & Measurement in 2021. Subsequently, he became Head of Sales Excellence and ad interim Head of the DACH sales region. David Stucki has been Chief Sales Officer of the Kistler Group since January 2025.

Claudio Valeri
Head of Production and Logistics

Responsible for Group Production & Logistics

Born in Bülach, Switzerland, in 1965. He studied mechanical engineering at the ZHAW School of Engineering and completed a postgraduate degree in Industrial Engineering. He worked for Bucher Industries AG from 1988 to 2003, initially as a production engineer and later as Head of Logistics and Production. Between 1996 and 2003, he was General Manager of Bucher-Schoerling Italia for four years, after which he became General Manager of the Bucher-Guyer AG PROMEC business unit. From mid-2003, he was General Manager of the Automotive business unit at Dätwyler Sealing Solutions. Claudio Valeri has been part of the Kistler Group since 2008, working as Head of Production & Logistics and as a member of the Group Executive Committee. From 2021 to 2023, he was also a member of the Board of Directors of Oskar Rüegg AG.

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors supervises and supports the Group’s active business, advises on strategic matters, and approves corporate planning and the allocation of financial resources.

The Board of Directors of the Kistler Group (left to right):

Lino Guzzella, Member of the Board of Directors
Ursula Oesterle, Member of the Board of Directors
Fabian Chiozza, Member of the Board of Directors and Group Chief Financial Officer, VAT Group AG
Matthias Altendorf, Member of the Board of Directors and President of the Supervisory Board of the Endress+Hauser Group, founder and owner of Bionic Leadership
Valentin Vogt, Chairman of the Board of Directors
Conrad Sonderegger, Member of the Board of Directors
Reto Bolt, Member of the Board of Directors and COO Industry Segment, HUBER+SUHNER AG