Roost favourite to take the helm at Sulzer

The Swiss technological giant, Sulzer, has chosen one of Switzerland's top industry executives as its new chairman. Sulzer will nominate Ueli Roost to replace outgoing boss, Pierre Borgeaud, at the company's annual general meeting in April.

The Swiss technological giant, Sulzer, has ended its search for a candidate to become its new chairman.

Sulzer says it will nominate Ueli Roost (picture) at the company’s annual general meeting in April.

If elected, Roost will take over the dual role as chairman and board delegate. Sulzer spokesman, Hans-Casper Ryser, said Roost fulfilled the company’s wish to appoint somebody with an international background, “We expect him during a period of transition to bring in his international experience and his experience as former chairman of other important industrial companies here in Europe. So I think we have made a very good choice.”

Roost, 52, is a graduate of St Gallen university and held several positions with the Swiss chemicals company Rohner, becoming chief executive in 1988. He later managed various divisions of the German industrial corporation, Dynamit Nobel. He moved back to Switzerland in 1998 to become chief executive of the ceramics company, Keramik Laufen.

Roost will replace Borgeaud, who announced last March that he wanted to step down within two years.

But Borgeaud will stay on as chairman of Sulzer Medica.