The RUAG International Board of Directors has appointed André Wall as the new CEO. The aviation expert is currently CTO of the Spanish airline Iberia and will take over the management of RUAG International by 1 January 2021 at the latest. CFO Urs Kiener will continue to lead the company until the new CEO takes over.
The search for the demanding position of CEO has successfully come to an end: André Wall has been selected as the new CEO of RUAG International. The 55-year-old engineer is currently the Chief Technical Officer at Iberia and looks back on 25 years of global industry experience in aviation. André Wall was born in 1964 and is a German citizen. He previously served as CEO at SR Technics and Jet Aviation in Switzerland as well as MTU Aero Engines in Germany. Prior to that, he held various management positions at Rolls Royce Aero Engines and Toyota.
“With André Wall, we are gaining an internationally experienced expert in the industry. He has a proven track record of breathing new life into companies and steering them towards success. RUAG International will benefit from his expertise during its ongoing transformation. André Wall will ensure that RUAG International continues its post-unbundling course, copes with the effects of the COVID-19 crisis and is ultimately privatized as planned,” said Dr. Remo Lütolf, Chairman of the Board of Directors of RUAG International.”
Since 1 January 2020, RUAG International has been unbundled as a civilian technology company from RUAG MRO Schweiz, a company closely linked to the Swiss Armed Forces. RUAG International is thus implementing the Federal Council's decision to develop further as an aerospace group focusing on space and aerostructures.
Current CFO Urs Kiener will continue to manage RUAG International on an interim basis until the new CEO takes over. “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Urs Kiener in advance for his dedicated leadership,” said Remo Lütolf.
“He will ensure a seamless transition in order to set the course for the future at a time of significant restructuring following the unbundling and, moreover, influenced by the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic,” he added.
RUAG International is a Swiss technology group focusing on the aerospace industry. Headquartered in Bern (Switzerland) and with production sites in 14 countries, the company is divided into four business units: Space, Aerostructures, MRO International and Ammotec.
With its strategic focus on aerospace, the company will consist of both the Aerostructures and Space business units in the medium term. RUAG Space is Europe’s leading supplier of products used in the aerospace industry. RUAG Aerostructures is a global first-tier supplier in aircraft structure construction.
RUAG International employs around 6,000 people, two thirds of whom work outside Switzerland.
