HOCHDORF strengthens Group Management in innovation and sales

The HOCHDORF Group is transforming itself into the Swiss authoritative brand for technologically sophisticated, functional specialist foods. As an innovative company, HOCHDORF seeks to make a contribution to modern nutrition that promotes good health and sustainability. To accelerate implementation of this strategy the Board of Directors has decided to place the specialist areas “Sales and Marketing” and “Innovation, Research & Development” at Group Management level going forward.

Gerina Eberl-Hancock, Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) From 1 May 2022, Gerina Eberl-Hancock will run the HOCHDORF Group’s Sales and Marketing team, joining Group Management as CRO. She completed her Master of Business Administration in California (USA). From 1997 to 2020 her roles included leading positions in Marketing and Business Development at Nestlé SA in Switzerland, Germany, USA and North Africa, with her most recent role as Managing Director Food & Beverages at Nestlé Maghreb.

Lukas Hartmann, Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) Lukas Hartmann joined the HOCHDORF Group in 2017 as Head of Development for Baby Care. In 2021 the two development departments Baby Care and Food Solutions merged into one “Innovation, Research & Development” department in order to optimise synergies. Lukas Hartmann assumed responsibility for the new department. The success of this merger is paying clear dividends through the numerous new developments that have been launched and are in the pipeline. Lukas Hartmann completed his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from ETH Zurich and an MBA from the University of St. Gallen. From 2009 to 2013 he was Project Lead in Research and Development at Nestlé’s Product Technology Center in the Infant Cereal Nutrition department. He was responsible for developing and implementing formulations and processes in various plants around the world in this role. From 2013, as process engineer at Nestlé Suisse in Konolfingen, he assumed responsibility for developing, implementing and going live with part of an investment project to produce powdered infant formula. In 2016 he switched to a start-up as Business Development Manager for approximately one year.

Ralph Siegl, CEO and Board of Directors Delegate welcomed the expansion of the Group Management team: “The new roles of Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Innovation Officer enable us to strengthen the two areas Sales and Marketing and Innovation, Research and Development that are important for implementing our strategy. In keeping with ‘Food for Life’, we want to focus more on developments in modern nutrition in the future and market our milk-based and plant-based Smart Nutrition products in line with our target markets. I look forward to working with Gerina and Lukas.”