Birgit Conix to succeed Hartwig Grevener as CFO of Sonova Donnerstag, 11. Februar 2021 - 07:00

Media Release

Stäfa (Switzerland), February 11, 2021 – Sonova Holding AG, a leading provider of hearing solutions, announces today that Birgit Conix will be taking up the position as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and join the Sonova Management Board effective June 2021. She is a seasoned CFO with more than 25 years of international experience in finance, strategy and business operations across multiple industries, including medical devices, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, media and telecommunications. Birgit Conix has a proven track record of effectively leading global finance organizations, supporting a strategic agenda and enhancing efficiency. She will succeed Hartwig Grevener, who after serving more than eight years as CFO of the Sonova Group, has decided to take on a new CFO role outside the hearing care industry after the Annual General Shareholders' Meeting in June 2021.

Birgit Conix (born in 1965, Belgian citizen) was previously Chief Financial Officer and member of the Executive Board of TUI AG, a global leader in tourism, from 2018 to 2021. Before joining TUI AG, she was Chief Financial Officer of the Belgian media, cable and telecommunications group Telenet Group NV. Prior to that, she held various top-level positions in finance, strategy and business operations in the pharmaceuticals and medical devices business units at Johnson & Johnson, and in finance at Heineken, Tenneco and Reed Elsevier.

Birgit Conix holds an MBA from Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago, USA, and a Master of Science in Business Economics from the University of Tilburg, Netherlands.

Arnd Kaldowski, CEO of Sonova, says: “I am very pleased that with Birgit we have found a highly qualified and experienced CFO for this important role. Over the course of her career, she has gained extensive financial leadership experience with publicly listed multinational enterprises active in healthcare and consumer-centric industries. Coupled with her intercultural experience and sensitivity, I am convinced that she will be a great addition to the Sonova management team. I am looking forward to working with Birgit and the entire team to tackle the next stage of our growth strategy.”

Birgit Conix will join the Sonova Group as of May 1, 2021. She will work closely with Hartwig Grevener during the transition phase and succeed him as CFO after the Annual General Shareholders' Meeting in June 2021.

Arnd Kaldowski adds: “During his tenure, Hartwig Grevener has been an important contributor to the strong development of the Sonova Group and to furthering our vertically integrated business model. In his role, he was instrumental in the successful acquisition and integration of AudioNova. He developed the finance team into a strong partner of our business units and led our IT organization to become an enabler of our global supply chain and digital customer interactions. Over the past year, he has helped us to master the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the name of the entire Management Board and the Board of Directors, I would like to sincerely thank Hartwig and wish him the best for his future endeavors.”

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Disclaimer

This Media Release contains forward-looking statements, which offer no guarantee with regard to future performance. These statements are made on the basis of management’s views and assumptions regarding future events and business performance at the time the statements are made. They are subject to risks and uncertainties including, but not confined to, future global economic conditions, exchange rates, legal provisions, market conditions, activities by competitors and other factors outside Sonova’s control. Should one or more of these risks or un¬certainties materialize or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those forecasted or expected. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement, and Sonova undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

About Sonova

Sonova, headquartered in Stäfa, Switzerland, is a leading provider of innovative hearing care solutions. The Group operates through its core business brands Phonak, Unitron, Hansaton, Advanced Bionics and the brands of the Audiological Care business, e.g. AudioNova, Geers, Boots Hearing Care, Connect Hearing and Lapperre. Sonova offers its customers one of the most comprehensive product portfolios in the industry – from hearing instruments to cochlear implants to wireless communication solutions.

Pursuing a unique vertically integrated business strategy, the Group operates through three core businesses – Hearing Instruments, Audiological Care and Cochlear Implants – along the entire value chain of the hearing care market. The Group’s sales and distribution network, the widest in the industry, comprises over 50 own wholesale companies and more than 100 independent distributors. This is complemented by Sonova’s Audiological Care business, which offers professional audiological services through a network of around 3,300 locations in 20 key markets.

Founded in 1947, the Group has a workforce of over 14,000 dedicated employees and generated sales of CHF 2.92 billion in the financial year 2019/20 as well as a net profit of CHF 490 million. Across all businesses, and by supporting the Hear the World Foundation, Sonova pursues its vision of a world where everyone enjoys the delight of hearing and therefore lives a life without limitations.

For more information please visit www.sonova.com and www.hear-the-world.com.

Sonova shares (ticker symbol: SOON, Security no: 1254978, ISIN: CH0012549785) have been listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 1994. The securities of Sonova have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”), or under the applicable securities laws of any state of the United States of America, and may not be offered or sold in the United States of America except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements under the U.S. Securities Act and in compliance with applicable state securities laws, or outside the United States of America to non-U.S. Persons in reliance on Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act.