about orior

The people behind ORIOR

Our strength lies in the people who work for us. With passion, expertise, and an entrepreneurial spirit, they shape ORIOR's development.

Management

Annick Bänninger

CEO Biotta

Werner Nies

CEO Culinor

Jörn Niewiadomsky

CEO Casualfood

Michael Leutwyler

CEO Fredag

Mi­chel Bur­la

CEO Le Patron

Christian Stoffels

CEO Pastinella

Ta­zio Gagli­ar­di

CEO Rapelli

Mar­tin Zett

CEO Albert Spiess und Möfag

Giorgio Mollo

Group CIO

Jonathan Dietler

Group CHRO & Corp. Communications

Board of Directors

Felix Burkhard

Felix Burkhard

Member of the Board of Directors and Lead Independent Director

Felix Burkhard

Member of the Board of Directors and Lead Independent Director

Felix Burkhard holds a licentiate degree (Lic. oec.) from the University of St. Gallen (HSG), is a certified auditor, and complemented his financial knowledge with further training in Strategic Finance at IMD Lausanne. His professional career began in 1991 as an auditor at Revisuisse Price Waterhouse in Bern. After approximately four years, he moved to Amidro AG in Biel, where he was responsible for finance and controlling for about a year. In 1996, he joined the then Galenica Group as Head of Corporate Controlling before becoming Deputy Head of the Retail division in 2000. In 2008, he was appointed Head of the Amavita pharmacy chain, and two years later he took over the management of the entire Retail division and was appointed a member of the Galenica Group’s Executive Board. From 2015 to 2017, he led strategic projects for the Galenica Group, and from 2017 until the end of 2024, he served as Group CFO.

Other activities and vested interests:
Felix Burkhard is Chairman of the Foundation Board and the Investment Committee of the Galenica Pension Fund.

Monika Friedli-Walser

Monika Friedli-Walser

Chairwoman and Delegate of the Board of Directors

Monika Friedli-Walser

Chairwoman and Delegate of the Board of Directors

Monika Friedli-Walser holds a Master's degree in Technical and Rhetorical Communication from the University of Michigan (USA), among other qualifications. Until 2000, she held various positions primarily in marketing and sales. From 2000 to 2004, she was Chief Communication Officer and a member of the Executive Board of TDC Switzerland AG (Sunrise). From 2005 to 2009, she served as Head of Communication and Human Resources and Deputy Managing Director for Swissgrid AG, and from 2006, concurrently for UCTE in Brussels, the umbrella organisation of European transmission system operators, as Head of Communication and Political Affairs. Since 2009, she has been a partner at Waega-Group AG, Zurich, and, in this capacity, served as Managing Director of the Swiss bag and accessories manufacturer Freitag lab. AG, Zurich, until January 2014. From 2014 to 2025, she was Managing Director and Delegate of the Board of Directors of de Sede AG. On May 21, 2025, she was elected Chairwoman of the Board of Directors by the ORIOR General Meeting and has since led the ORIOR Group as a Delegate of the Board of Directors.

Other activities and affiliations:
Monika Friedli-Walser is a partner at Waega-Group. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Sanitas Beteiligungen AG and Sanitas Stiftung, Zurich, and Vice Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Zoo Zurich AG, Zurich.

Markus Voegeli

Markus Voegeli

Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors

Markus Voegeli

Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors

Markus Voegeli holds a Master's degree in Economics from the University of Zurich. After graduating, he took over the management of controlling for the Europe 1 department at Swissair and joined Swissair Beteiligungen AG as a project manager in 1991. From 1993 to 1995, he managed strategic business development projects at Gategourmet International and then moved to Icarus Consulting GmbH as a partner and deputy managing director. In 1996, he took over the CFO position at Nuance Global Traders Ltd. in Sydney, an operator of approximately 60 tax and duty-free shops in Australia and New Zealand at the time. After a successful financial turnaround, Markus Voegeli was entrusted by the Swissôtel Group in 1998 with building up the worldwide Corporate Finance Organisation and managing the group's real estate company. In 2001, he joined the start-up MediCentrix AG as CFO, took over overall responsibility after two years, and led the rapidly growing company to profitability. From 2004, he managed all financial matters of Valora Management AG as CFO for about four years. During the financial crisis of 2008/2009, Markus Voegeli supported the industrial group Rieter Management AG in financial matters and in managing restructuring projects. From 2009 to 2017, he served as CFO, and from 2012 as CEO, for Charles Vögele Trading AG through the restructuring, repositioning, and sale process. In 2018, Markus Voegeli founded his own consulting firm, LMV Services GmbH, focusing on corporate consulting. Since July 2019, he has also served as Director of Finance and Services at the University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich (PUK).

Other Activities and Affiliations:
Markus Voegeli is the founder and owner of LMV Services GmbH, Küsnacht (ZH), Director of Finance and Services at the University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich (PUK), Zurich, member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Grand Resort Bad Ragaz AG, Bad Ragaz, and member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Spital Bülach AG, Bülach.

Filip De Spiegeleire

Filip De Spiegeleire

Member of the Board of Directors

Filip De Spiegeleire

Member of the Board of Directors

Filip De Spiegeleire holds an MBA in Business Administration from the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University of Los Angeles (USA). From 1987, he worked in his family business Amando NV, which specialized in charcuterie, where he was responsible for overall management as CEO from 1992 to 2000. In 1989, Filip De Spiegeleire founded Culinor, a company specializing in premium fresh convenience food; as a result of the consistent focus on the growing fresh convenience food market, Amando was sold in 2000. As founder and CEO of Culinor NV, Filip De Spiegeleire developed the company into a renowned and successful food group in the Benelux countries. Since the end of August 2016, Culinor Food Group has been an independent center of excellence of ORIOR AG, which led to Filip De Spiegeleire's appointment to ORIOR's Group Management. He led the Culinor Food Group until the end of 2022 and has focused on strategic group tasks and his role as CEO of ORIOR Europe since 2023. From November 7, 2024, to May 21, 2025, Filip De Spiegeleire served as interim CEO of the ORIOR Group. Since August 2025, Filip De Spiegeleire has been actively involved in the sales process of ORIOR subsidiary Culinor Food Group.

Other activities and interests:
Filip De Spiegeleire is Managing Director of Espejo BV, Destelbergen, Belgium, and in this capacity a member of the Board of Directors of Pâtisserie Alsacienne Bloch NV, Destelbergen, Belgium, and a member of the Board of Directors of Qualiphar NV, Bornem, Belgium.

Sandro Fehlmann

Sandro Fehlmann

Member of the Board of Directors

Sandro Fehlmann

Member of the Board of Directors

Sandro Fehlmann holds a PhD in law (Dr. iur. HSG). He also holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of St. Gallen (B.A. HSG). He is admitted to practice law in Switzerland and California (USA) and holds a Master of Laws from Northwestern University, Chicago, LL.M. Sandro Fehlmann began his career in investment banking at a major Swiss bank and in tax consulting. In 2014, he joined Bär & Karrer, where he practiced as a trainee and then as an attorney for almost six years, with interruptions (including as a Foreign Associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, New York). In 2020, he co-founded the law firm Advestra, where he has since served as a partner and member of the board of directors. Sandro Fehlmann specializes in capital markets and corporate law. He is the author of numerous commentaries and specialist articles, and a speaker at seminars and courses.

Other activities and interests:
Sandro Fehlmann is a partner and member of the Board of Directors of Advestra AG, Zurich. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of CLL Holding AG, Zurich.

Monika Schüpbach

Monika Schüpbach

Member of the Board of Directors

Monika Schüpbach

Member of the Board of Directors

Monika Schüpbach has a basic commercial education and a higher business administration qualification from the Business School Switzerland. Before joining the Steigenberger Hotel Group in 1991, Monika Schüpbach worked in the hotel industry, including as an assistant manager and head of reception in Gstaad and Adelboden. From 1991, she was responsible for human resources and administrative matters at the Steigenberger Hotel Gstaad-Saanen, and approximately four years later she was appointed Deputy Director. In 1999, she moved to Steigenberger Hotels AG in Zurich as Deputy Managing Director and Head of Accounting and Controlling. In 2004, she was appointed Commercial Director of Steigenberger Flughafen Gastronomie in Frankfurt am Main, where she was entrusted with, among other things, the restructuring of the entire commercial division, the optimization of business results, and the reorganisation of all IT systems. In 2005, Monika Schüpbach was appointed a delegate of the Board of Directors of Steigenberger Hotels AG, Zurich, and successfully managed it as Managing Director for almost ten years. Monika Schüpbach remained on the Board of Directors of Steigenberger Hotels Aktiengesellschaft and chaired it from 2022 for approximately two years. In 2014, she founded her own consulting company, T2 Think Twice Consulting by Monika Schüpbach, focusing on strategy, process, and organisational development in the hotel, gastronomy, and tourism sectors. Since April 2025, Monika Schüpbach has been supporting the operational development process of ORIOR subsidiary Casualfood.

Other activities and interests:
Monika Schüpbach is the owner and managing director of T2 Think Twice Consulting by Monika Schüpbach, Hirzel.

Executive Committee

Monika Friedli-Walser

Monika Friedli-Walser

Chairwoman and Delegate of the Board of Directors

Monika Friedli-Walser

Chairwoman and Delegate of the Board of Directors

Monika Friedli-Walser holds, among other qualifications, a master's degree in Technical and Rhetorical Communication from the University of Michigan (USA). Until 2000, she worked in various roles, primarily in marketing and sales. From 2000 to 2004, she was Chief Communication Officer and a member of the Executive Board of TDC Switzerland AG (Sunrise). From 2005 to 2009, she served as Head of Communication and Human Resources and Deputy Managing Director for Swissgrid AG, and from 2006, she also worked for UCTE in Brussels, the umbrella organisation of European transmission system operators, where she was responsible for communication and political affairs. Since 2009, she has been a partner at Waega-Group AG, Zurich, and, as part of this mandate, she was the Managing Director of the Swiss bag and accessories manufacturer Freitag lab. AG, Zurich, until January 2014. From 2014 to 2025, she was Managing Director and Delegate of the Board of Directors of de Sede AG. On May 21, 2025, she was elected President of the Board of Directors by the ORIOR General Meeting and has since led the ORIOR Group as a Delegate of the Board of Directors.

Other activities and affiliations:
Monika Friedli-Walser is a partner at Waega-Group. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Sanitas Beteiligungen AG and the Sanitas Foundation, Zurich, and Vice-President of the Board of Directors of Zoo Zürich AG, Zurich.

Sacha Gerber

Sacha Gerber

Group CFO

Sacha Gerber

Group CFO

Sacha D. Gerber holds an International Executive MBA HSG in General Management from the University of St. Gallen. He began his professional career in 2000 at Credit Suisse as a Recovery Manager. After two years, Sacha D. Gerber moved to the Swatch Group, where he held various finance functions before being appointed CFO of various production units in 2007. From 2010, he spent eight years as CFO for the Hero Group. In addition to his role as CFO, Sacha D. Gerber also headed the entire supply chain of Hero Switzerland as COO from 2013 and additionally took on commercial responsibility for the Foodservice Business Unit from 2016. From 2018, he spent five years as CFO of the Calida Group, responsible for Finance, Controlling, Reporting, Treasury, Legal, Tax, and Investor Relations. In June 2023, he moved to the Emmi Group as CFO. In August 2024, the Board of Directors of ORIOR AG appointed Sacha D. Gerber as the new CFO and member of the Group Management of the ORIOR Group. He has been a member of Group Management since November 1, 2024, and has been responsible for the financial management of the ORIOR Group since November 11, 2024.

Other activities and interests:
none