Gilbert Achermann to be nominated as a new member  of the Sonova Board of Directors

Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR

Stäfa (Switzerland), November 17, 2023– Sonova Holding AG, a leading provider of hearing solutions, announces that its Board of Directors will nominate Gilbert Achermann for election as a new independent Board member at the next Annual General Meeting (AGM) in June 2024. As part of its medium-term succession planning, the Board of Directors made clear its intention that Gilbert Achermann will be nominated to succeed the current Chair, Robert Spoerry, at the 2025 AGM.

Gilbert Achermann (born in 1964, Swiss citizen) currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Straumann Group, a global leader in the dental industry. Having held this position since 2010, he will step down at the Straumann Group AGM in April 2024. Prior to this, he served highly successfully as the Straumann Group’s CFO and later CEO for over 12 years. In 2020, Mr. Achermann became a member, and in 2022 the Chair, of the Board of Directors of Ypsomed Group, a manufacturer of injection and infusion systems. He has also served since 2012 on the Board of Directors of Julius Baer Group, from which he will step down in 2024. Mr. Achermann holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Applied Science in St. Gallen, Switzerland, and completed the Executive MBA program at the IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Robert Spoerry, Chair of the Board of Directors of Sonova Holding AG, stated: “I am very pleased that the Board of Directors has found in Gilbert a candidate ideally suited to succeed me as Chair when I retire at the 2025 AGM. I am convinced that with his broad international experience, his deep understanding of the MedTech industry, his successful track record as CEO, and his long-standing work as Chair of the Board of Directors at various companies, he will be able to contribute significantly to the future growth of Sonova. The succession plan that we have established provides the time and support to help Gilbert prepare diligently for his future role.”

– End –

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 is a global leader in innovative hearing care solutions: from personal audio devices and wireless communication systems to audiological care services, hearing aids and cochlear implants. The Group was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Stäfa, Switzerland.

Sonova operates through four businesses – Hearing Instruments, Audiological Care, Consumer Hearing and Cochlear Implants – and the core brands Phonak, Unitron, AudioNova, Sennheiser (under license) and Advanced Bionics as well as recognized regional brands. The Group’s globally diversified sales and distribution channels serve an ever growing consumer base in more than 100 countries.

In the 2022/23 financial year, the Group generated sales of CHF 3.7 billion, with a net profit of CHF 658 million. Over 17,000 employees are working on achieving Sonova’s vision of a world where everyone enjoys the delight of hearing.

For more information please visit www.sonova.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.