Nobel Biocare chairman to step down

Jul 22, 2009

Rolf Soiron, chairman of the board of directors of Nobel Biocare, has announced his intention to step down from his position at the latest by the company's annual general meeting on March 25, 2010.

Soiron recently became president of the foundation board of the think tank Avenir Suisse and has been elected to the International Committee of the Red Cross. This early announcement gives the board the opportunity to carefully prepare for Soiron's succession, according to the company.

"Nobel Biocare is a profitable and financially healthy company, even in these economically challenging times," Soiron said in a press release. "A change in the position of chairman is now possible because, under the leadership of CEO Domenico Scala, the measures needed to again bring the company to the forefront of the dental sector and on a growth path are making very good progress. The newly formed management put together under Mr. Scala's leadership and the initiatives he has taken are building the foundation for a new, successful phase in the company's development."

Soiron studied history at the University of Basel, where he obtained a doctorate in philosophy in 1972. He began his professional career in 1970 with Sandoz in Basel, where he became chief operating officer. From 1993 until the end of June 2003, he managed the Jungbunzlauer Group. In 2003, he was appointed chairman of Nobel Biocare and also became chairman of Holcim Foundation, a nonprofit concerned with sustainable construction, according to a profile on www.holcimfoundation.org.