R&M, the globally active developer and provider of high-end infrastructure solutions for data and communications networks, has appointed entrepreneur Thomas A. Ernst from Basel as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors. He replaces Hans Hess, who, after 15 years, left the R&M Board of Directors at the end of October and has decided to retire.
Hans Hess managed R&M confidently and with great foresight for 15 years as Chairman of the Board. Under his aegis, R&M developed from a regionally to a globally active company. During his tenure, the number of international production plants increased from two to 14, with the number of employees rising from 600 to 1,800.
«Hans Hess is greatly appreciated,» said Martin and Peter Reichle, paying tribute to the departing Chairman. They emphasize: «He accompanied our family business for many years as our father’s successor. We owe the successful generational change to his knowledge, experience of the industry, and strategic foresight. He was instrumental in shaping the R&M Group’s clear orientation toward sustainable and global growth. R&M owes a lot to his management experience and knowledge of the international technology markets.»
New expert in the company
Owners Martin and Peter Reichle are delighted to have Thomas A. Ernst on board – an insider and expert in the communications and building technology industry.
After Hans Reichle and Hans Hess, Thomas A. Ernst is the third Chairman of the Board of Directors in R&M’s almost sixty-year history. He brings his expertise as CEO, mandate holder, and strategy developer to the R&M committee. Since 2001, he has supported planning, IT, and building technology companies in leading positions. For example, under his strategic leadership, the Basel-based engineering company Gruner AG has grown from 300 to 1,000 employees since 2001.
From 2002, Thomas A. Ernst was CEO of ABB Installationen AG, from which the ETAVIS Group was formed, until its successful integration into VINCI Energies Schweiz AG in 2007; and then VINCI Energies Switzerland and Italy until 2019. He graduated as an engineer in Building Technology and studied at the University of Applied Sciences of Central Switzerland. He also completed leadership and executive training at IMD Lausanne, the Management Center of Bern University of Applied Sciences, and the Business School of London. His focus is on corporate development with organic and external growth and strategic realignments.
«R&M is changing significantly from a component manufacturer to a global provider of complete infrastructure solutions for data centers, smart buildings, FTTx, and 5G networks. This is an important step. I look forward to tackling and implementing future strategic tasks together with the Board of Directors and the Executive Board,» says the new R&M Chairman. The Board of Directors includes four other selected senior experts from Swiss and international corporations.
