Variosystems strengthens Executive Leadership Team with new CFO appointment

Markus Nikles joins as CFO to drive global growth strategy

With extensive international experience in finance and industry, Markus Nikles will support the company’s ambitious plans for growth. This move follows the earlier appointments of Stefan Hasenfratz, responsible for developing the business in Asia, and Anthony Pugliese, heading the North America region. With the addition of Markus Nikles, Variosystems completes the strengthening of its Executive Leadership Team.

Variosystems is on a significant growth trajectory, expanding in all regions, and aims to double its revenue by 2026. To achieve this, we are leveraging international management expertise.

Since the start of the year, Stefan Hasenfratz (Head of Variosystems Asia) and Anthony Pugliese (Head of Variosystems North America) have been reinforcement for the Executive Leadership Team consisting of CEO Stephan Sonderegger, COO Stefan Walther, CHRO Christine Peter, CIO André Bättig, and cofounder Norbert Bachstein. With the appointment of CFO Markus Nikles as of October 1, 2024, the team is now complete. The finance expert, who comes from Interlaken, Switzerland, and is experienced in the stock markets, succeeds Raymund Scheffrahn, who left the company at his own request at the end of July.

“We want to be the most trusted and sustainable electronics service partner, including on a global scale. With the reinforcement provided by Markus Nikles, we are working toward this objective. He contributes long-standing international experience in financial management at major industrial enterprises and has spent many years in positions in the United States and China. These markets are strategically important for our growth,” says Stephan Sonderegger, CEO of Variosystems. The new CFO, Markus Nikles, is looking forward to his duties: “Variosystems is one of Switzerland’s best-managed companies and has a clear vision and strategy. This is just as inspiring as it is motivating. Contributing my expertise, I wish to have a hand in achieving the ambitious goals.”

Financial expertise for global growth

Markus Nikles was most recently CFO at Meyer Burger Technology AG and, before that, spent 22 years in leadership positions for the Bühler Group, including ten years in the United States and three in China. With a degree in business and an executive master’s in corporate finance, he is based at Variosystems’ head office in Steinach and reports directly to the CEO.