Basel, 22 January 2019 – The Straumann Group today announced that Alastair Robertson will join the company towards the middle of 2019 as Head of Global People Management & Development and Member of the Executive Management Board. He will take over from Dr Alexander Ochsner, who will transfer to a new senior leadership role within the Straumann Group network.

Over the past two years, Straumann has undergone significant organizational and cultural changes to become a global group of united brands. At the same time, it has established new subsidiaries in six countries and has taken over ten companies. Together with internal growth, these initiatives have increased the Group’s global workforce from 3800 to approximately 6000.

Alastair Robertsonis highly experienced executive with an impressive track record in leading Human Resources (HR) teams in large and complex global organizations. His international background and ability to drive organizational transformation and growth – in addition to his strengths in managing complexity, building capabilities, and embedding culture – will be very valuable to the Group as it continues its Cultural Journey and growth strategy to become the global leader in esthetic dentistry.

Mr Robertson served as Chief HR/People Officer and Member of the Executive Board in each of his three previous companies – Kingfisher Plc, Europe’s leading home-improvement retailer (2016-present; 79 000 employees), C&A, the global retail company (2014-2016; 50 000 employees), and Panalpina, the global logistics company (2007-2014; 18 000 employees). Prior to this, he spent 11 years with the multinational packaging company Tetra Pak in senior HR positions on several continents. The first seven years of his career in industry were in personnel management, training and development with W.H. Smith and Graham Builders Merchants in the UK.

From 1980 to 1989, he served in the British Military Forces, gaining his Officer’s Commission at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. In addition to his military qualifications, he holds an MBA from Huddersfield University and a commendation from IMD Business School in Lausanne. Alastair Robertson is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Personnel and Development (FCIPD). Born in 1960, he is a British citizen, married, and has three daughters.

Since his appointment as Head of Global People Management & Development in March 2017, Alexander Ochsner has done an excellent job in reorganizing and building the Straumann Group’s HR capabilities and skills to support the Group’s rapid expansion across geographies and businesses. He joined Straumann in 2012 and very successfully headed the APAC region for four and a half years. With his strong commercial and scientific background, Dr Ochsner will take on a new global challenge, which will be communicated later and in which he will no longer serve on the Executive Management Board.

About the Straumann Group

The Straumann Group (SIX: STMN) is a global leader in tooth replacement and orthodontic solutions that restore smiles and confidence. It unites global and international brands that stand for excellence, innovation and quality in replacement, corrective and digital dentistry, including Straumann, Neodent, Medentika, ClearCorrect, Dental Wings, and other fully/partly owned companies and partners. In collaboration with leading clinics, institutes and universities, the Group researches, develops, manufactures and supplies dental implants, instruments, CADCAM prosthetics, biomaterials and digital solutions for use in tooth replacement and restoration or to prevent tooth loss.

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, the Group currently employs approx. 6000 people worldwide and its products, solutions and services are available in more than 100 countries through a broad network of distribution subsidiaries and partners.