Corporate news // 26.01.2022 // DECTRIS
CEO Change Does Not Shift The Company’s Direction
A 5-minute read
Matthias Schneebeli took over the DECTRIS CEO role at the beginning of the year, giving board chairman Christian Brönnimann a chance to focus on coaching and advising the team. The company is going through internal changes, but the strategy and customer support will stay on the plotted course.
Christian was the DECTRIS captain for 15 years. Even though he remains the Chairman of the Board of Directors and an indispensable coach and advisor to the company, the new year brought a life change for the founder. “I have enjoyed these first weeks of not being in charge”, Christian admits. The workload reduction has allowed him to spend time on the mountains and even do a small ski tour with his 83-year-old father. Music is another passion for Christian: “I have more time to play the keyboard in jam sessions with my friends.” Christian is also in the organizing committee of a new musical that will premiere in Baden, Switzerland, in 2023.
The company is in good hands, Christian knows. “I am convinced that DECTRIS will continue to develop even better products with even more impact for our customers.” The new CEO, a seasoned DECTRIS leader, is not about to change the strategic direction of the company. “We continue to support our customers in the current markets”, Matthias promises. “Furthermore, we aim for long-term partnerships with our customer companies”, Matthias emphasizes the strategy for DECTRIS as an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM).
New DECTRIS inside out
X-ray detectors for the synchrotron and laboratory markets are a core business for DECTRIS, while electron detectors for electron microscopy is the company’s most important growth market. Shaping the medical computed tomography (CT) market is a long-term goal, and DECTRIS recently reorganized and concentrated its medical development and market know-how into a specialized team.
To ensure that DECTRIS will continue to serve its customers with superior products and premium service in the future, DECTRIS is going through further internal changes towards a flatter hierarchy and a more decentralized organization. The goal of these changes is to further improve innovation and to unleash the full potential of its employees.
Matthias had about one year to get used to the idea of becoming the next DECTRIS CEO, between the official decision and the first actual work day in the new role. "This one year transition period was a very good idea", he says. As with any change, the year included surprises, disagreements, and problems, which the leadership was able to solve easily without time pressure. Now Matthias looks forward to the impact of the organizational changes. "The characteristic of the changes is that they should lead to a snowball effect. I'm curious about how this will work!"
Eyes on the ball
Thanks to the transition year, the content of Matthias's work did not change dramatically in January 2022. Yet he does feel different: "Earlier I could always think that any tough decision is Christian's responsibility in the end. Now I can't hide behind anybody, which makes a surprisingly big difference emotionally." To make sure he stays centered and focused in his role, Matthias has made an adjustment to his work schedule: "I make sure I have enough time to reflect."
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