Business Exchange "Financial Leadership Excellence"

Dr. Thomas Vettiger is a co-founder of IFBC and has served as Managing Partner and a member of the Board of Directors since 1997. Under his leadership, IFBC has evolved into a leading-edge financial advisor in Switzerland and a premier firm for corporate finance as well as private and public M&A transactions. Since 2015, he has been a member of the Swiss Takeover Board (TOB), where he helps shape the regulatory framework and the assessment of public takeover bids. In addition, he has served on the Board of Directors of the listed real estate company Investis AG since 2016, assuming the role of Chairman in 2021. That same year, he was also appointed to the Board of Directors of Globalscope. Since 2024, he has been a member—and since 2026, Chairman—of the Board of Directors of Real Fund Management AG, a Swiss-based real estate developer. At IFBC, Thomas Vettiger heads the Corporate Finance and M&A Advisory division, advising large enterprises at the executive management and board levels, as well as entrepreneurs, private equity firms, and law firms. He is a lecturer at the Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics at the University of Zurich and holds a Master’s degree from the University of St. Gallen and a doctorate in Finance from the University of Zurich.

Christian Hirzel is a Partner and member of the Board of Directors at IFBC, focusing particularly on value-based management, corporate finance, and selected IFRS standards. He advises domestic and international companies in the industrial, energy, and banking sectors and possesses over 20 years of experience in implementing value-based management approaches, developing and deploying financial management tools, and addressing specific issues related to corporate finance and IFRS. He is a lecturer at the Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics at the University of Zurich and a speaker at other educational and professional training institutions. Christian Hirzel holds a Master’s degree from the University of Zurich, specializing in Banking & Corporate Finance.

Panelist, experienced CFO, and Board Member
Luca Baroni is a member of the Board of Directors at IFBC and a finance expert with extensive experience as a CFO in the energy and infrastructure sectors. He previously served as CFO of the Alpiq Group, Swissgrid, and naturenergie (formerly Energiedienst Holding). His career also includes positions at BLS (Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon Railway) and MGB (Federation of Migros Cooperatives). Additionally, until the end of June 2026, Luca Baroni served as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Investment Committee for the PKE Vorsorgestiftung Energie (PKE Energy Pension Foundation).