SIG CEO Departs Again; Leadership Turmoil Reflects Poorly on Board

The Swiss industrial group SIG is once again changing its chief executive, marking the second CEO departure in just one year. This rapid succession of leadership changes casts a poor light on the company's board of directors and has shaken confidence in the beverage carton manufacturer.

Ann-Kristin Erkens, the company's chief financial officer, has been appointed as the new CEO, effective immediately. She replaces Mikko Keto, a Finnish executive who had only assumed the role in early March of this year. Erkens brings prior experience to the position, having served as interim CEO from mid-August of the previous year until the end of February. During that period, Samuel Sigrist had unexpectedly stepped down from his CEO post.

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The company's board of directors should have known better.

SIG, headquartered in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, supplies dairy and juice producers globally with packaging and filling equipment. The company benefits from growing consumer purchasing power, particularly in emerging markets, and faces limited competition, operating in a near-duopoly with the larger Tetra Pak. Despite this solid core business, the recent management turmoil has damaged the company's reputation. The board, led by Chairman Ola Rollén who only took office in April 2025, faces the challenge of restoring trust after these significant leadership shifts.

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It was an 'intensive global search'.