Financial Services >> CEO Interviews >> November 17, 1997
HERMANN VODICKA is Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of
Directors, Ciba Specialty Chemicals. Degrees: Doctorate in Technical
Chemistry, 1968. Career: Hermann Vodicka's career with Ciba spans 28
years and encompasses many executive, marketing, and operational
positions as well as significant international experience. In 1995, he
was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Ciba-Geigy Ltd. Hermann
Vodicka's career with Ciba started when he joined the German company
Deutsche Advance Produktion GmbH, which was later acquired by Geigy in
1971 and renamed Ciba Additives Lampertheim. Hermann Vodicka headed the
Company's worldwide PVC stabilisers marketing area from 1973 to 1986. In
1986, he was appointed Head of the Plastics and Additives Division of
Ciba Brazil and a member of corporate management. In this role he guided
the business through one of the most challenging periods of economic
volatility in Brazil's history. Hermann Vodicka returned to Switzerland
in 1988 and was instrumental in acquiring the Toledo Scale Corporation,
the largest U.S. manufacturer of industrial scales, in 1989. This was
the foundation of the Mettler Toledo division. As its worldwide head,
Hermann Vodicka expanded the division to a business consisting of 35
companies operating around the world that by 1995 was the clear market
leader with sales of more than CHF 1 billion. The Mettler Toledo group
obtained market leadership and in March 1996 was acquired by AEA
Investors Inc. From 1993 to February 1996, Hermann Vodicka served as
head of the Polymers Division and was instrumental in leading its
financial turnaround. Since 1 November 1993, Hermann Vodicka was a
member of former Ciba-Geigy's Executive Committee responsible for
Mettler Toledo, Polymers, Composites and Ciba Vision. Profile
is doing today.
Mr. Vodicka: Ciba Specialty Chemicals, after its successful spin-off on
the 13th March, 1997, has been
