Aurea Prima Advisory AG · Basel
Executive Advisor & Investor
Combining deep corporate experience in sustainable composite materials and manufacturing industries with frontier AI — advising technology companies, serving on boards, and investing in the next generation of industrial innovation.
The name Aurea Prima is drawn from Ovid's Metamorphoses — evoking transformation, renewal, and the emergence of new forms. A golden beginning.
Internationally experienced CEO and recognized industry leader with a strong track record in capital-intensive process industries and building materials. Strategic thinker and result-oriented 'playing captain' specializing in operational excellence, digital transformation, and value creation for shareholders. Specifically experienced in France, Eastern Europe, and the US, in addition to Switzerland, Germany, and Austria.
Proven builder of high-performance leadership teams and lean organizational structures. Track record of attracting, developing, and retaining top international management talent across cultures and geographies. Led 5,000+ employees across ten countries, consistently fostering a culture of accountability, entrepreneurial spirit, and cross-functional collaboration. Experienced in designing incentive structures that align individual performance with corporate strategy.
Strong in developing corporate and sector strategies that create durable competitive advantage. Proven ability to reposition organizations from commodity suppliers to premium, branded players. Expert in managing the premiumization journey: match real market needs with innovation and manufacturing capabilities, brand investment, product architecture, pricing discipline, distribution management, and the cultural change it requires.
Hands-on leadership style with demonstrated capability to build operational excellence in process-industry environments. Experienced in large CAPEX industrial projects across multiple geographies with rigorous OEE focus and Industry 4.0 implementation. Relentless focus on shareholder value creation through cash generation and disciplined execution. Strong corporate finance background including fund raising, M&A, and investor relations.
Experienced at the intersection of industry and politics — as Chairman of the European Panel Federation (Brussels, 2021–2024) representing a €22bn industry and 100,000+ jobs to EU institutions. Adept at building coalitions, navigating regulatory environments, and shaping policy discourse across national and supranational levels. Proven ability to engage constructively with ministers, commissioners, and senior civil servants on behalf of industrial constituencies.
Strategic advisory and business development support to high-potential technology startups and established industrial players — leveraging three decades of executive experience and a broad European network.
Real-time cost optimization, product quality prediction, and recommendation system for continuous process industries, powered by proprietary machine learning. Strategic support, general management coaching, and business development through an extensive European industrial network.
Senior Advisor · since 2024Autonomous AI System of Action automating operational workflows across email, spreadsheets, and ERP systems along the supply chain. Founded by the team behind German unicorn Razor Group. Business development advisory focused on manufacturing and B-to-B wholesale.
Partner Advisor · since 2026Next-generation supply chain visibility and collaboration platform powered by AI and trusted analytics, focusing on vital supply chains in pharma, biotech, and medtech. Strategic advisory on go-to-market in Switzerland and Europe.
Strategic Advisor · since 2026Combining patent-pending social media sampling with proprietary AI to deliver faster, more representative, and cost-effective opinion and market research. Advisory on growth strategy, business case validation, and investor network development.
Sales Strategy Advisor · since 2025Private angel investor group of experienced senior executives and entrepreneurs pooling capital, expertise, and networks to invest in early-stage Swiss technology startups across medtech, biotech, deeptech, cleantech, and software.
Partner · since 2025Regular advisory to private equity funds and management consulting firms on building materials markets and energy-intensive industries. Deep sector expertise in wood-based panels, insulation, construction materials, and process manufacturing.
Ad-hoc AdvisoryA curated selection of posts on the topics at the intersection of deep industrial experience and frontier thinking. Follow on LinkedIn for the full conversation.
Completing a global SAP S/4HANA rollout across ten production sites in nine countries is not primarily a technology project — it is an organizational transformation. The hardest part is not the system; it is changing how thousands of people think, report, and decide. After seven years at SWISS KRONO, this was among our most consequential investments — and the one that taught me the most about what digital transformation actually demands from leadership.
The EU building sector is responsible for over 36% of the bloc's greenhouse gas emissions. If you are serious about decarbonizing Europe, you cannot avoid the built environment. Wood-based panels and insulation are not a niche solution — they are a proven, scalable, and commercially attractive path. The industry needs to lead this conversation with facts and ambition, not wait for policy to catch up.
European energy costs are no longer a cyclical problem — they are a structural competitive disadvantage. For process industries operating capital-intensive plants around the clock, the gap with the US and Asia has become existential in some segments. The response cannot only be green transition rhetoric; it must include pragmatic energy policy, regulatory relief, and a genuine commitment to keeping manufacturing in Europe.
We are at an AI inflection point — not as hype, but as operational reality for manufacturing companies. Meanwhile, defence spending is crowding out capital and labour across the continent, the world economy is fragmenting into blocs, and supply chains face renewed stress that pure efficiency optimization cannot solve. Leaders who think through these trends now will be better positioned to act when the window is open.
Three decades of executive leadership across BCG, HIAG Group, Pavatex (MBO & exit), and SWISS KRONO Group — combined with active thought leadership on LinkedIn covering AI for process industries, sustainable building, supply chain transformation, and leadership in industrial organizations.
Whether you are exploring a board or advisory mandate, seeking a thought leader for your event, or looking to discuss investment opportunities — I look forward to the conversation.
Regular posts on AI for process industries, sustainable building, supply chain transformation, and leadership in industrial organizations. Join the conversation on LinkedIn.
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