sia Group

Roland Eberle to be new CEO of the sia Group (16/06/2006)

Peter A. Schifferle, whose hand has held the reins at sia Abrasives since 1991, will be retiring as CEO and Executive Director of sia Abrasives Holding AG with effect from 31.12.2006. Succeeding him as CEO will be Roland Eberle.

Aged 52, Roland Eberle was until 31.05.2006 Chief Executive of the Canton of Thurgau where he also headed the Department of Finances and Social Services. Peter A. Schifferle will continue as a Director of sia Abrasives Holding AG and will be taking over as Chairman of the Board subsequent to the 2007 Annual General Meeting. Hans-Ulrich Spiess, the current Chairman, will at this time take over the post of Deputy Chairman.

In Roland Eberle, sia Abrasives has found a strong, mature personality with an impressive track record. After obtaining his degree in agricultural economics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (FIT) in 1983, Roland Eberle served briefly as an assistant in the FIT’s Department of Agricultural Sciences before taking over management of the Thurgau Farmers’ Union in 1984. On 1 June 1994, he joined the ranks of Canton Thurgau’s senior civil servants, where he was initially responsible for the Department of Justice and Security. As from 1 June 2000, he took over the Department of Finances and Social Services, which he passed on to his successor to the post of Chief Executive of the canton on 31.05.2006. He went on to serve as project manager for the New Public Management programme of the Thurgau cantonal administration and played a decisive role in consolidating Thurgau’s hospitals to create the Spital Thurgau AG. He is joining sia Abrasives as of 1 July 2006. When his contract was signed at the beginning of this week, it was agreed that Roland Eberle would complete the course of post-graduate studies in the USA that he had already planned to undertake. It is therefore foreseen that he will take up his new duties within the company at the beginning of September.

Peter A. Schifferle, who in 1991 succeeded in putting the failing sia Abrasives company back on its feet again, will continue in his role of Executive Director until 31.12.2006. The Board of Directors of sia Abrasives Holding AG has decided to appoint Peter A. Schifferle as its Chairman after the Annual General Meeting in 2007. From this time on, the company will no longer have an Executive Director. Peter A. Schifferle’s appointment as Chairman of the Board will ensure continuity in the corporate management and allow Roland Eberle to benefit from his predecessor’s vast know-how. Hans-Ulrich Spiess, the current Chairman of the Board, will continue to serve the Board as Deputy Chairman and thus also help to underpin continuity.


Calendar of events (sia Abrasives)

July 21, 2006 Publication of first-half results
March 23, 2007, 9am Annual press conference at SWX Swiss Exchange in Zurich
March 23, 2007, 11am Financial analysts’ conference at SWX Swiss Exchange in Zurich
April 24, 2007, 4pm Annual Meeting of Stockholders at Frauenfeld Stadtcasino
April 30, 2007 Dividend payment

For further information

Peter A. Schifferle, CEO and Executive Director
Gerhard Mahrle, CFO and Investor Relations
Phone: +41 52 724 45 75
Fax: +41 52 724 45 70
E-mail: ir@sia-abrasives.com
Internet: http://www.sia-abrasives.com/

® Correct nomenclature for sia Abrasives Holding AG

As there are other companies and organizations that use the same abbreviation as our company, we would be grateful if you could help to avoid any misunderstandings by always writing our name as follows: sia Abrasives (never just sia by itself).