Rieter will change both its CEO and its Chairman of the Board within weeks of completing the largest strategic shift in its recent history. Thomas Oetterli steps down as CEO effective October 31, 2026, and hands over the board chairmanship, the Winterthur-based spinning machinery group announced on September 30, 2026.

The separation of the two roles was planned since Oetterli took office, the company said. The timing follows three structural milestones: the completion of the Next Level performance program, site consolidation measures, and the acquisition of Barmag in February 2026.

"After the successful implementation of the Next Level performance program, the structural measures initiated to consolidate the sites and the acquisition of Barmag, the time has come to hand over responsibility to new hands," Oetterli said in a statement.

Who takes over

Daniel Lippuner becomes CEO on November 1, 2026. He brings direct competitive experience: he is the former CEO of the Saurer Group and previously headed Oerlikon Textile Components, running businesses across spinning machines, yarn processing and textile components. He has also served as Chairman and co-owner of Heberlein Technology, keeping him connected to the chemical fiber industry.

That profile matters for Rieter's new footprint. The Barmag acquisition, closed in February 2026, extends the group beyond its traditional short-staple fiber machinery into man-made fibers — a segment where Lippuner has operated on both the machinery and components side. Rieter flagged his experience in transformation, technology and quality management, operational leadership and Asian markets as particularly relevant to combining the established short-staple business with the newly acquired man-made fiber operations.

Board changes

Carl Illi assumes the role of Chairman of the Board until the next Annual General Meeting on April 14, 2027. Illi has sat on Rieter's board since 2017 and is described by the company as a recognized textile industry expert. The interim arrangement signals the board intends to settle the permanent chairman question in front of shareholders at the AGM rather than through an immediate appointment.

The Board of Directors thanked Oetterli for his commitment and his contributions to the group's strategic and operational development. It said it is convinced the measures initiated under his tenure will strengthen the group's competitiveness and create a foundation to benefit from a future market recovery.

What it means for suppliers and customers

For mills and sourcing operations running Rieter short-staple lines, the immediate practical question is continuity through the Barmag integration. Rieter frames the transaction as strengthening its technology leadership, opening additional growth opportunities and broadening the basis for digital solutions across the textile industry — claims that will be tested against delivery schedules, service coverage and product roadmaps as the two organizations merge.

A leadership change arriving eight months after a major acquisition is not unusual in machinery, but it concentrates transition risk: a new CEO, an interim chairman and an integrating man-made fiber business will all move together into 2027. Customers and vendors should watch the April 14, 2027 AGM for confirmation of the permanent board structure and early signals of how Lippuner sequences the integration priorities he inherits.