The Zurich-based fintech company Leonteq is restructuring its board of directors. At the annual general meeting on 1 April 2026, Barbara Heller and Jürg Steiger are to be elected as new independent members of the board. The company announced this on Tuesday. At the same time, a transitional arrangement has been put in place at the top of the board in connection with the entry of a Raiffeisen-related shareholder group.

As Leonteq further announced, current board member Susana Gomez Smith will not stand for re-election. She has served on the board for seven years and chaired the Audit and Risk Committee.

Postponement for Corporate Governance Reasons

The originally planned election of Felix Oegerli as the new chairman has been postponed for the time being. Oegerli belongs to the shareholder group that intends to acquire a 22,7 percent stake in Leonteq from Raiffeisen, subject to regulatory approvals.

For corporate governance reasons, Oegerli has therefore decided not to stand for election until the transaction has been completed. The approvals are expected at a later stage.

Instead, current chairman Christopher Chambers has agreed to stand for re-election at the annual general meeting and to continue serving as chairman during a transitional period. Vice-chairman Philippe Weber will also remain in office for the time being. An extraordinary general meeting to elect a new chairman is expected to take place later this year, according to Leonteq.

Two New Independent Board Members

For this reason, no new chairman will be elected at the annual general meeting. Instead, Heller and Steiger will stand for election as two new independent members of the board.

Barbara Heller is a founding partner of the consulting firms SWIPRA Services and Trusted Board Advisors, which specialise in corporate governance and stakeholder management. Previously, she served as chief financial officer of the biotech company Santhera Pharmaceuticals and as managing director in investment banking and corporate finance at Bank Vontobel, among other roles.

Today, Heller sits on the board of directors of Graubündner Kantonalbank and is a member of the bank’s strategy committee. After her election, she is expected to assume the chair of Leonteq’s Audit and Risk Committee.

Jürg Steiger currently runs a single family office and is a start-up coach at Innosuisse. He is also a member of the board of the regtech company Apiax. The former UBS and Swiss Re manager has around 35 years of experience in core banking services, structured products and alternative investments, with a strong focus on technology and innovation.