Who's Who at Black Diamond Equipment Europe

In the beginning Black Diamond’s innovative and high quality products were hard to find in Europe. The situation changed drastically in 1996 when Black Diamond Equipment AG was established in Reinach, Switzerland—close to the city of Basel.

A highly motivated and engaged European team started to develop consisting of the office crew in Reinach, a European distribution platform in the nearby Alsace, France, local sales representatives in each European country and sponsored athletes.

All BD team members are affectionate users of BD equipment. Through their daily work they play a major role in developing, testing and selling gear—feeling a little proud of being a part of the BD Family and having a part in creating some of the best climbing and mountaineering equipment on the planet.

Location in the Basler Jura

Our central office is located in Reinach, in the middle of the Basler Jura range. This is an ideal climbing location with over 3000 sport routes and 800 boulder problems within 20 minutes of the office door. The best part is that one can basically climb outside all year round. We have no off-seasons!!

Black Diamond Team Reinach, Switzerland

Christian Jaeggi, Switzerland
CEO
Established Black Diamond Equipment AG in 1996, which consisted of one and a half people back then.
Under his guidance the company soon became a competitive player in the European market. A climber and experienced mountaineer, Christian has travelled all around the world, conquering more than 1000 summits.

Sales

David Ledouble, France
Sales Manager
At Black Diamond since April 2005
Our man with the most impressive life/work balance between being in the office, on the road for sales, the father of three children, being outdoors and having the largest address book for clubbing in most European cities.

 

Magnus Råström, Sweden
Area Sales Manager
At Black Diamond since November 2005
Extremely motivated sport climber and boulderer who is out at the boulders even in rain and darkness. We suspect the Scandinavian genes must be different somehow (not to mention the Scandinavian food!).

Customer Service Team

Simone Dettwiler, Switzerland
Customer Service for Switzerland and Norway
At Black Diamond since February 2002
The nicest person on earth with infinite patience with our sometimes chaotic sales rep… loves everything outdoors (including BBQ parties).

 

Anne Kuhn, France
Customer Service for France, Spain and Andorra
At Black Diamond since May 2002
Enthusiastic sport climber with tons of charm, winning people over with her German correctness and French temperament.

 

Benedetta La Piana, Italy
Customer Service for Italy, Slovenia and Benelux
At Black Diamond since September 2005
She keeps her Italian temperament quiet and we thought she was—until we got to know her on the phone or driving her Alfa...

 

Nadine Albertini, Germany
Customer Service for Germany, Poland, Czech Republic and Export countries
At Black Diamond since January 2008

 

Thomas Wanner, Austria
Customer Service for Great Britain, Austria, Sweden, Denmark and Finland
At Black Diamond since January 2008

 

 

Andreas Kuhne, Germany
Warranty and Service
At Black Diamond since December 2007
Andreas is a true all-arounder who is into climbing, gymnastics, ski touring, racing and mountain biking. He enjoys every kind of activity in the mountains but his heart belongs to the Elbsandstein Towers in Saxony, where he comes from.

 

Marketing

Thomas Hodel, Switzerland
Marketing Manager
Back at Black Diamond since April 2007 after a one-year around-the-world bouldering trip.

 

 

Kathi Krause, Germany
European Marketing Coordinator
At Black Diamond since August 2005
Kathi is hard sport climbing and bouldering combined with charm. Kathi's energy is infectious; the sponsored athletes' privileged contact person.

 

Tanja Kulkies, Germany
European Marketing Coordinator
At Black Diamond since July 2007

 

 

Dan Caruso, USA/Switzerland
Marketing Coordinator/Team Manager Ski Line
At Black Diamond since October 2006

 

Product Management

Mike Tscharner, Switzerland
Brand Manager bouldering line, clothing/accessories design, sponsorships
At Black Diamond since 2000
Mischievous charmer with a heart bigger than the biggest boulder problem yet to be found (and brushed clean).

 

Marcel Beyeler, Switzerland
Product Manager Europe
At Black Diamond since September 2006

 

 

Julia Ebser, Germany
Ski-Line Promoter
At Black Diamond since May 2007

Finance Department

Michel Silbernagel, Switzerland
CFO, IT Guy
At Black Diamond since 1998
Most likely the one and only professional accountant who has climbed the Eiger Nordwand during summer and winter.

 

André Otto, Germany
Accounting Manager/Controller
At Black Diamond since August 2006
André came to BD as an intern and just stayed. He grew up in a rural neighborhood and adores nature! In his leisure time you will meet him in the mountains and on his bike.

 

 

Paula Rönkkö, Finland
Credit Manager
At Black Diamond since March 2001
Telemarker and boulderer, quiet person who only bursts out cursing funnily in Finnish while struggling with moves on the rock.

Purchasing/Logistics

Marcel Bürgi, Switzerland
Supply Chain Manager
At Black Diamond since June 2007

 

 

Katrin Engelen, Germany
Supply Chain Management
At Black Diamond since October 2005
When Katrin started at BD the running lessons during lunch breaks were a bit more sharply paced...

 

IT Department

Philippe Martin-Betz, Switzerland
IT Manager Europe
At Black Diamond since December 2006
Phillipe has been the profi trainer of the Swiss national triathlon team and got to know the world by foot, by bike or in the water. Father of two children, he loves his family, skiing, snowboarding and still... triathlon.