Management

GF Piping Systems' management is responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of the company. Our international management team combines extensive experience, visionary thinking, and a collective commitment to high-quality, innovative solutions with a clear market and customer focus and continuously increasing global availability. GF Piping Systems is a division of Georg Fischer AG and is headquartered in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.

Joost Geginat is the President of GF Piping Systems and member of the management board of Georg Fischer AG. He assumed this position in 2016 and is responsible for the strategic and operative management of the division.

Prior to joining GF Piping Systems he held the post of Senior Managing Director and Partner of the Swiss consulting firm AlixPartners (2014-2016). Prior to that he worked for many years for Roland Berger Strategy Consultants (1995-2014) as Regional Managing Partner for Southeast Asia, Chief Operating Officer in Switzerland, and consultant and partner in Germany.

Joost Geginat studied business management at the University of Cologne, Germany and the Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC) in Paris, France. He holds a degrees in business management (Diplomkaufmann) and a CEMS Master's in International Management degree. He launched his professional career by a banking apprenticeship at the Deutsche Bank in Cologne.

He was born in Cologne (Germany) in 1966.

Thomas Hary is Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Global Executive Management at GF Piping Systems.

Thomas Hary has worked for GF companies for his entire career. Before assuming his current role in 2019, he was CFO at GF Casting Solutions (2016–2019), and prior to that CFO of Business Unit Americas at GF Piping Systems in the USA (2013–2016). He also held positions at GF Machining Solutions (Head of Controlling BU Operations, 2010–2013, and Strategic Planning Manager, 2006–2007) and GF Piping Systems (Business Controller and Project Manager, 2007–2010) in Switzerland.

Thomas Hary studied for an MSc in Economics and Business Administration at the University of Mannheim. He was born in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany, in 1981.

Christopher Dühnen is the Head of Business Unit Building Technology at GF Piping Systems and a member of the Global Executive Management and since April 2020.

Before joining GF Piping Systems, he worked for Xylem and Sensus since 2010. During this time, he was Head of Global Key Account Business Water Infrastructure and Industrial Solutions from 2017 to 2020, VP Sales EMEA & Asia-Pacific from 2020 to 2017 and VP Sales Europe / South America / Asia-Pacific from 2010 to 2012. Prior to that, Christopher worked for Merkel Freudenberg Fluidtechnic as Segment Manager Heavy Industry from 2007 to 2010. Before that, he held several Sales Manager roles in South America and Asia in the international public and private utility markets as well as mechanical and industrial engineering industry.

Christopher Dühnen holds a Master in Business Administration of the Export Academy Baden-Württemberg and a Master of Science in Engineering of the TU Darmstadt.

He was born in Wiesbaden (Germany) in 1967. 

Jens Frisenborg is Head of Business Unit Industry/ Utility at GF Piping Systems and since 2010 a member of the Global Executive Management.

In 2000 Frisenborg joined GF Piping Systems and held various roles since then. Before assuming his current role in 2016, he was the Head of Business Unit Europe and Managing Director in Germany, Denmark and Norway at GF Piping Systems. Previously, he gained experience as Market Director at Siemens Building Technologies A/S and as Head of Product System at DAN-LUK A/S in Denmark, among others.

Jens Frisenborg holds a degree in Civil Engineering from the Academy of Engineering in Denmark and one in Business Administration at the Copenhagen Business School.

He was born in 1963 in Herlev (Denmark).

Dominique van Ackere is Head of Business Unit EMEA of GF Piping Systems since 2016 and a member of the Global Executive Management.

Dominique van Ackere has been with GF Piping Systems since 1989. In his latest positions he was Head Region South Europe/ Managing Director from 2013 to 2015. Prior to that, he has been both Managing Director at Georg Fischer in Belgium and in France from 2009 to 2013. He had worked at GF Piping Systems in France from 2006 to 2009 and before that in Belgium from 1999 to 2005 as Managing Director.

Dominique van Ackere holds a bachelor's degree in electro mechanics from VIVES Kortrijk. 

He was born in Waregem (Belgium) in 1962.

James Jackson is Head of Business Unit Americas and a member of the Global Executive Management at GF Piping Systems. He joined GF Piping Systems in his current position in 2014.

Prior to this role, James Jackson worked for GF Piping Systems for 15 years with a focus on North America. He was President and Managing Director of GF North America from 2007 to 2014, before which he held several vice-presidential and managerial roles. His career began at Advanced Industrial Designs, where he worked for five years from 1994.

Jackson studied at Pepperdine University for an MBA focusing on technology management, and at California State University, Chico, for a BA in Organizational Communication .

He was born in Oakland (California) in 1970.

Michael Toh joined GF Piping Systems in 2018 as Head of Business Unit Asia and as member of the Global Executive Management.

Michael Toh  became part of the GF Piping Systems team after eight years with Honeywell Building Solutions in Singapore, where he was Regional General Manager – South East Asia and then VP Sales Asia Pacific. Prior to this, he worked at Johnson Controls from 2002 to 2008 as Director of Service, Asia Pacific, and Managing Director, Malaysia and Singapore. Previously, he held positions at ABB Service Asia, Nissan Australia and BlueScope Steel Malaysia.

His education took place in Australia, where he studied for an MBA at Deakin University and a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering at RMIT. 

He was born in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) in 1968.

Noel Schreiber is Head of Human Resources and a member of the Global Executive Management at GF Piping Systems. He has been in the role since 2013, and previously held the same position at GF Casting Solutions, where he also served as Head of Organizational Development and IT, and Head of Risk Management.

Schreiber’s earlier career reflects his legal background. He was Head of the Legal Department at Webasto AG from 2003 to 2006, and before this he worked at a law firm. He studied law in Munich, achieving accreditation as a lawyer, and went on to obtain an MBA from Henley Management College in the UK.

He was born in Munich (Germany) in 1971.