9.1 Selection process, duration of mandate and term of office of the auditor-in-charge

The statutory auditor is appointed annually by the Annual General Meeting upon proposal by the Board of Directors under policies defined by the Audit Committee, with re-election permitted. The statutory auditor’s tenure is limited to 20 years and a new invitation to tender for this mandate is issued every 10 to 14 years at a minimum. The Swiss Code of Obligations limits the term of office for the auditor-in-charge to seven years. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Zurich, has held the mandate since the 2019 financial year and Petra Schwick has been the auditor-in-charge since 2023.