A board talk with Wolfgang Schroeder, CTO

Mr. Schroeder, after working in industrial and building automation for nearly 14 years at a large German company, what made you come to Zug in 2021 and join a traditional Swiss company?  

Actually, at the time I was already living in Zug while working for a German company, so it was really just a matter of moving across the street. What drew me to V-ZUG was the challenge of leading its digital transformation. The opportunity to shape the future of a company was incredibly appealing. 

What do you enjoy most about your role? 

What I love about this role is the wide range of technology we get to use. V-ZUG has an extensive value chain: we start with raw metal sheets, and at the end of the line, we have a fully assembled appliance. We manage everything in-house – mechanical engineering, electronics, software and processes, along with the entire digital ecosystem, from IoT to app development. We also use many simulation tools. It’s this breadth of technology that makes the role so exciting for me. 

When you arrived, V-ZUG was already heavily investing in the digital sector. On which topics did you focus in particular?  

Yes, a lot of initiatives were already underway when I joined. My first step was to focus on our customers: how could V-ZUG support them better in their daily lives? As a small player in the market, I felt we needed to differentiate ourselves, and that differentiation is always something customers have to recognise. We concentrated on two main areas. The first was our V-ZUG app to enhance the experience of our end consumers with our appliances. The second was a diagnostic tool to support our business clients, such as service partners, property and facility managers.

How does V-ZUG integrate cutting-edge technology into its household products? 

We indeed use cutting-edge technology, along with advanced tools – our CAD software, for instance, is the same used to build aircraft. To integrate technology into our products, we work closely with marketing and product management, discussing how we can leverage technology to create real customer value. We’re also tightly linked to our production facilities, and our sustainability manager ensures our machines have a reduced environmental footprint. We collaborate with sales, service and other departments, too. This network is one of our core strengths. 

As an expert in digital transformation and technological evolution, how do you see homes changing in the next five or ten years?  

The smart home is definitely an interesting topic. We’ve been talking about it for nearly 30 years now. In some respects, it’s materialised, but in others, it still looks much like it did two decades ago, just with more internet connectivity. The challenge with predicting the future is that trends can shift. Smart homes aren’t just about technology; they also involve behaviour. Do users really want everything to be “smart”? We closely observe consumer behaviour, the standardisation efforts, technological advancements and how the big tech players evolve. Today, many homes have some level of smart functionality. Has it progressed at the pace we anticipated 20 years ago? Not quite – there was a lot of hype back then. I believe the smart home will continue to evolve, but probably at a slower pace than other areas of consumer electronics. That said, V-ZUG is very much part of that journey. 

As the Chief Technology Officer you also oversee the IT department. What internal digitalisation initiatives have you implemented, and how have they impacted efficiency or product development? 

It’s quite unique to have both R&D and IT under the same leadership, and I see it as a big advantage for the company. For more than a decade, the industry has been talking about IT-OT convergence, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. This is important because an appliance is no longer just a product you sell – it now exchanges data, becoming part of the entire value chain. That’s a key element in our strategic vision: fostering the integration of the IT and OT worlds.

What are the strengths of the V-ZUG brand in your opinion? 

The brand is outstanding. We’re an underrated player in a niche market, and that makes it extremely attractive. We operate in a segment where quality and differentiation are key. V-ZUG is driven by values like innovation, design and customer centricity. If I had to highlight one strength, it would be our size. Although being small can sometimes be challenging in an industry dominated by big players, it also means we’re more agile, smarter and faster. This is an asset none of our competitors have. 

What values do you personally stand for as a member of the Executive Committee, and how do they align with the company’s vision? 

For me, it’s about modesty, honesty and gratitude. These are the values I stand for, especially modesty. Honesty is also something I see in V-ZUG – it’s a humble brand. We never oversell or make promises we can’t keep. We only commit to what we know we can deliver. 

In your opinion, what challenges does the company face now and in the future, and how is V-ZUG positioning itself to overcome them? 

Challenges will always be there – once one is solved, the next one arises. It’s like running a marathon: you need to maintain your pace. I believe that’s what we need to do as well. Challenges don’t go away, but they make us stronger and they motivate us to seek new opportunities. With this mindset, we can continue to succeed.

About Wolfgang Schroeder

Wolfgang Schroeder studied Electrical Engineering at TU Darmstadt (Germany) and General Engineering at École Centrale de Lyon (France). He holds an MBA from the Collèges des Ingénieurs Paris. He joined V-ZUG as Head of Digital Transformation in 2021 and since July 2024, he has served as Chief Technology Officer at V-ZUG. Wolfgang has previously held various management positions at Siemens, including roles in product and portfolio management at Digital Industries in Nuremberg, Germany, and Smart Infrastructure in Zug.