Strengthening the management team at bestsmile

“In Yumy Pham, we have recruited an excellent candidate for the position of CEO. She has over 20 years of professional experience in successfully operating companies. We were impressed by her expertise, hands-on mentality and open personality. I’m confident that she will lead bestsmile successfully into the future together with the existing management team”, says Lorenz Lüchinger, Chairman of the Board at bestsmile and CEO of Sparrow Ventures, the Migros Group’s venture builder and growth equity investor. bestsmile has been managed by Sparrow Ventures since being acquired by Migros in March 2022.

Yumy Pham has a bachelor’s degree in advertising and marketing as well as a master’s degree in communication science. After completing her studies, she worked at various internationally active companies in the consumer and luxury goods sector, including various roles at The Swatch Group Ltd in Biel and as Head of Communications at Carl F. Bucherer AG in Lucerne. She is currently Marketing Director and a member of the Management Board at Confiserie Sprüngli in Zurich. “I’m very much looking forward to rigorously continuing the bestsmile success story and writing the next chapter of the company’s development together with this highly motivated team,” says Yumy Pham.

Yumy Pham succeeds Michael Wendt as CEO
The 45-year-old will take up her new position on 1 September, with responsibility for the 340 people that bestsmile has at its 36 own practices, production facility and headquarters in Winterthur. Lorenz Lüchinger will assume responsibility for management of the business ad interim until then. Current CEO Michael Wendt is leaving bestsmile at his own request at the end of March but will still be assisting Lorenz Lüchinger in an advisory capacity so as to help ensure a smooth transition. Michael Wendt has played a significant part in the development of the start-up since 2019 and became CEO in March 2022. Under his leadership, the company continued to grow last year and took important steps to set its course for the future, including the expansion of the production facility in Winterthur. “I'd like to say a big thank you to Michael Wendt. His start-up expertise and strong commitment have played a major part in bestsmile’s success. I value Michael as a person and a colleague and wish him all the best in his future career”, says Lüchinger.

New COO position created
A new COO position was created in November last year and filled by Manon Rordorf. The 39-year-old has been with bestsmile since 2020 and, as a Project Manager with various team-leading roles, has already generated significant added value. Her most recent position was Head of Operational Excellence. In her new role, she is responsible for the Customer Success Team, production, quality management and logistics. CFO Christoph Kohler and CRO Dominic Schär will continue in their current roles, completing the four-strong management team. bestsmile has set itself ambitious targets for the future; among other things, it wants to extend its market-leading position and attract new target groups by offering additional services.

About bestsmile

Swiss start-up bestsmile has pioneered an innovative way of giving adults a flawless smile at a fair price through its 3D-printed transparent corrective dental braces – bestsmile Aligners. The company was founded in 2018 and covers the entire value chain, from scanning and production to logistics. In 2021, bestsmile launched another product innovation in the form of veneers, which it also produces at its own facility in Winterthur. There are now 36 bestsmile practices across Switzerland, and the company has 340 employees, including around 95 dentists. It has been part of the Migros Group since March 2022 and is managed by Sparrow Ventures, the Migros Group’s venture builder and growth equity investor.

www.bestsmile.ch