Markus Mettler appointed as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Pilatus Arena AG
Kriens/Schlieren - Markus Mettler has taken over as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Pilatus Arena AG. Mettler is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of Halter AG. The company developed and built the arena, which was opened in October 2025, and remains the majority shareholder.
The Pilatus Arena in the Mattenhof district of Kriens in the Swiss canton of Lucerne has become established as a high-performance, multifunctional platform for indoor sports and events since being opened in October 2025, according to a statement. With the end of the financial year, the two project initiators, Toni Bucher and Nick Christen, stepped down from the board of directors. Markus Mettler, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Halter AG in Schlieren in the canton of Zurich and Pilatus Arena Sports & Events AG, was appointed to succeed Bucher as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors of Pilatus Arena AG. The construction of the Pilatus Tower, which is located adjacent to the arena, is expected to be completed in the fall of 2026.
«We would like to thank Toni Bucher and Nick Christen for their outstanding commitment to sports and Pilatus Arena AG», as Markus Mettler comments in the statement, before adding: «They have both been instrumental in advancing the project since 2007». The arena was developed and built by Halter and since opening has been operated by Pilatus Arena Sports & Events AG. Halter AG is also the majority shareholder of Pilatus Arena AG with a stake of 70 percent.
In 2025, the new arena already played host to several sporting events. The highlights included the first international match contested by the Swiss national handball team, Swiss Central Basketball games in the National League B and the Final4 event for the men’s Mobiliar Handball Cup.
«The anticipation ahead of the first Final4 Cup at the new PILATUS ARENA was enormous – and this was justified in every respect», comments Andreas Campi, President of the Final4 Organizing Committee, adding that: «It was an exhilarating atmosphere and the format proved to be a huge hit».
