Hearing the sound of success

According to estimates, there are about 10,000 hearing care professionals with various levels of training catering to the more than 1.37 billion people in China. That works out to just one professional for 137,000 people. The World Health Organization estimates that about 150 million people in China suffer from various hearing disabilities.

There are also only four universities in China that offer bachelor programs in audiology studies. Given the huge potential of the market, this is definitely not enough, said Braunschweiler.

"That is why we are working with the government and also on a program to impart quality audiology education in China," he said, adding that the government is looking at having more professionals, providing academic knowledge to serve clients better.

With most of its global brands readily available in China, including Phonak, Unitron and Advanced Bionics, Sonova's presence in the Chinese market extends to various channels.

The company is an active part of the government market in China through its tenders for hearing instruments and cochlear implants, and an active participant in the mass market through its commercial distributors in various cities.

But Braunschweiler admits that the Chinese market structure is still unknown. While the government tenders and programs play a crucial role, the structures and the systems on the provincial level and in second- and third-tier cities also deserve to be part of the system, he said.

The market for hearing instruments and cochlear implants in China can be broadly divided into two categories - senior citizens and children.

China is aging rapidly. By the end of 2013, those aged above 60 and more are estimated to have exceeded 200 million, or 14.9 percent of the total population. Research has also shown that about 35 percent to 90 percent of the aged Chinese suffer from various hearing disorders.

Most of the existing hearing healthcare services are insufficient for the aged with hearing disabilities because of the lack of infrastructure and awareness of presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss.

The pediatric market refers to children who suffer from hearing disorders at an early age and is a sector that is gaining more attention from the government.

There are about 7,000 cochlear implants, a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is deaf or hard of hearing, in China. About 90 percent of these have been for children and are supported by various government programs, said Braunschweiler.

With a scientific background - a doctorate in physical chemistry from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland - Braunschweiler has spent most of his career in science and technology companies.

The 58-year-old official joined the Sonova Group as CEO in November 2011. Prior to that he was chief executive of Swiss technology group RUAG and headed Dionex Corporation.

Braunschweiler said Sonova's goal is to provide hearing care solutions that can make people hear better and provide a better life. "It is what motivates us." At Sonova, Braunschweiler has also been overseeing the re-launch of a successful product line in cochlear implants, significant growth in Asian markets, and increasing overall market share. But it is his pioneering initiatives in research and development, especially those involving innovation, that set him apart from his peers.

Sonova expects continued solid growth in sales and earnings this year and next, both in the hearing instrument and cochlear implant segment. Its group sales are expected to grow by 7 percent to 9 percent and earnings before interest, taxes and amortization to increase by 11 to 15 percent, both measured in local currencies.

"We are a medical technology company in hearing care segment. The core of our success is to focus on innovation, providing the best solutions to our customers," he said.