Consumer Industry Moves in Switzerland

Aqva Group

• Cedric El-Idrissi will become CEO and co-owner of Aqva Group, the company behind Adelbodner mineral water and performance water brand Peaq, from August 2026. He will join from Kägi Söhne, where he has served as CEO since August 2024. Lionel Hofstetter, the current CEO as well as co-founder and shareholder of Aqva, will focus on brand strategy, innovation and new business areas going forward.

Barry Callebaut

• Barry Callebaut appointed Hein Schumacher as Chief Executive Officer, effective 26 January 2026, succeeding Peter Feld. Schumacher, the former CEO of Unilever and Royal FrieslandCampina, brings more than 25 years of food industry leadership experience and a track record in transformation, customer focus and value creation, as Barry Callebaut looks to return to sustainable growth after a period of market turbulence. Feld left the company to pursue other career opportunities, following the completion of the BC Next Level transformation program he led.
• Taryn Ridley, who has been with the company since 2015, was promoted to Vice President, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs, effective 1 April 2026, taking global responsibility for internal and external communications. She succeeds Kai Hummel, who left Barry Callebaut and joined German retailer Kaufland in May.

Bucherer

• Anette Weber left her role as CFO of Bucherer in May 2026. She brought extensive financial leadership experience from Bucherer, Ascom and Novartis to her new CFO role at Stallergenes Greer.

Coca-Cola HBC

• Coca-Cola HBC appointed Toon van der Veer as Chief People & Culture Officer, succeeding Ebru Özgen. He joined from AB InBev, where he most recently served as Global Vice President, People Continuity, and brings more than 18 years of global commercial and HR leadership experience across Europe, Asia and the US.

Denner

• Denner has moved through a sequence of leadership changes since late April, starting with Torsten Friedrich’s immediate departure as CEO and the interim appointment of Michel Gruber, who already chairs Denner’s Board and leads Migros Group’s Commerce department.
• The retailer added Alain Franz to the Executive Management team as Head of Transformation on 1 June, bringing experience from migrolino in sales, expansion and construction to shorten decision paths and accelerate Denner’s strategic repositioning.
• HR leadership has also passed temporarily from retiring long-time HR Head Serge Gafner to his deputy, Christian Thomann.
• On 24 June, Denner also announced that Head of Sales Christian Staub will leave for another leadership role outside the company after supporting the handover, following his contribution to process improvements, efficiency gains and store development initiatives since 2023.

DSM-Firmenich

• DSM-Firmenich has appointed Nikeisha van Sleeuwen as Chief Human Resources Officer, effective 1 April 2026. Van Sleeuwen, currently SVP Talent & Culture and Global Rewards at DSM-Firmenich, brings more than 20 years of HR leadership experience across the US and Europe, with a track record in talent development, inclusion and building high-performing global teams. She succeeds Mieke Van de Capelle, who retired from the company on 31 March 2026 after ten years with DSM-Firmenich, during which she led the HR function through significant transformation and the company’s integration.

Elsa Group

• Giovanna Maurer has been appointed CEO of the Elsa Group, effective 1 September 2026, succeeding Matthew Robin, who will leave the Migros Industrie dairy business in summer 2026. A food engineer from ETH Zurich, Maurer will join from Lindt & Sprüngli, where she has served as Vice President Operations since 2023.

Emmi

• Emmi renewed the leadership of its German business, appointing Matthias Dimke as Managing Director of Emmi Deutschland, effective 1 February 2026. His background includes more than 25 years in the food and beverage industry, with experience at Unilever and General Mills and recent roles scaling brands such as Barebells, Vitamin Well and share in Germany. Elisabeth Wagner-Wehrborn, who helped reposition the German business and build the Kaltbach brand, retired after 17 years with Emmi and left on 30 June 2026.

Fenaco

• Fenaco has completed its planned Chair succession, with Jean-Daniel Heiniger elected as the agricultural cooperative’s new Board Chairman. His appointment brings a farmer and long-standing Board member into the role, reinforcing Fenaco’s close connection to Swiss agriculture and its cooperative ownership base. He succeeds Pierre-André Geiser, who stepped down after more than a decade as Chairman and almost 20 years on the Board.

Forbo Group

• Heinz Hössli was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Forbo Group and member of the Executive Board, effective 1 July 2026. Previously CFO of Interroll, he brings extensive international finance, controlling and governance experience across industrial technology, automation and manufacturing environments. He succeeds Peter Germann, who has served as interim CFO since October 2025 and will return to retirement after completing the handover in summer 2026.

Givaudan

• Givaudan appointed Christina Yeo as Head of Givaudan Business Solutions & IT, effective 1 May 2026. She succeeds Anne Tayac, who will retire after a long career with Givaudan and remain with the company through October 2026 to support the transition. Yeo is an internal appointment, moving from her role as Head of Taste & Wellbeing Operations APAC.
• Fanny Iglesias took over as Chief Legal & Compliance Officer on 1 April 2026. She succeeds Roberto Garavagno, who will retire after a long career with Givaudan and remain with the company through September 2026 to support the transition. Iglesias previously served as Deputy Group Counsel, Fragrance & Beauty, and Deputy Integrity Officer.
• Givaudan completed its planned Board transition at the 2026 Annual General Meeting, with Gilles Andrier elected as Chairman following the departure of Calvin Grieder.
• As Tom Knutzen also retired from the Board, shareholders elected Ester Baiget Arnau as a new Board member, complementing the Board with international leadership experience in biotechnology and sustainable innovation.

Haco Group

• At the beginning of 2026, Haco Group reorganized its business around five strategic product groups: Snacks, Culinary Art, Spices, Coffee and Taste. As part of this focus, Marco Gottschalk has joined Haco Group as Managing Director Global Coffee, bringing more than 25 years of international leadership, deep coffee-market expertise and a strong track record across brand and portfolio development.

House of Brands

• At group level, the company announced in April 2026 that Georges Kern had moved from CEO of Breitling to CEO of House of Brands, taking overall responsibility for Breitling, Universal Genève and Gallet.
• At Breitling, Jean-Marc Pontroué became CEO, succeeding Georges Kern and bringing senior luxury-watch leadership experience from Montblanc, Roger Dubuis and Panerai. The brand also changed its regional leadership, with Antoine Loron taking over as President of Breitling USA and Canada from Thierry Prissert, who became Chairman of House of Brands USA, while Renato Meier succeeded Loron as Managing Director of Breitling Latin America.
• At Universal Genève, Grégory Bruttin was appointed Managing Director to support the relaunch and further development of the brand.
• At Gallet, Erwan Rossignol became Managing Director, leading the brand’s development within the House of Brands portfolio.

IDAK

• Iñaki Balduz has joined IDAK as Group COO, supporting the further development of group-wide operations structures and strategic priorities across the enlarged frozen food platform. He brings extensive international supply chain and operations experience from Kraft Heinz, where he held senior leadership roles across Europe and other global markets, with a focus on transformation, digitalization and operational excellence.

Kambly

• Kambly has reorganized its top leadership, with Dania Kambly taking sole charge of the family-owned Swiss biscuit maker as Delegate of the Board of Directors. The great-granddaughter of founder Oscar R. Kambly and Chairwoman since 2024, she represents the fourth generation of the owner family and brings continuity to the 116-year-old company. Nils Kambly, who had led the business since 2020 and served as Vice Chairman since 2024, stepped down from the joint leadership and is reorienting his career following the couple’s private separation.

Lidl

• Lidl Switzerland will undergo a leadership transition in autumn 2026, with Michael Kunz, currently CEO of Lidl Austria, succeeding Nicholas Pennanen as CEO. Kunz, a Swiss national, began his Lidl career in Switzerland as a regional manager and has led Lidl Austria since 2024. Pennanen will move to Lidl Stiftung in late summer as divisional board member responsible for several countries after nearly three years leading Lidl Switzerland through record growth, market share gains and stronger local positioning.

Logitech

• A leadership change at Logitech will see Robin Piispanen take over as Global Head of the gaming business in May. She is succeeding Ujesh Desai, who is retiring after leading the division since 2014. Piispanen brings nearly 20 years of Logitech experience, including senior roles in gaming strategy, operations and product leadership.

McDonald’s

• Lara Skripitsky left her role as Managing Director of McDonald’s Switzerland to join the company’s Chicago headquarters as Vice President Restaurant Product. She handed over the Swiss business in June 2026 to Brad McMullen, previously Chief Restaurant Officer for McDonald’s Australia and New Zealand. McMullen brings more than two decades of experience with McDonald’s, including restaurant-level and corporate leadership experience.

MediaMarkt

• Vittorio Buonfiglio was appointed CEO of MediaMarkt Austria and Switzerland, effective 1 April 2026, as part of a broader governance update at Ceconomy and MediaMarktSaturn. Previously COO of MediaWorld in Italy, he brings more than 15 years of leadership experience within the Group, including prior roles as CEO Switzerland and COO Netherlands, with a strong focus on operational development, innovation and customer experience. He succeeds Jan Niclas Brandt, who joined Ceconomy’s Management Board in the newly created role of Chief Customer Officer.
• MediaMarkt appointed Ilona Geilert as HR Director for its Alpine Cluster, with responsibility for Switzerland from 1 July 2026 after assuming responsibility for HR in Austria in mid-May. She brings senior HR experience from IKEA, Bahlsen and the MediaMarktSaturn Group headquarters in Germany.
• Patrick van der Linden has taken over as Managing Director Commercial for MediaMarkt’s Alpine Cluster, effective mid-June 2026, succeeding Martina Altlechner, who had held the role since October 2024. He joined from MediaMarkt’s Benelux Cluster, where he was Country Manager Commercial, and brings broader MediaMarktSaturn experience from several Managing Director roles across the Group.

Migros

• Migros has confirmed governance continuity for the 2026 to 2028 term, with the Assembly of Delegates re-electing Ursula Nold as Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Migros Cooperatives. The decision keeps Nold at the helm as Migros seeks to remain economically strong, socially relevant and responsive to changing customer expectations and competitive dynamics. The full 13-member Board was re-elected, while Edith Spillmann was also confirmed as President of the Assembly of Delegates.
• Nico Luchsinger has been named as the successor to interim CEO Jennifer Somm and will take over the leadership of the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute, Migros announced in March 2026. He brings experience from media, start-ups and international organisations, most recently at Asia Society Switzerland.

MSC Cruises

• Roberto Bruzzone is joining MSC Cruises as President in July 2026, based at the company’s Geneva headquarters and reporting directly to CEO Gianni Onorato. A naval architect and engineer, Bruzzone brings experience from Royal Caribbean Group, Carnival Corp. and consulting work on newbuilds for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

Nestlé

• Nestlé shareholders have elected Thomas Jordan and Fama Francisco to the company’s Board of Directors, expanding the Board to 13 independent members. Jordan, the former Chairman of the Governing Board of the Swiss National Bank, brings deep macroeconomic, financial markets and international institutional experience, while Francisco adds global consumer goods leadership from Procter & Gamble’s Baby, Feminine and Family Care business.
• Nestlé is bringing Corporate Communications and Sustainability under one global leadership role, appointing Antonia Wanner as Head of Corporate Communications and Sustainability and member of the Executive Board, effective 1 September 2026. Wanner, currently Chief Sustainability Officer, has been with Nestlé since 1996 and has held senior roles across procurement, sales and sustainability. She will succeed Lisa Gibby, who is returning to the US after six years as Chief Communications Officer.

On

• On separated the CEO and CFO roles with the appointment of Frank Sluis as Chief Financial Officer in May 2026. Sluis, most recently CFO Europe and Indonesia at Ahold Delhaize, brings experience managing complex international organizations and finance operations at significant scale.
• On has returned to a founder-led Co-CEO model, with co-founders Caspar Coppetti and David Allemann taking over from Martin Hoffmann, effective 1 May 2026. Hoffmann stepped down after 13 years with the company, including his tenure as CFO, Co-CEO and most recently sole CEO, and will remain available as an advisor until March 2027.
• Scott Maguire has been promoted to President and COO, taking responsibility for day-to-day execution as On seeks to connect founder-led strategy more closely with operational delivery.

Orior

• Monika Friedli-Walser will hand over operational leadership of Orior to Dr. Peter Müller on 1 September 2026 after leading the Swiss food group for around a year in a dual mandate. Müller most recently headed Migros subsidiary Mibelle Group, where he also supported its sale to Persán, and brings a profile shaped by transformation, restructuring, M&A and strategic realignment. Friedli-Walser will continue as Chairwoman and Delegate of the Board as ORIOR addresses rising costs, shifting consumer trends and ongoing consolidation in the food sector.

Pawi Group

• Pawi Group has appointed Désirée Keller and Céline Küng to its Board, strengthening the governance of the Winterthur-based packaging group as it positions the next generation more visibly in the business.
• Following Andreas Keller’s retirement from the Group CEO role at the end of February 2026, Urban Ettlin, Edoardo Finotti and Silvan Flury have assumed day-to-day leadership of Pawi Group under a Co-CEO model, with responsibility across the company’s Winterthur and Singen operations. Keller remains Chairman and owner.

Pistor

• Pistor appointed Thomas Gasser as Chief Operating Officer in May 2026 as it continues to strengthen the logistics capabilities behind its nationwide foodservice and bakery supply business. Gasser joined from Brack Alltron and brings senior logistics and supply-chain leadership experience, including earlier roles at Migros. Richard Betschart, who led logistics and served on Pistor’s Executive Board for 19 years, stepped down through ordinary retirement at the end of June 2026.

Rivella

• The founding family will remain in control of Rivella as Tano Barth, grandson of founder Robert Barth, prepares to take over as Chairman of the Board in spring 2027. He succeeds Alexander Barth, who will stay on the Board, while the two continue as co-owners of the Swiss beverage group.
• After leading Rivella for 12 years as CEO and since 2023 as Co-CEO, Erland Brügger will leave the company at the end of July 2026 to devote more time to board mandates and new projects. He will be succeeded by Christoph Messerli, Rivella Group’s CFO since 2012, who will share the Co-CEO role with Silvan Brauen from 1 August 2026. The transition comes after a successful 2025, with Rivella generating CHF 140 million in revenue and benefiting from strong Focuswater growth and sustained demand for lighter beverages.

SRG

• SRG appointed Roger Elsener as Director of SRF, effective 1 May 2026, as part of a broader leadership renewal tied to its Enavant transformation program. Elsener joined from Zattoo, where he served as CEO, and brings long-standing experience across radio, television, streaming and entertainment from roles at CH Media, Tele Züri and 3+. He succeeds Nathalie Wappler, who announced her resignation in September 2025.
• Nicolas Pernet and Moritz Stadler joined SRG’s Executive Board as Director Offering and Director Operations, respectively.

SV Group

• As part of SV Group’s new Executive Management structure, introduced in May 2026 to support its Strategy 2030, Jörg Rutschke has joined the Group Executive Management from SV Deutschland.
• Daniela Corboz has moved from her CEO role at Elvetino to lead Business Catering Switzerland, reflecting SV Group’s aim to create clearer responsibilities across its gastronomic business areas and closer coordination between Switzerland and Germany.
• The Public Restaurants division is now led by Franziska Kuhn, who succeeds Marcel Meier following his decision to leave SV at his own request in summer 2026 for Migros Zurich.

TAG Heuer

• TAG Heuer appointed Béatrice Goasglas as Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 May 2026, following the departure of Antoine Pin after less than 18 months leading the La Chaux-de-Fonds watchmaker. Goasglas joined the brand in 2018 and most recently served as President of the Americas. Pin left TAG Heuer and the wider LVMH Group after 23 years, with LVMH stating that he had decided to begin a new chapter in his career.

TUI Suisse

• Nicole Pfammatter has taken over the leadership of TUI Suisse as of 1 June 2026, succeeding Philipp von Czapiewski. The former Hotelplan Suisse CEO brings more than 30 years of tourism experience, including leadership across sales, tour operating, marketing and e-commerce, and is expected to strengthen innovation, customer proximity and new market potential in Switzerland. Von Czapiewski has decided to leave TUI to continue his career outside the Group and actively supported the transition.

Villiger

• Villiger has opened its next leadership chapter with the appointment of Christoph Schüpbach as CEO of the Villiger Group, effective 1 June 2026. A mechanical engineer and experienced industrial executive, Schüpbach is expected to bring fresh perspectives while continuing the family-owned company’s long-term strategy around continuity, quality, customer focus and innovation. He has taken over from Clemens Gütermann, who will retire in 2027 after completing the transition.

V-Zug

• Barbara Hans joined V-Zug’s Executive Committee as Chief Marketing Officer, taking over global brand management and marketing development from Nathalie Noël as of 16 February 2026.
• V-Zug appointed Yvonne Ongetta as Chief International Officer, effective 13 April 2026, with a mandate to accelerate international expansion and strengthen the company’s four focus regions: Germany, China, Australia and the UK. She succeeds Alberto Bertoz, who left by mutual agreement after 14 years with the company.

Zurich Airport

• As part of an immediate Executive Board reorganization, Zurich Airport reallocated Manuela Staub’s People & Communication remit and reduced the leadership team to six members. CEO Lukas Brosi assumed responsibility for communications, while CFO Kevin Fleck took over the people function. Staub, a former communications chief who joined the Executive Board in 2022, will leave the company at the end of July 2026 following the restructuring.

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