Focused Growth Strategy for ricardo.ch – Continuation of autoricardo.ch and car4you.ch under Unified Management – Strengthening the Number 1 Position of tutti.ch by Integrating OLX.ch

Zug, 15 September 2015 – The Swiss media group Tamedia is refocusing the Ricardo Group on its core marketplace business. Tamedia sees further growth potential for the auction and shopping platform for both professional and private offers. The integration of ricardoshops.ch into ricardo.ch has been continuously increased since the middle of 2015 to bundle the offers of private and commercial dealers for the consumers. 

Christoph Brand, Head of Tamedia Digital: "We want to promote growth in the marketplace at ricardo.ch in a targeted manner using a refocusing strategy. In recent years, the Ricardo Group invested a lot in the development of its new business fields autoricardo.ch and OLX.ch. With the takeover by Tamedia, we can now build on these investments while taking advantage of synergies with tutti.ch, car4you.ch and the media of Tamedia. As a result, our offer is again increasing its reach and clout."

 
The strong number 1 position of tutti.ch in German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino will be expanded further thanks to the merger with OLX.ch. OLX as an international classifieds brand of the former owner Naspers will disappear from the market over the course of 2016. Francesco Vass, who was already executive manager of tutti.ch, has been appointed as head of the merged classifieds business. Oliver Schibli, who had been responsible as CEO for the establishment and development of OLX.ch since 2012, is leaving the company to seek a new professional challenge.

By integrating car4you.ch into the Ricardo Group and the subsequent close collaboration between autoricardo.ch and car4you.ch, a second strong vehicle platform is being created in Switzerland. Marcel Stocker has been named head of the car market with its two brands autoricardo.ch and car4you.ch; he has been responsible for the automotive business of ricardo.ch since 2008 and managing director of autoricardo.ch since 2012. Myriam Reinle, who took over the management of car4you.ch in 2011 and expanded the portal successfully, will leave the company at the end of October to seek new career challenges. 

Christian Kunz will hand over operational management of Ricardo Group at his own request during the course of next year as soon as his successor is appointed. He joined Ricardo Group in 2012 after switching from eBay International AG and has been involved significantly in the successful development of the Group in recent years. Christian Kunz will be joining the Board of Directors of ricardo.ch AG, where he will continue to contribute his extensive experience in the development of the leading Swiss online marketplace.

Tamedia would like to thank Myriam Reinle, Christian Kunz and Oliver Schibli for their successful and dedicated efforts in the past years. 

The new organization is expected to entail a workforce reduction to a maximum of 15 fulltime equivalents. The affected employees will be offered another position within the media group if possible. 

Tamedia announced the takeover of Ricardo Group from the South African media group Naspers in February 2015 and completed this after the approval of the Competition Commission on 8 September. The media group Tamedia is expanding its strong position in the Swiss online market further with the acquisition of the Ricardo Group.