Christoph Brand to leave Tamedia in 2020

Zurich, 19 September 2019 – Christoph Brand, currently Head of the Classifieds & Marketplaces Division and Deputy CEO of Tamedia, has decided to take up a new professional challenge and will be leaving Tamedia in 2020. He will be joining the Axpo Group as its CEO next summer at the latest. As was announced last June, Tamedia Group will adopt a new structure with four independent entities as from 1 January 2020. The purpose of this decentralisation is to create best conditions for transparency and growth, including scope for potential partnerships in the various areas of activity combined with the specific opportunities and cultures for each entity. Against this background, Christoph Brand will ensure that the transition of the Classifieds & Marketplaces entity takes place under the best possible conditions.

Christoph Brand joined Tamedia in autumn 2012 as Head of the Digital Division. At that time, the EBITDA from digital products accounted for about 6% of the total. In 2018, Classifieds & Marketplaces Division generated almost half of Tamedia's EBITDA under his leadership. Christoph Brand has successfully implemented a digital growth strategy since he joined the Group. He has also contributed in many ways to digital and cultural development throughout the Group. In addition, he has been able to draw on his network to attract many key individuals to the company. Before joining Tamedia, Christoph Brand headed Sunrise for four years. He was also CEO of Bluewin and had held several senior management positions with Swisscom.  

Pietro Supino, Publisher and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tamedia, comments: "We wish to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Christoph Brand's merits and his strong commitment within the Group. Under his leadership, our marketplaces and classifieds platforms have experienced above-average growth, accompanied by the development of a strong company culture. These activities will therefore be undertaken within an independent entity in Tamedia's new holding-type structure."

Christoph Tonini, CEO of Tamedia, notes: "I would like to thank Christoph Brand for his strong commitment within the Management Board over many years. Thanks to his vision, his skills and his network, he has successfully guided the growth strategy of our Classifieds & Marketplaces Division, thus contributing to our Group's global digital development. I wish him all the best for his future. He will remain in his position until summer 2020 at the latest, which will enable us to ensure that the handover to his successor takes place under the best possible conditions."  

Christoph Brand adds: "The digital transformation within the media industry is much more spectacular than in most other sectors. As the head of an exceptional team, I am very grateful to have been able to contribute to Tamedia's development and to help it become one of Europe's best-performing media groups."

The Board of Directors and Management Board of Tamedia wish to thank Christoph Brand for his strong commitment within the Group for the last seven years, and to wish him much success in the future.