NZZ Board of Directors proposes Etienne Jornod as new President
In April 2013, the Board of Directors of the NZZ Media Group will propose Etienne Jornod for election to the Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting of AG für die Neue Zürcher Zeitung. Jornod is the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Galenica Group.
The plan is to appoint Etienne Jornod as chairman of the board of directors, according to a statement released by the media group on Friday. The decision to appoint Etienne Jornod was made following a careful evaluation by the board of directors of the NZZ Media Group.
Etienne Jornod impressed the Board of Directors with his track record and his personality. The Board of Directors is convinced that Etienne Jornod is ideally qualified to lead the NZZ Media Group through the current structural changes in the media sector. With his broad leadership experience, Jornod possesses the necessary skills to further develop the NZZ Media Group’s products in an increasingly cross-media environment and to expand its digital business. «Etienne Jornod is a proven entrepreneur. He has proven his ability to successfully develop a company. We are convinced that he is the right person to position the NZZ Media Group for sustainable success at the strategic level,» explains Franz Steinegger, Chairman of the Board of Directors of AG für die Neue Zürcher Zeitung.
Etienne Jornod has been Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Galenica Group for 17 years. Galenica is a global leader in the field of iron deficiency treatment, operates Switzerland’s largest pharmacy chain, and is the leading pharmaceutical logistics provider. Under Etienne Jornod’s leadership, the Group has evolved from a cooperative-style organization into an internationally active, publicly traded company. Since Jornod assumed the role of Chairman and CEO of the Group in 1995, the number of employees has risen from 950 to over 7,000, while profits and the stock price have increased more than tenfold.
On January 1, 2012, the operational management of the Galenica Group was transferred to the new CEO David Ebsworth. Since then, Etienne Jornod has concentrated on his role as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Galenica Group. Jornod is also a member of the Boards of Directors of Alliance Boots and Vaudoise Insurance, of which he will remain a member.
Due to reaching the statutory age limit, the current Chairman of the Board of Directors, Franz Steinegger, will step down from the Board at the upcoming Annual General Meeting on April 13, 2013. Subject to his election by the Annual General Meeting, Jornod will be appointed Chairman by the Board of Directors in accordance with the Articles of Association.
