Co-CMOs of the Rivella Group as candidates for CMO of the Year 2025
On August 21, the «CMO of the Year» award will be presented for the fourth time. Among the finalists are Sara Jermann and Angelika Leemann, co-chief marketing officers of the Rivella Group. The two women impressed the jury with their collaborative leadership, strategic vision, and ability to boldly develop brands—in a shared top leadership role that remains a rarity in the Swiss corporate landscape.
A prize for role models
The Award "Chief Marketing Officer of the Year" recognizes personalities who have an impact beyond their function: as strategic designers, as leaders with purpose and as ambassadors for the relevance of marketing in business and society. Not only excellence in brand management is sought, but also attitude, sustainability and leadership.
Pioneers in the co-model
With their joint role as co-CMOs, Sara Jermann and Angelika Leemann are sending out a strong signal: for modern leadership, shared responsibility and teamwork on an equal footing. Their partnership is "ingenious and inspiring", they both say - and emphasize that such a model only works if it works on both a human and professional level.
Angelika Leemann describes herself as a strategic thinker, but also operationally committed: "I like to be entrepreneurial, but I also lend a hand with setting up events." Sara Jermann, on the other hand, is a down-to-earth team leader with an eye for detail - she personally thanks people in the store when she spots well-placed Rivella bottles.
Brand work with attitude
2024 was a year of momentum for the Rivella Group: the cross-media campaign "Make it colorful" not only introduced the new claim, but also strengthened the four-color strategy (red, blue, green, yellow) - with the aim of further expanding its position as the second-strongest beverage brand in Switzerland.
The innovation highlight was the launch of Rivella Yellow - a new, lactose-free product with no milk serum or soy base that combines the tried-and-tested Rivella taste with 40 % less sugar. The Festival commitment was rethought: The Rivella Cube offered, among other things, an AI-based tattoo activation to take away or download.
With their second brand, Focuswater, the co-CMOs also had their finger on the pulse of the times: the new "Reload" variety brings vitamin B12 and magnesium directly into the sports bag of active consumers - flanked by a successful "ready focus go" campaign.
People at the center
For Jermann and Leemann, the focus is on employees and consumers. Their stance: transformation requires a clear vision - and the ability to take people with you. "It is extremely important that everyone knows where the journey is going," says Leemann. Leadership means allowing others to surpass themselves.
This also includes ecological responsibility: Rivella is a founding member of the RecyPac industry initiative for a standardized circular economy throughout Switzerland. Since March 2024, the entire sales force has been traveling electrically - with a projected CO₂-savings of around 100 tons per year.
Conclusion: Two that move
With their energy, down-to-earth attitude and innovative spirit, Sara Jermann and Angelika Leemann exemplify a modern, responsible understanding of marketing. They are "fast movers", as they call themselves - and their nomination is also recognition of the potential of shared leadership.
