Raphael Werner von Denner is «CMO of the Year 2026»

Anniversary Edition at LaSalle im Schiffbau in Zurich

The awards ceremony took place on Thursday, August 20, 2026, for the first time at LaSalle in the Schiffbau in Zurich. With this anniversary edition, the event also set a new tone in terms of venue: the unique atmosphere at Schiffbau combined industrial charm with urban elegance, providing the perfect setting for socializing, networking, and honoring the six nominees. Host Vanessa Meier guided the audience through the evening for the fourth time. A highlight of the program was the Spotlight Session featuring Baschi, one of Switzerland’s most popular musicians; DJ Carol Fernandez provided the musical finale.

Especially in this anniversary year, the award underscores just how much the role of the CMO has changed: Today’s marketing leaders are brand leaders, transformation managers, data experts, innovation champions, and corporate strategists all at once. The «CMO of the Year Switzerland» award highlights the role that excellent marketing leadership plays for companies and society.

The «CMO of the Year» is an initiative of the Serviceplan Group Switzerland (Serviceplan Suisse, Mediaplus Suisse, and Plan.Net Suisse) in partnership with Admeira, APG, 20 Minuten, m&k, persönlich, Swiss Marketing, and the Institute for Marketing & Customer Insight at the University of St. Gallen. Since its launch, the award has evolved into an important platform for exchange among marketing executives, the business community, the media, and academia.

Multi-stage selection process for «CMO of the Year»

The award was preceded by a multi-stage selection process. The jury consists of 18 leading representatives from the fields of business, marketing, media, and academia. Their evaluation is based on detailed dossiers compiled by the Institute for Marketing & Customer Insight at the University of St. Gallen. The evaluation considered not only business achievements but also personality, innovative strength, customer focus, sustainability, purpose, and the ability to leave a lasting impact on an organization. The decisive factor, they noted, is not only what a marketing executive has achieved, but also how that person leads, provides direction, and creates a lasting impact.

In addition to Raphael Werner, five other individuals who are shaping modern marketing leadership in Switzerland in various ways were nominated for the «CMO of the Year 2026» award: As CMO of Victorinox, Veronika Elsener leads the long-established Swiss brand with great tact in over 120 markets worldwide. As Head of Marketing at Lindt & Sprüngli Switzerland, Andrea Hänggi keeps the 180-year-old chocolate brand at the cutting edge through innovation and a keen sense of trends. As CMO of AXA Switzerland since 2019, Antonia Lepore has given the brand social relevance through initiatives supporting biodiversity and women’s soccer. As CMO of TWINT, Jens Plath has established the payment app as an indispensable, user-centered everyday solution and national payment infrastructure. As Chief Marketing & Communication Officer, Roman Reichelt is driving the comprehensive rebranding of Brack.Alltron through data-driven storytelling in e-commerce.

Baschi in the Spotlight: «When you buy Baschi, you get Baschi»

Dialect star Baschi provided an inspiring highlight before the main event during the Spotlight Session. After more than 20 years in show business, he spoke about brand identity, relevance, and the ever-present pressure of social media. His message to the CMOs in attendance: Authenticity beats short-lived trends. «You have to know what your strengths are—and what they aren’t. I’d rather rely on 1,000 loyal fans who attend every concert than on 100,000 fleeting followers.’

Career and Role at Denner

Raphael Werner began his career at Lidl in Switzerland and Belgium before moving to Denner. In his current role, he oversees marketing, promotions, digital business, and customer insights, thereby shaping the brand’s strategic development at the central interface with customers. According to the press release, with his keen sense of cultural relevance, data-driven customer engagement, and bold brand communication, he has provided Denner with important momentum for growth and differentiation in recent years.

Among the most recent examples of his work are his sponsorship of the Swiss national ice hockey team and the highly acclaimed World Cup short film «The Socceritos,» featuring Terence Hill and numerous stars of the Swiss national soccer team. Added to this is the spectacular «theft» of the Swiss cross from the Lidl logo—a logo that Werner himself had helped create years earlier. According to the press release, all of these projects exemplify how, under his leadership, Denner creates brand moments that generate public attention and go beyond traditional advertising.

The Laudatory Speech: Between Terence Hill, Swiss Wrestling Champions, and Stolen Hearts

Reto Ruch, who has closely followed Werner’s career for nearly 20 years, delivered an emotional tribute to the winner. Ruch traced the journey of a marketing director who never puts himself in the spotlight but always surprises with bold ideas:

• The Desert Trial by Fire: For the 16-minute Denner World Cup film «The Socceritos,» the shoot with Terence Hill had to be moved from New Mexico to Spain on short notice. Werner kept his cool amid 120 crew members, soccer stars, and a soccer-playing horse.

• The Art of Transformation: Even back at Lidl Switzerland, Werner turned the discount chain’s tarnished image around with the «Heart with the Swiss Cross» campaign, featuring the Hunziker family and Swiss wrestling champion Chrigu Stucki, treating them as equals and creating a positive image.

• The daring coup: At Denner, he used the national ice hockey team sponsorship to create an emotional connection to the brand—and officially «reclaimed» for Denner the heart motif he had originally created for Lidl.

«You don’t become »CMO of the Year« just for creating beautiful campaigns,» Ruch concluded. “You become it when you change perceptions, win people over to ideas, and make brands more relevant.”

«I have to be careful not to run too fast.»

Visibly moved, Raphael Werner accepted the award. In the m&k winner’s interview that followed, he remained humble, immediately credited his success to his team and partner, and offered fascinating insights into his understanding of marketing:

About the victory:

«To be honest, I can’t even put it into words yet. You just don’t expect it. We made some pretty bold claims when we launched at Denner—the great thing is that we very quickly proved we could back up our words with action. With the Ice Hockey World Championship and Terence Hill, we scored two hits that nobody saw coming.»

On Leadership and Pace in Retail:

«I need to work on myself and make sure I don’t move too fast. We’re in an extremely fast-paced industry. My goal is to bring a sportsmanlike spirit to the team: If we think we can run the 100 meters in 15 seconds, then we’ll run it in 13 now and aim for 12 next. But the important thing is: Never just stand on the sidelines as a coach—always run alongside them and show that it can be done.»

On Creativity in the Age of AI:

«Creativity drives innovation. Especially now, when so much is being accelerated by AI and AI is also giving rise to some really cool things, we need to draw even more on human creativity to stand out from the crowd. Creativity will be even more important in the future than it is today.»

For more information about the award winner, all the nominees, the jury, and the selection process, please visit: https://www.cmo-of-the-year.ch