Sonia Milici from Yuh is a finalist for "CMO of the Year 2025"

The "CMO of the Year" award recognizes courageous marketing leadership

The award "Chief Marketing Officer of the Year" aims to emphasize the importance of the position in the Swiss economy. In recent years, the area of marketing has become increasingly important, particularly due to topics such as digitalization, sustainability and the meaningfulness of products and services.

The "CMO of the Year" serves as a role model for the marketing industry vis-à-vis the public and the state, as well as for the attractiveness of the profession for future specialists. We are looking for a personality who has made a special contribution to their brand, lives customer centricity, demonstrates foresight in the area of sustainability and is also a role model as a manager. Such personalities move outside their comfort zone, create something new and generate real added value - for companies and consumers alike. In addition to professional expertise, the jury also brings many years of industry experience to the selection process, which underlines the prestige and intrinsic value of the award.

A career path between agency, banking and digital innovation

Sonia Milici has been Head of Marketing and Sales at Yuh since 2021. Prior to that, she was Brand Marketing Manager at Swissquote and held various positions in the agency world, including Account Director at Ogilvy Africa in Kenya. She started her career in marketing at McDonald's. Her experience covers a wide range of industries - from finance and technology to FMCG, food and telecommunications.

Between AI campaign, podcast and media mix: current projects

Sonia Milici is currently juggling several exciting projects in parallel. These include the launch of Yuh's new summer campaigns, in line with the European Women's Championshipin which the company celebrates small and large financial successes - "the wins". At the same time, it is working on optimizing performance with a new media mix model. Another initiative is the development of a YouTube podcast series about finance and women. At the same time, a completely new AI universe is being finalized for the social media channels - including a specially developed digital character that will accompany the brand in the future.

Energy, ideas and cultural diversity as a management principle

For Sonia Milici, the nomination as CMO from French-speaking Switzerland is a great honor - as a versatile woman, mother and passionate marketer. She sees it as confirmation that unconventional thinking, hard work and strong relationships have an impact. The pride is not just for herself, but for her entire team at Yuh and what they have built together.

Sonia Milici describes herself as a passionate and energetic marketing leader. She is constantly on the move, seeks closeness to people and ideas, loves to break new ground, inspire teams and push boundaries. Her identity is multicultural - with one foot in the Swiss Alps, the other in the African zest for life and a head full of ideas in the digital storm.

At the same time, she is a strategically minded leader who drives growth and motivates teams. She is passionate about bold brands, seamless customer experiences and innovation-driven strategies. Sonia Milici speaks four languages - French, German, English, Italian - and combines a hands-on mentality with analytical acumen.

Democratizing financial knowledge and making innovation tangible

For Sonia Milici, Yuh is more than just a financial app. It's about financial self-determination and empowering people to take control of their own finances - simply, understandably and at eye level.

Innovation is deeply rooted in Yuh's DNA. The brand aims to promote creative solutions that make users' everyday lives easier. These include the integration of payment rings such as "Pagopace" and flexible ETF savings plans that make financial services accessible to everyone. Another example is the ESG score within the app, which can be used to evaluate financial products in terms of sustainability.

From start-up to profitable neo-bank

Sonia Milici particularly emphasizes Yuh's profitability and constant customer growth. Last year alone, more than 100,000 new customers were acquired - while the bank remained in the black. Yuh is now the first profitable neo-bank in Switzerland and is also one of the fastest growing in Europe.

In total, the brand serves over 300,000 users, generated a profit of CHF 1.7 million in 2024 and manages customer assets of around CHF 3 billion. Other milestones in recent years have been the successful establishment of the brand, partnerships such as the sponsorship of the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 and creative formats such as an innovative 3D DOOH campaign.

Marketing as a holistic interaction

For Sonia Milici, everything in marketing belongs together: Digital, PR, brand, events, sponsoring - for her, marketing is an integrated whole. She loves breaking down silos, connecting people and ideas and telling stories that touch and move. In this role, she sees herself as a bridge builder between people, brands and markets.

Transformation means courage

For Sonia Milici, transformation means one thing above all: courage. The courage to break new ground, let go of the old and think in new ways. Her guiding principle is: "Those who dare can change. Those who dare can lead. And those who take others with them create real impact."

Gratitude and a strong team as a driving force

Sonia Milici is grateful - for her team, her family and the people who inspire her. She is most proud of her team: people who take responsibility, grow and work with heart and mind. That is what drives her every day.

And she has some advice, especially for those who doubt themselves: "Listen to your intuition, lead with empathy - and when the little impostor whispers in your head, tell him out loud: 'Yes, I'm right here'."

Conclusion

Sonia Milici embodies modern, responsible marketing leadership: strategically sound, creatively courageous, people-oriented and always at the cutting edge of digital change. Her nomination as "CMO of the Year" is a well-deserved accolade - and a strong sign of female leadership in Swiss marketing.