Nominated for CMO of the Year 2026: Andrea Hänggi Keeps Lindt Balanced Between Tradition and the Spirit of the Times

If you ask Andrea Hänggi about her career path, you’ll get an answer that reveals a lot about her approach to work: four countries, three positions, and roles at the global, regional, and local levels. Marketing, sales, and finance. The U.S., France, Germany, and Switzerland.

Ready for Anything

«Long story short: I'm really ready for anything,» she says.

The statement doesn’t come across as a rehearsed elevator pitch, but rather as the logical outcome of a career path that brings together a wide variety of perspectives. Today, Hänggi is a member of the executive board at Lindt & Sprüngli Switzerland and is responsible for marketing a brand that has been in existence since 1845 and is known worldwide for premium chocolate.

Marketing has fascinated her ever since her school days. The idea of being able to inspire people through brands and communication has never left her. She is therefore thrilled to have been nominated as a finalist for «CMO of the Year.» At the same time, she immediately acknowledges those around her: the team that makes these achievements possible, and a company that continually challenges and supports her.

When Tradition Meets TikTok

Perhaps the greatest challenge of modern brand management today is the need to think both in the long term and the short term at the same time.

On the one hand, there are brand values that have been built up over decades. On the other hand, trends emerge within a matter of days and often disappear just as quickly.

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Hänggi has shown that the two don't have to be mutually exclusive.

Together with her team, she brought Dubai chocolate to Switzerland and turned it into the most successful chocolate launch in recent years. The speed with which Lindt responded to the social media hype is a prime example of how even established brands can hold their own in an increasingly fast-paced consumer world.

At the same time, Hänggi observes a countertrend. In uncertain times, people do not constantly seek out revolutions. They seek reliability, trust, and emotional stability. Innovation is important, he says, but it must always take place within a familiar brand environment.

This is precisely where one of the most challenging tasks of modern marketing leadership lies: recognizing the right moment for change without losing one's own identity.

Brands are created where people experience them

Anyone who listens to Hänggi will quickly realize that she doesn't view brands primarily as a communication task.

In a world of increasingly brief online interactions, the emotional appeal of brands is becoming more important, she says. That’s why Lindt is making targeted investments in experiences that people can physically enjoy: the Lindor Christmas tree at Zurich’s main train station, the Gold Bunny Tour, and offerings at the Home of Chocolate. Enthusiasm often begins offline—and is then shared online.

This idea runs through many of her projects. Instead of focusing solely on reach, her team creates events that people want to talk about.

An 180-year-old brand remains relevant not because it’s loud, but because it remains a part of its consumers’ everyday lives and memories.

Leadership Starts with the "Why"

While many marketing executives talk about technology, Andrea Hänggi often talks about people.

Currently, she’s not just focused on product launches, campaigns, or rising cocoa prices. Just as important, she says, is the question of whether the right people are working together on the team, staying motivated, and supporting the strategy for the coming years.

Her stance on the topic of transformation is also remarkably clear. Change only works when people understand why it is necessary. It requires teams that are willing to learn, have the courage to make decisions, and at the same time, the ability to remain true to their own values.

Perhaps that is exactly what best describes Andrea Hänggi’s achievements: the ability to continuously develop a traditional brand without diluting its identity. At a time when markets, technologies, and consumer behavior are all changing simultaneously, this is far more than just good marketing. It is modern brand management.