Publigroupe strengthens digital expertise with Yves-Alain Schwaar
Publigroupe is further expanding its digital capabilities at the group level and has appointed Yves-Alain Schwaar to the newly created position of Head of Digital Development; he joins Publigroupe from the Geneva-based agency Digital Luxury Group (formerly IC-Agency). Together with Mike Weber, Head of Strategic Projects, Yves-Alain Schwaar is responsible for implementing new growth projects—primarily digital ones—at the group level. Both report directly to the group’s CEO, Hans-Peter Rohner.
Yves-Alain Schwaar will remain International Account Director and Head of Consulting and Operations at the Geneva-based Digital Luxury Group , which offers digital solutions for customer acquisition and retention primarily in the luxury segment, until the end of July 2011. From 2003 to 2007, Yves-Alain Schwaar was Head of Information & Web Services at Touring Club Suisse in Geneva, where he managed all web and e-commerce initiatives for the road transport association with its 1.6 million members. From 2001 to 2003, he was Head of Market Communications and Incentives at Swiss International Air Lines.
Yves-Alain Schwaar holds a degree in Information Management and is a certified marketing specialist. He is a regular speaker at the EHL (Ecole Hôtelière Lausanne) and the Financial Times, among others.
Publigroupe's online activities, including its participations, generated sales of CHF 657 million in 2010. The market trend in favor of digital business areas will continue to accelerate at an above-average rate in all three business segments in the future, Publigroupe said in a press release. Accordingly, the company expects to be able to further increase turnover in the online business in the Media Sales, Search & Find and Digital & Marketing Services (DMS) segments in 2011 despite negative currency effects.
