TX Group: Tamedia gives itself a new name and a new structure

TX Group: This is the name of the media group from January 1, 2020. The holding-like organization will comprise four largely independent companies, each with its own management and board of directors. All classified platforms and marketplaces will be integrated into TX Markets, which will be headed by Christoph Brand; Olivier Rihs will take over from May 1, 2020 at the latest. Advertising marketing will be bundled at Goldbach under the responsibility of Michi Frank. 20 minutes includes the commuter media in Switzerland and abroad and is headed by Marcel Kohler. The paid media are being led into the future under the name Tamedia; the company is jointly managed by Marco Boselli (Publishing) and Andreas Schaffner (Publishing Services).

TX Group: digital hub for Switzerland

The TX Group forms a network of media and platforms that provide information, orientation, entertainment and services and reach over 80 percent of the Swiss population every day. TX has its roots in the annual "Technology Exchange". This internal event, which was held for the first time in 2015, was attended by 600 employees from the areas of technology, marketing and product last June. This is how the TX brand came into being. TX stands for interdisciplinary collaboration, confidence in the possibilities of new technologies and innovation, according to a statement. With the claim "Uniting platforms," TX wants to position itself as a strong and accessible network of platforms that is ready for change and sets standards.

Pietro Supino, Publisher and Chairman of the Board of Directors: "With the new decentralized organization, we want to create good conditions for the continued dynamic development of our diverse activities. Market proximity and the cultivation of our different métiers with their own cultures are the starting point for this. Beyond their economic importance, journalism and publishing remain a central concern of the Group, to which I will continue to personally commit myself as publisher."

The new name of the Group as well as the associated amendment to the Articles of Association are subject to the passing of a resolution at the Extraordinary General Meeting of Tamedia, which will take place on Friday, December 20, 2019.

Pascale Bruderer and Christoph Tonini new members of the TX Group Board of Directors

At the next Annual General Meeting on April 3, 2020, the election of Pascale Bruderer and Christoph Tonini as new members of the Board of Directors will be proposed.

Pascale Bruderer is a partner of the IT startup Crossiety and a long-time national parliamentarian. The former President of the National Council, Member of the Council of States and President of the State Policy Commission has been involved in the Advisory Board of the Swiss Media Forum since its foundation. She holds a Master's Degree in Political Science from the University of Zurich and studied at Harvard University in Boston (USA) and at the Executive School of the University of St. Gallen.

CEO Christoph Tonini has been a member of Tamedia's management for 17 years. As announced, he will implement the introduction of the new corporate structure by the end of June 2020 and is to become a member of the Board of Directors of TX Group after relinquishing operational responsibility.

From July 1, 2020, President Pietro Supino, Samuel Hügli (Technology & Ventures) and Sandro Macciacchini (Finance & Human Resources) will form the Group Management. The Corporate Development department headed by Daniel Mönch (from July 1, 2020) and the Communications department under the responsibility of Patrick Matthey will remain affiliated to Group Management.

Martin Kall will become Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and Lead Director as defined by the Swiss Code of Best Practice for Corporate Governance as of January 1, 2020.

Marina de Planta has announced that she will not continue her mandate and will step down from the Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting on April 3, 2020. She has enriched the Board of Directors with great commitment and will remain Chairman of the Audit Committee until her resignation. The Board of Directors thanks her for the many years of good cooperation and wishes her continued success.

Subject to the resolution of the General Meeting, the Board of Directors of TX Group will be composed as follows: Pietro Supino (Chairman), Martin Kall (Vice Chairman and Lead Director), Pascale Bruderer, Pierre Lamunière, Sverre Munck, Konstantin Richter, Andreas Schulthess and Christoph Tonini.

Cooperation with Made Identity agency

The new brand identity was again developed in collaboration with the Zurich agency Made Identity.

Imprint calls for investment in journalism

The journalists' umbrella organization Impressum, meanwhile, is demanding that Tamedia executives keep their word. As early as June, Tamedia had promised that journalism would remain the core of the group, Impressum wrote in a reaction. The association now expects Tamedia to invest more in journalism.

It is time and justified that the profits from digital marketplaces economically support the still excellent journalism at Tamedia. After all, journalism has brought the company billions in profits and thus made the development of the digital marketplaces possible in the first place, said Imprint CEO Urs Thalmann in the statement. (hae/SDA)