Change of Management at the Schibli Group: From Jan Schibli to Stefan Witzig

Jan Schibli took over the management of Hans K. Schibli AG from his father Hans Jörg Schibli in the course of 2003 as a representative of the third generation and has been leading the company as CEO of the Group Management since the beginning of 2004. Since 2011, he has been the sole owner of the tradition-rich Zurich-based company, which was founded in 1937 by his great-uncle Hans K. Schibli. During this time, he developed the company from a pure electrical installer to a full-service provider in electrical engineering with a sustainable and financially healthy earnings situation. Today, the Schibli Group unites companies from the fields of electrical engineering, building technology, IT/communication, automation and renewable energies under one roof and employs around 550 people at 16 locations in Switzerland and Germany, including around 100 apprentices.

Transformation to a market-driven company

Jan Schibli says of his decision: "In recent years, we have succeeded in developing the Schibli family business into a comprehensive group and a market-driven company with agile management and a great sense of community. This required and continues to require a profound rethinking, a departure from the traditional hierarchy, a delegation of competence and responsibility at all levels. Today, the Schibli Group is ready to take the next step, towards a modern corporate structure with competence teams increasingly based on expertise. It is about placing the best in the best place. This also applies to me, and therefore, in the course of our ongoing transformation, now is the right time for me to take on a new role as well."

Representative of the Schibli Group to the outside world

Jan Schibli will hand over his responsibilities to his former deputy managing director Stefan Witzig as of September 1. As a representative of the third generation of entrepreneurs of the founding family, he will in future focus on strategic issues and on safeguarding his owner interests in his function as delegate of the Board of Directors. He will continue to be operationally responsible for the group companies Immobilen AG Rotula and Schibli Elektrotechnik GmbH in Dresden (D), as well as social security supervisor for the Schibli Group's pension scheme. In his new role, however, he will increasingly represent the Schibli Group externally at networking events and contribute to the Group's market presence and activities with his existing, extensive network of contacts.

Stefan Witzig succeeds Jan Schibli

"As a dedicated and respected leader with an impressive track record for more than 12 years as a member of the Schibli Group Executive Board, as well as my previous deputy, Stefan Witzig has the ideal qualifications to lead the Schibli Group Executive Board," says owner Jan Schibli. "He has contributed significantly to the Schibli Group's current appearance over the past years and knows and exemplifies the group's values and culture. And we consider ourselves fortunate to have been able to attract an in-house successor as Group CEO and are convinced that, together with a dedicated management team, he will succeed in mastering the upcoming challenges of our customers as well as our company and successfully lead the Schibli Group into the future."

Continuation of the transformation with competence teams

Stefan Witzig joined the Schibli Group and the management in 2008 and has since been instrumental in building up the then newly launched IT competence. The resulting group company Entec AG is now a well-known player in the ICT market with 45 employees and specializes in infrastructure, cloud and storage solutions. In his current role, Stefan Witzig is responsible for the Building Services and IT/Communications departments as well as the Group's organization, marketing and consulting department. Since 2014, he has also been familiar with the role and task of the Group Executive Board as deputy to Jan Schibli. The appointment as Group CEO is therefore also a logical step in the course of the ongoing transformation and new distribution of roles.

Source: Schibli Holding AG