Christoph Zimmer is handing over the leadership of Communications & Public Affairs - Patrick Matthey is stepping in

Zurich, 4 April 2018 - At his own request, Christoph Zimmer, Head of Communications & Public Affairs of Tamedia, is handing over his responsibilities at the end of June 2018 to spend a sabbatical abroad with his family. He will be succeeded by Patrick Matthey, previously in charge of communications for French-speaking Switzerland.

Christoph Zimmer joined Tamedia in 2006 and took over the management of corporate communications shortly thereafter. During the past twelve years, he supported the company on its way from a Zurich publishing enterprise to the leading Swiss media group with operations in Denmark, Germany, France, Israel, Luxembourg, Austria, and Serbia. Along with his duties as Head of Communications & Investor Relations and later Public Affairs, he oversaw the construction of Tamedia's new media building from 2009 to 2013. The building was designed by Japanese architect and subsequent Pritzker award winner Shigeru Ban. In addition, under Zimmer's leadership, Tamedia introduced a new brand identity in late 2016. Christoph Zimmer obtained an International Executive MBA from the University of St. Gallen and has chaired the group of Sole Representatives of the Leading European Newspaper Alliance LENA consisting of Die Welt, El País, La Repubblica, Le Figaro, Le Soir, Tages-Anzeiger and Tribune de Genève since 2017.

Patrick Matthey is now taking over the position of head of corporate communications. Matthey (46) joined Tamedia in 2013 and was responsible for communications in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Previously, he was in charge of communications at Groupe Rouge (Rouge FM, Rouge TV, Yes fm). In 2008, he co-founded the TV station Rouge TV in French-speaking Switzerland where he served as Managing Director for five years. Earlier, Patrick Matthey had worked for the group as a journalist BR and was editor-in-chief of the radio stations Rouge FM, Radio Lac and Yes fm for ten years.

Pietro Supino, Publisher and Chairman of the Board of Directors: "Over the years, Christoph Zimmer took on more and more important responsibilities and fulfilled them with excellence. Christoph Tonini and I have always appreciated his wide-ranging capabilities, his creativity and his ability to perform, and on a personal level, we always enjoyed working with him".

The Board of Directors and the Management Board of Tamedia would like to thank Christoph Zimmer for his dedicated and successful services over the past 12 years and wish him and Patrick Matthey much luck and continued success.