Roland Zegg will not stand for re-election as a member of the board of directors at the general meeting of the Bergbahnen Destination Gstaad AG (BDG) in August/autumn 2020. Five years after the comprehensive restructuring of the BDG, the main goals have largely been achieved.

In April 2014, Roland Zegg and his company grischconsulta were commissioned by the municipality of Saanen, the majority shareholder of the BDG at that time, to restructure the cable car company, which had been in severe financial difficulties. After an initial basic reorganisation plan had been rejected by the municipal assembly, all seven partner municipalities of the BDG and the two cantons of Berne and Vaud as well as the general assembly of the BDG approved the modified reorganisation concept, which was adjusted in lengthy negotiations in September 2015.

In addition to a far-reaching capital reduction and new share capital of CHF 27m, the plan also included a majority stake by new private shareholders and chalet owners from the region, renewal investments of over CHF 70m, the closure of the Rellerli cable car and a comprehensive operational restructuring.

The inclusion of the external cable car expert and redeveloping expert on the board of directors in 2015 was not without controversy. However, critical voices fell silent soon after the successful implementation of the first steps of the restructuring plan. Since then, the board of directors and the management of the BDG have consistently implemented the reorganisation concept and thoroughly restructured the company internally.

Zegg and his grischconsulta have subsequently also played a major role in the development of the corporate strategy BDG 2022+. With the renewal of the Saanersloch cable car and the Eggli cable car, a massive expansion of the snowmaking system, the facelift of the mountain restaurants and the new Eggli restaurant (planned opening in December 2020), all key projects from the restructuring concept could be realised within five years. “The acceptance of our cable car company by the population is high again. Today we can say that the BDG is developing in the right direction. We are all proud of this”, says Heinz Brand, chairman of the board of directors.

Zegg had informed the board of directors of his decision in January 2020. This is now to be used to proactively initiate the succession planning and also the gradual rejuvenation of the board of directors.

Based on AvS