Theodor Gut retires
Theodor Gut is retiring at the beginning of July. The 67-year-old is stepping down from the Board of Directors of Zürichsee Medien and leaving the Board of Directors of the Zurich regional newspapers (Zürichsee-Zeitung, Landbote, Zürcher Unterländer), of which he is Vice Chairman.
Gut was elected to the Board of Directors of Zürichsee Medien in 1971. After completing his studies at the ETH and HSG, he worked for six years as assistant to the general manager and head of IT at Orell Füssli Werbe AG. In 1981, Gut joined Zürichsee Medien. In 1983 he became delegate, and in 1991 chairman of the board of directors. Under Gut's leadership, the Zürichsee-Zeitung built up split editions on the left bank of Lake Zurich and in the cantons of St. Gallen and Schwyz. In 1989/90, Zürichsee Medien established the DZO newspaper printing center, which it subsequently expanded with Zürcher Oberländer and Zürcher Unterländer and operated jointly until 2010. Radio Zürisee was founded in 1983 and built up into a strong company and leading private radio station.
After it became clear in 2009 that no one from the Gut family of owners wanted to succeed Gut as Chairman of the Board of Directors or Executive Board, the shareholders and the Board of Directors decided to refocus and concentrate on the three smaller areas of radio, magazine marketing and real estate. Gut implemented the process with determination and foresight by selling the Zürichsee-Zeitung to Tamedia and the Zürichsee Druckereien to Fotorotar. Radio Bern 1 was acquired in 2012 and very successfully built up into the leading private radio station in the Bern region. The advertising marketer Zürichsee Werbe AG increased its sales from seven to 20 million Swiss francs in the past five years. In 2011, Zürichsee Medien expanded its real estate portfolio and in 2014 launched a project for a new replacement building for the main building in Stäfen.
The Annual General Meeting of Zürichsee Medien elected Beat Lauber to succeed Theodor Gut as Chairman of the Board of Directors. He has also been Chairman of the Group Management of the company since the beginning of the year. Beat Lauber held leading positions in the publishing business for 25 years and was a member of the management boards of NZZ and Ringier.
Zürichsee Medien AG is the parent company of Radio Zürisee, Radio Bern 1, the advertising marketer Zürichsee Werbe AG and a real estate company. In 2014, it generated sales of CHF 32.5 million and is rock solidly financed with an equity ratio of over 80 percent. The company employs 102 people (77 full-time positions). It is 96 percent owned by the Gut family.
