Bakel Walden is leaving SRG SSR
Bern (ots)
Bakel Walden, Director Development and Offering, has decided to leave the company per 1 November 2024. He will complete his external mandates on behalf of SRG until mid-2025.
After twelve years at SRG SSR, during which seven as member of the Executive Board, Bakel Walden has decided to leave: "It was an honour to lead the SRG transformation during these challenging years. I look back on the many intensive and disruptive projects with satisfaction and pride, but above all on the collaboration with an extraordinary team. However, consequent change is important to stay on the move not only for a company, but also for me. That's why the time has now come to take a change in my professional career. But first, I would like to thank the entire SRG team with all my heart for the time spent together."
Bakel Walden came from the RTL Group to SRG in 2012 and took on the newly created position of Head of programme strategy SRF. Repositioning market and audience research, launching strategic projects like the initiative "Junge Zielgruppen" (young target groups) and leading transformation projects at national level were some of his tasks. In 2017 Bakel Walden joined the Executive Board in Bern. As Director of Development and Offering, he was in charge of SRG core businesses such as digital transformation, research, international relations and communication. As head of the SRG Digital Board, he also led the first national digital target vision, the development of a common data strategy, the operational implementation of the SRG login as well as the successful establishment of the Play Suisse streaming platform.
Gilles Marchand, SRG Director General: "Bakel Walden brought a vast media and audience knowledge with him to the General Management. Thanks to his ability to manage difficult and challenging strategic projects and to his openness to the world and other cultures, Bakel was highly appreciated within the entire group. I thank him warmly for the seven years of intense collaboration and wish him all the best for his future projects."
Susanne Wille, SRG Director General elect: "Bakel Walden gave a digital boost to the SRG, which is also one of my priorities. I thank Bakel for creating excellent conditions that allow SRG to sustain its public service."
Bakel Walden hands over the Directorate management per 1 November 2024. Severine Schori-Vogt will lead "Development and Offering" ad interim. No replacement within the Executive Board is planned for now. Decision will be made at a later time. The Director General elect examines her management area, in order to align it with the future strategic needs of SRG. Bakel Walden will pursue his external mandates (member of the Mediapulse AG Board of Directors and Chairman of the Eurovision Song Contest Reference Group) until mid-2025 when these will be handed over according to the regular turnover process.
Contact:
SRG Press Office
medienstelle.srg@srgssr.ch / Tel. + (0)58 136 21 21