Change at the Oettinger Davidoff Group
Basel (ots)
The founder of the Oettinger Davidoff Group, Dr. Ernst Schneider, has decided to step down as the chairman of the Oettinger Imex AG board of directors effective July 1, 2006 in order to unburden himself. He remains a member of the Oettinger Imex AG board of directors and president of the superordinate holding company SIP Schneider Investment & Participations SA. He will be succeeded by Riccardo Gullotti.
When he took over the Geneva tobacco shop from Zino Davidoff in 1970, Ernst Schneider laid the foundation for Davidoff as a successful "global brand" and for the development of the Basel family company into an international corporate group. In 1998, he transferred operational management of the Oettinger Davidoff Group to Dr. Reto Cina within the framework of a long-term succession strategy. Effective July 1, 2006, he is stepping down as chairman of the Oettinger Imex AG board of directors. He remains a member of the board of directors.
His successor is Riccardo Gullotti from Muri/BE. Riccardo Gullotti is 62 years old and has been a member of the Oettinger Imex AG board of directors since the year 2000. He is an advocate and has mandates on the board of directors of various Swiss companies.
Dr. Rudolf Schaffner (62), from Bottmingen/BL, will assume the office of vice president as the representative of the owner family. The board of directors is composed of four additional, independent persons who are not members of the owner family.
Operational management of the globally active group will continue to be carried out by Reto Cina, CEO of the company.
Riccardo Gaetano Gullotti Advocate, 13/12/1944
After studying in Bern and completing his degree as a lawyer, Riccardo Gullotti was an associate at the law firm located at Münzgraben 6 (now Dr. G. Krneta & Partner) from 1972 to the end of 1977. From 1978 to the end of 1994, he was a partner of the same firm. His activities are focused mainly on commercial law. In 1990, he was elected president of the board of directors of the travel agency Kuoni AG in Zurich. From 1/1/1995 to 15/4/1999, he was president of the group's management (CEO) and delegate of the board of directors of Kuoni Reisen Holding AG, Zurich. Since then, he has been working as a professional member of directors' boards for various companies under the firm Gullotti & Partner Management & Consulting Services.
Contact:
Oettinger Davidoff Group
Mr. Dr. Reto Cina
Nauenstrasse 73
CH - 4002 Basel
Phone.: +41/(0)61/279'36'31
Fax: +41/(0)61/279'36'09