The third generation is taking over the operational reins at the Läderach family business in Glarus. Johannes Läderach (born 1986), the eldest son of entrepreneur Jürg Läderach, will be appointed CEO of the Läderach Group on 1 March 2018. Ralph Siegl, who has been Managing Director at the Swiss parent company for many years, is leaving the company to pursue a new career. He will continue to support the company in the background in an advisory capacity for a certain period of time.
“I am looking forward to my new task and am grateful that after seven years in the company, I will be able to continue the wonderful cooperation in the family, with my father and with the management team in a new function,” explains Johannes Läderach. He will be assigned the task of leading the successful and dynamic company into the next phase of development from 1 March 2018. “I would also like to thank Ralph Siegl in particular, who, together with his team, has contributed significantly to the success and development of the ‘Läderach – chocolatier suisse’ brand and the strategic and operational development of the company over the past decade. He was a valuable mentor to me.” For Ralph Siegl, a “humanly as well as entrepreneurially wonderful and enriching period” at Läderach is coming to an end: “It was clear from the beginning in the family business that, in addition to the task of building up a brand, I would have a temporary mandate until the development of the third generation of entrepreneurs. I am very pleased that what we have created together is a solid basis for the future and that the change can now take place at a time when the brand and the company are developing positively and sustainably.” Ralph Siegl will in future act as Managing Partner of the consulting boutique Experts for Leaders. Experts for Leaders specialises in supporting boards of directors and management in strategic matters, in the development of new business models and in human capital issues.

The generational change at Läderach is further reinforced by the promotion of Elias Läderach (born 1988), current Head of Innovation, to Member of Group Management and new Head of Development and Production. Elias Läderach is taking on this new role in the first year in parallel with his demanding creative work as a confectioner: as the winner of the national elimination in the Swiss Chocolate Masters 2017 competition, he will represent Switzerland this year in Paris at the World Confectionery Championships.

Johannes Läderach’s previous operational responsibilities in Professional Sales will be transferred to Martin Lehmann, Managing Director Retail since 2016. In addition to Johannes Läderach as CEO and the new Elias Läderach, Martin Lehmann, Managing Director Retail & Sales, and Andreas Trümpler, Managing Director Marketing/Group CMO, will continue to be represented on the Läderach Group Executive Board.

Owner and Chairman of the Board of Directors Jürg Läderach is pleased with the change of personnel. “It is not a matter of course that the next generation has the skills and enjoyment to continue running their own company. As a family, we are very grateful for what we have been able to achieve at Läderach in recent years, also together with the external managers. We would not have thought such a development possible. Personally, I would like to thank Ralph Siegl very much for his great commitment and the pleasant and trusting cooperation over the past years. I wish him and the representatives of the third generation of our family God’s blessing as well as much joy and fulfilment in their new responsibility.”

Läderach – chocolatier suisse has stood for top-quality handcrafted Swiss chocolate specialties since 1962. The family company has more than 1000 employees and is headquartered in the canton of Glarus in Switzerland. Since September 2012, Läderach has been producing its own chocolate mass. This means that they are one of the few premium producers that can guarantee sustainable quality from the cocoa bean to the end product. The company produces exclusively in Switzerland. Their artisanal chocolate products first of all the original FrischSchoggi (fresh chocolate) are currently sold in over 100 Läderach chocolateries in Switzerland, Germany, the UK, the USA and Canada, as through sales partners in the Middle East and Asia.