Jochen Schweizer (entrepreneur)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jochen Schweizer at the Bertelsmann Party (2016)

Jochen Schweizer (born June 23, 1957 in Ettlingen ) is a German entrepreneur . He founded the group of companies named after him, which among other things offers adventure vouchers. Schweizer is considered a pioneer among extreme athletes and a trailblazer for bungee jumping in Germany. He worked as a stuntman in cinema and commercials, set several world records and received entries in the Guinness Book of Records . Schweizer also works as a motivational speaker.

Life

Training and world records

Schweizer grew up in Heidelberg . He finished his school days with the general university entrance qualification at the Willy-Hellpach-Wirtschaftsgymnasium Heidelberg . He then traveled through Africa on a motorcycle . Schweizer trained as a “ logistician ” and was enrolled at the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg . On behalf of an international freight forwarding , he first led transports for the GTZ in West Africa by and subsequently Managing Director of the subsidiary in Munich . In the 1980s Schweizer had various engagements as a stuntman . He was best known for a bungee jump in Willy Bogner's action film Fire, Ice & Dynamite . In the following years, Schweizer set several world records, for example in 1997 when he jumped from a helicopter with the longest bungy rope and the highest fall distance of 1,050 meters. In the same year, Schweizer ended his career as a stuntman.

Entrepreneurial activity

In 1985, Schweizer founded the event and advertising agency Kajak Sports Productions , based in Munich, from which the Jochen Schweizer group of companies later emerged. The company produced several fun sports and action sports films , such as Family Mad , Over the Edge , Topolinaden and Verdon - Die Schlucht yesterday and today . Due to the public interest in bungee jumping, the company opened the first stationary facility in Germany in 1989 in Oberschleißheim . It is the oldest still active jumping facility in Europe. Further systems followed in Germany and Austria , for example also on the Vienna Danube Tower . In the following years, the company expanded its activities to include other business areas: for example, house running , Flying Fox XXL and the base flyer were added to the range. The Swiss company had an international presence with the Vertical Catwalk show . For example, a fashion show was held at Rockefeller Center in New York City . In 2002, 2003 and 2009, three serious accidents occurred at the company's bungee stations, in which one person died and three people were seriously injured.

In 2003, Schweizer's company fell into a serious crisis. The reason for this was a fatal accident at the Florian Tower in Dortmund . A bungee jumper's rope had broken. Schweizer expressed dismay and temporarily closed all of the company's facilities. Misconduct relevant to criminal law could not be determined. The consequence of the accident was to design bungee ropes differently from now on. The core thread material can now be viewed along its entire length, including the head area with bobbing. In addition, a flat band was installed as an expansion limiter. This stops the bungee rope stretching if the wrong body weight rope is selected.

In addition, due to the crisis, the company's business model was expanded and from now on the focus was on trading with "experiences". The company began selling its experience vouchers over the Internet in 2004. Later on, branches were opened throughout Germany, and the experience vouchers are also sold through trading partners. In 2015, Jochen Schweizer offered a total of 1,900 different “experiences”, employed 550 people in the corporate group and achieved an annual turnover of 70 million euros. In 2015, the company was the market leader for adventure vouchers in Germany.

In addition to being the managing director of his corporate group, Schweizer is also an investor . In this role he was seen from 2014 to 2016 in the program Die Höhle der Löwen on VOX , in which young entrepreneurs apply for capital. Jochen Schweizer Ventures is involved in several startups . Schweizer is also an honorary member of the jury for Top 100 , a competition that honors innovative medium-sized companies.

In June 2017, ProSiebenSat.1 Media acquired a majority stake in Jochen Schweizer GmbH in order to merge it with Mydays under the umbrella of a joint holding, in which Schweizer will continue to hold 17 million euros. Schweizer has retained other companies in the group. In September 2017, Manager Magazin quoted an anonymous letter received shortly before the sale from a suspected rival, according to which the core company Jochen Schweizer GmbH reported a deficit of 69 million euros not covered by equity (which would have corresponded to 60% of the balance sheet total ) in 2015 . Jochen Schweizer stated in the 2015 annual financial statements that "there is no over-indebtedness in the sense of insolvency law, as the prepayments received contain enormous hidden reserves from vouchers that are likely to never be redeemed and brokerage commissions not yet realized from future redemptions". ProSiebenSat.1 Media put the value of Jochen Schweizer GmbH at 108 million euros and assessed the new holding company in its balance sheet as a "basis for further growth and synergies."

In March 2017, Schweizer opened the Jochen Schweizer Arena in Taufkirchen (near Munich) as a “futuristic leisure destination”.

Work as a book author

In 2010 Schweizer published his biography in Riva Verlag under the title Why people must be able to fly . The Börsen-Zeitung ruled that the author described his career in it "authentically and entertainingly". According to the evening newspaper, Schweizer grants “deep insights” into his life as an “adventurer, athlete, family man and entrepreneur”.

In 2015, the author's second work, The Perfect Moment , was published by Gräfe und Unzer Verlag ; this motivational guide was featured in bestseller lists for several weeks.

Filmography

Stunt by Jochen Schweizer (2014)

actor

  • 1987: Family Mad (also producer )
  • 1988: Verdon - The Gorge yesterday and today (also producer)
  • 1989: Topolinaden ( documentation )
  • 1990: Over the Edge
  • 2012: Higher - faster - life: Jochen Schweizer & Sohn
  • 2014–2016: The Lion's Den
  • 2019: The dream job - with Jochen Schweizer

Stuntman

Works

Awards

  • 2017: SignsAward

Web links

Commons : Jochen Schweizer GmbH  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ "Giving is completely independent of the crisis" . In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung . February 25, 2013, p. 25 .
  2. ↑ Philipp Elsbrock: Do not be afraid! In: Financial Times Germany . October 29, 2010, p. 27 .
  3. ↑ Jo Wüllner: German for Germans: The 666 most important words for survival . Knaus, Munich 2013, ISBN 978-3-8135-0514-6 (under "Thrill").
  4. ↑ The ten most extreme extreme athletes in the world. In: welt.de. October 15, 2012, accessed September 8, 2015 .
  5. ↑ Kathrin Melliwa: No trial of fatal bungee jump in Dortmund against Jochen Schweizer. In: derwesten.de. January 21, 2011, accessed September 8, 2015 .
  6. ↑ We'll have to wait years until the next festival . In: Frankfurter Neue Presse . May 14, 2001.
  7. ↑ People of the economy . In: WirtschaftsWoche . November 17, 2008, p. 22 .
  8. ↑ Lars Kreye: Always long on the wall - but vertically . In: Die Welt , October 10, 2007
  9. ↑ Adventure portal . In: format . No. 48 , 2014, p. 91 (Department: Culture & Lifestyle).
  10. ↑ Jochen Schweizer: Why people have to be able to fly . Riva Verlag, Munich 2010, ISBN 978-3-86883-082-8 , pp. 11-12 .
  11. ↑ Jochen Schweizer: Why people have to be able to fly . Riva Verlag, Munich 2010, ISBN 978-3-86883-082-8 , pp. 24 .
  12. ↑ Jochen Schweizer: Why people have to be able to fly . Riva Verlag, Munich 2010, ISBN 978-3-86883-082-8 , pp. 24-86 .
  13. ↑ Clemens Schömann-Finck: "First I had to live it out completely". In: focus.de. December 25, 2012, accessed September 21, 2015 .
  14. ↑ Karin Janker: Completed early . In: Süddeutsche Zeitung . January 10, 2015, p. 65 .
  15. ↑ Jochen Schweizer: Why people have to be able to fly . Riva Verlag, Munich 2010, ISBN 978-3-86883-082-8 , pp. 74, 109-112 .
  16. ↑ Karin Janker: From Dressman to HR Manager. In: sueddeutsche.de. January 14, 2015, accessed September 8, 2015 .
  17. ↑ Diana Fröhlich: The child in the man. In: handelsblatt.com. October 9, 2010, accessed September 8, 2015 .
  18. Jumped 3000 meters into the Book of Records . In: Frankfurter Neue Presse . September 19, 1997, p. 1 .
  19. ↑ Small dots in the sky and 36 seconds of free fall . In: Frankfurter Rundschau . September 20, 1997, p. 18 .
  20. ↑ The adrenaline entrepreneur. (No longer available online.) In: np-coburg.de. November 14, 2014, archived from the original on November 27, 2016 ; accessed on September 21, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.np-coburg.de
  21. ^ Elisabeth Neuhaus: "I see no reason to throw my money out the window". In: gruenderszene.de. October 15, 2014, accessed September 21, 2015 .
  22. ↑ Christian Scherl: Distraction from stressful everyday life. In : wirtschaftsblatt.at. September 4, 2013, archived from the original on November 17, 2015 ; accessed on September 21, 2015 .
  23. ^ Trento Film Festival. In: trentofestival.it. Retrieved September 11, 2015 (Italian).
  24. ↑ Dominik Knobloch: When life hangs on a rubber rope . In: Heilbronn voice . June 2, 2014, p. 5 .
  25. ↑ Andreas Burkert: They've been jumping down there for 25 years. (No longer available online.) In: drive-and-style.de. June 7, 2015, archived from the original on November 17, 2015 ; accessed on September 12, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.drive-and-style.de
  26. ^ Christian Rösner: Jump from the Danube Tower. In: wienerzeitung.at. May 4, 2001, accessed September 21, 2015 .
  27. ↑ The adrenaline dealer. In: zeit.de. January 28, 2014, accessed September 16, 2015 .
  28. ↑ With the zip line against the decline in visitors. In: welt.de. August 24, 2009, accessed September 11, 2015 .
  29. ↑ Vertical adrenaline rush. In: nzz.ch. September 17, 2007, accessed September 21, 2015 .
  30. ↑ Vertical catwalk . Models dance on the facade. In: Berner Zeitung . September 16, 2004, p. 44 .
  31. ↑ Unique wonder world with vertical catwalk . In: Leipziger Volkszeitung . September 8, 2004, p. 23 .
  32. ↑ Orla Healy: Catwalk on the wild side - scary stroll down the heights of fashion. In: nypost.com. July 27, 2005, accessed October 13, 2015 .
  33. ↑ Risk with fatal consequences. In: sueddeutsche.de. May 17, 2010, accessed September 9, 2015 .
  34. ↑ Freed from deepest valleys with a bite . In: Black Forest Messenger . June 20, 2015, p. 9 .
  35. ↑ "Thinking is a great burden" . In: Die Welt , August 16, 2009
  36. ↑ jump to their deaths. In: n-tv.de. July 21, 2003, accessed October 13, 2015 .
  37. ↑ Sebastian Sigler: Fatal accident while bungee jumping in Dortmund . In: The world . July 22, 2003, p. 32 .
  38. ↑ Proceedings suspended due to death during bungee jump . In: Rheinische Post . January 22, 2011.
  39. ↑ Criminal proceedings stopped after bungee accident. In: fr-online.de. January 21, 2011, accessed September 21, 2015 .
  40. ↑ Kathrin Melliwa: No trial of fatal bungee jump in Dortmund against Jochen Schweizer. In: derwesten.de. January 21, 2011, accessed September 30, 2015 .
  41. ↑ Swiss adventure entrepreneur: master of the fully comprehensive kick. In: spiegel.de. August 14, 2012, accessed September 9, 2015 .
  42. ↑ The adventure partner. In: brandeins.de. 2008, accessed September 9, 2015 .
  43. ↑ Dominic Multerer: Plain text: Say what's up. Do what brings you further. Gabal Verlag, ISBN 978-3-95623-234-3 , pp. 111 .
  44. ↑ Experience provider Jochen Schweizer relies on the book trade as a sales channel. In: boersenblatt.net. July 15, 2009. Retrieved April 26, 2018 .
  45. ↑ The group of companies. (No longer available online.) Jochen Schweizer, archived from the original on April 27, 2018 ; accessed on April 26, 2018 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.jochen-schweizer-corporate.de
  46. ^ Jochen Schweizer: From film stuntman to entrepreneur . In: Courier . October 16, 2011, p. 19 .
  47. ↑ Rebecca Eisert: The business with the kick. In: wiwo.de. February 25, 2015, accessed September 21, 2015 .
  48. ↑ Carina Kontio: Managers speak plain language: “What was that supposed to mean? That was shit! ” In: handelsblatt.com. September 5, 2015, accessed September 9, 2015 .
  49. ^ Elisabeth Neuhaus: "I see no reason to throw my money out the window". In: gruenderszene.de. October 15, 2014, accessed September 9, 2015 .
  50. ↑ Jennifer Garic: Of Big Businesses and Small Deals. In: handelsblatt.com. August 19, 2015, accessed September 9, 2015 .
  51. ↑ Jonas Leppin: Cave, cave, cave. In: spiegel.de. August 19, 2015, accessed September 9, 2015 .
  52. ↑ Portfolio. (No longer available online.) Jochen Schweizer Ventures, archived from the original on September 14, 2015 ; accessed on September 12, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.jochen-schweizer-ventures.de
  53. ↑ Alexander Hüsing: "I want to encourage young entrepreneurs". In: deutsche-startups.de. September 19, 2014, accessed September 12, 2015 .
  54. ↑ "The TOP 100 Jury". (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on February 2, 2016 ; accessed on February 2, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.top100.de
  55. ↑ The emotional power of real experiences - Interview with Jörg Trouvain, Fabian Stich and Jochen Schweizer, In: Annual Report Pro7Sat.1 . Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  56. ↑ Caspar Busse, Ulrich Schäfer: Jochen Schweizer vouchers will soon be available from Pro Sieben. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung . June 21, 2017. Retrieved July 30, 2017.
  57. ↑ Adventurers on a new mission In: Handelsblatt , February 22, 2018.
  58. ↑ Jochen Schweizer is negotiating the sale of his event company. In: Manager Magazin . May 29, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  59. ↑ Pro Sieben Sat.1 takes over Jochen Schweizer. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung . June 21, 2017. Retrieved July 30, 2017.
  60. ↑ ProSieben buys Jochen Schweizer. In: Economic Week . June 21, 2017. Retrieved July 30, 2017.
  61. ↑ ProSiebenSat.1 Group press release from June 21, 2017 , accessed on April 26, 2018.
  62. ↑ Laura Kaufmann: Just do the fly. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung. March 3, 2017, accessed July 30, 2017 .
  63. ↑ Stuntman picked up a pen . In: Frankfurter Neue Presse . August 18, 2010.
  64. ↑ A life at the limit . In: Börsen-Zeitung . December 4, 2010, p. 19 .
  65. ↑ Higher, faster, deeper . In: evening newspaper . November 5, 2010, p. 18 .
  66. ↑ Iris Hilberth: A surfer wave for Taufkirchen. In: sueddeutsche.de. October 21, 2015, accessed October 23, 2015 .
  67. ↑ - book report - bestseller News from the book and media industry, market analyzes and SPIEGEL bestsellers. In: buchreport.de. Retrieved January 22, 2016 .
  68. ↑ Advisory bestseller: The week of newcomers. In: Focus Online. Retrieved January 22, 2016 .
  69. ↑ signs-award.de; Punctuator 2017
personal data
SURNAME Swiss, Jochen
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Swiss, Joachim
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German entrepreneur
DATE OF BIRTH June 23, 1957
PLACE OF BIRTH Ettlingen