Philippe Bruggisser (Manager)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Philippe Bruggisser (born September 11, 1948 in Wohlen ) is a Swiss manager in the aviation industry . He was Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Swissair in 1996 and 2000/01 and President of the SAir Group Management from 1997 to 2001. The growth strategy he pursued, with the aim of establishing an independent aviation alliance, was largely responsible for the grounding of Swissair in October 2001.

biography

Education and professional career

After attending primary school and the district school in Wohlen, he completed the seminar in Wettingen from 1964 to 1969 , interrupted by a one-year stay as a guest student in the USA . He then studied economics at the University of Basel and business administration and law at the University of Geneva . He began his professional career in 1976 as Assistant General Director of the Swiss Bank Corporation .

In 1979 Bruggisser moved to Swissair and initially worked as a controller . In 1984 he was appointed CFO of Swissair's North America division, and from 1987 to 1990 he was head of the controlling division. After a brief activity as a project manager for a profit improvement program, he took over the chairmanship of Swissair Beteiligungen AG in 1991, which he held until 1995. He was also a member of the Swissair management from 1992 to 1994. Under Bruggisser's leadership, Swissair acquired the catering division of SAS Scandinavian Airlines . From 1995 he was a member of the Swissair group management.

Swissair boss

In 1996, Bruggisser took over operational management of the group as Chief Operating Officer and was also Deputy President of the Group Management. In the following year he carried out a comprehensive restructuring of the group; the SAir Group was created, with Swissair now being one of several subsidiaries. In 1997, Bruggisser took over the post of Group Management President and handed over operational management of Swissair. After the «Alcazar» project - a merger of Swissair, KLM , SAS and Austrian Airlines - failed in 1993 , he pursued the development of an independent alliance on the advice of management consultant McKinsey . This risky "hunter strategy" envisaged the acquisition of airlines and investments.

The first step in 1996 was a stake in the Belgian Sabena . In 1998, the Qualiflyer Group aviation alliance was founded under the leadership of Swissair . Further investments in the Italian Volare , the French Air Littoral and the German LTU were added. The initially positive annual results for 1997 and 1998 inspired the Board of Directors to continue the strategy. The crash of Swissair flight 111 overshadowed the 1998 financial year. Delta Air Lines terminated its cooperation with Swissair in 1999 and Austrian Airlines left the Qualiflyer Group.

Despite these setbacks, Bruggisser stuck to the Hunter strategy. Investments in South African Airways , the French companies AOM , Air Littoral and Air Liberté , the Italian Air Europe and the Polish LOT followed . He also initiated the acquisition of stakes in the Portuguese companies TAP and Portugália . Most of these companies were in need of restructuring, so that additional restructuring capital was necessary in addition to the purchase price.

In July 2000, Bruggisser temporarily took over the operational management of Swissair again. He then came under public pressure when the group's ailing financial situation became known. The daily loss at Swissair and Sabena was one million francs each, another million was lost every day at LTU and the French holdings. For the first time, the Board of Directors had exit scenarios calculated from the investments in other airlines and in January 2001 dismissed Bruggisser without notice. His successors Moritz Suter and Mario Corti could no longer prevent the collapse of the group in October 2001 and its liquidation in March 2002.

Further stations

As a result, the press mainly blamed Bruggisser and his expansion course for the decline of Swissair. However, former employees unanimously described him as having integrity and praised his leadership qualities. Ultimately, he only tried to implement the strategy decided by the board of directors. Bruggisser initially largely withdrew from the public. In November 2006 his attempt to be elected to the board of directors of South African Airways failed .

In March 2006, the public prosecutor of the Canton of Zurich brought charges against Bruggisser and another 18 people in connection with the Swissair failure. Among other things, they were accused of forging documents , mismanagement and harming creditors. Bruggisser was charged with multiple false notarizations and multiple and simple unfaithful business management. He denied all allegations and the Bülach District Court acquitted him on June 7, 2007. He received legal compensation of 80,947 francs. The prosecution did not advance the verdict; thus the acquittal is final.

From 2009 to 2010 he returned to the aviation industry as CEO and board member of VistaJet , a company specializing in the operation of private aircraft.

literature

source

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Philippe Bruggisser: From all clouds. Die Weltwoche , October 28, 2004, accessed on March 4, 2010 .
  2. ↑ Philippe Bruggisser failed. Neue Zürcher Zeitung , November 16, 2006, accessed on March 28, 2019 .
  3. ↑ All defendants acquitted ( memento of October 23, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) in: Tages-Anzeiger of June 7, 2007
  4. ↑ acquittals for all those responsible for Swissair. swissinfo , June 7, 2007, accessed March 4, 2010 .
  5. ↑ The public prosecutor's office no longer adopts the SAirGroup rulings in: NZZ Online from 7 September 2007
  6. ↑ Philippe Bruggisser is big in the airline business again. Tages-Anzeiger , June 17, 2009, accessed March 4, 2010 .
  7. ^ Swissair: The Grounding of Managers. In: Bilanz 17/2011 of September 23, 2011, p. 54
personal data
SURNAME Bruggisser, Philippe
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss manager
DATE OF BIRTH September 11, 1948
PLACE OF BIRTH Well