New operational management team at Affichage

Affichage Holding SA, the world's number six out-of-home media company, will be replacing two of its top executives. Daniel Hofer will be taking over operational management of the company as CEO on 1 October 2010. Alongside this function, he will also manage the Swiss market. Daniel Hofer comes from the NZZ media group, where he has held various management positions since 2006 and is currently responsible for publications in Zurich as a member of the management board. Prior to this, the acclaimed media specialist worked for Publigroupe SA for several years, including as CEO of the International Division and as a member of the Executive Board. In addition, he has been President of the International Advertising Association, Swiss Chapter since 2008. Daniel Hofer has an executive MBA and a doctorate in business administration.

On 1 June 2010, Thomas Rainer will become the new manager of the Affichage Group's international business. The qualified economist comes from the German company Wall AG, where he was also responsible for international business in his most recent position. Prior to this, he was Co-Director for several years of the former joint venture between Affichage and Gewista, Europlakat International Werbegesellschaft mbH in Vienna. As a long-standing Vice President of FEPE (an international association of outdoor advertising companies), he has profound knowledge of the international outdoor advertising market. The new Executive Board of the Affichage Group will comprise Mr Hofer and Mr Rainer as well as Ulrich von Bassewitz, CFO.

Jean-François Decaux, Chairman elect of the Board of Directors, commented as follows: "We are confident that this new top management line-up provides our company with the strength necessary to tackle current issues and to once again achieve great success, based on the foundation of our strong domestic market of Switzerland."

Christian Kauter, who has been CEO and Member of the Board of Directors of Affichage for many years, is retiring on 30 June 2010. At the beginning of 2009, he announced his willingness to head the Affichage Group following his official retirement in May 2009 so as to give the company sufficient time to find a suitable successor. Affichage would like to thank him for his commitment to the company. Under his aegis, Affichage developed from a poster pasting company into a modern media company, building on its position as number one on the Swiss market.

During the transition phase from 1 July 2010 to 1 October 2010, Markus Scheidegger, a long-standing Member of the Board of Directors, will ensure operational management of Affichage Holding as interim CEO. 

About the company

Media company Affichage Holding SA specializes in out-of-home advertising. Listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange in Zurich, its subsidiaries include many highly regarded companies at national and international level. These include APG (Allgemeine Plakatgesellschaft) AG, which has been bringing together tradition, quality and "Swissness" for over 100 years.Affichage ranks sixth in the world in the out-of-home sector and is regarded as a reliable partner and key innovator for the advertising industry and public authorities.

Information

Jean-François Decaux, Chairman elect of the Board of Directors, Affichage Holding S.A., rue des Vollandes 23, 1211 Geneva 6
Phone:+41 58 220 71 64
E-mail:media@affichage.com

Geneva/Zurich, 26 May 2010