CEO for 365 days

One year as CEO of Swisscom. That is an emotional anniversary for me. I was recently in Lausanne for a lecture at EPFL. The place where I studied and then started my working life. I remembered all the dreams and plans I had back then. I would never have dreamed that one day I would be at the head of one of the most exciting companies in Switzerland.?

But even back then I wanted to work in telecommunications, which came true – after a (long) diversions in IT – at Swisscom. So for me, even after more than 365 days, it is a privilege to lead this company.??

It was an incredibly exciting year, with many highlights, some hurdles and fortunately no real lowlights. And it was intense! The familiarisation with new topics, the many conversations. Getting to know so many new people, ideas, and points of view - inside and outside Swisscom - was certainly the big highlight for me this year.?

Being inspired and (hopefully) inspiring others. I could feel the strength and enthusiasm that our employees unleash every day. I was therefore pleased but not surprised that Swisscom has won all the relevant network and service tests in the past 12 months. It is the result of a great team.

We used the first months to adjust our strategy and goals in a transversal team. I am convinced that we as Swisscom need a strong vision.

With "Innovators of Trust", we set ourselves the goal of linking innovation with trust, because we feel that technology will only be accepted if people trust us. Trust that we will deliver, handle their data responsibly, take care of our planet and society. It is a strong vision that is now coming into its own at Swisscom.

But there were also hurdles to overcome. These included legal procedures, especially regarding fiber optic expansion. There were decisions to be made in order to remove the blockade to our network's?growth. Today, we are continuing to expand our fiber optic network for Switzerland at full steam.?

And as for the growth of our mobile network, there was a landmark Federal Court ruling, thanks to which we can now expand the network of the future more quickly. So, these hurdles have been cleared.

What will the next 12 months bring? Our goals at Swisscom are clear. The vision is in place. We will flesh out our strategy in the coming weeks. And then? For me, it's about implementing all the plans. Because as a manager, we don't just have to set the guard rails and make plans. My task will be to create the space for a successful implementation of our strategy and plans. And first and foremost, implementing means working. I'm looking forward to it because I love it when a plan comes together!

Christoph Aeschlimann, CEO Swisscom. I am passionate about the latest technologies such as 5G, cloud, AI and everything to do with software. Because they have a massive influence on how our society and our interaction with the environment develop. I am also fascinated by modern forms of collaboration and how they challenge us as leaders.