SWISS Executive Management has appointed Willy Schnyder as its new Vice President Marketing and Sales Switzerland. Schnyder, who can draw on extensive management experience in the air transport sector, succeeds Stefan Gutknecht, who is assuming new duties within the company as Vice President Trirhena, the Swiss, French and German border region centred on Basel.
Willy Schnyder will assume his new position, in which he will be responsible for all sales activities within Switzerland, particularly via non-SWISS distribution channels and in collaboration with Swiss travel agencies, on February 23. He will report directly to Oliver Evans, Executive Vice President Passenger Sales.
A French/Swiss dual national who was born in 1951, Willy Schnyder began his airline career in 1975 when he was employed as a Call Center Supervisor at Swissair. In 1977 he joined Lufthansa, and occupied various positions for the carrier including General Manager Switzerland and Head of Marketing, Sales & Distribution over the next 24 years. He also completed a course of study in business administration at St. Gallen University, graduating in 1992.

Willy Schnyder comes to SWISS from BTI Central Europe, where he has been serving as Vice President Business Development, based in Zurich, since 2001.

Stefan Gutknecht, currently Vice President Marketing and Sales Switzerland, is moving within SWISS at his own request to become Vice President Trirhena - a newly-created post with responsibility for the Swiss, French and German border region centred on Basel. The new function, which is also part of the Passenger Sales business unit, should help strengthen SWISS’s position in this multinational market.
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