Observed Signal · Sep 23, 2026 · Hiring · Source: persoenlich.com News · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
NZZ Appoints Corine Blesi to Executive Board
Swiss media company NZZ is reorganizing its commercial operations by separating the subscription business (user market) from the advertising market. From October 1, Corine Blesi will lead the new 'NZZ Experience' division, which bundles advertising, events, and partnerships, and will join the executive board. The user market, focusing on subscription growth in Switzerland and Germany, will be led by a new hire, with Roman Bretschger serving as interim head. CEO Felix Graf stated the reorganization aims to focus on the different growth opportunities of the two business fields. Blesi, who has led NZZ Connect's conference business since 2021, will also oversee NZZ Academy, NZZ Live, Audienzz, and NZZone.
Organizational restructuring at a major Swiss publisher, relevant to AdTech as it affects ad sales structure.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- NZZ separates subscription business from advertising market.
- Corine Blesi to lead new 'NZZ Experience' division and join executive board from October 1.
- NZZ Experience bundles advertising, events, partnerships, and related commercial activities.
- Search underway for a new head of the user market (subscriptions).
- Roman Bretschger will serve as interim head of the user market until a successor is found.
Connected Companies & Entities
“Additional units include Audienzz, the specialist for digital advertising sales, and the ad sales organization NZZone.”
“The Zurich-based media company is organizationally separating the subscription business from the advertising market.”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
NZZ ordnet kommerzielles Geschäft neu – Corine Blesi leitet den neuen Bereich NZZ Experience und wird Mitglied der Geschäftsleitung
NZZ is reorganizing its commercial business as of October 1, 2026. The user market with the subscription business will be managed independently, while advertising, events, partnerships, and other commercial offerings will be bundled in the new NZZ Experience division. Corine Blesi, currently managing director of NZZ Connect, will lead NZZ Experience and join the executive management team. The search for a head of the user market is underway, with Roman Bretschger serving as interim leader.
Fabian Schäfer Leaves NZZ for CH Media
Fabian Schäfer, who has led the NZZ's Bundeshausredaktion since 2019 after 16 years of federal-parliament reporting, will join CH Media’s domestic (Inland) team effective 1 September 2026. CH Media said it is hiring Schäfer alongside Céline Zahno (from Blick) to strengthen the news group's national reporting. Persoenlich.com reports that Schäfer’s departure is widely seen in Bern as linked to the NZZ’s recent hiring of Dominik Feusi; Schäfer declined to comment on the reason. CH Media editor-in-chief Patrik Müller described the new hires as bolstering the publisher’s national profile. The article was published by persoenlich.com on 2026-05-06.
Mark Dittli reportedly favorite for NZZ editor-in-chief
According to a report by Kurt W. Zimmermann in Weltwoche, Mark Dittli is considered the clear favorite to succeed Eric Gujer as editor-in-chief of the Swiss newspaper NZZ. The board of directors is expected to decide on the succession in November. Gujer, who has led the newspaper for eleven years, will step down at the end of January 2027. Dittli is co-founder, CEO, and editor of the financial platform The Market, which has been part of the NZZ Group since 2023. He previously led the online magazine Republik on an interim basis and served as editor-in-chief of Finanz und Wirtschaft for six years. Other candidates mentioned include NZZ foreign desk chief Benedict Neff and Daniel Fritzsche, head of the Zurich section.
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