Meeting in assembly on Saturday, the Board of Directors and the assembly of delegates appointed Susanne Wille at the head of the SSR, replacing Gilles Marchand. She will take office on November 1st.
Former host of the current affairs show “10 vor 10”, Susanne Wille becomes the first woman to head the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SSR).
The woman who has headed the culture department of SRF since 2020 succeeds Gilles Marchand, who announced his departure last January.
>> Reread: Gilles Marchand, general director of the SSR, will leave his post
“Full awareness of the challenges ahead”
Susanne Wille will take on this new role in “full awareness of the challenges ahead”, she declared on Saturday in Bern. She is delighted to be able to bring her experience to rethink the company.
“The next few years won’t be easy,” she admitted. “My task will be to provide good arguments to show what the SSR brings and why we need it. I will listen and try to understand the sometimes different opinions,” she added.
The new director also says she wants to change the company and bring in new perspectives. “I position myself for an SSR close to people, which listens and which advocates exchange. For an SSR in which we can trust and with whom we can identify. For an SSR which knows where it comes from, but who also knows how to question herself and transform herself,” declared the 50-year-old journalist.
Multilingual and with a vast network
Susanne Wille is an experienced manager as well as a skilled communicator, polyglot who, after having held different positions in the most varied fields, can count on a vast network. She also brings extensive know-how in digital transformation, as well as proven skills in the areas of management and strategy.
The new director has spent more than twenty years in front of the camera in various SRF programs and has headed its cultural department for four years.
Major tasks now await Susanne Wille and the management of the SSR, such as the distribution of concessions, the reduction in revenues and the vote on the reduction of radio-TV license fees planned for 2026. The organization of Eurovision in 2025 will also be a challenge.
RTSinfo
