Urs Lehmann, President of Swiss Ski, on the successful partnership with Raiffeisen: “We both put in extra effort”

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Mr. Obrist, Mr. Lehmann, what does the name Franjo von Allmen mean to you?

Philippe Obrist, Raiffeisen: As a Bernese native, this situation of course triggers many emotions in me. Franjo von Allmen comes from Boltigen in the beautiful Bernese Oberland. He has great potential in fast disciplines and at the age of 22 he shows what you can achieve if you practice this sport with such passion. It was amazing to see how he rose to the top of the world with a high starting number this season and even got on the podium a few times.

Urs Lehmann, Swiss Ski: Franjo actually went from a young age to the European Cup and world elite in a very short time. He is an example of our well-functioning youth system and therefore a great compliment to coaches and supervisors. It’s so cool how it worked out for him.

Franjo von Allmen is also a very good example of the partnership that has been going on for years between Raiffeisen and Swiss-Ski: It is supported structurally by the Bernese Oberland Ski Association and financially, among other things, by the Raiffeisen crowdfunding project Lokalhelden.ch. What is the secret of your success?

Philippe Obrist: On the one hand, of course, there is the long-term and sustainability of our partnership, which has lasted almost 20 years. We realized pretty quickly from the beginning that we fit together very well. We have now extended our contract until the 2029/30 season. In Swiss-Ski we have a partner that represents and supports a popular sport: skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, mountains, snow. I grew up in a time when everyone still went to ski camp. At Raiffeisen, we identify with these sports, and this also affects our employees: we get excited – at the Swiss Alps races held live at our site in Adelboden, Wengen and Crans-Montana.

What is success to you, Mr. Lehmann?

Urs Lehmann: I think our success is also based on the fact that we have a lot in common. Raiffeisen is a cooperative and sends the following signal: We “belong” to the members of the cooperative, we are not profit-oriented, but we want to care for the community and give something back. Raiffeisen is also highly decentralized, with more than 780 locations across Switzerland; This setting is exactly the same as ours. Our mission is to get as many podiums as possible at the World Cup, but on the other hand we encourage children and young people all over the country to take up snow sports. (To Obrist) It’s a lot like yours: you want to be at the top of what you do, but you’re still territorially fixated.

Philippe Obrist: That’s right, we have a broad base and we are the mirror of society, so to speak. This is Swiss-Ski. What comes with this is stability and security. Raiffeisen is the secure banking partner of our private and corporate customers as well as Swiss-Ski. We have emphasized this many times as we have been partners for years. We want to offer quality, just like in ski racing. You cannot bend over at 150 km/h. This spirit of collaboration – trustworthiness and advocating for each other – are values ​​we share. But in a different environment. And we complement each other very well.

“Raiffeisen customers have many advantages” is the motto. How can Swiss-Ski benefit from this as an SME-like organisation?

Urs Lehmann: First of all, we have a very strong partnership that goes far beyond the paragraphs of the sponsorship agreement. Like us, Raiffeisen goes the extra distance that sets us apart from others and probably helps us succeed. Because we are discussing how we can further develop Swiss snow sports together. This leaves Raiffeisen involved in all regional associations and also having unorthodox ideas. A good example of this is the ski hat, for which five francs go directly to the children.

Conversely, what benefits does Raiffeisen gain from its relationship with Swiss-Ski?

Philippe Obrist: The high level of sympathy and goodwill is what creates this sport. Skiing is part of our company culture. For example, thanks to ski races such as the Lauberhorn, we can benefit from being able to offer great events to our customers. Just like this year: clear blue skies, perfectly groomed tracks, victory for Patrouille Suisse and Marco Odermatt; these were the best advertising Ski Switzerland could have done. And it goes way beyond the event: We offer discounted ski passes to our members. The sum of these reductions in 2023 brings the total investment made by Raiffeisen to more than two million francs.

Urs Lehmann: And if our partners do customer service as well as Raiffeisen, customers will stay because they will be dealt with in a very personal and emotional way.

What do these values ​​mean for corporate banking?

Philippe Obrist: We have a broad base of corporate client business thanks to our relationships with more than 200,000 companies. We understand the needs of self-employed people and large companies facing complex financial problems. Locally, Raiffeisen banks are often the first point of contact; Entrepreneurs often also have special customer relationships with Raiffeisen. In addition, regional corporate customer centers provide support on more complex issues and with special financing. The basis of the corporate client business is also the regional network supported by specific expertise throughout the entire lifecycle of a company at a national level.

We have already touched on some cooperative values. What else makes Raiffeisen special as a cooperative?

Philippe Obrist: We are a commercial company, but we do not seek to maximize profits and we retain more than 90 percent of our profits. This means that distributed profits remain in banks. This strengthens our capital base and is an important criterion today, because private investors and corporate clients working with us want a reliable and well-capitalized partner. They want someone with rich capital and liquidity, and we can provide this by keeping the funds generated within the group. According to traditional Swiss values: Be economical, perform well and be reliable

Can Swiss-Ski also “accumulate” its success? In other words: do you want to guarantee that talents in the style of Odermatt or von Allmen will emerge again in ten years?

Urs Lehmann: We are taking a dual approach here: On the one hand, we must ensure that the best athletes are at the top of the world. This means the best must be at the forefront, offering World Cup athletes the best coaches, an outstanding training infrastructure and the most efficient travel options. At the same time, we should not neglect young talents and invest significant amounts in this “pipeline” to fill it well. This has many parallels with entrepreneurship. And we do it pretty well. We have created a pyramid of young talents with regional and national performance centers, like the structures that Franjo von Allmen has followed from the beginning. He represents the next generation. However, we can only preserve these structures if we have long-term partners who share the same values ​​and vision. And this is going incredibly well for Raiffeisen.

Source :Blick