On Tuesday evening, the message came as a bombshell. Migros boss Fabrice Zumbrunnen (52) announced his resignation after five years in office. Surprising for Migros experts as well as customers! According to Migros, the search for a successor has begun, Zumbrunnen is currently not available in the media.
Between the lines: The Migros Cooperatives Federation was apparently informed by Zumbrunnen, the youngest Migros boss of all time, born 48 in Jura, the first Romand to head Migros. – He throws it in the towel and gives up his job at the end of April 2023. Explosion!
Why only five years?
His predecessor, Herbert Bolliger (69), who has been president of Migros for 13 years, and other bosses in the retail industry, like Zumbrunnen, remained in office for much longer than five years. What’s behind the sudden resignation? A defeat in the alcohol vote? Or did powerful regional rulers slow down Zumbrunnen’s plans, according to “Tages-Anzeiger” estimates? Accordingly, Zumbrunnen is said to have surrendered to them.
The head of the largest retailer asked the ten regional cooperatives to work better together and reduce duplication. Zumbrunnen, who repeatedly stated in the discussions that it costs nerves and time to go back and forth with the regional princes and the Migros administration, apparently did not want to wear himself out any more. “He always had a mind of his own,” says a former manager at Migros headquarters. At 52, it’s perfect time to tackle something new.
Another Migros official says there has been unrest at the headquarters for several months. “When Head of Communications Sarah Kreienbühl announced her resignation in August, it was clear that this would not be the last.”
In the summer the waves rose
The reasons for Migros boss Zumbrunnen’s resignation are less surprising to insiders who are intimately familiar with what’s going on at the top of Migros. Zumbrunnen dislikes being on the big stage, preferring to retreat to the management office rather than mingling with co-op members and customers. Migros boss was not an existing figure but rather unknown to the public. Quite contrary to its predecessors.
Zumbrunnen took over from the smallest of the ten co-ops to head general management, but apparently failed to earn the respect of district managers or meet powerful industry and marketing bosses on an equal footing.
These are the crown favorites
Possible successors are already circulating. Jörg Blunschi (61): Lost to Zumbrunnen five years ago. He is considered the entrepreneurial president of the Migros Zurich Cooperative, which has good links with the grassroots. Maybe his big clock will come on the second try.
Or Mario Irminger (56). He successfully manages Denner, Migros’ discount subsidiary. The question is what is his situation with regional cooperative leaders. The same goes for Matthias Wunderlin (48), who once worked at McKinsey and is now in charge of marketing at Migros.