Christian Leuenberger Appointed New CEO of SUISA

Zurich, 30 September 2026 – The Board of Directors of SUISA, the cooperative society of music authors and publishers in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, has appointed Christian Leuenberger as the successor to the current CEO, Andreas Wegelin. Christian Leuenberger has been with SUISA since 2021 and currently heads the Finance and Administration Division. He will take up the position of CEO on 1 July 2027.

Christian Leuenberger brings more than 30 years of experience in finance and information technology, including roles in publicly listed companies in the insurance, financial services and construction materials sectors. He studied Business Administration at the University of Zurich and graduated with a Master of Arts (MA UZH). As an active musician, he also has many years of hands-on experience within the music industry.

"With the appointment of Christian Leuenberger as CEO, SUISA is choosing a leader with a strong strategic vision, a deep understanding of digital challenges and a collaborative leadership style," says Xavier Dayer, President of SUISA. "His leadership experience in complex organisations, combined with his in-depth knowledge of our company, will be key to successfully addressing future technological and societal challenges in our mission to ensure fair remuneration for authors and rights holders."

Phased Transition Within Executive Committee

The leadership transition at SUISA will take place in stages. From January 2027, the Executive Committee will consist of its current members Andreas Wegelin, CEO, and Vincent Salvadé, Deputy CEO, together with Claudia Kempf and Toni Falzetta, who were appointed to the Executive Committee by the Board of Directors at the end of March this year.

On 1 July 2027, Christian Leuenberger will take over the role of CEO from Andreas Wegelin. Vincent Salvadé will remain a member of the Executive Committee until his retirement in spring 2028.

Through this phased transition and the appointment of an experienced internal candidate, SUISA is ensuring continuity in leadership and a smooth handover within the Executive Committee.

Acknowledgement of Andreas Wegelin's Contribution

The Board of Directors expresses its sincere gratitude to Andreas Wegelin for his outstanding commitment to SUISA. Since becoming CEO in 2010, he has played a decisive role in shaping the organisation's development and stability. By the time he retires at the end of June 2027, he will have led SUISA for 17 years. Together with his colleagues on the Executive Committee, he has made a lasting contribution to the organisation's success and resilience.

“Music Also Creates Value”

Christian Leuenberger is looking forward to his future role: "Music brings joy, connects people and conveys emotions," says the CEO-designate. "But music also creates value: culturally, socially and, when organised effectively, economically. Together with my colleagues, I want to further strengthen SUISA as a reliable partner for music creators and contribute to fairness and trust across the entire music sector, both nationally and internationally. I would like to thank the SUISA Board of Directors for appointing me as the new CEO and for the confidence they have placed in me."

Media information:

Giorgio Tebaldi
Head of Communications SUISA
Tel. +41 44 485 65 03
Email: giorgio.tebaldi@suisa.ch

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About SUISA

SUISA is the cooperative society for composers, lyricists and music publishers in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Its 45,000 members include music professionals from all disciplines. In Switzerland and Liechtenstein, SUISA represents the musical repertoire of two million authors worldwide. It grants licences to use this repertoire to more than 120,000 customers. In 2017, SUISA and US performance rights organisation SESAC founded the joint venture Mint Digital Services. The company manages invoicing and administration for the transnational music licensing businesses of the SESAC Music Group and SUISA with online providers, and also offers its services to publishers.

With approximately 230 employees in Zurich, Lausanne and Lugano, SUISA generates a turnover of more than CHF 200 million. As a non-profit organisation, it distributes the proceeds from licences to music 
authors and publishers after deducting the administrative costs.