Philipp Haeseli
Senior Marketing and Business Leader
Wallisellen, CH.About
Accomplished Senior Marketing and Business Leader with over 20 years of expertise accelerating premium and luxury FMCG brands across Switzerland, Norway, and France. Renowned for a growth-oriented mindset and deep functional mastery, I leverage evidence-based AI to unlock market insights, consistently delivering end-to-end brand growth from diagnosis to predictive measurement. My leadership consistently drives significant market impact and fosters cross-functional collaboration to achieve ambitious business objectives.
Work
Bilten/Zurich, Switzerland, Switzerland
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Summary
Led marketing strategy and operations for premium chocolate retail across Switzerland and France, driving significant growth and marketing capability build-out.
Highlights
Delivered CHF 2M in incremental value and doubled brand equity within 18 months, leveraging effective media campaigns with a 9.0 Causal AI ROI.
Implemented a 4.7% price increase based on Causal AI evidence, optimizing marketing spend allocation for enhanced profitability.
Led successful market entry into France, achieving a 2.7 ROI through novel drive-to-store campaigns and PR, gaining recognition from the CEO and family.
Contributed to business mitigation during a PR crisis by providing critical analysis and strategy to the CMO, CEO, VP Europe, and the Executive Committee.
Lucerne, Switzerland, Switzerland
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Summary
Managed a portfolio of local brands, leading 3 Brand Managers and driving strategic innovation to achieve significant market turnaround.
Highlights
Achieved significant brand turnaround within 18 months, gaining recognition from the Europe President and exceeding volume and profit targets above budget.
Re-grew Eichhof share and equity by repositioning the brand with a new bottle and distinctive design, winning a Pentagram Gold Award.
Accelerated non-alcoholic beer mix as a top LRP priority, achieving 3x revenue growth above target and a 29% repurchase rate.
Delivered IMC with purchase intent 20% above DACH benchmark, recognized as one of the most successful launches with 4x Gold and 1x Silver at Swiss Beer Awards 2022.
LGT VENTURE PHILANTHROPY START-UP SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
|CMO/Managing Director Switzerland and Member of Leadership Team
Zurich, Switzerland, Switzerland
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Summary
Led the Swiss operations of an international social enterprise, overseeing strategic growth, team leadership, and fundraising initiatives.
Highlights
Scaled the organization by expanding direct reports from 1 to 5, driving operational efficiency and team growth.
Secured CHF 2M in charitable donations from 200 customers and donors, providing water to 70K people through 3 NGO partners.
Developed a cutting-edge, fully digitized scalable platform model, streamlining operations and enhancing donor engagement.
Acquired CHF 100k in pro-bono value, prepared comprehensive valuation, and successfully negotiated M&A agreements.
Zurich, Switzerland, Switzerland
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Summary
Managed franchise operations and brand marketing for a CHF 70M premium water business, driving significant revenue and EBIT growth with end-to-end responsibility.
Highlights
Delivered the highest growth since acquisition with revenue +6% and EBIT +4%, quintupling still water volume and regaining retail value leadership.
Co-created a global premium brand platform, achieving superior copy-testing results and winning ADC bronze cube and an ADC Europe award nomination.
Led revenue growth management for water in collaboration with McKinsey & Company, establishing a highly competitive price-driven category.
Launched sustainability initiatives and expanded the premium water brand into China and the United States, demonstrating global market reach.
Zurich, Switzerland, Switzerland
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Summary
Oversaw end-to-end P&L responsibility for local water joint-venture, driving revenue, market share, and brand equity.
Highlights
Achieved a 36% volume growth in still water and expanded user base by 25%, turning around the water business volume by +2%.
Built significant brand equity and successfully listed still water at top retailer Coop.
Co-created new packaging and led Board of Directors meetings with senior directors, achieving system alignment and significant investment.
Drove revenue, value market share, and brand equity for the local water joint-venture, demonstrating comprehensive P&L management.
Lucerne, Switzerland, Switzerland
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Summary
Managed global positioning, IMC, and packaging innovations for Heineken and BeerTender, leading 1 Junior Brand Manager and 1 Graduate Trainee.
Highlights
Launched global positioning, IMC, and packaging innovations, including K2 Glass Bottle, Tactile Can, and STR Alu Bottle.
Led trade marketing and sponsorship activation for UEFA Champions League, Montreux Jazz Festival, and other premium music assets.
Managed direct reports, providing mentorship and guidance to junior professionals.
Contributed to the strategic development and execution of brand initiatives, enhancing market presence and consumer engagement.
Winterthur, Switzerland, Switzerland
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Summary
Led the portfolio of Swiss and specialty brands, providing functional leadership to 3 brand ambassadors.
Highlights
Stabilized multi-year decline of the Swiss brand and achieved double-digit growth of specialty brands.
Nominated for the international young talent programme of Heineken International, recognizing leadership potential.
Managed brand ambassadors, ensuring consistent brand messaging and market presence.
Contributed to strategic initiatives that enhanced brand visibility and market share for the portfolio.
Oslo, Norway, Norway
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Summary
Led a group-wide strategic project focused on optimizing multi-category product portfolios and packaging complexity.
Highlights
Optimized multi-category product portfolio by phasing out several small brands, reducing packaging complexity and 70 SKUs.
Achieved significant savings through SKU reduction and process improvements.
Redesigned and launched new packaging for the leading water brand Farris, enhancing market appeal.
Managed project timelines and resources effectively to ensure successful implementation of supply chain innovations.
Oslo, Norway, Norway
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Summary
Participated in an intensive graduate program, managing sales forecasts and contributing to commercial excellence initiatives across Switzerland and Norway.
Highlights
Managed sales forecasts for beer and water, including promotions, optimizing inventory and distribution.
Built product complexity scorecard and reporting, enhancing data-driven decision-making.
Achieved reduction of SKU complexity in both Switzerland and Norway through strategic analysis and collaboration.
Participated in commercial excellence on trade projects, gaining comprehensive insights into market dynamics.
Zurich, Switzerland, Switzerland
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Summary
Supported marketing initiatives in book publishing, leading 1 commercial apprentice and re-launching a best-selling book.
Highlights
Led 1 commercial apprentice, providing mentorship and guiding their professional development.
Successfully re-launched a best-selling book on entrepreneurship, contributing to increased sales.
Assisted in the development and execution of marketing strategies for new book releases.
Contributed to market analysis and promotional activities, supporting overall publishing objectives.
Zurich, Switzerland, Switzerland
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Summary
Completed professional training in media, advertising, editorial, and customer marketing, including a direct reporting role to the Chairman of the Board.
Highlights
Gained comprehensive professional training in media, advertising, editorial, and customer marketing disciplines.
Reported directly to the Chairman of the Board for 6 weeks, demonstrating strong organizational and communication skills.
Supported various projects across publishing and advertising functions, contributing to operational efficiency.
Developed foundational skills in marketing and client relations, achieving a Grade 6 performance.
Education
Languages
German
English
Norwegian
French
Certificates
Skills
Marketing Strategy
Brand Management, Strategic Planning, Market Insights, Product Innovation, Pricing Strategies, Advertising, Predictive Measurement, Digital Marketing, Multichannel Marketing, Campaign Management.
Business Leadership
P&L Management, Growth Acceleration, Stakeholder Engagement, Cross-functional Leadership, Business Mitigation, Market Entry, Strategic Partnerships, M&A Negotiation.
Analytics & AI
Evidence-based AI, Causal AI, Brand Tracking, Asset Testing, Marketing Spend Allocation, Instore Analytics, Data-driven Decision Making.
Brand Development
Brand Equity, Brand Repositioning, Packaging Innovation, Brand Architecture, Creative Assets, Consumer Insights, Product Portfolio Optimization.
Financial Management
Revenue Growth Management, Cost Savings, Budget Management, Sponsorship Asset Management, Charitable Donations, Valuation.
Team Leadership
Team Management, Mentorship, Talent Development, Leadership Team Member, Cross-cultural Team Leadership.
Project Management
Strategic Project Leadership, Supply Chain Innovation, Product Launch, Process Optimization, Timeframe Management.