Peter Spörri, Mayor of Wallisellen and FRZ board member, welcomed the numerous guests on Thursday, 8 June, in the Doktorhaus hall in Wallisellen. He introduced the town of Wallisellen in a very likeable way with a video. Christian Jott Jenny and his music band provided music and entertainment. Jenny is a tenor, entertainer and politician (mayor of St. Moritz). He is also described as a “jack of all trades”.
The first highlight of the General Assembly was the farewell to Christoph Lang, Managing Director FRZ 2011-2023, with words of thanks from Honorary President René Huber (he praised his courage and diligence) and Cantonal Councillor Ernst Stocker (“Christoph Lang packs a punch”). André Ingold presented Christoph Lang with the certificate of honorary membership. He will also continue to work as a brand ambassador for FRZ.
Added value through networking and location development
Then the stage belonged to Rahel Kindermann Leuthard. The designated managing director officially took over the operational management of FRZ on this day. According to Kindermann, the organisation has transformed itself from a start-up to an established company in its ten-year success story. With 1,000 decision-makers from around 800 companies and 14 cities and municipalities, FRZ is a great success story, she said, in which it is “not reinventing the wheel” but merely “adjusting the compass”. FRZ should create lasting added value through networking and location development in Switzerland’s most attractive economic area. FRZ wants to organise high-profile events and offer professional services in order to achieve a high level of awareness among the target groups and identification with the airport region.
Rahel Kindermann Leuthard wants to further develop the FRZ Zurich Airport Region in the existing fields of action around networking and location promotion. Based on this, she defined the following six key topics: Digital Hub, Ecological and Social Sustainability, Age and Gender Diversity, Promotion of Young Talent and Labour Shortage, Mobility and Leadership. “This is the basis of our strategy with mission, vision and the Purpose, our North Star, developed together with the Board.”
Attachment to the airport
Rahel Kindermann Leuthard most recently worked for the City of Zurich, Social Services and Operations, where she managed 70 employees in the Coaching and Education department. From 2005 to 2021, she worked for Flughafen Zürich AG: She was responsible for all major events at Zurich Airport, such as the Experience Weekends and “70 Years of the Airport” with around 70,000 visitors. She was largely responsible for setting up the visitor service from 2005 onwards. Kindermann was project manager of the spectator terrace B at Zurich Airport, which is considered a tourist magnet and visiting card of Zurich Airport with more than 320,000 visitors annually. Rahel Kindermann Leuthard was also co-founder of “Zauberpark”, a music and light festival in the Circle Park at Zurich Airport. In addition, from 2009 to 2019, she was a team leader in the care team of Swiss International Air Lines for the care of passengers and relatives in crisis situations.
