Swiss Post Office appoints CEO to steer clear of controversy

Cirillo has been identified as the right person to take the Post Office forward. Keystone

The Swiss Post Office has appointed a new chief executive to lead the state-owned company out of a troubled few months following a subsidies scandal that came to light earlier this year.

Roberto Cirillo will take over at the helm next April, replacing interim boss Ulrich Hurni, the Swiss Post announced on Thursday. Hurni has been minding the fort since Susanne Ruoff was forced to quit as CEO in June.

Ruoff’s decision was sparked by a Transport Office audit that uncovered years of financial malpractice at the company’s subsidiary PostBus. The transport arm of the Post Office – known for its alpine network of yellow commuter buses – had manipulated accounts between 2007 and 2015 to pocket millions in federal and cantonal subsidies.

In September the company agreed to hand back CHF205.3 million ($214 million) to the government, cantons and communes. But there are fears that its dented reputation may see it lose some local bus links.

Dual Swiss-Italian national Cirillo is currently a board director at British specialty chemicals manufacturer Croda International.

Swiss Post chairman Urs Schwaller said in a statementExternal link that he believes that Cirillo “will successfully lead Swiss Post into the future.”

“Ueli Hurni has provided Swiss Post with a steady, competent hand as CEO, giving staff a sense of stability and continuity during this period,” he added.