Archive – Banking & Fintech

Bankruptcies reach new record high

This content was published on Jul 2, 2010 The number of companies filing for bankruptcy increased by more than a quarter over the same period the previous year, with 3,137 firms going under. Fewer individuals were declared bankrupt during the first semester, decreasing slightly to 2,796. Northwestern Switzerland, including Basel, was worst affected, with a third more bankruptcies than in the first six…

Businesses increasingly optimistic post-crisis

This content was published on Jul 2, 2010 Many companies are also planning to create new jobs, according to survey results released by Ernst & Young on Thursday. Of the 700 companies questioned in June, 92 per cent described their situation as good or relatively good. In February, 89 per cent of those surveyed said business was doing well. A quarter of the…

The man who revolutionised watch marketing

This content was published on Jun 30, 2010 Launched in 1983, the Swatch has gone on to become a global phenomenon. The inexpensive, classic wristwatch, produced in endless bright, snazzy designs, has even become a cult collectors’ item. Hayek, the Swatch founder who died of heart failure on June 28 at the age of 82, was known to wear several timepieces on each…

Swatch keeps leadership in the family

This content was published on Jun 30, 2010 Control of the world’s largest watch manufacturer will remain firmly in family hands as expected, with Nick Hayek – son of Nicolas G – remaining as chief executive. The family also controls 41 per cent of shares. Share prices rallied on the news of Nayla Hayek’s elevation from group vice-chair. She had been on the…

Watch industry braces for life without Hayek

This content was published on Jun 29, 2010 The consensus is that Hayek’s rescue work was complete, putting the industry on a safe footing and his own company, Swatch Group, in a commanding position. But the charismatic innovator might be missed in the event of another crisis. The Swiss watch industry as a whole appears to have weathered the latest economic crisis with…

Nicolas Hayek, a look back

This content was published on Jun 29, 2010 The patriarch of the Swiss watch industry, Nicolas G. Hayek, passed away on June 28, 2010, at the age of 82. He was the founder and most recently the chairman of the Swatch Group, and was often cited as the saviour of the Swiss watchmaking industry. (Pictures: RDB and Keystone)

Will Swiss industrial production leak abroad?

This content was published on Jun 29, 2010 Several experts are predicting a relocation of Swiss factories and workforce as consumer demand grows in Asia, the strong franc hits domestic margins and some firms simply outgrow their home country. A recent report by global consultancy Booz and Company and the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce found that Swiss manufacturing enjoyed a boom period between…

Media bid farewell to watch industry’s “messiah”

This content was published on Jun 29, 2010 Several papers devoted their entire front pages to Hayek, a dual Swiss-Lebanese national who is credited with reinventing the Swiss watch industry in the 1980s with the introduction of his cheap and colourful timepieces. Le Temps newspaper gave over its first three pages to the man. Its editorial commented that Hayek had “pushed the great…

Time stops for Swatch founder

This content was published on Jun 29, 2010 Hayek was the founder and most recently the chairman of the Swatch Group, the number one manufacturer of finished watches in the world. He was often cited as the saviour of the Swiss watchmaking industry. Hayek died “completely unexpectedly while working for his beloved Swatch Group”, the company announced on Monday evening. Considered one of…

Transitions

This content was published on Jun 28, 2010 In between there was a steep abandoned trail through lush forests, bushwhacking through flowering knee-high rhododendrons, alpine meadows and rocky ridges. It wasn’t exactly easy. We felt the heaviness of our packs filled with mountaineering gear while scrambling up steep and terribly loose ridges and steep snowfields, too. We were planning to go my usual…

Archive – Banking & Fintech

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

Archive – Banking & Fintech

More

Bankruptcies reach new record high

More

Businesses increasingly optimistic post-crisis

More

The man who revolutionised watch marketing

More

Swatch keeps leadership in the family

More

Watch industry braces for life without Hayek

More

Nicolas Hayek, a look back

More

Will Swiss industrial production leak abroad?

More

Media bid farewell to watch industry’s “messiah”

More

Time stops for Swatch founder

More

Transitions

Popular Stories

Most Discussed