Expertise
Public Affairs
Financial Communication
Crises Communication
Litigation PR
Reputation Management
ESG Communication
Protecting your reputation is our mission
Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors is the leading strategic communications consultancy in Switzerland.
With offices in Zurich, Bern and Geneva, the consultancy has a presence in Switzerland's most important economic and political centres. We have extensive experience in providing strategic advice to companies, organisations and individuals in the fields of public affairs, financial and capital markets communications, litigation PR, crisis communications, reputation management and ESG communications.
Our clients are advised and supported exclusively by our partners who, as the owners of Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors, are directly responsible for the success of the company.We have been the no. 1 M&A communications consulting firm in Switzerland for many years. We are also one of the most important PR advisors in this field globally, according to Mergermarket's annual rankings. Our partners all have access to wide and long-established national and international networks of contacts.
We are guided by our client's best interests in everything we do.
Partner
Alice Chalupny
Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors
Kirchenweg 8
CH-8008 Zurich
Phone: +41 43 344 42 56
Mobile: +41 78 686 89 30
alice.chalupny@konsulenten.ch
Alice Chalupny
Partner
Core competencies. Alice Chalupny’s core competencies include:
- Consulting, coaching and positioning of leading personalities from the board of directors and top management
- Strategies for crisis prevention; successful management of events with crisis potential; crisis communication in complex situations; compliance communication
- Reputation and Issue Management
- Supporting strategic projects with innovative communication strategies (organisation development, personnel changes in corporate governance, opening up new markets, mergers & acquisitions, Initial Public Offerings)
- Development and implementation of newsroom models in corporate communications
Experience. Alice Chalupny studied International Relations at the University of Zurich. For 15 years, she worked as a media professional with a focus on industry and finance, most recently as Head of the Business Editorial Department of the “Sonntagszeitung”. Alice Chalupny then moved as Head of Communications to fenaco, an agricultural, energy, food and retail company operating at home and abroad. From 2019 to 2023, she managed corporate communications at the insurance company Mobiliar.
Alice Chalupny is engaged as a lecturer in communication at colleges and higher education institutions. She has in-depth industry knowledge of the financial and manufacturing industries (construction, investment and consumer goods) as well as the retail industry.
Reto Gerber
Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors
Kirchenweg 8
CH-8008 Zurich
Phone: +41 43 344 42 54
Mobile: +41 78 625 48 32
reto.gerber@konsulenten.ch
Reto Gerber
Partner
Core competencies. Reto Gerber’s core competencies include
- Positioning of executives, management, and supervisory boards
- Development of cyber strategies and cyber crises communication
- Litigation PR
- Strategies for ESG communication
- Reputation and crisis management
- Communications support for change processes
Experience. Reto Gerber, dipl. sc. nat. ETH, can look back on a long and successful career within the media, largely in management positions. Amongst others, he was a founding member of the business magazine ECO and led the programme for many years. He also built up the business department, and later the foreign affairs department of the German-language Swiss television. Previously, he held positions at the Sonntagszeitung among other publications.
Reto Gerber holds a degree in environmental sciences and a postgraduate degree in business sciences, both from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH).
Dr. Thilo Goodall-Rathert
Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Konsulenten
Kirchenweg 8
CH-8008 Zurich
Phone: +41 43 344 42 58
Mobile: +41 78 889 15 29
thilo.goodall@konsulenten.ch
Dr. Thilo Goodall-Rathert
Partner
Core competencies. Dr. Thilo Goodall-Rathert's main areas of expertise include
- Corporate analysis and assessing strategy and market positioning
- Developing and formulating corporate goals, together with relevant communication goals
- Bringing together corporate strategies and ESG strategies
- Developing and implementing effective communication strategies
- Communications consulting for capital market transactions and restructuring measures
Experience. Dr. Thilo Goodall-Rathert has over 20 years of experience in corporate analysis and the development of corporate strategies and market positioning. As a member of various boards and management bodies, he has drawn up and implemented corporate strategies and communicated these to various audiences. Most recently, he was responsible for corporate analyses, investments processess and investment decisions at Frankfurter Bankgesellschaft Gruppe. He gained experience of ESG strategies in his position as Head Portfolio Management at SAM Sustainable Asset Management AG.
Dr. Thilo Goodall-Rathert studied Economics in Freiburg im Breisgau and in Madison, Wisconsin, and received his doctorate (Dr. rer. pol.) from the Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg on decision theory. He has lived in Switzerland for 25 years and is passionate about youth training, among other topics.
Rob Hartmans
Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors
Kirchenweg 8
CH-8008 Zurich
Phone: +41 43 344 42 42
Mobile: +41 79 254 03 66
rob.hartmans@konsulenten.ch
Rob Hartmans
Partner
Core competencies. Rob Hartmans’ core competencies include
- Developing and implementing strategies and concepts for purposeful and effective corporate communications and media relations
- Advising and supporting clients on communications and policy
- Sparring partner for communication managers and their teams in crises and change processes (turnarounds, restructurings, acquisitions)
- Trade association work and lobbying
Experience. Before joining Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors, Rob Hartmans was an independent consultant for strategy, communication and policy, with offices in Zurich, Bern and Zug.
From 2006 to 2014 he was Head of Corporate Communications at Helsana and played a central role in the company’s work with trade associations. Before that, Rob Hartmans worked for Swiss Life (2001-2006, responsible for PR and media work in the Swiss market), as well as in various communications functions at Zurich Insurance (1996 to 2001, ultimately responsible for worldwide internal communications). Prior to his switch to corporate communications, he was a journalist and editor at various newspapers for ten years.
Rob Hartmans studied history and political science at the University of Zurich and has an Executive Master’s in general management from the University of St. Gallen.
Dr Matthias D. Knill
Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors
Kirchenweg 8
CH-8008 Zurich
Phone: +41 43 344 42 42
Mobile: +41 79 218 16 30
matthias.knill@konsulenten.ch
Dr Matthias D. Knill
Partner
Core competencies. Matthias Knill's core competencies include
- Communications support in change processes
- Developing and implementing messages in difficult situations
- Supporting the effective communication of scientific issues to different target groups
Experience. Matthias Knill, who holds a Ph.D. in natural sciences from the Swiss Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, was head of corporate communications for the SIG Group from 1999 to 2005.
Before this (from 1995) he was a scientist and deputy manager of the communications department at Nagra (Switzerland's National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste).
Prior to this, Matthias Knill worked as assistant lecturer at various institutes of the Swiss Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich.
Andrés Luther
Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors
Kirchenweg 8
CH-8008 Zurich
Phone: +41 43 344 42 42
andres.luther@konsulenten.ch
Andrés Luther
Partner
Core competencies. The main focus of Andrés Luther's work includes
- Management of strategic communications projects and board-level consultancy
- Issues management and communications support for legal cases
- Capital market communications and investor relations
- Development and implementation of communications strategies in the fields of corporate governance, corporate responsibility and sustainability
- Development and implementation of online and social media strategies
Experience. Andrés Luther MA worked in various communications roles at Credit Suisse for more than 10 years up to 2014. From 2005 he was Head of Group Communications and from 2011 Co-Head of Corporate Communications with responsibility for group-level communications, worldwide private banking and the Swiss and Asia-Pacific regions. Before that, Andrés Luther was Head of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications at Day Software, an internet software company that is now part of Adobe Software.
Andrés Luther has a Masters degree in English and Spanish literature and language from the University of Basel.
MA Dominique Reber
Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors
Kramgasse 16
CH-3011 Berne
Phone: +41 31 312 64 33
Mobile: +41 76 405 65 85
dominique.reber@konsulenten.ch
MA Dominique Reber
Partner
Core competencies. The main focus of Dominique Reber's work includes
- Development of communication strategies for companies in transition
- Effective strategies for sustainability communication
- Personal coaching and training of leaders in communication
- Access at national and international level to politicians and authorities in more than 50 countries
- Development of positioning concepts for companies and organizations with a strong connection to the political and social environment
- Crisis communication / communication on competition and antitrust law issues
Experience. Dominique Reber was a member of the Executive Board of economiesuisse, the umbrella association for Swiss business until 2012. He led political work relating to major infrastructure projects, energy supply and environmental issues. Among other things he attended the 2010 Copenhagen climate change negotiations as a member of the Swiss government’s delegation.
Before this, Dominique Reber worked in various positions in lobbying, corporate communications and journalism, with an emphasis on IT and communications technology. This included spells as Head of Communications at Sunrise Communications AG and Head of Public Affairs at Swisscom AG and at eBay International in Europe.
From 2019-2022, Dominique Reber was President of the FIPRA Network, the largest global organisation of public affairs consultancies.
Dominique Reber has a Masters in History and romanistic literature and linguistics Studies from Basel University, as well as an Executive Masters in International and European Business Law from St. Gallen University.
Dominique Reber is the current president of Club Politique de Berne.
lic. oec. publ. Rolf D. Schläpfer
Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors
Kirchenweg 8
CH-8008 Zurich
Phone: +41 43 344 42 42
rolf.schlaepfer@konsulenten.ch
lic. oec. publ. Rolf D. Schläpfer
Partner
Core competencies. Rolf Schläpfer's core competencies include
- Support for strategic projects (leadership changes, restructurings, M&A, going public)
- Reputation management and crisis management
- Developing corporate identity and brand strategies
- Specialist communication in the healthcare and life sciences sectors
Experience. Rolf Schläpfer, lic. oec. publ., headed Roche’s global corporate communications for over ten years. He was the first communications specialist to join the extended Executive Committee of the leading pharmaceutical group.
After graduating in business administration, he worked in product management at Colgate, where he was responsible for several international brands. From 1987 to 1997 he was Senior Partner at the Wirz Group. He co-founded Wirz Identity AG, which as CEO he built up into a leading company for corporate identity and brand positioning.
Rolf Schläpfer has many years of experience as a guest lecturer at various universities and as a moderator of high-ranking panels.
Dr Victor Schmid
Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors
Kramgasse 16
CH-3011 Berne
Phone: +41 31 312 64 33
Mobile: +41 79 350 05 37
victor.schmid@konsulenten.ch
Dr Victor Schmid
Partner
Core competencies. Victor Schmid's core competencies include
- Brokering contacts with governments, public authorities, the media, and business and cultural circles
- Positioning and profiling companies and leading business figures
- Developing and implementing communications strategies for M&As, IPOs and going-private projects
- Personal communications and presentational training for managers and opinion-formers
Experience. Victor Schmid holds a PhD in sociology and political sciences. He was a freelance communications consultant until 1996.
Until 1994 he was first vice president/head of corporate communications of Ascom Holding AG.
Until 1991, he was an advisor to Swiss Federal Councillor Flavio Cotti and press spokesman for the Federal Department of Home Affairs; before this he worked in various positions as a communications manager and journalist. Victor Schmid is president and co-founder of the Club Politique de Berne, a unique members-only club dedicated to political issues in Berne.
Michael Schoenenberger
Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors
Kirchenweg 8
CH-8008 Zurich
Phone: +41 43 344 42 42
Mobile: +41 76 433 81 02
michael.schoenenberger@konsulenten.ch
Michael Schoenenberger
Partner
Core competencies. Michael Schoenenberger’s core competencies include
- Developing communication strategies for businesses and organizations
- Formulating narratives to tackle long-term challenges
- Positioning, personal coaching and training for managers
- Supporting and advising businesses and individuals in critical situations
- Monitoring and analysing national and international political risks, and working out strategies and measures to minimize risks and ensure business success
- Protecting interests in political and regulatory processes
Experience. Michael Schoenenberger joined HNS.Counselors as a partner in November 2020. Prior to this, he headed up the Swiss politics and business section of the leading Swiss newspaper, the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung".
Michael Schoenenberger is an expert in complex communication tasks at the interface of industry, politics, government and society. Through his former positions as journalist, head of section and senior consultant at Farner he has a broad network at the highest level. He focusses on positioning companies and executives, particularly in crisis situations and phases of strategic realignment. He supports top management in communicating success-critical topics to policy-makers, opinion-leaders and the media.
Michael Schoenenberger holds a Master's degree in history, political science and linguistics from Zurich University.
lic. oec. publ. Jürg Wildberger
Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors
Kirchenweg 8
CH-8008 Zurich
Phone: +41 43 344 42 42
Mobile: +41 79 351 10 24
juerg.wildberger@konsulenten.ch
lic. oec. publ. Jürg Wildberger
Senior Counselor
Core competencies. Jürg Wildberger’s main focuses include
- Litigation PR
- Crisis communication
- Personal coaching and support for CEOs and executives in difficult media situations
- Storytelling focused on the strengths and weaknesses of the selected digital and linear media
- Media and crisis training
- Formulating communication strategies for companies, CEOs and executives
- Communications Audit: analyzing strengths and weaknesses of current communications; formulating measures
Experience. Jürg Wildberger has wide experience of journalism and business. After studying economics at the University of Zurich he worked as a business journalist at «Finanz und Wirtschaft» and then took on a senior role at the «Berner Zeitung».
In 1995 he became the first editor-in-chief of news magazine «FACTS» and was later appointed editor-in-chief of «Weltwoche». He was deputy editor-in-chief of the «European Business Channel» and in 1990 founded the «10 vor 10» news magazine on Swiss television. In 1998 he set up TV3, the first fully programmed private Swiss television station, which he led until 2002.
He has been a partner at Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors since 2007.
Dr Andrea Willimann
Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors
Kramgasse 16
CH-3011 Berne
Telefon: +41 31 312 64 33
Mobile: +41 76 329 19 23
andrea.willimann@konsulenten.ch
Dr Andrea Willimann
Partner
Core competencies. Dr. Andrea Willimann’s main areas of expertise include
- Development of strategic solutions in the field of communications and media
- Formulation of independent second opinions in connection with the positioning of companies and individuals faced with political or regulatory challenges
- Assisting in the preparation of strategic decisions through the monitoring and analysis of the political arena and administration, as well as business and academic circles
- Advising on cyber strategies and offering personal coaching and training in the area of digital communications
Experience. Dr. Andrea Willimann holds a degree in History and Economics. She has over a decade of management experience from her roles as an editor-in-chief and company director. Andrea Willimann owes her wide-ranging communications expertise and her comprehensive network of contacts in the Swiss capital of Berne as well as in Central Switzerland to her experience in all relevant areas of journalism – including digital communications and communications consulting – and her work as an author and lecturer.
We have many years of experience and an extensive network of contacts.
Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors brings together international experience, tried and tested expertise in communications and crisis management, and an extensive network of personal contacts in business, political, cultural and public sector circles. It is the leading consultancy in Switzerland for M&A transactions and IPOs.
We regard ourselves as advocates for our clients.
The partners at Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors regard themselves as their clients' advocates in all communications matters. They help clients develop the right strategies and content, and use their expertise and extensive contacts to ensure this content reaches the defined target groups.
We are committed to personal consultancy.
Advice and support are provided on a very individual basis. Each client is looked after personally by one of the partners. All the partners have years of senior management experience at international corporations as well as extensive practical knowledge of the communications market.
We have national and international networks.
With offices in Zurich, Bern and Geneva, the consultancy has a presence in Switzerland's most important economic and political centers. Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors is the only Swiss member of H/Advisors, the world's leading international consultancy network for financial communications.
Expertise
Corporate Communications
Reputation Management
Board & Executive Communication
M&A and IPO Communication
Issues and Crisis Management
Litigation PR
Public Affairs
Cyber crisis communications
Investor Relations
Corporate Branding
ESG Communications
Our values and principles
Our values and principles
We are guided by the best interests of our clients in everything we do.
Professionalism, independence, integrity, and discretion are our fundamental values.
Professionalism. We support the interests of our clients with the utmost commitment and a strong sense of responsibility, all the while maintaining the necessary critical distance.
Independence. Our advice and recommendations are always impartial.
Integrity. We will refuse or terminate any mandate that is not or is no longer consistent with our principles.
Discretion. Our contacts with our counterparts are based on trust and full transparency. We guarantee personal and individual advocacy based on discretion and confidentiality to all our clients.
Our history
Advocates for communications: a vision turns into reality.
More than 25 years ago, the founding partners of Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors launched a new type of communications consultancy in Switzerland providing strategic support for companies and leaders in all matters relating to reputation management.
On 1 January 1997, as "Hirzel, Rasi, Schmid Kommunikationskonsulenten", the founding partners Aloys Hirzel, Roland Rasi and Victor Schmid began to implement their vision of acting as advocates for their clients’ communication.
v.l.: Dr. Victor Schmid, Aloys Hirzel, Dr. Roland Rasi (1997)
One year later, on January 1st, 1998, Jörg Neef joined as another founding partner in the firm, which became "Hirzel.Neef.Rasi.Schmid.Konsulenten".
After the departure of Roland Rasi, the company was converted into a limited company under the name "Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Konsulenten AG".
v.l.: Dr. Victor Schmid, Dr. Jörg Neef, Aloys Hirzel (2022)
From the very outset, the joint vision of the ‘Konsulenten’ was to build up a strategic communications and business consultancy where the counselors would meet at an equal level with the business and political leaders to whom they provided advice.
The notion of "advocates for communications " was summed up by Aloys Hirzel in a concise yet memorable document. The company’s two main principles – a foregoing of operational PR activities and a focus on the recruitment of highly experienced partnerswho are also shareholders of the company - were subsequently implemented without compromise. This paper, which addresses both the ambitions of Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors and the high demands we make upon our partners, remains just as valid today.
Many clients have been advised by HNS over years and even decades.
Former partners
A look back. Partners who made us and who were part of the company.
"We found a niche in giving communication more weight in terms of content than any buzzword or slogan can. Our offer was very well received and we ourselves have been surprised by the success of our business model. We seem to have struck a chord with the Zeitgeist and to have covered a need that was present but lay latent."
...says Dr Jörg Neef, founding partner, a graduate of the University of Zurich and the former Managing Director for Global Corporate and Marketing Communications at investment bank Credit Suisse First Boston.
Former partners
- Hugo Schittenhelm (2007 — 2024)
- Aloys Hirzel (1997—2024), founding partner
- Marie-Hélène Hancock (2010 —2023)
- Dr. Jörg Neef (1998—2022), founding partner
- Dr. Erich Vad (2018—2019)
- Dr. Christine Menz (2002—2018)
- Dr. Thomas Schneckenburger (2014—2018)
- Andreas Thommen (2002—2017)
- Dr. Urs Läubli (2001—2014 †)
- Dr. Franz Egle (1998—2006)
- Marco Casanova (2002—2003)
- Dr. Roland Rasi (1997—2000), founding partner
Global network
Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors is the only Swiss member of the main international consultancy networks for financial communications and public affairs:
Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors is the exclusive Swiss member of the international communications advisory network H/Advisors. H/Advisors is a global network of strategic communications advisors dedicated to building, enhancing and protecting our clients’ reputations while helping them achieve their business objectives. We are present in 35 cities in more than 20 countries, with over 1,400 consultants. H/Advisors is backed by Havas, one of the world’s largest global communication groups, founded in 1835 in Paris.
H/Advisors Blockchain
Havas Group and Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors have joined forces to create Blockchain Switzerland-H/Advisors, a new offer dedicated to advising start-ups, corporations and institutions within the highly dynamic Swiss blockchain ecosystem.
News
News
Dr Thilo Goodall-Rathert joins Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors as a partner
Zurich, 28 February 2024 – Dr Thilo Goodall-Rathert will join Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors (HNS), Switzerland’s leading communications and business consultancy, on 1 April 2024. Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors is thus strengthening the business advisory expertise
within the partnership. (Media release)
Alice Chalupny joins Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Konsulenten as a partner
Zurich, 23 May 2023 - Alice Chalupny, Chief Communications Officer at La Mobilière, will become a partner at Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors, Switzerland's leading strategic communications and business consulting firm. (Media release)
Press Release H/Advisors: Rebranding
September 20, 2022: The /amo network rebrands as H/Advisors, reflecting its new organization, global ambition and strong backing by the Havas Group. Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors is the only Swiss member of H/Advisors.
H/Advisors has today been unveiled as the new name and brand identity of the leading international strategic communications network founded over 20 years ago by Havas, one of the world’s largest communications groups.
Distributed systems and the disappearance of the intermediary
Andrés Luther and Fabien Aufrechter of Blockchain Switzerland/AMO discuss, why we should expect businesses using blockchain technologies to adopt a different approach to corporate communications.
(Article)
Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors and Havas launch Blockchain Switzerland/AMO
Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors and Havas Group have joined forces to create Blockchain Switzerland/AMO, a new offer dedicated to advising startups, corporations and institutions within the highly dynamic Swiss blockchain ecosystem.
Contact
Hotline
Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors is always personally available to you – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Phone +41 43 344 42 42
E-Mail contact@konsulenten.ch
ZurichKirchenweg 8 |
BernKramgasse 16 |
GenevaHavas Village Genève |
Publications
Distributed systems and the disappearance of the intermediary
(PDF - 223 KB)Why we should expect businesses using blockchain technologies to adopt a different approach to corporate communications.
Article by Andrés Luther and Fabien Aufrechter, Blockchain Switzerland/AMO, 4 February 2020
Victor Schmid und Andrés Luther im Interview mit der Neuen Zürcher Zeitung
(PDF - 274 KB)Victor Schmid und Andrés Luther, Partner von Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Konsulenten, sprechen im Interview mit der NZZ über gute Medienarbeit und zeigen, weshalb es mehr Transparenz in der Politik braucht. Und sie erklären, weshalb Donald Trump ein stilbildender Kommunikator ist.
Interview mit Victor Schmid und Andrés Luther, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 21. Februar 2020
Disclaimer
Hirzel. Neef. Schmid. Consultants accepts no responsibility for the up-to-dateness, accuracy, completeness or quality of this site’s contents. It disclaims any liability for damages – material or intangible – caused by the use or non-use of the information provided, or by the use of erroneous or incomplete information, unless a case of gross negligence or intent can be proved.
Hirzel. Neef. Schmid. Consultants expressly reserves the right to change parts of the site or the whole site without notice, to add, to delete or to halt publication from time to time or to close the site down permanently.
Hirzel. Neef. Schmid. Consultants tries to respect the copyright on all the graphics and texts used, to use graphics and texts of its own production, or to use license-free graphics and texts. All brand labels and trademarks used in the site that may be protected by third parties are subject without restriction to the provisions of the applicable brand law and the ownership rights of the registered owners. The mere mention of a name does not imply that a brand label is not protected by the rights of a third party!
The copyright for published items created by Hirzel. Neef. Schmid. Consultants rests with Hirzel. Neef. Schmid. Consultants. Such graphics, sound files, video sequences and texts may not be duplicated or used in other electronic or printed publications without the express permission of Hirzel. Neef. Schmid. Consultants.
If there is an opportunity on the Internet site to enter personal or business data (e-mail address, name, address), the user divulges such information expressly on a voluntary basis. Procurement and payment for all services offered can also be effected – where technically possible and reasonable – by giving anonymous data or a pseudonym instead.
The copyright on all published information rests with Hirzel. Neef. Schmid. Consultants or with the party that produced the text and that is registered as the author or rights-owner in relation to the text. Anyone may create links to the homepage or any of the other pages. However, the pages may not be displayed in a frame and texts may not be used without the express permission of Hirzel. Neef. Schmid. Consultants or without authorization from the holder of the relevant rights.
Privacy Policy of Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Konsulenten AG
In this Privacy Policy, we, Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Konsulenten AG (hereinafter referred to as HNS, we or us), explain how we collect and otherwise process personal data. This Privacy Policy is not an exhaustive description; other statements relating to data protection may govern specific circumstances. For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, personal data means all information relating to an identified or identifiable person.
If you provide us with personal data of other people (e.g. family members, data of colleagues), please ensure that they are familiar with this Privacy Policy and only provide us with their personal data if you are permitted to do so and if the personal data is correct.
This Privacy Policy is designed to comply with the requirements of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), the Swiss Data Protection Act (“FADP”) and the revised Swiss Data Protection Act (“revFADP”). However, whether and to what extent these laws are applicable depends on the individual case.
1. Data Controller/Data Protection Officer
HNS is responsible for the data processing described here. Data privacy concerns or enquiries in connection with this policy can be addressed to HNS’s Data Protection Officer using the following contact details:
Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Konsulenten AG
Data Protection Officer
Kirchenweg 8
8008 Zurich, Switzerland
2. Collection and processing of personal data
We primarily process personal data that we receive from our customers and other business partners in connection with our business relationship with them and other parties involved with them or that we collect from users during the use of our website and other applications. Where permitted, we also collect some data from publicly accessible sources (e.g. the debt enforcement register, land registers, the commercial register, press, internet) or receive such data from other companies, public authorities and other third parties. In addition to your data that you provide to us directly, the categories of personal data that we receive about you from third parties include:
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in particular, information from public registers, information that we obtain in connection with official and judicial proceedings,
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information relating to your professional functions and activities (e.g. so that we can conclude and process transactions with your employer with your help),
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information about you in correspondence and meetings with third parties, credit checks (insofar as we conduct business with you personally),
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information about you provided to us by persons connected to you (family, advisors, legal representatives, etc.) so that we can enter into or process contracts with you or involving you (e.g. references, your address for deliveries, powers of attorney),
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information on compliance with legal requirements such as combating money laundering and export restrictions, information from banks, insurance companies, distributors and other contractual partners of ours regarding the use or provision of services by you (e.g. payments made, purchases made),
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information about you from media and the internet (insofar as this is appropriate in the specific case, e.g. in connection with an application, press review, marketing/sales, etc.),
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your addresses and potentially your interests and other sociodemographic data (for marketing), data relating to your use of the website (such as IP address, MAC address of your smartphone or computer, information about your device and settings, cookies, date and time of your visit, pages and content accessed, functions used, referring website, location information).
3. Purpose of data processing and legal basis
We use the personal data we collect primarily to conclude and process our contracts with our customers and business partners, in particular in the context of advising our customers and purchasing products and services from our suppliers and subcontractors, as well as to comply with our legal obligations in Switzerland and abroad. If you work for such a customer or business partner, your personal data may of course also be affected in this capacity.
In addition, where permitted and deemed appropriate to us, we also process your personal data and that of other persons for the following purposes in which we (and sometimes also third parties) have a corresponding legitimate interest:
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offering and developing our offers, services and websites, apps and other platforms on which we are present;
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communicating with third parties and processing their enquiries (such as applications, media enquiries);
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reviewing and optimising procedures for needs analyses for direct customer contact as well as collecting personal data from publicly accessible sources for the purpose of customer acquisition;
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advertising and marketing (including hosting events) unless you have objected to the use of your data. If we send you advertising from us as an existing customer, you can object to this at any time and we will then stop contacting you for the purposes of advertising;
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market and opinion research, media monitoring;
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asserting legal claims and defence in relation to legal disputes and administrative proceedings;
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preventing and investigating criminal offences and other misconduct (e.g. conducting internal investigations, analysing data to combat fraud);
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guarantees of our operations, especially IT, our websites, apps and other platforms;
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video surveillance to safeguard domiciliary rights and other measures in the interests of IT, building and system security and to protect our employees and other persons and assets belonging to or entrusted to us (such as access controls, visitor lists, network and mail scanners, telephone recordings);
If you have consented to the processing of your personal data for specific purposes (e.g. when subscribing to newsletters or if a background check is performed), we will process your personal data within the framework of and based on this consent, unless we have another legal basis and require consent to this effect. Consent that has been granted can be revoked at any time, although this has no effect on data processing that has already taken place.
No automated decisions and profiles: HNS does not use the personal data it collects from you to make decisions solely based on automated processing, and HNS does not automatically process your personal data for the purpose of evaluating certain personal aspects (profiling).
4. Cookies
This website uses cookies and similar technologies to identify your browser or device. Cookies are small text files that are saved on your end device on a permanent or temporary basis when you visit this website. The main purposes of our use of cookies are to analyse the use of this website for statistical analysis and to make continuous improvements in order to make the user experience more efficient. You can deactivate cookies in whole or in part at any time in your browser settings.
For more information, please refer to our Cookie Policy https://konsulenten.ch/de-ch/hirzel-neef-schmid-konsulenten.html#cookie-richtlinie.
5. Analytics/statistics
We do not use any analytics tools on our website.
6. Data forwarding and data transfer abroad
Within the scope of our business activities and the purposes set out in Section 3, we also disclose data to third parties, to the extent permitted and deemed appropriate by us, either because they process this data on our behalf or because they wish to use it for their own purposes. This concerns the following in particular:
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service providers of ours (e.g. banks, insurance companies), including order handlers (e.g. IT providers);
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merchants, suppliers, subcontractors, auxiliary persons (such as, in particular, lawyers, law firms and experts used in Switzerland and abroad) and other business partners; customers, clients and companies affiliated with them and their counterparties in Switzerland and abroad; domestic and foreign authorities, official bodies or courts as well as courts of arbitration;
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media, the public, including visitors to websites and social media;
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competitors, industry organisations, associations, organisations and other bodies;
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any counterparties or interested parties in connection with transactions under company law;
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other parties in possible or actual legal proceedings;
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other HNS companies; all joint recipients.
Some of these recipients are located in Switzerland, although they may be located in any countries around the globe. In particular, the data may be transferred to countries in which our clients, their affiliated companies, counterparties or business partners, the service providers or experts involved are present or in which our clients and their group companies have been involved in proceedings.
HNS does not sell personal data to third parties.
7. Duration of the retention of personal data
We process and store your personal data for as long as this is necessary for the fulfilment of our contractual and legal obligations or as is otherwise necessary for the purposes pursued through its processing, i.e. for the duration of the entire business relationship (from its initiation and execution through to contract termination) and furthermore in accordance with statutory safekeeping and documentation obligations. Within this context, it may be that your personal data is stored for the period in which claims may be asserted against our company and insofar as we are otherwise legally obliged to do so or this is required by legitimate business interests (e.g. for evidential or documentation purposes). As soon as your personal data is no longer needed for the above purposes, it will always be deleted or anonymised as far as possible. As a basic principle, the shorter retention periods of twelve months or less apply to operational data (e.g. system protocols, logs).
8. Data security
We take appropriate technical and organisational security precautions to protect your personal data against unauthorised access and misuse.
9. Obligation to provide personal data
As part of our business relationship, you must provide the personal data required to enter into and conduct a business relationship and to fulfil associated contractual obligations (as a rule, you do not have a statutory obligation to provide us with data). Without this data, we will generally not be able to conclude or process a contract with you (or the body or person that you represent). What is more, the website cannot be used if certain information required to safeguard data traffic (such as the IP address) is not disclosed.
10. Rights of the data subject
Within the context of the data protection law applicable to you and to the extent provided for therein (such as in the case of the GDPR), you have the right of access, rectification, erasure, the right to limit data processing and otherwise to object to our data processing and to the surrender of certain personal data for the purpose of transferring this to another body ("data portability"). Please note, however, that we reserve the right to assert the restrictions provided for by law, for example if we are obliged to store or process certain data, if we have an overriding interest in doing so (insofar as we are entitled to refer to this) or if we need this data in order to assert claims. If you incur any costs, we will inform you in advance. We informed you in Section 3 that you are entitled to withdraw your consent. Please note that exercising these rights may conflict with contractual agreements and may have consequences such as the early termination of the contract or cost implications. We will inform you in advance if this is not already contractually regulated.
The exercise of such rights usually requires that you clearly prove your identity (e.g. by producing a copy of your identity card where your identity is otherwise not clear or cannot be verified). In order to assert your rights, you may contact us at the address provided in Section 1.
Data subjects can also assert their rights in court and have the right to file a complaint with the competent data protection authority. In Switzerland, the competent data protection authority is the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (http://www.edoeb.admin.ch).
11. Changes
We may amend this Privacy Policy at any time without advance notice. The version currently published on our website shall apply.