Press release
JENNIFER SOMM WILL TEMPORARILY TAKE THE HELM OF THE GDI
Rüschlikon, 9 July 2025. The Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute is about to get a change of leadership. CEO Lukas Jezler is leaving the GDI after a successful reorientation. Jennifer Somm will assume his role on a temporary basis.
The Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute is about to get a change of leadership: Lukas Jezler, the CEO of the GDI, has decided to leave the organisation. Jennifer Somm will assume his role on a temporary basis.
Lukas Jezler has headed the GDI since 2021. In this time, he has strategically realigned and modernised the institute. Under his stewardship, the GDI has further honed its position as one of Europe's leading think tanks for business, society and consumption. "The GDI is a unique place for future issues and innovation," Jezler said. "I would like to thank the Board of Trustees and the team for the trust they have placed in me and for our close working relationship."
Andrea Krapf, President of the GDI Board of Trustees, said: "We would like to thank Lukas Jezler for his tremendous commitment and valuable work. He led the GDI with great vision, strategic clarity and innovative strength at a challenging time."
The search for a successor has begun. Jennifer Somm will take the helm on a temporary basis. Somm has more 15 years of managerial experience in strategic development, transformation and innovation projects, most recently as the Managing Director of the Zurich Film Festival. Before that, she was the CEO of BERNEXPO. She also has proven expertise at the interface between business, society, politics and culture; topics that also have a major impact on the GDI. "The GDI addresses the questions that will shape our future. It is precisely this forward-looking orientation that has always inspired me. I am delighted to be working with the team to continue developing the GDI as a platform for socially relevant innovation. I am confident that together we can provide important impetus," Somm said.
The Board of Trustees warmly welcomes Jennifer Somm and wishes Lukas Jezler every success and all the best for the future.
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About the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute
The Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute (GDI) is Switzerland’s oldest think-tank. A place of inspiration and innovation where strategic visions are expounded, the GDI provides a forum for key decision-makers to shape the future of the economy and society. The GDI unites research and industry-relevant application to define path-breaking strategies in tandem with business. It provides management executives with high-level insights in the fields of retail, nutrition and health and delivers guidance in times of upheaval – always centring on social, technological and environmental changes. This institute, which operates independently, is supported by the Migros Culture Percentage.