Gaël Hurlimann named Head of Subscription at BLICK and the Global Media Unit at Ringier AG

Gaël Hurlimann is leaving Le Temps for Ringier AG effective in early 2021. As Head of Subscription, he will be responsible for developing a consistent premium content strategy for the Blick Group. He will also address the same issue at the international level for the entire Ringier Group. He will report to Ladina Heimgartner, Head of Global Media and CEO of the Blick Group.

Hurlimann: ‘Diversification of revenue streams is essential in order to ensure the sustainability of media. Digital subscriptions are experiencing rapid growth throughout the world. Le Temps was a pioneer in this field. I am very glad that I have been able to take the experience I gained in the last six years, and over the course of my career at the Ringier Group, and apply it to the strategy for digital and paid content.’

Hurlimann started as Online Editor-in-Chief of Le Temps in January 2015 and contributed greatly to the digital development of the western Swiss newspaper. Under his direction, Le Temps introduced a paywall and has quadrupled its digital subscriptions over the last five years.

Heimgartner says: ‘I’m very glad that we secured Gaël Hurlimann, an absolute hotshot of the Swiss media scene and an expert in paid content, for this strategically vital area and that he will get an opportunity to make good use of his knowledge beyond Switzerland in the future. Resilience will be one of the most important issues for media houses over the next few years. The development of attractive digital subscriptions is a central element in creating sustainable new revenue models for our media.’

Ringier AG, Corporate Communications

About Gaël Hurlimann

Gaël Hurlimann (47) studied political science at the University of Lausanne and was responsible for the online division of Le Temps between 1999 and 2006. He then spent more than six years with French-language Swiss television (RTS). From late 2012, Hurlimann headed up the digital presence of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). He also led a number of courses on the subject of digital journalism for the University of Fribourg’s communication sciences and media studies programmes. Since January 2015, he has served as Online Editor-in-Chief of Le Temps at Ringier Axel Springer Switzerland.