The annual accounts 2025 of the cooperative society SUISA represent a successful financial year. Overall income and expenditure exceed and undercut the budget as well as the results of the previous year.
SUISA’s income from copyright amounted to CHF 185.7m and thus increased by 7.3% compared to the previous year, and was beyond the budget with 6.1%. This is thanks to the income increase in nearly all rights areas in Switzerland and abroad. Outside of the core business, the income yielded was also higher than in the previous year. The secondary income excluding accounting profits on securities amounting to CHF 11.3m were increased by 9.9% compared to the previous year. Total turnover (incl. accounting profits on securities amounting to CHF 6.3m) were at CHF 204.3m as of 31 December 2025.
Total expenditure of CHF 35.0m was reduced in comparison to the previous year by 8.0% which meant that the expense budget was thus met (- 3.8%). Another cause for such a successful result regarding cost are the special items regarding depreciation and amortisation. Thanks to the repayment of all outstanding accounts by the associated company Mint, the allowance for these receivables was released.
The success of 2025 was also reflected at corporate level. The overall income stands at CHF 238m (7.5% higher than budgeted and 2.1% higher than in the previous year) and the overall expenditure at CHF 39.7m (1.8% lower than budgeted and 7.2% lower than in the previous year).
The annual accounts of the entire corporate entity as well as the cooperative society itself were approved by the Board of Directors for presentation to the General Meeting.
SUISA is moving offices and creates new living space in Zurich
The SUISA property in Zurich Wollishofen has aged somewhat, and it has become too big for modern-style hybrid working. The Executive Committee has therefore launched two joint projects: SUISAnova and SUISAway.
In the project SUISAnova, two birds are literally killed with one stone: SUISA is creating living space in Zurich and at the same time a sustainable income source which helps covering its administration costs: In the property at Bellariastrasse 82 in Zurich, about 50 new rental apartments are planned.
In the project SUISAway, the SUISA administration is navigating towards new shores and is moving into a new office building. In December 2025, the Board of Directors approved the signing of the rental agreement for the 1st to the 6th floor of the Domahaus in Badenerstrasse 156 in Zurich Wiedikon.
The cooperation and support by the Board of Directors is extremely important considering the far-reaching consequences of these projects. It is therefore actively delegating two people to the steering committee of the project SUISAnova and keeps on top of all of the project committee meetings about the state of affairs of the project SUISAway.
Personal changes in the Executive Committee
Changes also occur at the Executive Committee level of SUISA. Irène Philipp (COO) shall retire at the end of December 2026 and Andreas Wegelin (CEO) at the end of June 2027. The President of SUISA has convened a recruiting committee for the search of a suitable successor in good time.
At the same time, the Board of Directors used this opportunity to rethink the organisational structure of SUISA. The three departments (Services, Regulations, Operations) will become four; the department run by Irène Philipp, Operations, will be split in two from 2027 onwards, namely into a Members department and a Customers department respectively.
The recruiting committee of the President has therefore been looking for two people and found them. The Board of Directors approved the motions of the recruiting committee on 31 March 2026 to appoint Claudia Kempf and Toni Falzetta as of December 2026 to become members of the Executive Committee. Claudia Kempf will be running the Members department and Toni Falzetta the Customers department. The search for a new CEO is running at full steam ahead right now.
New director at FONDATION SUISA
The current director of FONDATION SUISA, Urs Schnell, is also retiring at the end of September 2026. The Foundation Board has begun its search for a successor in good time. Back in November 2025, it appointed Fabio Baechtold as successor.
Since SUISA is a founder, it has the duty to confirm the resolution of the Foundation Board. Both the current and future directors were therefore invited to the SUISA Board meeting on 28 November 2025. Baechtold, who is a musician and a SUISA member himself, won the Board members over with his vast experience and his personality.
This was the impression that led to the conclusion both the Foundation Board as well as SUISA’s Board of Directors had. The latter therefore confirmed the appointment of Fabio Baechtold as Director of FONDATION SUISA. SUISA is happy to know that its foundation is still in good hands.
The change at director level of the foundation for music promotion will be reported in the SUISAblog in more detail in due course.
