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Trade and Industry Association of the Canton of Bern: Who doesn't know him? "Dr Chiuchemaa" has stood for expertise in light, image and sound for 90 years. In the latest member portrait, CEO Mathias Brand talks about the transformation of Kilchenmann AG and which values are still very much alive today.
Not: "Kilchenmann AG". Nor: "Our business". But rather: "Dr Chiuchemaa". That's how Mathias Brand talks about the company with around 300 employees, of which he has been CEO and co-owner since 2020. Whether in the Swiss Parliament, at Roche and Novartis in Basel, for almost all Swiss universities or the Swiss Economic Forum SEF: "There is almost no large Swiss company that does not rely on technology from 'Chiuchemaa' in Kehrsatz in some form or another," explains Mathias Brand. However, the company does not work exclusively for major customers: "We have a large number of clients - around 4,000 in total - for whom we handle several thousand projects every year. And we approach each of these tasks with the same professionalism and passion."
Founded with passionate curiosity
The transformation of Kilchenmann AG is unprecedented in Switzerland: after all, today's market leader for innovative media and communication solutions was founded by the eponymous Hans Kilchenmann in 1933 as a radio and record store. In the 1970s, Kilchenmann AG was the first address for television sets and supplied numerous Bernese municipalities with its cable networks. In 2023, the company has seven locations - in addition to its headquarters in Bern, these are Basel, Lausanne, St. Gallen, Zurich and Eschbach (southern Germany).
Passion, curiosity and a constant willingness to change: these attributes characterize the company both in its early days and today, as Mathias Brand explains: "Hans Kilchenmann entered the world of radio through his hobby of telecommunications. He took a personal interest in the question of how to process radio signals. This thirst for knowledge and enjoyment of the subject were the breeding ground for everything that followed." His son Klaus, in turn, later wanted to learn his father's hobby professionally and studied engineering at the ETH. There he came into contact with international players at an early stage and established the company's broadcasting offering in the second generation.
Letting go of the old and establishing the new
The people behind Kilchenmann AG always knew how to seize opportunities - but also had to make difficult decisions time and again. For example, it was not possible to hand over the business to the third generation within the family, which is why Herbert Wenger and Ueli Jost took over as managing directors in 2000 and 2011 respectively. They took the company to the next level with the same passion as when it was founded and focused on the B2B sector in a forward-looking manner. However, Kilchenmann AG had to give up the private customer division with a heavy heart in 2017. The division had only made losses in recent years, so the move was unavoidable in order to pave the way for the company's successful future. Looking back, Mathias Brand says: "This willingness to change is part of it, it's the only way to stay on the ball and ahead of the times."
The current management team is also undergoing constant change: Mathias Brand took up his position in 2020 in the middle of the pandemic. During this time, all events were canceled due to the coronavirus restrictions, but companies shifted their activities to the virtual space in droves - professional equipment and expertise were suddenly in high demand. "It's not enough just to put up a monitor and a camera: For a video conference to run perfectly, you need both the right technology and the right expertise." And this also includes new services such as Kilchenmann-as-a-Service or cybersecurity, which the company is driving forward with its own IT team: "The pandemic has heightened awareness of the fact that it's not just well-meaning people who are online. So the key question for us was: how can we build our customers' IT solutions and networks in such a way that nobody can eavesdrop or steal data? Based on this need, we developed new services and are now leading the way in Switzerland."
Creating trust thanks to reliability
It is therefore no coincidence that the federal government, for example, repeatedly relies on Kilchenmann AG. "We feel very honored to have been entrusted with the operation of the media center or to have been able to hold the extraordinary sessions on the BERNEXPO site during the pandemic." Kilchenmann AG has worked hard to earn this trust: "We stand for a high level of reliability, even though our employees usually work in the background at events. And that's a good thing, because if we are visible, it usually means that something has gone wrong." However, this is very rare: "A microphone system operated by us works perfectly 99 percent of the time." Nevertheless, anyone who works for Kilchenmann AG needs good nerves and a great deal of flexibility: "It's important to work to the point," emphasizes Mathias Brand. "Long system downtimes are not tolerated, because the customer is constantly losing money."
It is therefore crucial that the company has a good error culture. And it was precisely this that led Mathias Brand to join Kilchenmann AG. "In over 25 years in the infrastructure business, I have realized various projects with Kilchenmann AG. When, exceptionally, something didn't go so well, I was deeply impressed by the way the company dealt with challenges. The CEO was always immediately on hand and there was an unwavering commitment to solving the problem as quickly as possible and to the customer's complete satisfaction. This highly professional approach was the decisive factor in me leaving my traditional industry and subsequently getting to know a world that is both shirt-sleeved and digital."
Actively living the change
The technical development that Kilchenmann AG is pursuing is rapid. This makes it all the more important that all employees are part of this transformation. This process is a huge "fly by the seat of your pants", says Mathias Brand. "Who wants to change and who wants to stick with what we have? We need to find out on an ongoing basis and compare this with the needs of the market." This is where the company once again benefits from the fact that change has been an active part of the company since it was founded. "Hans Kilchenmann's curiosity and passion are still core values for us today, and they are lived by our employees." Some of them have been with the company for decades: "We have many employees who are celebrating their 30th or 35th anniversary with us - that makes us extremely proud. At the same time, we have a lot of young new recruits, which gives us a great mix." According to Mathias Brand, this loyalty can be explained by the original positioning in the retail trade and the great loyalty that goes with it: "People come to us because we are number 1 in our sector and offer continuity and the best projects in Switzerland." At the same time, the company has strong roots in Bern, whether through its membership of the Bern HIV section or as a technology partner of BSC YB, SC Bern and the Kultur Casino Bern.
From Wabern and Kehrsatz to the whole of Switzerland and now also to neighboring countries - this transformation will be duly celebrated in 2023: This year marks exactly 90 years since Hans Kilchenmann laid the foundation stone for the success story of Kilchenmann AG. A major team event is planned, as well as several customer events aimed at decision-makers in the respective regions. In this way, Kilchenmann AG wants to ensure a little more visibility for its broad portfolio of solutions. And yet it remains guaranteed that "Dr Chiuchemaa" can continue to deliver top performance behind the scenes.
Article in the Trade and Industry Association of the Canton of Berne
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