Entrepreneurial excellence in challenging times: Deloitte gives Best Managed Companies Award to six companies

Supported by SIX Swiss Exchange and Bank Julius Baer, Deloitte has recognised privately held Swiss companies that are managed in an exemplary manner in four key areas of business management. According to the independent judging panel, these companies met all of the assessment criteria. They are distinguished by their high degree of agility, their resilience in challenging times and their pronounced innovative spirit.

Conducted in 46 countries, the Best Managed Companies Award by Deloitte Private compares companies to the globally recognised Deloitte benchmark in a detailed assessment which has been continuously enhanced in the 30 years since the programme was launched. Participating companies receive an independent, in-depth appraisal of their governance methods and overall performance, which shows them where their company currently stands in four key areas of business management in comparison with a global community of over 1,300 outstandingly managed companies.

Multi-stage evaluation process

The award is preceded by an intensive, multi-stage coaching and assessment process that all participating companies have to go through. The focus is on evaluating the company’s performance in the four core areas of strategy, productivity and innovation, culture and commitment, and governance and finances. Firms that perform to an above-average level in all four categories have a chance of winning the award.

“From an entrepreneurial perspective, the last twelve months since the 2022 awards have been a difficult time: the sharp rise in inflation, supply chain disruptions, high energy prices and shortage of skilled workers pose a complex bundle of risks for businesses. What distinguishes this year’s winners is their agility and resilience – the ability and willingness to hold their ground in difficult times, position themselves in a volatile market and react effectively to change,” says Andreas Bodenmann, Programme Manager and Head of Deloitte Private. “The six winners are at the forefront of their industries. They have demonstrated an impressive degree of creativity and capacity for innovation, and have managed to stay true to their core values while simultaneously moving confidently into the future with a clear focus on growth.”

Exemplary company management: the winners in 2023

Six privately or family-owned businesses were named the Best Managed Companies in 2023:

• ATP adhesive systems AG specialises in the development and manufacture of adhesive tape solutions. With modern manufacturing processes and an international distribution network, ATP has been supplying a large number of industrial customers worldwide – for instance in the automobile, electronics and health sectors – for over 35 years.
• Founded in 1913, the fourth-generation international family firm ECSA Group now operates in four primary sectors: ECSA Chemicals Ltd in the international trade of raw materials and chemicals, ECSA Energy Ltd in the distribution of petroleum products and the operation of petrol stations, ECSA Maintenance Ltd in the distribution of specialist industrial products, and Suncolor SA in the distribution of paints, varnishes and insulation materials.
• The family-owned chocolate manufacturer Läderach (Schweiz) AG was founded in the 1960s and now operates in 16 countries, including South Korea, the US and the UK. Many products are still produced by hand, emphasising the tradition of the chocolatier and making the company a master of its craft. The result is outstanding Swiss chocolate made from the very best raw materials.
• Teoxane Laboratories SA specialises in the development of hyaluronic acid solutions, and with over 20 years of expertise, is now a pioneer in the science of facial beauty. The company combines innovation, quality and consumer safety to develop highly effective hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers and dermocosmetic products on the basis of rigorous scientific research.
• Variosystems AG is an electronics service provider that offers standard and complete end-to-end solutions worldwide. From product design through to finished electronic assemblies, devices or systems, products are offered with long-term support that includes logistics and end-of-life services.
• The Vista Group is one of the leading private centres of expertise for ophthalmology in Switzerland. Founded over 30 years ago, Vista offers a wide range of eye-related treatments and procedures at its 31 locations, enabling its customers to receive lifelong care. Having established its own research department and comprehensive training and continuing education programme, Vista has been a recognised training clinic for more than 10 years.

The competition does not end after a year – all of the participating businesses can undergo the same assessment regularly, attend workshops and qualify again. In 2023, six companies that had previously received the Best Managed Companies Award succeeded in doing just that. Multi-award-winning businesses include:

• Capri Sun Group
• MindMaze
• Wipf Group
• Groupe Acrotec SA
• Suhner Group
• Precipart

Deloitte champions Switzerland as a business location

“The Best Managed Companies Award is an incentive for all companies to shape their future with foresight, innovative spirit and a good management culture. As drivers of innovation, privately held companies are crucial to the diversity and strength of Switzerland as a business location,” Andreas Bodenmann emphasises. “As an audit and consulting company, Deloitte Private supports such companies with the challenges they face in the areas of growth, compliance, reporting and audit. We tailor our wide range of services from the entire Deloitte universe precisely to the companies’ specific needs so that they are able to hold their own and position themselves successfully for the future.”

Judging panel made up of business leaders and academics

On this year’s judging panel, Nadia Lang, CEO of the ZFV-Unternehmungen cooperative, Jens Breu, CEO of the SFS Group, Gilles Stuck, Market Head Switzerland at Julius Baer, Tanja Vainio, Country President of Schneider Electric Switzerland and Prof. Thomas Straub, Associate Professor for Strategic Management and Corporate Strategy at the University of Geneva assessed the participating companies.

About Switzerland’s Best Managed Companies

The Best Managed Companies Award is an awards programme that honours privately owned companies for their organisational success and their achievements. The programme offers a clear framework for management teams who would like to take up the challenge of benchmarking themselves against the best privately held companies in the world. Since its launch in Canada in 1993, the Best Managed Companies programme has developed into the most important business award of its kind. Already held in 46 countries, the programme is currently also being launched in Israel and Japan.

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