The founder of the Oettinger Davidoff Group, Dr Ernst Schneider, has decided to step down as the chairman of the Oettinger Imex board of directors effective 1 July 2006 in order to unburden himself.

He remains a member of the Oettinger Imex board of directors and president of the superordinate holding company SIP Schneider Investment & Participations SA. He will be succeeded by Riccardo Gullotti, 62, from Muri/BE. Schneider had taken over the Geneva tobacco shop from Zino Davidoff in 1970. Dr Rudolf Schaffner (62), from Bottmingen/BL, will assume the office of vice president as the representative of the owner family. The board of directors is composed of four additional, independent persons who are not members of the owner family.
Operational management of the globally active group will continue to be carried out by Reto Cina, CEO of the company.