A decade after being founded, On has stayed loyal to Zurich and will even soon move into new headquarters in the city. Why?
David Allemann: For us, Zurich is an exciting place to be – the city offers a unique combination of being easy to get around with a fantastic quality of life. Both we and our employees enjoy living in an international city, which simultaneously offers the opportunity to quickly escape into nature and visit practically all other major cities thanks to its excellent flight connections. This is important for our recruitment: In Switzerland, we currently employ around 250 specialists from 30 different countries, and we are expanding strongly.
What role does the innovative strength of the local area play for you?
The patented technology that defines our business is developed here. The inventive genius of Switzerland – Swiss Engineering – is crucial to this process. For our global customer base, the fact that we are reinventing the whole concept of running sensation perfectly matches Switzerland’s reputation as a location for high-quality innovation. In specific terms, many of our employees have a degree from a renowned university, for example the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. Moreover, we are very open to cooperating with research institutions in the region.
What research issues are you focusing on?
We are working on innovations in the fields of sustainability, high-tech materials and processing techniques, among other aspects. This also includes material testing. We are really well-positioned with the best international connections in these areas.
But when it comes to this keyword of ‘innovation’, On is not just focused purely on running sensation, but also on the continuous digitalization of the company...
Precisely. All processes have now been digitized and we employ more than 50 developers, data analysts and e-commerce specialists. In terms of product development, too, we are working with methods that would be more familiar in the digital industry. In this regard, Zurich’s status as a hub for ICT is also a hugely positive factor.
How do you assess the current situation for entrepreneurs in Greater Zurich?
Financing has never been a problem for us. In general, however, I observed a growing number of highly promising start-ups attracting the attention of ever more investors from Switzerland and from across the globe.
On recently gained Roger Federer as an investor – what does this mean to you?
This was a huge compliment to us. Roger is not only an investor, but also part of our team and we are all working together. It means that Switzerland’s most famous son, who possesses both enormous expertise and international appeal, has joined our team while still an active athlete.
Short profile:
David Allemann founded the Swiss sports company On in 2010 together with the former elite-level runner Olivier Bernhard and Caspar Coppetti. On is recognized as premium sports shoe brand offering innovative technology and high quality. Today, On is the Swiss market leader and the world’s fastest-growing sport shoe brand.
Interview: Yvonne von Hunnius
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