skyguide, Zurich & Genua

Skyguide provides air traffic management in Switzerland and parts of neighboring countries. With 1,500 employees at 14 locations, the company guides civil and military aircraft through Europe's most complex airspace.
Through innovation and trusted partnerships, Skyguide contributes to Switzerland's attractiveness as a business location. Headquartered in Geneva, the company is majority-owned by the Swiss Confederation.

Industry:                                  Aviation, Air Traffic Control
Turn Over:                                 470 Mio. CHF
Employees:           1‘500
Geographic Spread:    Switzerland, 14 Locations

Abteilungsleiter ‘Data/Application Services’

Member of Top Management

July 2010 - September 2019

Management and modernization of the Application Services division (formerly Data Processing and Data Services) with 140 internal and external employees (budget: CHF 20 million OPEX and 20 million CAPEX)

  • Definition and implementation of the IT strategy

  • Operation and further development of 75 IT systems (fixed assets CHF 120 million) for the core areas of air traffic control (Air Traffic Management, Aeronautical Information Management and Training/Simulation) at the Geneva and Wangen sites, within the framework of operational and regulatory requirements

  • Planning and realization of the reorganization of the department:

Phase 1 "Professionalization and Efficiency Improvement"

  • Transformation to a customer and service oriented integrator

  • Introduction of architecture management and technology management

  • Establishment and expansion of project management competencies and IT security management

  • Standardization of software engineering methods and tools

  • Harmonization of the infrastructure at the two sites (Geneva and Wangen)

  • Change from a local to a Switzerland-wide organizational structure

Phase 2 "Modernization

  • Introduction of agile (Scrum, SAFe®) and DevOps methods & mindset

  • Initiation of architecture change to service-oriented architecture and to a standardized, virtualized platform (private cloud)

  • Adaptation of operating and sourcing model: step-by-step transfer of software development to subsidiary and infrastructure operations to external partner

  • Evaluation and management of an external partner to increase capacity and skills for the implementation of the strategic virtual center program

  • Gradual increase of information security according to increasing risks

  • Planning, analysis and realization of projects and change orders under consideration of the Safety Framework

  • Representation of requests and projects in front of the management and the board of directors

  • Management of external partners/suppliers

  • Collaboration in the development of the new corporate strategy "Virtual Center”

  • Collaboration in the development of the departmental strategy

  • Implementation of the efficiency improvement program in accordance with the five-year plan

Special events / successes

—> Publications