Harvard Club of Switzerland

Meet Urs Jordi

Mr. Urs Jordi is Chairman and CEO of Aryzta AG. He assumed such role in the middle of an existential crisis of Aryzta when the stock price was extremely low and the survival of the company was questionable. He has not only ensured the company’s survival, but orchestrated a turnaround which made the company profitable again and caused its stock to raise markedly.
 
The turnaround is in particular noteworthy, as Urs had to defend the company against attacks of vulture funds and investors, who tried to take the business over at the lowest possible point. Mr. Jordi is a manager with deep roots in the business of Aryzta as he originally learned the trade of baker / confectioner. He had already been CEO of Hiestand, the predecessor of Aryzta, before financial investors took over and brought Aryzta to the brink with ill-timed and expensive acquisitions and financings the company could simply not afford. He then came back to save Aryzta.