SIMF – Swiss Influence Marketing Forum

Alexandra Brux joined Dr. Hauschka in 2007. After various roles, she has been leading Digital Marketing since 2023. Since mid-2024, she has been responsible for the marketing of Dr. Hauschka Switzerland.

The Smile Swiss Influence Award nominee for 2023, Alisha de Munk, is a content creator with over 500,000 followers, the Head of TikTok Content for AnW Studios – an animation studio and marketing agency – and is now also a co-founder of twoglow.com – a Swiss affordable luxury jewelry brand that is donating its proceeds to make a positive impact in the world.

As a marketing professor and member of the faculty board at the University of Basel, Andreas Lanz’ multi-method research projects into the creator economy are geared towards understanding the use of social influence for firms and its impact on society.

Anja Lapčević spent over ten years in the Swiss banking and sports industries before becoming Co-CEO of Kingfluencers in 2020. With her extensive experience, she founded the Conscious Influence Hub, promoting respect, tolerance, and empathy on social media, where she now serves as Managing Director.

David Pfluger is a creative director, brand builder, unconventional storyteller, and self-taught designer. With over a decade of experience in redefining brands, Pfluger brings a visionary and unconventional approach to building standout brands that resonate with Gen-Z. He has recently led brand and creative for startups such as BeReal, Universe, and Simulate, and he is the former Senior Global Creative Director at Burton Snowboards.

With over 18 years of experience in building and developing well-known Swiss brands, Dominique Hufschmid brings a deep understanding of brand strategy and building brand influence and how to bridge the gap between digitalization, marketing, design and culture.

Prof. Dr. Dominique von Matt is the founder and Chairman of the Board of the branding and communications agency Jung von Matt. He is actively involved as a consultant in various strategy and branding projects. Von Matt is an honorary professor of Business Administration at the University of St. Gallen, a board member of NZZ, Faigle AG, and the fintech company Go4Balance, as well as the president of the Swiss Marketing Society (gfm).

Garvin Kruthof is researcher, and entrepreneur with deep expertise in Machine Learning, focusing on Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Large Language Models (LLMs). Kruthof specializes in developing, fine-tuning, and deploying AI models to address complex problems. Passionate about AI’s transformative potential, he bridges academic research with practical expertise. Committed to leveraging AI for real-world impact, he has transitioned AI prototypes to final products, optimized marketing campaigns, and improved decision-making processes.

Ranked on the Forbes 30 under 30 list for Europe, Hamza Ayub is the Chief Marketing Officer at Dunkin’ Donuts Switzerland. Under his auspices, DUNKIN Switzerland has collected several awards/nominations that has culminated into him being an extremely popular keynote speaker in several countries and a judge at some of the biggest marketing award competitions in the world. Moreover, as the former CEO of AnW Studios, Ayub is seasoned at working with and managing world-renowned A-list celebrities owing to which he has been able to help several content creators successfully grow their digital presence. He will soon be publishing a book on this very subject.

Ilia Shayesteh co-founded AIMS-Management with Madina Saleh in 2018 in Germany and has been focusing on the Swiss market since 2020, working with Mimoza. AIMS-Management supports talents from the start, ensuring they have space for creativity while managing brand communications and market positioning. For Ilia and Madina, creators are more than just numbers—they’re individuals with big dreams and exceptional talent. Loyalty, transparency, humanity, and diversity are the cornerstones of their collaborations with both artists and clients.

After working at Coop, Lunchgate, twoleftfeet, and conducting research at the University of Bern, Jeffrey Gabriel joined Swisscom in 2016. Since March 2021, he has been leading the Content & Social Media team, focusing on private customers. Managing and maintaining Swisscom’s official channels on TikTok, Meta, and YouTube, he and his team realized a variety of influencer and content creator projects. Additionally, he works as a guest lecturer at FHGR and HWZ.

Jo Dietrich is co-founder of ZEAM, the leading Gen Z agency in the DACH region, with a team of 30 young professionals and over 40 clients. He founded ZEAM during his Master’s at the London School of Economics and recently launched Jobshot, a recruitment app to modernize hiring. As a Forbes 30 Under 30 and SPIEGEL bestselling author of the book “Gen Z,” Jo Dietrich is known for his deep digital insight and trend radar.

Johannes Schäufele specializes in IT law and digital business as well as media law. In the area of IT law and digital business, he advises companies in particular on data protection and consumer protection, contract drafting and competition law. A particular focus here is on advising media platforms, AI and FinTech companies. In the area of media law, Johannes Schäufele is particularly specialized in advertising and public media law issues. His work includes contract drafting as well as procedural advice and litigation.

JP Erni, mountain goat, lone wolve, visionary, not-a-follower, nature addict, design and style lover, is co-founder of OFF Skitouring, a Swiss brand by AK SKI, known for their handcrafted skis engineered in Switzerland since 1995. OFF provides a one-of-a-kind backcountry skiing adventure focused on disconnecting from technology and reconnecting with nature. Their credo: switch OFF your devices. put your stress OFF. grab your OFF skis. get OFF civilization. enjoy. smile. enjoy more…

Laura Parker is the Senior Social Media & Digital Campaigning Manager at Axpo Group, with over 8 years of experience in project management and social media. Parker successfully leads the company’s Corporate Influencer Program and possesses extensive expertise in influencer marketing.

Manuel Kekeisen is responsible for the LinkedIn agency business in the DACH region, focusing particularly on independent and owner-managed agency partners. His goal is to equip these partners with the necessary tools, training, products, processes, interfaces, and certifications to enable effective and efficient collaboration. Prior to joining LinkedIn, Kekeisen spent seven years at Google, most recently as a Client Partner Lead.

With over 10 years of active experience in marketing communication and brand management, Marc Zurbrügg bring a deep passion for new media, creators, and crafting unique brand experiences.

Markus Rach is a Professor of Digital Marketing at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW). Previously, Rach taught and conducted research at Shenzhen Technology University in China. His research focuses on the impact of new technologies on consumer decision-making processes.

Maximilian König advises national and international clients comprehensively on issues in the broad field of media and entertainment law. In particular, his work includes mandates from the film and games industry. He represents clients’ interests both in the context of project-related support and advice and in pre-litigation and litigation. In addition, his advice covers all issues relating to digital business models, including competition law, personality rights and the right of expression.

Michèl Kessler has been Head of Creative at ZEAM for three years, leading a team of nearly 20 creative minds to connect major brands with Gen Z. He first made waves with the reality format “Millennials in Paradise,” which he co-produced in 2019 during his Multimedia Production studies. Kessler is also an Editor and Crossmedia Producer at Akutmag and co-hosts the podcast “Seid ihr Brüder” with his partner Elay.

Mimoza Lekaj is a well-established Swiss influencer with Albanian roots and the proud host of the Alba Festival in Zurich. She captivates hundreds of thousands of followers with her beauty and styling tips. Her unique flair, passion, and expertise have earned her admiration from both national and international influencers. With years of experience in the influencer business, Mimoza won the Swiss Influencer Award in the Lifestyle category in 2021 and was crowned the 2023 winner in the Beauty category. Now, she’s once again nominated for the prestigious Swiss Influence Award, this time in the Family category. Beyond her professional success, Mimoza often shares personal insights into her life as a mother of two, showcasing how she skillfully balances her career with family life.

Pasquale Stramandino is a creative all-rounder with a passion for communication: from radio host to sports commentator in Italian, to content creator and author – and always with a touch of humor and in a suit. Previously, Stramandino was Program Director at the Energy Group Switzerland and Chief Content Officer at FC Basel 1893.

Paul Wiedmeier is a global sales and marketing leader with expertise in eCommerce, brand building, and business development across industries like Big Tech, Luxury, and CPG. Currently leading client partnerships with some of Europe’s largest eCommerce companies, Paul advises on leveraging Meta’s business solutions as a lever for growth. Prior to joining Meta, Paul held various leadership positions with Procter & Gamble and Swarovski. With a focus on driving growth and fostering high-performance cultures, Wiedmeier believes in the transformative power of digitalization, seeing the Metaverse as the next frontier with unimagined opportunities & responsibilities. He’s also a jury member of the CMO of the Year Switzerland Award.

Reto Hofstetter is Professor of Marketing and Executive Education at the University of St. Gallen’s School of Management and the Academic Director of its EMBA programs. Previously, Hofstetter was Full Professor at the University of Lucerne, Associate Professor at the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) and Assistant Professor at the University of St. Gallen. His research, published in top journals like the Journal of Marketing Research and Harvard Business Review, focuses on the intersection of digitalization and marketing management, covering digital consumer behavior, social media, AI, influencer marketing, and blockchain. He recently received the Crédit Suisse Best Teaching Award.

Corinna Michl, better known as Rina, is a portrait photographer from Vienna. On her Instagram page “rinarinavie” and her website of the same name, she shares her work, which feels like little stories when viewed: “A portrait is more than just a snapshot; it’s above all about capturing emotions.”

Rob Hartmann is a seasoned name in Swiss advertising with 18 years of experience across top agencies like Advico Young & Rubicam, Euro RSCG / Havas, Wirz BBDO, Jung von Matt Limmat, and Publicis Zürich. Over his career, he has worked with nearly every industry and clients including Ikea, Zalando, Ovomaltine, UBS, Migros, SRF, Die Schweizer Post, Emmi, and many more. His work has received multiple national and international awards.

Over 10 years ago, Silva Imken transitioned from the music and entertainment industry to natural cosmetics. Having joined ANNEMARIE BÖRLIND in 2013 and relocating to Switzerland in 2021, she has now taken on the role of leading Marketing and Sales at Dr. Hauschka Switzerland after her time at ananné.

Stefan Krenn not only executes social media campaigns but also leads major productions for renowned companies. With his extensive industry knowledge, Krenn creates professional and engaging content in a compact and efficient manner.

Tanja Herrmann is the Managing Director and Founder of WebStages, an independent social media and influencer marketing consultancy in Zurich. With her team, she works with clients such as Migros, Amavita, and Mercedes-Benz. Herrmann is the organizer of Switzerland’s largest social media marketing conference, the Social Media Summit, and also serves as the program director for marketing strategy at HWZ.

Whether it’s creator campaigns or snack content for retainer clients, Tim Schaerer and his team at Monami handle major clients like Coop and Swisscom. He also led the phenomenal event experiment MTV Unplugged.

As a holistic marketer with over 17 years of international experience in marketing, strategy and business growth, Yoeri Callebaut is best known at Kingfluencers for his creative ideas and motivation to rethink everything.

more speakers to be announced soon