EULER HERMES APPOINTS JULES KAPPELER CEO NORDIC COUNTRIES AND STEFAN RUF CEO SWITZERLAND

11-2-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — Euler Hermes has appointed Jules Kappeler chief executive officer in the Nordic countries, effective January 1, 2013, and Stefan Ruf chief executive officer of Euler Hermes Switzerland effective April 1, 2013.

Based in Stockholm, Kappeler reports to Ludovic Sénécaut, head of Euler Hermes Northern Europe. He succeeds Lars Gustafsson who retired at the end of 2012 after more than twenty years with Euler Hermes. Gustafson joined the company in 1992 as manager for the bonding department in Sweden, where he became CEO in 1995. Since 1999 he has served as CEO of the Nordic countries.

Kappeler joined Euler Hermes Switzerland from Credit Suisse in 1998, first as key account manager, then head of sales, deputy CEO and since 2010 as CEO. A native of Switzerland, Kappeler holds an Executive MBA from HWZ University of Applied Sciences in Zurich.

In the Nordic countries Euler Hermes employs about 180 people in Copenhagen (Denmark), Helsinki (Finland), Oslo (Norway) and Stockholm (Sweden). These four entities offer trade credit insurance, bonding, guarantees and debt collection, and are branches of Brussels-based Euler Hermes Europe SA.

Prior to joining Euler Hermes Switzerland, Ruf spent 15 years at Credit Suisse, most recently as head of Special Products Leasing and as a member of the board of directors of Credit Suisse Fleet Management. He has also served as president of the Swiss Leasing Association since 2011. Ruf is a native of Switzerland and graduated in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Berne.

Euler Hermes Switzerland employs 50 people across three offices in Zurich (headquarters), Lausanne and Lugano. The company offers a range of trade credit insurance solutions and debt collection services.

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