After more than twenty years at the helm of our company, Willi Gredig is stepping down as operational boss. At the end of the year, he will hand over the cockpit to his successor Ralf Walser and retire to the strategic level as Chairman of the Board of Directors. A good time to look back with Willi on an exciting time at Swiss Helicopter AG and to ask him a few questions.

Willi – what are you proud of when you look back on the last few years?
To the Swiss Helicopter Group, the entire group of companies as it will be presented in 2020. I am very satisfied with what I have been able to develop together with my employees over the past twenty years. The former HERI became a strong SHG. The integration of new companies brought us great stability and long-term security.

What was important to you in our company, what did you always pay special attention to?
Our corporate culture was important to me. Working in a company that operates throughout Switzerland with four language and many other cultures is awesome, but it requires the necessary instinct to manage a wide variety of situations correctly.

What was the biggest challenge for you during this time?
When it comes to acquisitions, founding and integrating companies, to give our employees the security and confidence that we will become stronger together with the aim of positioning the company successfully in the long term.

Which event in the last few years has remained unforgettable for you?
There are many encounters and events that I will not forget. July 1st, 2012 is certainly an important and unforgettable date. On this day, Swiss Helicopter AG was launched, and at the same time it was the end of an extremely intensive preparation period. It was a struggle against many prejudices, but always with great certainty and conviction that this project will succeed. And it was the start of Swiss Helicopter AG into a great future.

How has the helicopter industry changed in recent years?
Our industry is a special branch, and especially in little Switzerland we know each other. Fleet renewals with more modern and efficient machines bring advantages above all to customers and, fortunately, to the environment. The establishment of Swiss Helicopter AG is a quantum leap and the answer to the need to be able to offer all services from a single source and with one contact across Switzerland. That makes us jump even higher and further in the future.

What do you give your successor Ralf Walser on the way?
He can, should and must seek and find his way. The conditions are very good despite the enormously challenging situation with the pandemic. Our employees provide the basis for further grinding the rough diamonds of the Swiss Helicopter Group.

Dear Willi – thank you for this interview and, on behalf of all employees, we wish you all the best for the next phase of life.