No SUISA AGM - instead postal vote
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the General Assembly cannot take place in its usual form this year. However, members entitled to vote can still have a say in the fate of their SUISA cooperative by casting their vote by letter.
The General Assembly, the annual highlight of social life at the SUISA cooperative, should have taken place this year on Friday, June 26, 2020, at 11 a.m. in the Bierhübeli in Bern. However, this is not possible due to the coronavirus pandemic, even if we do not yet know exactly when the ban on gatherings will be eased again and for what size of event. This is because the organization of a general meeting requires a preparation time of around two months in any case.
The Board of Directors therefore decided on April 29, 2020 that this year's Annual General Meeting can only be held by post as an exception. This decision is in line with the requirements of the Swiss Confederation in Covid-19 Ordinance 2, which exceptionally allows the AGM to be held in this way under emergency law, although the formation of opinions is restricted by the absence of discussion at the AGM.
1. organizational handling
All members entitled to vote will receive an invitation to participate in the postal vote on the resolutions of the AGM by post from May 27, 2020. Members entitled to vote have the opportunity to return the completed personalized voting form upon receipt of the invitation. The letter with the voting form must be received by SUISA by June 26, 2020.
The results of the votes will then be counted by the election office under the direction of Dr. Bernhard Wittweiler (Head of SUISA Legal Services).
On June 30, 2020, the voting and election results will be formally determined by the President, the Recording Secretary, the CEO and the Head of Legal Services on the basis of the count and published on the SUISA website on the same day.
The submitted voting documents are confidential and will be kept until the expiry of the deadline for contesting the decision (two months after the resolution is passed, August 31, 2020) and then destroyed.
2. agenda items for the postal vote instead of the AGM
In addition to the usual statutory business - approval of the minutes, resolutions on the annual financial statements, the management report and the annual report of the SUISA cooperative and the SUISA Group - two new seats on committees are to be filled.
2.1 By-election to the Board of Directors
Our long-standing Board member Reto Parolari passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on December 15, 2019. The Board of Directors proposes that Melanie Oesch be elected to the Board as his successor.
Melanie Oesch grew up near Thun in the canton of Bern and attended music high school in Thun. With her many ideas and plans, Melanie is the creative head of Oesch's die Dritten in many areas. Oesch's die Dritten are a Swiss folk music group from the Bernese Oberland, consisting of Hansueli and Annemarie Oesch, their children Melanie, Kevin and Mike and accordionist Urs Meier. Melanie Oesch has been a member of SUISA as an author since 2006. The Oesch Music publishing house, which she manages, is also a member of SUISA. She is also a member of the "Performing Phono" section of Swissperform.
2.2 By-election to the Distribution and Works Commission
At the last General Assembly, Grégoire Liechti was elected to the SUISA Board. He has therefore resigned from the Distribution and Works Commission. The Board proposes Michael Hug from the publishing sector as his replacement. He is Managing Director of Ruh Musik AG and is the 4th generation to run the family business, which was founded in 1910. Ruh Musik is known nationally and internationally for publishing wind music; however, the catalog also includes numerous works of classical and choral music. Michael Hug took over the company from his father together with his wife in 2009. He is 55 years old and - like all his predecessors in the publishing house - is also musically active himself.
Even in times of crisis, shaping the future of SUISA is important. For once, those members who would otherwise be unable to attend the General Meeting can also take part in the written vote. We hope for a large attendance.
Information on the Annual General Meeting as well as documents and records can be found at
