Management Services

The Alpiq Group's Human Resources Department was extremely busy during 2009, drawing up new common terms and conditions of employment for all staff of the Energy segment in Switzerland. Some 1,150 employees in Switzerland received a new contract of employment, and Alpiq remains a popular employer despite the many changes.

The speed with which Alpiq became an established brand is largely due to the efforts of Corporate Communications, which was responsible for the concept. The Europe-wide brand roll-out is scheduled for completion in 2010, by which time the Alpiq brand will be firmly established and appropriately positioned in Switzerland and throughout Europe.

Since May 2009, Alpiq has been supporting the Swiss Ski Association, Swiss-Ski, as its principal sponsor: a fitting partnership, since "Alp" stands for the Alps and "piq" brings to mind "peak", with its connotations of mountain tops and peak performance. Another thing that Alpiq and Swiss-Ski have in common is their close relationship with Switzerland's alpine cantons. Awareness of the young brand was significantly raised through the widespread presence of the Alpiq logo in the media and at competitions throughout Europe. The Swiss Alpine Club's new Monte-Rosa hut, a model of sustainability and innovation, was inaugurated on 25 September 2009. The project was implemented with major support from Alpiq.

In 2009, Public Affairs closely followed and monitored the definition and introduction of new regulatory provisions in Switzerland and across Europe. In Switzerland, the focus was on the Electricity Supply Act (StromVG), while in Europe the main issue was the EU's third regulatory package, which also had implications for Alpiq. In connection with the bilateral electricity trading agreement with the EU, the aim was to ensure protection of investments related to long-term contracts. The consequences of market liberalisation in Switzerland and across the EU will continue to be closely monitored in the course of 2010.