The CEO of Kägi, a Swiss company best known for its iconic chocolate wafers, says the company is facing difficult times. Kägi is a quintessential Swiss company. Founded nearly a century ago and long family‑run, it is now owned by a US conglomerate. Its traditional chocolate wafer biscuits are closely linked to the image of Switzerland, and the Swiss flag is part of its logo. Since 2024 it has been led by Cédric El-Idrissi, best known to the public as a former hurdler who qualified for the 2004 Olympic Games. Over the past 18 months El-Idrissi has had to navigate a complex environment, including higher prices of raw materials and tariffs imposed on its exports to the United States, one of its main markets. Swissinfo sat down with El-Idrissi at Kägi’s headquarters and production site in Lichtensteig, canton St Gallen, in northeastern Switzerland to discuss why being Swiss comes with extra costs and how being an Olympian helped teach him how to run a company. Swissinfo: You took over ...
