Nathalie Wappler is to leave her role as director of Swiss public broadcaster SRF and as a member of the executive board of SRG at the end of April 2026.
The 57-year-old media manager announced her decision on 3 September 2025, saying she wanted to take on a new professional challenge after completing the transformation programme and the latest cost-cutting round at SRG’s German-language unit.
Until her departure, Wappler will continue to drive forward restructuring projects, oversee political discussions around the so-called “halving initiative” on licence fee funding, and ensure a smooth handover to her successor.
Wappler has led SRF, the largest unit of SRG, since March 2019, shaping its development under what the broadcaster described as increasingly challenging financial and political conditions. She introduced a new corporate strategy, modernised structures geared towards digital media use, and launched new formats, job profiles and skills. SRF said these changes enabled the broadcaster to respond more quickly to shifts in audience behaviour and technology.
Budget cuts, political decisions and rapid changes in the media market also forced the organisation to reduce staff and programming. SRF stressed that Wappler had implemented these measures “carefully and with a strong sense of responsibility”.
SRG’s director-general, Susanne Wille, praised Wappler’s achievements: “She has repositioned SRF strategically in times of digitisation and rapid technological change with entrepreneurial foresight. Her decision to leave SRF saddens me deeply. I thank Nathalie sincerely for everything she has moved forward for SRG, SRF and the people in our country, in the field of tension between audience expectations, financial pressure and politics.”
SRG board chairman Jean-Michel Cina called her departure “a great loss”, adding: “She initiated decisive changes, implemented them, and also made unpopular but necessary savings and reorganisation decisions. Nathalie Wappler has always led from the front and intensively promoted talent.”
Reflecting on her decision, Wappler said: “Working for our public media organisation has been a great privilege. With then 58 years, I want to open a new professional chapter. Until my departure I will continue to support SRG’s transformation with full strength, accompany the political challenges and ensure an optimal handover.”
Wappler first joined SRF more than 20 years ago as an editor at cultural programme Kulturplatz. She later became head of cultural programming before moving to German broadcaster MDR in 2016 as programme director. SRG brought her back in 2019 as SRF director and later appointed her deputy director-general.
The search for her successor will be led by the SRG Deutschschweiz regional board, with the final appointment made by the SRG board of directors.
