Farewell, dear Jules Kyburz

Jules Kyburz achieved something that is almost unheard of today: he worked his way from the very bottom to the very top and dedicated almost his entire working life to the same company. Almost: born in Aargau, he left Switzerland for London at the tender age of 17, where he initially worked as a waiter. When the immigration authorities caught up with him, he joined a merchant ship, later recalling that the three years he spent travelling the world's oceans were sometimes hellish, but wonderful nonetheless.

In the early 1950s, he returned to Switzerland, where he became aware of Migros founder Gottlieb Duttweiler. Kyburz attended Duttweiler's lectures and was fascinated by the man and his views on social capital. As a result, Kyborz applied to the Migros Cooperative Zurich, where he was offered the only vacancy: as a store clerk at the Wetzikon store. His monthly salary was CHF 340 – "not very much", as he once remarked mischievously. Thus it was that he began his illustrious career at Migros, which he would mould like almost no-one else over the following six decades.

Just a year later, he headed the first store in Basel, and in 1958 he became the store manager in Zug, where he had a very special responsibility: once a month, company founder Duttweiler and his wife Adele would pop in for coffee. Every time, they would order coffee and a cream slice, which they would share. And every time, Duttweiler enquired about how business was going. He always had good things to report. It was also at this time that Coop tried – and failed – to poach Kyburz.

In 1961, Kyburz moved to the Migros Cooperative St. Gallen, where he was promoted to Sales Manager shortly thereafter. During his tenure, he opened the Pizolpark in Mels (canton of St. Gallen), Migros' very first MMM store. From then on, it was a steady climb to the top. At the age of 38, he headed the Migros Cooperative Bern. And by age 52, he was the President of what was then the Executive Board of Directors Delegation of the Federation of Migros Cooperatives. In other words, he was the boss of Migros. When Kyburz stepped down in 1991, he became President of the Board of Directors and later President of the Gottlieb and Adele Duttweiler Foundation.

In 2012, after 60 years with the company, Kyburz went into well-earned retirement. But this didn't change his commitment to Migros. He regularly wrote letters to the editor of Migros magazine ahead of key decisions, such as the Executive Board re-elections in 2019 and in the run-up to the legendary alcohol referendum of 2022. In September 2024, he agreed to be interviewed one last time to speak about Migros' forthcoming centenary. Even at the ripe old age of 92, he recalled remarkable details about his career. For example, the head of the flower department during his time in Zug, who followed Kyburz wherever he went each time he was promoted once again and moved to the other end of Switzerland.

Kyburz remained interested in Migros right to the very end, and he wasn't afraid to criticise the current restructuring. At the same time, he never sought to exaggerate or romanticise the past or his own role. He was pleased to have been able to experience a wonderful era for Migros, a period of unchecked growth, but knew that he and his colleagues hadn't been immune to making mistakes, such as the failed attempt to expand into Austria. He was confident that Migros would overcome and master the current challenges.

On behalf of the Migros community, we wish to express our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.

Farewell, dear Jules Kyburz

Ursula Nold, President of the FMC Board of Directors
Mario Irminger, President of the FMC Executive Board