Verbier Festival Appoints New Co-CEO

Hervé Boissière, the founder and managing director of the medici.tv platform, will join Martin Engstroem

The Verbier Festival Foundation has appointed Hervé Boissière as its new Co-CEO to work alongside its founder, Martin Engstroem. The founder and managing director of the medici.tv platform, Boissière will begin his tenure on April 15, 2024.

An entrepreneur and ambassador for classical music, Boissière created medici.tv at the Verbier Festival in 2007. He previously held senior management positions at the Warner Classics and naïve labels, as well as the Executive Director role of the Mezzo television channel and Director of Berlin's EuroArts production company.

Boissière's appointment also follows the resignation of Câline Yamakawa, who has worked for the Foundation for eighteen years, and spent six of those as COO.

"Through his work of filming, broadcasting, and promoting hundreds of concerts, Hervé Boissière has played an active role with the Verbier Festival since 2007," said Engstroem. "Together we have created an opportunity for artists performing in Verbier to be seen by millions of viewers all over the world.

"Welcoming Hervé as Co-CEO within our organization will mean both continuity and growth for the future," he added. "We are both up for the challenges ahead and are inspired by the Verbier Festival’s incredible potential."

"What the Verbier Festival has achieved over the last 30 years is truly exceptional," Boissière said. "Thanks to Martin’s boundless vision, this Festival is an international reference, a symbol of artistic and educative excellence, generosity, and responsibility in the face of the challenges of our time.

"Its values are my own, and I’m very honoured to be joining Peter, Martin and the wonderful team I have known since 2007 when I founded medici.tv in Verbier," he continued. "We have some great opportunities for development ahead of us. I look forward to joining all our artists, colleagues, partners, friends and public in beautiful Valais to continue writing the magical story of the Verbier Festival."

A 2021 video of Boissière speaking about the relationship between medici.tv and the Verbier Festival can be viewed below.