About gategroup
Creating superior culinary and retail experiences
gategroup is the global leader in airline catering, retail-on-board and hospitality products and services. We provide passengers with superior culinary and retail experiences, leveraging innovation and advanced technology solutions. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, gategroup delivers operational excellence through the most extensive catering network in the aviation industry, serving more than 700 million passengers annually from over 200 operating units in over 60 countries/territories across all continents. In 2019, gategroup reached CHF 5.0 billion in revenues generated by approximately 43,000 employees worldwide.
We deliver innovative food and hospitality solutions by leveraging our distinct and expansive core capabilities in:
Board of Directors
Timo Vättö
Chairman of the Board
Timo Vättö has 30 years of experience in financial services industry, strategy, financing, and M&A. He was named gategroup’s chairman of the board in June 2021.
Board of DirectorsLeadership Team
Christoph Schmitz
Christoph Schmitz is the CEO of gategroup and leads the company in delivering its vision and business strategy. His leadership team is made up of highly-skilled executives who each have substantial experience in the airline industry and beyond.
Executive Management BoardOur culture
We are one gategroup
Over the years we have worked hard to create a one gategroup culture where we are better than the sum of our parts.
We work together, share information and learn from one another. This culture drives us to push the boundaries of our industry and excite our customers with our delivery and innovation. The unique styles, cultures and traditions of our global team creates a diverse work environment where we respect and celebrate individuality.
We are committed to building an organizational culture where everyone is motivated to reach their full potential. The foundation of this culture is a work environment where individuals are encouraged to be their best, develop their skills and capabilities, inspire others and be proud of their achievements.
1992
Gate Gourmet is founded from Swissair Catering
1994
Gate Gourmet's size doubles with the acquisition of SAS Service Partners and it becomes the third largest airline catering company worldwide.
1995
A period of steady growth with acquisitions in Europe, Latin America, Asia and the U.S. begins.
1999
Gate Gourmet merges with Dobbs International Services which had served boxed lunches on flights out of Memphis since 1941.
2001
Parent company Swissair collapses, halts operations unexpectedly, and goes into receivership.
2002
Swissair Group sells Gate Gourmet to investment firm Texas Pacific Group.
2003
Gate Gourmet acquires remaining 70 percent shares of Iber-Swiss catering from Iberia.
2005
Major restructuring and refinancing project is launched and new key labor agreements are reached in the U.S. and UK.
2007
Acquisition strategy is launched to diversify the business to include services to the airline industry beyond catering under new and broader ownership structure.
2008
gategroup brand introduced as the umbrella brand to represent Gate Gourmet and 10 other companies.
2009
gategroup is listed on SIX Swiss Exchange.
2010
gategroup acquires Cara Airline Solutions in Canada and expands footprint in Indian market with Skygourmet.
2011
gateOPEX program is launched for catering operations to drive sustainable cost, quality, reliability and safety.
2012
New brand Gate Retail (Onboard) provides the entire spectrum of onboard sales management.
2013
gategroup expands presence in Oceania by integrating Australian Qantas Catering assets and taking on business activities of Pacific Flight Catering in New Zealand.
2015
gategroup strategy "Gateway 2020" introduced with focus on four pillars: Focus on the Core, Commercial Innovation, Geographical Expansion and Standardization/Efficiency.
2016
HNA Group, a leading Chinese company with activities in aviation, tourism, logistics and financial services, acquires gategroup.
2017
gategroup acquires control over its competitor Servair from Air France, adding a major presence on the African continent to its global network.
2018
Temasek and RRJ join HNA Group as investors in gategroup.
2019
RRJ Capital becomes the sole shareholder of gategroup. Temasek remains invested in gategroup through a mandatory exchangeable bond.