bb Insights
Cheers to 25 years:
Tobias's journey to the top of bb.
From beer to business:
How it all started over an after-work beer.
Not every career begins with a job posting or a traditional application. For our CEO, Tobias Meyer, it all started with an after-work beer.
Tobias’s best friend was studying business administration alongside Yves Böniger, who was the owner and managing director of bb at the time. After class, the three would often meet for a beer at a karaoke bar. They usually had the place to themselves, could request their favorite songs, and always had a great time. That’s how Tobias first got to know bb, where he eventually started working in sales.
He still remembers his first major order: a mini scan radio for Rivella. It was a project he was incredibly proud of at the time. And it certainly wouldn’t be his last project or his last role at bb.
Tobias soon moved from sales into order processing, eventually taking over as head of the department. Then, on July 1, 2011, he took another major step in his career: becoming managing director of bb trading.
How times have changed:
What's different after 25 years.
A lot has changed since Tobias joined bb trading. Back then, fax machines were still part of everyday business, and finding promotional products was a completely different experience. People would flip through thick catalogs packed with advertisements, almost like old-fashioned phone books. Today, stock availability is displayed in real time in the bb online shop, and AI is becoming an increasingly important part of daily work.
The products themselves have changed, too. What used to be simple imported items has evolved into certified products made from recycled materials, with a whole new set of requirements. Even after all these years, Tobias is still fascinated by how much has changed, both at bb trading and across the promotional products industry as a whole.
Along the way, he’s also had the opportunity to grow personally and meet countless people he’s learned from and benefited from working with – customers, suppliers, members of the board of directors, and above all, his own team.
He’s especially proud of how the company has developed over the years. And his vision for the future is clear: to make bb the number one company in the industry while continuing to be a reliable employer.
A lifetime of memories:
The moments that stand out.
After 25 years, there’s no shortage of memories. From countless challenges involving customers and orders to fun evenings playing foosball over an after-work beer, numerous bb events, and exciting trips to China – including one memorable occasion when he was turned away at the border! But there’s still one thing Tobias hasn’t checked off his bb to-do list after a quarter of a century: he’s never been to PSI!
To celebrate this milestone, we gave Tobias a mountaineering ice axe engraved with the names of every employee who has worked alongside him at bb over the past 25 years.
Maybe it’ll join him on his next mountain adventure!
Dear Tobias, thank you for your incredible dedication to the company and, above all, for the person you are. Despite everything on your plate each day, you always make time for your team, listen to their concerns, and play a huge part in creating the positive atmosphere we value so much at bb.
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