Théodore Renfer

Théodore Renfer (1897-1983) was president of ASUAG from 1955 through 1972.

Born on December 19, 1897 in Bienne, Théodore Renfer apprenticed at the Banque Populaire Suisse in Bienne before taking a two-year assignment in Barcelona immediately after the First World War. He returned to his hometown where he rose to the rank of director of the Bienne headquarters of the Banque Populaire Suisse. In 1933, Renfer moved to the general management of the Banque Populaire Suisse, then to the Bernese headquarters of this bank, of which he became director in 1938. From 1948 to 1955, he was president of the Bernese Union of Commerce and industry.

In 1955, Renfer was appointed general management of ASUAG in Bienne, a position he held until 1972. During this period, he was also Chairman of the Board of Directors of several affiliated companies of ASUAG.

Renfer handed over the presidency of ASUAG to Pierre Renggli in 1971 at the age of 73. The two had worked closely together since 1968. For a few more years, he continued to sit on the board of directors of several holding companies and devoted his attention to major financial problems.

Théodore Renfer moved from the management of the Swiss People's Bank in Bern to ASUAG in 1955, where he took an active part in the consolidation, then in the development of the controlled companies. In discussions, sometimes tense, between suppliers and customers, he always knew how to make himself appreciated by his loyalty, his courtesy and his spirit of conciliation.