By John Revill
ZURICH--Swisscom AG's (SCMN.VX) late Chief Executive Officer
Carsten Schloter was planning to leave the telecommunications
company before he died because of tensions with his chairman, Swiss
news magazine Bilanz reports.
Mr. Schloter, who was found dead at his home on July 23, had
contacted at least three recruitment companies, the magazine
reports in its edition published Friday. Police in the Swiss town
of Freiburg, where Mr. Schloter lived, have said his death was
suicide.
The 49-year-old German's relationship with chairman Hansueli
Loosli was described as a war of attrition, the report said, citing
unnamed friends of Mr. Schloter.
The article said Mr. Schloter had grown weary of interference
from Mr. Loosli, who is also the chairman of the Swiss retailer
Coop. The report quotes Mr. Schloter as saying to one of his
friends: "I have much more management experience in international
companies than this Swiss retailer."
Swisscom said Mr. Schloter had not given or received
notification he would leave his job as group CEO, and gave his full
backing to the company at a meeting in May 2013.
"Cooperation between the Board of Directors and Carsten Schloter
was based on facts and marked by mutual respect," the Swisscom
spokeswoman said. "Differences of opinion between the Board of
Directors and the CEO were settled objectively."
Newspaper website: www.bilanz.ch
Write to John Revill at john.revill@dowjones.com