Daniel Gorostidi, CEO of ELCA, wins the 2008 SwissICT People Award in the "Champion" category

Daniel Gorostidi was presented with the People Award at the 2008 SwissICT Awards on 10 November 2008 in Lucerne.

Daniel Gorostidi’s accomplishments are strongly anchored in the corporate culture at ELCA. He has played an influential role in the last 30 years of the company's 40-year history. Daniel Gorostidi was born in France, grew up in Spain and is now a Swiss national. He joined ELCA (formerly Electro-Calcul) immediately after graduating from the Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne. He took over the helm at ELCA in 1994. In 2000 he successfully implemented the management buyout initiated a year earlier in response to shareholders' wishes, and one year later he became the company's majority shareholder as well as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Under his leadership, ELCA continued to develop both locally and at international level. With a 500-strong workforce, it is now one of the largest independently held Swiss IT service companies that is also internationally competitive – as demonstrated with various international successes as well as in early 2008 when ELCA was chosen by SBB as one of its strategic partner.

The SwissICT Awards recognise Swiss individuals and companies who show outstanding levels of success and achievement in the IT-sector. In addition to the "Champion" category, a prize was also presented in the "Newcomer" category. The "Newcomer" award goes to young companies and individuals in Switzerland with clear aspirations of assuming an important role in the future of ICT.

The prizes were awarded jointly by the publication InfoWeek and SwisslCT, a leading Swiss information and communications technology association, as part of the Swiss ICT Forum in Lucerne.

Brief profile of Daniel Gorostidi

Born in 1952 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz (France), Daniel Gorostidi came to Switzerland in 1973 to study at the Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne. The mathematics graduate decided to remain in Switzerland and started out his career at ELCA (at the time Electro-Calcul). He has since become a Swiss citizen and continues to foster close contacts with his Alma Mater, which also draws on his expertise. Daniel Gorostidi is married with three children and speaks fluent French, English and Spanish. The rugby enthusiast also enjoys spending his leisure time outdoors fishing.

ELCA company profile

ELCA, an independent Swiss company, is a leader in the fields of software development, systems integration and business consulting. ELCA employs around 500 highly qualified staff. The head office of the company is in Lausanne, whilst it also maintains branches in Zurich, Geneva, Bern, London, Paris, Madrid (nearshore development) and Ho-Chi-Minh City (offshore development). The shares are held by the managers and employees of the company.