The Zurich-Cape Town agency has already accumulated a number of awards over the past few years. Their South African office, based at the V&A Waterfront, has been named the best performance marketing agency in South Africa for the past two years in a row at the MEA African Excellence Awards; and on the whole, the agency has scooped up awards like the top digital advertising agency in the world at the Clutch 100 Awards, says the agency.

Monday's wins took R17's victories to a new level, as they won Web Excellence Awards for work spanning several categories and countries, underlining the digital agency's commitment to its clients, growing global presence and performance-driven approach, adds the agency.

According to the agency, the full list of awards won by R17 Ventures AG on Monday, 22 September at the Web Excellence Awards includes:

Marketing and Advertising — Paid Advertisements

  • Alpinte (Switzerland) — Best Marketing / Advertising: Paid Ads

  • Fliggs Mobile (United States of America) — Best Marketing / Advertising: Paid Ads

  • frsh (Schweiz) — Best Marketing / Advertising: Paid Ads

  • Payroll Plus (Switzerland) — Best Marketing / Advertising: Paid Ads

  • Tata iMali (South Africa) — Best Marketing / Advertising: Paid Ads

Social Media

  • AI Tails (USA/Switzerland) — Best Social Media: Animal Welfare

  • frsh (Switzerland) — Best Social Media: Health & Wellness

  • Ninety One (South Africa / Global) — Best Social Media: Finance

  • Save Armenia (USA) — Best Social Media: Cause Awareness

Web Development

  • GEAK24.ch (Switzerland) — Best Website: Home Renovation

  • GotPost (Switzerland) — Best Website: Innovative & Experimental

  • GotPost (Switzerland) — Best Website: Software Development

  • Myant Care360 (Canada) — Best Website: Medical

  • Natural Swiss Foods (Switzerland) — Best Website: Beverages

  • PB Swiss Tools (USA) — Best Website: Consumer Goods

  • UMA Performance (Switzerland) — Best Website: Animal Welfare

The wins coincide with major leadership changes at R17 Ventures AG. Long-serving CEO, Raphael Rohner, is stepping down in mid-October to spend more time with his family. Rohner will continue to advise the agency in a non-executive capacity. Taking over as CEO and board member is Mariangela Coco, adds the agency.

Coco is a stalwart in digital marketing. She has previously worked at Microsoft Italy, leading international digital advertising teams at EF Education First, and in other senior digital acquisition roles. She has been consulting R17 on strategic operational alignment since January 2025 and is described by the company as well placed to strengthen its client-centric and innovation-first approach, says the agency.

The agency also confirmed that Marie-Josephine Bourquin will join the board and take over as CFO from Andreas Graf. Bourquin has experience as a CFO across SaaS and digital service companies, which she will be bringing to R17.

In addition, Nicholas Hänny, Co-Founder, CEO and CMO of NIKIN AG and Co-Founder of Togeco, joins the board. Hänny has a background in successfully growing and scaling brands — both his own, as well as other D2C/direct-to-consumer brands like Dropz, says the agency.

Marc Degen, Chairman of R17 Ventures AG, says, "We thank Raphael and Andreas for their years of dedication and leadership, which have been instrumental in shaping R17. Raphael will remain a special advisor, and we wish both him and Andreas well in their next chapters. At the same time, we welcome Mariangela, Marie-Josephine, and Nicholas. R17 has always had an innovation-first approach, and I am encouraged by how this new leadership team will continue to deliver solutions that ensure our clients receive the best possible outcomes."

The combination of global recognition at the Web Excellence Awards and the new leadership appointments marks what the company describes as a new chapter in its growth.

For more information, visit www.r17ventures.com. You can also follow R17 Ventures AG on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or on TikTok. 

*Image courtesy of contributor