Keller Swiss Group AG

Full relocation support for arriving families and professionals

Keller Swiss Group AG is a Basel-headquartered relocation services firm with main offices in Basel, Geneva (Vernier), and Zurich (Spreitenbach), plus relocation advisory in Bern, Lausanne, and Zug. All three main sites hold FIDI FAIM certification, the international accreditation for relocation specialists. The firm distinguishes itself from basic moving companies by framing relocation as a complete settling-in process: they manage household goods transport but add the administrative and personal support that makes an arrival successful.

What relocation actually means for arrivals

For someone moving to Switzerland from abroad, Keller Swiss Group describes their service as relieving "busy expats from important responsibilities which automatically come with moving to a new country." This spans six distinct layers. First is practical logistics: the household move itself, including packing and transport. Second is the administrative maze: authorities, bank account opening, residential registration, and official formalities that vary by canton and region. Third is settling-in support: introduction to neighborhoods, introduction to schools and childcare, identification of family services. Fourth is cultural and language training: intercultural orientation and language preparation so families and individuals adapt faster (learning not just the language but the unwritten Swiss business and social codes). Fifth is education support: school advice and guidance for families placing children mid-year into Swiss schools (a particular challenge since Swiss schools often have established classes with no mid-year entry point, requiring navigation and advocacy). Sixth is family support: dedicated attention to spouse and partner integration, which international moves research shows is often the hidden friction point (a spouse arriving in a new country where their partner works long hours faces isolation and identity loss, making their settling-in care essential). Finally, they offer import logistics for private vehicles and pets, which is a specific Swiss regulatory need since imports carry duties and paperwork (a vehicle arriving from the US or Australia requires import duties, emissions testing, Swiss insurance, and registration, processes that differ from EU arrivals). For someone relocating mid-career from London or New York to Geneva with children and a household, this bundled approach means one contact point handles all six layers rather than assembling a patchwork of movers, estate agents, language tutors, school consultants, and vehicle import specialists separately.

The infrastructure and accreditations

Keller Swiss Group operates from six locations: Basel (Reinacherstrasse 121, their headquarters), Geneva (Vernier, not the city center), and Zurich (Spreitenbach, on the outskirts), with relocation offices in Bern, Lausanne, and Zug. The three main sites are FIDI FAIM certified, which means they meet international standards for relocation services management and staff training set by the Federation of International Furniture Removers and the Fine Art Movers Association. FIDI FAIM certification is not universal among Swiss movers; it is held by firms meeting higher standards for relocation management, training, and service quality. The firm employs nearly 200 staff, described as "engaged employees" on the site, and is an established, well-staffed organization. Leadership includes CEO and board chair Lorenz Amiet, who is the fifth generation of the founding family and has led the company since 2008. His background is a doctorate-level education in mechanical engineering from ETH Zurich, plus prior roles in IT and operations management within the company before moving to leadership. Philip Messerli serves as Chief Commercial Officer overseeing relocation services and sales; he has worked for the firm since 2007 and moved into management in 2013. Their team includes specialists in customer care (Oliver Schneider, customer care head with 25 years in the moving industry, suggesting deep knowledge of what arrivals need), relocation administration (Mike Grossniklaus, managing relocation and international coordination, who brings extensive background in tourism and hospitality before joining Keller in 2021), business moves (Patrick Häsler, holding an MBA in HR and organization management), francophone customers (Fabio Macchitella, with over 20 years in international moving, serving Romandy and Geneva), quality and process management (Simone Amiet, with background in accounting and financial regulation from the UK and Switzerland), operations (Patrick Richter, overseeing Zurich, Basel, Bern, and Geneva operations), and compliance. The site identifies this leadership structure to signal experience and expertise in each domain. The depth of experience in each role and the educational background of the leadership team indicates this is not a generalist mover applying relocation as a sideline.

What the site does not address

The site publishes no pricing for relocation services. They invite contact through a form but offer no rate card, package pricing, service minimums, or cost structures. Timelines for different services are not specified: how long does administrative support take, when should language training begin, what is the lead time for school advice. Language capabilities are not explicitly stated beyond the site's availability in German, English, and French. The scope of "intercultural training" is not defined: is this one conversation or multiple sessions, is it pre-departure or post-arrival. The vehicle and pet import service is mentioned but not detailed: what is the process, what are the costs, what documentation is required, what is the timeline. School advice scope is undefined: does this include visits to schools, applications, timing for mid-year entry. Spouse support is mentioned but its format is not described: is this coaching, is it group-based, is it separate from the family orientation.

Who this serves

Keller Swiss Group serves expat families and corporate staff relocating to Switzerland who have the budget for comprehensive support and the complexity to need it. A family with children being placed into Swiss schools mid-year, no local network, language barriers, and significant household goods to transport finds a single point of contact for six separate challenges. A corporate employer moving a team to a Swiss office benefits from their coordination with HR and their infrastructure across the three main economic centers. Someone arriving from a country with very different administrative systems (non-EU citizen, unfamiliar banking systems, visa-dependent residency) finds value in the regulatory navigation. By contrast, someone moving locally within Switzerland, someone moving with minimal household goods, someone already with local family or employer support, or someone seeking only transport logistics might find them overspecialized or costly relative to the need.