Alisée de Tonnac started out as a product manager for a big cosmetics company, but the French-born social entrepreneur soon realized she wanted to do a job with more impact. Today, she is CEO of Seedstars World, an international competition that helps grow start-up ecosystems in emerging markets.From corporate to start-up: The career epiphany of Alisée de Tonnac
Alisée de Tonnac started out as a product manager for a big cosmetics company, but the French-born social entrepreneur soon realized she wanted to do a job with more impact. Today, she is CEO of Seedstars World, an international competition that helps grow start-up ecosystems in emerging markets.
Oswald Grübel, the “benevolent dictator”
As the former CEO of both UBS and Credit Suisse, the German-born banker was one of the most powerful, and toughest, executives in Switzerland for decades. Now, at 75, Oswald Grübel is hardly your average retiree; he’s still very outspoken, like, for instance, when it comes to the recent scandal at Credit Suisse.
“We have a bigger mission with GetYourGuide,” says co-founder Rein
The travel platform GetYourGuide made headlines in May when the Swiss tech unicorn raised CHF 500 million in its latest investor round. But co-founder Tobias Rein says that it is customer value, not money, that drives him. “So many travel experiences still suck,” he says, “and I still believe if we focus on the things we want to do, we can be number one in the world.”
Vontobel CEO: “You have to have a controlled amount of paranoia”
Zeno Staub has been Vontobel’s CEO since 2011 and has experienced the transformation of the Swiss banking system firsthand. Find out in this week’s Executive Talk why he thinks the market has entered a new era and why “Swissness” alone isn’t enough for banks here to survive in the future.
Celebrity chef Anton Mosimann: “We lose customers because of Brexit”
Swiss-born Michelin-starred chef Anton Mosimann moved to London over 40 years ago and has been cooking for his customers—including the British royal family—ever since. He always follows two simple rules: show respect for your staff and enjoy what you do.
Banker Patrick Odier: Stress is the enemy of our business
For more than 220 years, the family of Patrick Odier has been a pillar of Geneva-based private bank Lombard Odier. Having dealt with more than 40 financial crises, the company—and its managing partners—know that thinking long-term is the key to success. And that now includes sustainable finance.
Jos Dijsselhof: The EU doesn’t understand how Switzerland works
SIX is in full transformation mode under the helm of CEO Jos Dijsselhof. He sheds light on the overhaul process: “The hardware is there, but the real impact still has to come.” He also says that the reason the Swiss-EU framework agreement has been unsuccessful thus far is because the EU doesn’t fully understand how Switzerland works.
Dieter Meier: “There’s a fine line between passion and addiction”
Dieter Meier calls himself a “lazy guy,” but his wide-spanning career seems anything but. After founding the band Yello, Meier headed to Argentina to raise cattle and produce wines for his successful restaurants. Meier even played professional poker, an experience that taught him about taking risks. He tells Urs Gredig all about his latest gamble: taking on the chocolate industry.
Jean-Claude Biver: “My ego has been satisfied for quite some time”
There’s arguably not another watch executive as legendary—and disruptive—as Jean-Claude Biver. The Luxembourg-born visionary has been on the cutting edge of the industry for almost five decades. What makes this maverick tick and why does he believe in love as a pivotal management strategy?
André Kudelski: A disruptive mind in an ever-changing business world
As CEO and chairman, André Kudelski has headed up his technology company for 30 years. In that time, he’s had to transform and disrupt his business model several times. How does he manage change, where does he see Switzerland in a global perspective, and how can the Kudelski Group maintain its status as a world leader in digital security?
