UK-born Jill Ader is the first female leader of world-renowned Swiss executive search firm, Egon Zehnder. She already knows what makes a good executive, but she had to learn for herself that becoming the boss comes with plenty of unforeseen challenges.
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Egon Zehnder Chairwoman: “The world needs more great leadership”
UK-born Jill Ader is the first female leader of world-renowned Swiss executive search firm, Egon Zehnder. She already knows what makes a good executive, but she had to learn for herself that becoming the boss comes with plenty of unforeseen challenges.
IBM Switzerland General Manager: “You need to lead by doing”
Christian Keller has been with U.S. tech giant IBM for almost 25 years, and he’s already at his second stint as general manager for Switzerland. As an IBM executive, he has witnessed first-hand the latest digital transformation and is also aware of the challenges that lie ahead.
Procter & Gamble Europe President Loïc Tassel: “I play to win”
Loïc Tassel’s first job after his studies was at Procter & Gamble, and the Frenchman has been with the consumer goods giant ever since. As president of P&G Europe, he now oversees a CHF 15 billion business with nearly 40,000 employees in 57 countries from his office in Geneva.
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.
