Review KMU SWISS Symposium: Trust is still good

Trust also has to do with continuity: Since the very beginning, organizer and CEO of KMU Swiss, Armin Baumann, has relied on the same moderator: Hugo Bigi. And he once again led the event in a professional manner in the Trafohalle Baden. The KMU Swiss Symposium seems to be a model for success.

Regaining trust in the militia system

However, confidence in another successful model, Switzerland, seems rather shaken at the moment. Is nothing safe with us anymore, not even the banks? Or the Ukraine war: Does this now show the weaknesses of the entire European security policy? KKdt Thomas Süssli, head of the Swiss Armed Forces, explained today's variety of threats in his opening speech. "We are entering World 4.0," said KKdt Süssli. After imperialism ("World 1.0"), the Cold War ("World 2.0") and the period after the fall of the Soviet Union ("World 3.0"), a bloc formation between West and East is again dawning with China as the new superpower. And there are other forces that will change our future: Urbanization, demographics, climate change, and the 4th Industrial Revolution with the advent of artificial intelligence. All four of these forces carry their own risks to security. With the army, Switzerland has "the last security element", says Thomas Süssli. However, the war in Ukraine shows that our army has ensured competence, but lacks war logistics. This requires investments in the build-up capability. Thomas Süssli also sees the militia system as being under threat. He therefore appealed to the business representatives in the room to once again honor the militia system more strongly, pointing out that the Swiss Armed Forces in particular enable unique leadership training from which companies could also benefit. "Security no longer only has a value, but also a price," Thomas Süssli concluded.

How to lose faith in Santa Claus....

Would you trust a Santa Claus who suddenly appeared in your store on December 6? Ivano Somaini showed in his lecture "Believe me, I am a liar" that despite all sympathy for this custom, a little more caution would be appropriate. The speaker is a security analyst at Compass Security Schweiz AG and, as a legal hacker, tests security infrastructures for their permeability on behalf of customers. It often turns out that the technological hurdles (firewalls, security doors, vaults, etc.) are increasingly difficult to overcome. But the human factor is often the decisive weak point. And thanks to the wealth of information - some of it personal - that circulates on the Net about companies and their employees, creative attack scenarios can be developed that often lead to success. "People are easily manipulated," says Somaini. That's why he has even managed to infiltrate a company disguised as Santa Claus and then go on the rampage as a "data thief". His presentation is likely to have prompted a number of participants to be a little more cautious on the Internet in the future and to show more healthy distrust.

Of swarm intelligence, leadership and trust in brands

Can opinions be manipulated? Not if you rely on swarm intelligence, as the company BrainE4 does with its app. Company founder and CEO Andreas Seonbuchner explained how the whole thing works. Based on pre-formulated questions, pairs of questions are defined, which can then be evaluated by the participants in a so-called "swarm dialogue". The application has mechanisms that prevent opinions from being "steered". The participating dialog groups are hierarchy-free, and there is no stage for particularly loud voices. Symposium visitors were able to test how the tool works for themselves right away.

David Fiorucci, CEO of LP3 AG, then explained what makes a good boss. "For 30 years, we have always received the same answer to this question: role model and trust," Fiorucci said. Using nine elements (vision, values, role model, presence, employee development and leadership, communication, justice, professional competence, organization), he showed the quintessence of leadership. Meeting all of these requirements is, of course, difficult. According to Fiorucci, the ability to self-reflect is therefore also important. And this can ultimately also prevent burnout.

Monique Bourquin, President of the Promarca association, then spoke about trust in brands. A trustworthy brand today must stand for uniqueness and values, convey a purpose, show itself capable of innovation, and demonstrate continuity in communication across all channels. "Even in a crisis, a brand must be authentic," says Bourquin. Using prominent examples such as Lindt and Kambly, she also showed that brands are increasingly being experienced through personal stories.

Politics vs. the media - and an entrepreneurial award at the end

In a panel discussion, journalist Christof Moser (co-founder of the online newspaper "Republik") and Aargau Council of States member and FDP president Thierry Burkart debated trust in the media and in politics. The two panelists largely agreed on the importance of the media's role as the "fourth estate." "Media must be suspicious," said Thierry Burkart. Christof Moser sees the gigantic wealth of information as a risk that more and more people will make up their own truth from it and distrust everything that doesn't fit in. More media competence is therefore needed in the fight against fake news.

The final event was the presentation of the Swiss Entrepreneur Award. This went to Guido Bardelli, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the packaging company Bourquin SA in Oensingen. He was honored as an entrepreneur for whom profit is not the primary concern and who has always been, and still is, committed to the people in and around the company.

The next KMU Swiss Symposium will take place on September 7, 2023 in Brugg. The topic is: "Security of Supply ... The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of?". Further information: www.kmuswiss.ch