An overcrowded Pfalzkeller with an active audience of around 200 people heard a report on the experiences of someone affected that got under their skin: "It was only after Thusis that I finally came halfway around. In the morning, I left everything as if in a trance, apparently got into the car and stopped before the Bernardino tunnel and turned around again. But not in order to report to work again, but as if I had been driven by someone else, I drove to Bad Ragaz, where I took a room and isolated myself. These first words of an affected person gave the audience a first-hand impression of what the topic of "mental crisis" is probably all about. When it is not fatigue, overwork, nervousness or stress that are the main issues, but a "disengagement" that is on the agenda.

Company reacted early

After the introductory welcome by Dr. Andreas Hartmann, President of the Cantonal Trade Association St.Gallen, the discussion round for this year's forum started.Integration led by moderator Bruno Schnellmann, co-leader of Profil - Handicap&Work.

The example of the company swissplast AG from Sargans was used to show the way of an employee back into the company. The owner and the production manager of swissplast impressively described how important it was to react quickly to the psychological crisis of the previously very reliable employee by staying in contact with her during her illness.

Interaction with consultants

Future changes in the workplace were discussed and planned together. Cooperation with the IV integration consultant played an important role in this. According to Prof. Dr.med. Wolfram Kawohl, Chief Physician Psychiatric Services Aargau, it is possible to continue working despite mental illness in many more cases than previously thought. The scope of the job can be changed to create a better fit between the employee and the workplace. It turns out that job coaching is important for all parties involved and brings relief in the process design. The job coach as a translator between the parties involved, as a lynchpin of the different interests and needs, is decisive in many cases.

Integration as the normal case

The IV integration consultant was able to point out the state co-financing and report on the consultations that were needed at the swissplast company to bring everyone involved, including the employees, to the table until it was finally possible to "get back" the deserving employee. It should be noted that it was not done with one meeting, it took two or three attempts until she and the team were able to vote again. In the end, it was worth it.

The experts present from the medical, legal, social insurance and private insurance sectors and from the field of job coaching answered questions that arise for employers and employees in connection with the return to work. For the many company representatives present, it was possible to show how paths back to work can be successful. Thus, this forum is an important contribution to the fact that such integrations can be "normal" and are definitely worthwhile - worthwhile compared to dismissals and new hires.

More information: www.forumimpfalzkeller.ch

The "Arbeitskreis Interim Management Provider" (AIMP) - by its own account the most important association of interim management providers in German-speaking Europe - presented the "Interim Manager of the Year" award for the seventh time on April 22. The award winner, Dr. Patrick Jung, has been working as an interim manager since 2006. Since then, he has had more than 10 successful assignments as CEO, division and project manager, of which AIMP provider member Top Fifty AG in Zug arranged eight mandates. Jung holds a doctorate in engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich and spent many years in permanent positions managing companies for electrotechnical solutions. Today, his many years of management experience are in demand in a wide variety of industrial companies. He is a generalist who masters both the technical and the business side. He often works on turnaround projects. Jung has also continuously developed as an interim manager during his self-employment and is now a sought-after expert.

"I am passionate about interim management"

Anyone who wants to successfully build up a network and make a name for themselves in interim management has to work hard. Thanks to his great commitment and correspondingly successful mandates, Patrick Jung is also permanently booked out, as the saying goes. He sees his career as a path with many high points, but also difficult moments: "I'm passionate about interim management and, by taking on management responsibility on an interim basis, I want to develop and implement sustainable solutions together with the management team."

Renowned network

Jung not only supports his clients in managing their businesses sustainably and profitably, he often accompanies his clients on the company's board of directors after the operational activities have been completed. Patrick Jung is an Associate Partner at Top Fifty Interim Management in Zug. For more than 20 years, the company has been placing executives with above-average professional and life experience for demanding interim or project management. Three members of the Top Fifty network have already been awarded "Interim Manager of the Year".

More information: www.top50interim.com

Urs Weber (49) has been responsible for Professional Services at Sage Schweiz AG since 2015. He has now taken over as Head of Product Delivery and is responsible for the development of the local Sage products Sage Start, Sage 50 Extra and Sage 200 Extra. The graduate computer scientist has many years of experience in the software industry. Among other things, he headed the e-business division at ALSO Schweiz AG and was responsible for setting up and managing the Business Intelligence Competence Center at Bison Schweiz AG.

Edwin Bütikofer (62) is relinquishing management after 12 years and will also step down from the Executive Board of Sage Schweiz AG as of July 31, 2017. He will remain with Sage as Product Manager responsible for Sage 200 Extra. Edwin Bütikofer on this decision: "I have now been with the company for 30 years, including over a decade in the management of one of the leading software houses in Switzerland. It was always clear to me that my path would lead me 'back to the roots'. Namely to the product Sage 200 Extra, the former Simultan."

Marc Ziegler, Country Manager Sage Switzerland: "We are pleased that Edwin Bütikofer with his enormous know-how will remain with us and that we have been able to find an accomplished successor in Urs Weber. We will focus our investments on the expansion of our products Sage Start, Sage 50 Extra and Sage 200 Extra, especially on the industry solution for nursing homes and institutions for the disabled. In doing so, we are keeping an eye on the growing requirements of digitization. For example, all products are already ready for the new Swiss payment transactions with ISO 20022 standard."

Following the change in management, Professional Services will be led by Felix Hegi on an interim basis. Recruitment for this position is currently underway.

Source and further information: Sage Switzerland

Big day on June 21, 2017 in Oberengstringen just outside Zurich: Equinix announces the completion of the second expansion phase of the International Business Exchange ™ (IBX) Datacenter ZH5. The expansion created an additional 900 square meters of data center space and 280 cabinets at ZH5 to meet the ever-growing demand for connectivity and co-location. Equinix invested approximately USD 18 million, underscoring both its growth in Switzerland and the importance of the Zurich region as a business location. As digitalization has become a strategic business principle, Equinix offers companies direct connectivity to network service providers as well as international cloud service providers such as Amazon, Microsoft Azure, Google and Softlayer. But Equinix also offers its data center services to "smaller" customers, such as those who want to operate a private cloud and rely on the high data security standards in Switzerland. "In a way, we are the enablers of digitalization," said Roger Semprini, Managing Director of Equinix Switzerland, at a media orientation.

New use of the former flower exchange

The ZH5 data center was opened in 2013 in the former flower exchange in Oberengstringen. With a total of around 6,670 square meters, the site is Equinix's largest data center in the Zurich area when completed and houses one of the most important Internet nodes in Switzerland. Expansion work began in October 2016, driven by high demand for data center space and interconnection from the financial community, cloud providers and the telecommunications market in this important economic region.

ZH5 is connected to the other Equinix IBX data centers in Zurich via a fiber optic ring line, creating a high-performance, interconnection-ready campus for the greater region. In total, Equinix hosts more than 90 network providers, more than 60 cloud service providers, about 40 financial companies, and more than 20 content providers and enterprise customers each at its data centers in Zurich. In other words: Streaming services such as Netflix and the various social media platforms only function thanks to such data centers.

Further expansion planned

Zurich is an important interconnection and financial center in Switzerland and centrally located in Europe, Zurich is a key location from which to reach all European destinations in a maximum of 30 milliseconds. Roger Semprini explains, "Switzerland, in the heart of Europe, is a key market for Equinix with an ever-increasing demand for data center space. That is why we are continuously investing in our sites to meet our customers' needs for highly secure and high performance data centers. Equinix plays an important role in helping enterprises future-proof their IT operations by interconnecting people, sites, clouds and data. Today, we can announce the completion of the second phase of expansion at the ZH5 IBX data center - with the next phase already planned."

More information: www.equinix.ch

The latest Switzerland country report of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), the largest international study on entrepreneurship, shows a great reluctance among young people to want to start their own company one day. The 2016/2017 edition of the study, authored by the Fribourg School of Economics (HSW-FR), in collaboration with the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), examines for the first time regional differences according to the seven major regions (from the Federal Statistical Office) and the spatial types of Switzerland's new regional policy NRP. Within the framework of the study, 3500 interviews were conducted.

8.2% of Swiss people started their own business between 2013 and 2016

The framework conditions in Switzerland are generally viewed positively, and the conditions for starting a business are better in Switzerland than in comparable countries. Nevertheless, only 8.2% of the Swiss have embarked on an entrepreneurial adventure in recent years. This is a slight increase (+ 0.9%) compared with 2015, but Switzerland still ranks below the average of comparable innovation-based economies (9.1%), such as the United States, Canada or Australia.

Entrepreneurship is not a real career choice

In 2016, 43.3% of the Swiss believed they had enough experience and skills to start their own business. But starting a business is only an option for a minority: 38.9% of the population considers it a good career choice, compared to 77.9% in the Netherlands, 68.8% in Portugal, 65.5% of Canadians, or 64.2% of Israelis. And only 7.9% of the Swiss are willing to become entrepreneurs and start a new business in the next three years. Entrepreneurial careers still do not seem to have the necessary positive appeal among the Swiss population.

Switzerland in the back ranks

Among young people aged 18-24, the transition to entrepreneurship is indeed problematic. Although many of the young respondents consider an entrepreneurial career a good career choice (44.2% of them), only a small minority (13.6%) consider that they have the necessary foundations to start their own business. And only a quarter (25.5%) recognize interesting business opportunities in the place where they live. In an international comparison, Switzerland clearly lags behind here: only one young person in their thirties is currently starting a business or is at the helm of a startup. A figure that puts Switzerland in the back ranks of comparable innovation-strong economies (23rd place in a comparison of 27 countries). In the Netherlands, nearly one in five already knows the joys and challenges of entrepreneurship....

How can you get young people excited about entrepreneurship?

Are these signs of a lack of self-confidence? Or does the young Swiss generation not want to leave its own comfort zone and employee status? The results suggest that the course toward entrepreneurial incentives and education is being set too late. How, therefore, can entrepreneurial spirit and innovative behavior be taught during compulsory schooling? According to Rico Baldegger, Director of HSW-FR, "the success of our first edition of the ADOPRENEURS summer camp, which we organized in the summer of 2016 for young people aged 13 to 16, clearly shows that young people are waiting for such initiatives. Even more, the way of entrepreneurial education, including the post-compulsory level, needs to be fundamentally rethought. We need to get students out of the classroom and into the practice of the real business world, especially that of startups. The Swiss education system needs to do a better job of fostering creativity in young people and encouraging them to think outside the box and away from traditional careers."

Women less involved in entrepreneurial activities

The situation analysis from a gender perspective shows that women are less likely to engage in entrepreneurship today than they were about a decade ago. From 22.9% in 2003, the rate increased to almost 50% between 2011 and 2014 - a figure close to parity with men - but drops again to 32.2% in 2016. This could be interpreted as the 2008 financial crisis pushing women to start new businesses "out of necessity". Furthermore, the overall situation of the labor market has improved in recent years, and may therefore have diminished their entrepreneurial ambitions. The balance between work and family life also seems likely to be a factor in this significant decline.

Source and more information

>>venture>> is organized by ETH Zurich, McKinsey & Company Switzerland, Knecht Holding, the Federal Commission for Technology and Innovation, and EPFL. In addition, 31 renowned Swiss companies, institutions and media partners support the startup competition. In this year's >>venture>> edition, 325 people in 203 teams participated: 95 submitted their business ideas and 108 their business plans. The top teams tackled topics from the fields of medical technology, biotechnology, pharmacology, aerospace, geology, and information technology.

The winners

The jury and advisory board selected Lumigbo as the best business plan and ReflectUS as the best business idea from the submitted business plans and business ideas. TWIICE has won the SRF/RTS Audience Award.

1st place - best business plan: Lumigbo (ETH Zurich/EPFL, Lausanne)

The problem with existing implant solutions is that the curing process of the filling material cannot be controlled. Lumigbo has developed a material that can be cured using light. By using the material, implants (e.g. in dental procedures) can be built up and hardened step by step directly in the body.

1st place- best business idea: ReflectUS (ETH Zurich)

Breast cancer diagnosis usually means considerable stress for patients: Mammography exposes them to X-ray radiation, and squeezing the breast during the examination is usually painful. ReflectUS is developing an examination device based on ultrasound technology. It allows radiation-free diagnosis and enables a more comfortable examination.

Audience Award: TWIICE (EPFL, Lausanne)

TWIICE is developing a modular exoskeleton that enables paraplegics to regain independence in their daily activities. Patients can stand, walk and climb stairs again with the exoskeleton. Unlike existing exoskeleton solutions, TWIICE's modular exoskeleton can be specifically adapted to patients' needs.

Not only prize money

The >>venture>> awards ceremony is about much more than the total prize money of CHF 170,000, the organizers say: "For 20 years, we have been improving the chances of success for budding entrepreneurs by imparting knowledge, coaching and expanding their network," explains Dr. Thomas Knecht, former director of McKinsey & Company Switzerland and founder of the competition. "On the day of the awards ceremony, all participants also get the opportunity to meet investors in 1:1 meetings, and the best teams present themselves to interested groups of investors," he adds. The quality of the projects submitted for the startup competition is very high, Dr. Thomas Knecht adds. Selecting the best teams from the many good projects was a great challenge for the judges, he says.

The other award winners

2nd-5th place business plan >>venture>> 2017

2nd place Haelixa (ETH Zurich): DNA-based markers for industry that are neither toxic nor radioactive.
3rd place Rainbow Biosystem (Eawag, Zurich): Fish cell-based biosensor system that can determine toxicity in water.
4th place Vibwife (Switzerland Innovation Park, Biel/Bienne): mobilization mattress that ensures a correct body position during birth.
5th place ASTROCAST (EPFL, Lausanne): Builds a network of nanosatellites with technical support from ESA (European Space Agency).

2nd to 5th place business idea >>venture>> 2017

2nd place Struckd (ZhdK, Zurich): Struckd closes the gap between the two trends gamification (e.g. for advertising content) and user-generated game content.
3rd place PeakProfiling (Zurich/Berlin, no university stated): Developed an algorithm that enables the diagnosis of depression based on voice patterns.
4th place TWIICE (EPFL, Lausanne): TWIICE is developing a modular exoskeleton that enables paraplegics to regain independence in their daily activities.
5th place Komp-Act (EPFL, Lausanne): Develops lightweight and innovative electric (instead of hydraulic) actuators for the aerospace market.

More about >>venture>>

Hardly any other sub-discipline of corporate management is as subject to changing (fashion) trends as marketing. SMEs in particular - which make up the backbone of the economy with 99 percent of companies - seem to be at a loss when it comes to using new trends to market their own company and products. With her book "Praxisbuch Trendmarketing. Innovation Cycle and Marketing Mix for SMEs", the authors Veronika Bellone and Thomas Matla now provide a wealth of information and helpful guidance. First, various SMEs from the DACH region themselves have their say and report on their own handling of trends and the corresponding trend marketing After a section on trend research, seven important megatrends are then discussed (digitalization, individualism, globalization, demographic change, sustainability, healthstyle and urbanization). Then it gets really concrete: the authors present the 13-P marketing mix and explain its application in SMEs with the derivation of an innovation cycle for trend marketing. The classic 4P approach from the 1960s is no longer sufficient in the eyes of the authors. The criteria Product, Price, Place, Promotion are supplemented by People (humans), Process (processes) and Physical Evidence (materials) and extended by dimensions such as Purpose (enterprise purpose), Performance (performance figures) or Propulsion (technologies). Paying attention to the needs of customers is also an important call of the book for SMEs. Practical checklists and case studies - always interspersed to illustrate individual theoretical sections - round off the clearly structured book. All in all, the two authors provide a useful working tool that combines scientific depth with many examples from SMEs in different industries - a treasure trove of knowledge and stimulus for application for marketing managers with strategic aspirations as well as for students who want to delve deeper into this subject area.

Veronika Bellone, Thomas Matla
"Trend Marketing Practice Book - Innovation Cycle and Marketing Mix for SMEs"
Campus Verlag Frankfurt/ New York, 2017
367 pages, hardcover
Print ISBN 978-3-593-50662-3
E-Book (PDF) ISBN 978-3-593-43567-1
E-Book (EPUB) ISBN 978-3-593-43590-9

Link to the book

"During the vacations, employees should recharge their batteries without worrying about job matters," emphasizes Yeng Chow, Senior Manager at Robert Half in Zurich. "Holiday handovers therefore not only help colleagues who have to take over tasks. Above all, they serve to actually be able to completely switch off and regenerate during the vacations. If recreation comes up short during the time off, lower productivity and lack of motivation can be expected upon return," says Chow. To help employees enjoy their well-deserved vacation, Robert Half recalls some tips for the perfect vacation handover.

Organize vacation replacement successfully with these 5 tips:

1. The early bird catches the worm: Inform in good time: Remind your colleagues at least one to two weeks before your last day of work and plan enough time for the handover. No one is focused at 5 p.m. on Fridays, so the appointment should take place earlier. This will give your colleagues enough time to ask you questions after the meeting. You should also allow a buffer for yourself: Don't schedule important tasks or appointments just before the vacation to avoid unnecessary stress. In any case, it is advisable to record all responsibilities, tasks and external contacts in writing. This document will serve as a reminder to your colleagues and will also come in handy if a substitute drops out and someone else has to step in.
2. Clear responsibilities: Clearly designate vacation replacement: Regulate exactly who represents you and bears responsibility. In this way, you prevent tasks from not being processed due to unclear responsibility. If the rules are clear, your colleagues will have sufficient opportunity to consult with you. In this way, it can be clarified at an early stage whether your intended substitute has sufficient capacity available. If this is not the case, you should better look for an alternative in consultation with your supervisor. It often makes sense to delegate your tasks to several colleagues in order to distribute the load evenly.
3. Tidying up and creating a to-do list is half the vacation: An unstructured return can quickly undo the recovery. Two simple measures can help against this: First, you should create order on your desk and in your documents so that you are not overwhelmed by the chaos on your desk after your return. Secondly, you should create a to-do list for the time after your vacation. Both will help you to motivate yourself in the first days after your return and to prioritize tasks properly.
4. "I'm off then": Write an out-of-office note: Even if you have informed your most important contacts about your vacation in advance, an out-of-office note is essential. This should contain the following information: The date of your return, the contact of your vacation replacement, and an indication of whether the email will be forwarded. If necessary, you should also set up a forwarding of your phone to your colleagues.
5. For managers: Clarify telephone availability during vacation: Particularly in managerial positions, it is often contractually agreed that you must be available even when you are on vacation. In this case, you should set fixed times when you answer the phone or reply to e-mails. This way, your colleagues will know when they can get information from you and won't disturb you on an inappropriate occasion. In addition, this approach is more efficient and you get better rest than to look at the cell phone or laptop every now and then in between.

Thus, nothing should stand in the way of recreation during the vacations.

Source: Robert Half

As a representative study of more than 10,000 companies in 29 countries, the European Payment Report 2017 (EPR2017) also illustrates Swiss payment practices in the country report: Around three quarters of companies in this country fear higher default risks among their customers. Together with the view of administrative challenges in processes and accounting, these risks can lead to revenue losses and block company growth.

In addition, almost one in ten (9%) of Swiss small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) could create more jobs if their customers paid bills on time, according to the study. The EPR2017 country report clearly shows possible influences of timely payment on the economic situation in our country: "Better payment morale brings Swiss companies more manpower. There is immense potential in this for the labor market and thus also for the sustainable strengthening of the Swiss economy," Thomas Hutter, Managing Director Intrum Justitia Switzerland Ltd, is convinced.

No money, administration and intent - as reasons for late payment.

Swiss companies surveyed still largely see financial difficulties as the reason for their customers' late payments (85%, +8%), but administrative challenges have increased as a risk factor by 15% to 70% compared with 2016. Companies also continue to see deliberate delay as one of the main reasons for falling payment morale (68%, +4%). When it comes to payments, Mr. and Mrs. Swiss have now caught up with and overtaken the European average. Last year, Switzerland was still lagging behind - with comparatively long average payment periods. Both figures have fallen even more sharply compared with the previous year - in other words, Swiss SMEs grant shorter payment periods and also pay faster themselves.

Loss, downsizing and threat to existence - as risks after late payment

Around one-third of the companies surveyed in Switzerland say they will have to accept a drop in sales. Half even fear liquidity bottlenecks due to late payment of receivables. And while one in seven companies is cutting jobs because of this, as many as one in five SMEs fear for their existence due to such payment defaults.

The outlook for next year is clouded

One in four SMEs (25%) in this country expects their customers to pay even later in the next twelve months than at the time of the survey. A pessimistic view of the development of payment practices shared by only 12% of companies in our neighboring European countries - half as many as in Switzerland.

58% of the Swiss companies surveyed have already accepted payment terms that were longer than they would have liked. Multinational companies in particular are increasingly demanding longer payment terms, an increase of 10% to 42% in the study. "Late and non-payment leads to a negative spiral - loss of sales, liquidity shortages and consequent blockages to growth. Especially for SMEs - the backbone of our economy - which are hit the hardest. Here, the willingness to pay must improve - SMEs must be supported," Hutter demands. Companies mainly try to protect themselves from these increasing risks of late payments and defaults with credit checks and debt collection.

What to do about declining payment morale?

Intrum Justitia recommends various measures at all levels (local, national and international) to mitigate late payments. Here are the most important tips:

1. Establish and implement a balanced and sound credit policy to manage risk and growth and continuously develop it.
2. Evaluate and track capital used in your credit management process to reduce the cost of capital.
3. Make sure you know the customers you do business with, too.
4. Be specific about your terms and conditions in contracts with your customers.
5. Involve sales, marketing and finance to create an efficient invoicing process and avoid non-payment.
6. Conduct monitoring of economic and industry information, including the solvency of your key customers and regularly check your customer addresses.
7. Reduce customer losses and strengthen customer relationships by managing your credit process based on customer payment history and solvency.
8. Implement an expeditious dunning procedure and charge interest on late payments where possible.
9. Weight your customer structure according to risk and growth potential.
10. Act immediately to avoid non-payment. Do not delay the process.

More information: Intrum Justitia AG

Daniel Lipp becomes new CEO of IHAG Privatbank. Daniel Lipp has been a member of the Executive Board of St. Galler Kantonalbank since 2008 and in this function was Head of Private Banking. Previously, Lipp worked for UBS in Geneva and Marbella and for Swiss Bank Corporation in London. Daniel Lipp graduated from the St. Gallen School of Business and Administration and holds an Executive MBA from the University of St. Gallen.

Daniel Lipp succeeds Heinz Stadler, who has served on the management board of IHAG Privatbank for almost a quarter of a century, including more than 15 years as its chairman. Heinz Stadler (60) has decided to step down from his position for age reasons. In the future, he will perform individual mandates for the owner families Anda and Bührle. The bank's Executive Committee is composed of Daniel Lipp and the current members Roland Kempf, Thomas Kistler and Peter D. Rüegg.

IHAG Privatbank closed the 2016 financial year with a good result. In the current year, the bank expects moderate economic growth and continued low interest rates.

Company information

Those who lack an orientation guide for advising those interested in continuing education in their search for the right educational path, or those who would like to reach new educational horizons themselves, often can no longer see the forest for the trees given the variety of educational offerings. The Swiss Association for Continuing Education (SVEB) would like to remedy this situation with a new publication: In July, the second, revised edition of the guidebook "Continuing Education in Switzerland - Guide through the thicket of offers" will be published. The book provides information about the wide range of continuing education options and shows ways to find the right continuing education.

The guidebook explains the Swiss education system and provides information about degrees, recognized training and opportunities for catching up and continuing education. It uses questions and checklists to help you determine where you stand and shows strategies for different target groups. The texts are supplemented with case studies; helpful links facilitate the search on the Internet.

Publisher: SVEB and Foundation for Consumer Protection
Author: Regula Schräder-Naef
Distribution: SVEB, 170 pages
Price: CHF 28.-
*Pre-order price until 30.06.2017: CHF 20.- instead of CHF 28.-. To the order

With Andreas Gerber, a personality is to become the new president of the SVC who knows the association from the inside and thus ensures continuity. Gerber has been a member of the board for two years and was already SVC regional manager and jury member of the Prix SVC in Espace Mittelland as well as in the economic region of Zurich. As head of Credit Suisse's Swiss SME business, he is well aware of the challenges and opportunities facing Switzerland as a location for SMEs. "The Swiss Venture Club is a success story and has become indispensable as an entrepreneurial network," says Gerber. "I am proud to take over the presidency of this successful and well-run association from Hans-Ulrich Müller. I will enthusiastically continue and further develop the SVC in its proven form to promote and support entrepreneurship in Switzerland."

Heart and soul and continuity as central pillars

Gerber is to succeed SVC initiator Hans-Ulrich Müller, who has put his heart and soul into building and developing the SVC over the past 16 years and is now not standing for re-election. "It is the combination of continuity and innovative strength that distinguishes the strongest Swiss SMEs. The life cycle of an SME extends far beyond the life horizon of a founder or owner. It's the same with SVC," explains Hans-Ulrich Müller. "When I see where we are and what's still possible; when I see how much energy and experience Andreas Gerber brings to the table, it's clear to me that this is the perfect moment to step down and make way for a new generation with new ideas." In addition to Hans-Ulrich Müller, another founding member, Elisabeth Zölch Bührer, will be stepping down from the board, as will Brigitte Breisacher, Denis Grisel and Silvio Tarchini.

A promising new generation

Thanks to forward planning, the search for successors has already been completed. On the one hand, the two National Councillors Marcel Dobler and Fabio Regazzi, on the other hand, the entrepreneur Corinne Fischer and Thomas Trachsler, member of the management board of Mobiliar, are standing for election. In the selection of the candidates, attention was paid not only to a strong connection with the SME economy, but also to a balanced representation of the regions and industries in the future board. Elisabeth Zölch Bührer is happy and proud that these four personalities could be won over: "They bring with them all the qualities to develop the association substantially and to provide access to new networks," she is convinced. "At the same time, their willingness is proof of the high standing the SVC enjoys in business and political circles." The new president and board members will be elected at the general meeting on September 6, 2017.

Thanks to a visionary and doer

The Swiss Venture Club goes back to the idea and initiative of Hans-Ulrich Müller, who founded the club in 2001 together with Elisabeth Zölch Bührer and Beat Brechbühl. Under his leadership as president, the Swiss Venture Club has developed into one of the most important entrepreneurial networks in Switzerland. The SVC attracts special attention each year by awarding the Prix SVC to exemplary, innovative companies. To date, a total of 51 award ceremonies have been held in seven regions and over 300 companies have received awards.