When José Amado-Blanco gets up in the morning, he says to himself “come on, let's go change the world!” And the 35-year-old has already done just that in one area. Together with Tobias Gunzenhauser and Luca Michas, the food technologist founded the startup Yamo seven years ago. They started with the production of healthy baby food back in 2018, and have since added fruit purées, bars and drinks for older children to their range. What began with playful research among friends is now a startup with 30 employees that not only sells its products in Switzerland, but also in many other European countries including Spain, Germany, the UK and Belgium. This idea was born in 2016 and stemmed from the desire of the two co-founders Gunzenhauser and Michas to live vegan for a month. To help them avoid animal ingredients during this time, they studied the ingredient lists of various foods. What they read on the packaging of products like muesli, ravioli and spreads shocked them: they couldn't quite believe how many unhealthy additives the products contained! They contemplated which food would likely be the most natural? Their conclusion: baby food! But their assumption was wide of the mark: they also found dubious ingredients in the nutritional information of the food made for our little ones. They resolved to do things better. To get their startup off the ground, the business administrator Gunzenhauser and the marketing manager Michas still needed somebody who knew something about food technology. José Amado-Blanco came to join the team through a personal contact. He had just completed his Master in Life Sciences in Food and Beverage Innovation at the School of Life Sciences and Facility Management. Together, the three young entrepreneurs founded Yamo. In the early days, José Amado-Blanco was responsible for product development. “I kept nagging my former ZHAW lecturers until they provided me with a laboratory space and measuring equipment,” he recalls with a smile. Amado-Blanco purchased carrots, potatoes and apples and fiddled with recipes. The goal was to create an organic baby food that tastes great and is 100% natural – without any added sugar, added salts or concentrates. “I kept nagging my former ZHAW lecturers until they provided me with a laboratory space and measuring equipment.” José Amado-Blanco, ZHAW graduate The food technologist gave the result of his cooking skills to around 50 mothers for testing. He and his comrades-in-arms not only wanted to know from them what they thought about the new baby food, but also how they felt about the food they provided for their little ones in general. The young entrepreneurs realised that most mothers cooked the baby food themselves. Those who gave their children purchased baby food did so with a tinge of guilt. “It was here that we identified a gap in the market,” explains José Amado-Blanco: “Offering healthier baby food that parents can give to their children with a clear conscience.” The sticking point was how to preserve the baby food. Conventional sterilisation processes that use heat not only kill microorganisms, but also destroy vitamins and change the product’s flavour and colour. Amado-Blanco found the solution in high-pressure pasteurisation. When this physical process is utilised, it is only undesired microorganisms and enzymes that are deactivated by the pressure, while the remaining quality characteristics of the food remain unchanged. However, high-pressure pasteurisation is expensive and is therefore used only in rare cases, such as for the preservation of guacamole, seafood and meat for the catering industry. In the case of baby food, the Yamo founders thought that parents may be prepared to pay a little more for good quality. “I’m a strategist who knows something about the product and also ensures that things are going well financially.” José Amado-Blanco, startup co-founder And they were right: when they launched their baby foods on the market in 2018, the sales curve quickly turned up sharply. The founders soon developed further products. These are produced according to Yamo's recipes by partners abroad: the baby food in the Netherlands, the fruit purées in Spain, the bars in France and the Tetra Paks in Germany. The products are now often also sold in large supermarket chains; in Switzerland, for example, at Coop and Alnatura. However, Yamo generates the largest share of its turnover via online shipping. It was not only the startup that underwent rapid change, but also the task performed by Amado-Blanco, who transitioned from his role as tinkerer to a management post. This was even more to his liking. He enjoys dealing with the big picture and with innovations that are as complex as possible. “I’m a strategist who knows something about the product and also ensures that things are going well financially,” he says. Amado-Blanco shares that it is this combination of science and business that interests him and that this is what he learned during his training. He transitioned to the field of food technology after dropping out of his biology studies. As natural sciences alone were too restrictive for him and too far removed from practice, he completed a Bachelor in Food Science and Management at the Bern University of Applied Sciences before subsequently doing his Master’s degree at the ZHAW in Wädenswil. He travelled to Honduras for his Master’s thesis, where he attempted to find out why a third of the cocoa harvested there went mouldy. Amado-Blanco travelled through half of Central America in order to learn about the experiences of other cocoa producers. He found that the Honduran sun is not strong enough to dry the cocoa. The solution: mechanical drying systems. Finally, the student helped local engineers in designing and building this equipment. During his studies, José Amado-Blanco realised that he is a founder in nature. “I was inspired by two lecturers at the ZHAW in Wädenswil,” he says. “They had both founded startups themselves and we had very interesting conversations about this.” If you want to establish a startup, you need one quality above all others, states Amado-Blanco: “You have to feel comfortable when faced with uncertainty. You never know what the next day will bring.” “If your work is fulfilling, then you also need less compensation in return.” José Amado-Blanco Many would think that a startup might be a scene of bedlam. However, Amado-Blanco hits back at this assumption: “That isn’t the case. But if a company does grow quickly, you can’t keep up when it comes to adapting its structures.” He states that a structure that has been developed for three people will not work for six. And no sooner have you adapted it to cater for six employees than you’ve already got a workforce of ten. What's more, a change, such as a new competitor on the market, may lead to a major crisis, he continues. “And then the employees and investors look to the founders to respond. This is something you have to be able to live with.” On top of this, there is the burden on your time. José Amado-Blanco worked an average of 70 hours per week for seven years, sometimes even clocking up 80 hours. During this time, he took only five weeks of holiday – in total. But for him, this was the right this to do: “I am not a fan of the term work-life balance. I don’t make a distinction between work and leisure, but rather try to combine the two in a meaningful way.” Amado-Blanco shares that his goal is always to work in such a way that he would continue in precisely the same manner even if he was no longer dependent on being paid. “If your work is fulfilling, then you also need less compensation in return,” he emphasises. And yet Amado-Blanco has just taken some time off: he recently returned from a three-month trip to Asia. Before setting off, he left the operational side of Yamo’s business. However, he still remains a partner. “It’s time for a change,” he says. He does not yet know where his next professional adventure will take him. He is applying for advertised roles, but in an ideal world he would like to launch a startup again. “I am working on three ideas,” he reveals. While he is happy to share that two of them are in the food sector, José Amado-Blanco doesn't want to say any more just yet. The only thing that is certain is that in future he would like to look after his one-year-old niece regularly. Seraina Sattler

The 26-year-old teacher and 10-year-old pupil sit opposite each other on their respective screens and tell each other about their hobbies. They of course also talk about the games they like to play and quickly find common ground. Teacher Daniel Stefania enjoys making music, plays the piano and loves a game of squash, while pupil Marco is mad about the guitar and likes to hit the tennis court. The transition from this informal process of getting to know one another to the nitty gritty of the actual lesson is a smooth one. There is no great leap between the question about what Marco’s favourite game is and the follow-up question of what is needed to play it. And once they have clarified what programming actually is, the two of them have already made a concrete start to their work. The ten-year-old is programming his first game on the web application of the Scratch program under the guidance of Daniel Stefania. Although Marco has never programmed a game before, he gets to grips with it after a just a short time and is delighted with the small successes he achieves, for example when the knight he has chosen as the game’s character moves in the desired direction or when a sound is made at the right moment. “For me, teaching brings together the best of all disciplines.” Daniel Stefania, ZHAW graduate Stefania openly shares his joy with his pupil. And it is the joy that his work brings him that is one of the biggest drivers for the founder of Cool Code, the limited liability company that offers these online coding lessons with the aim of teaching children programming. “I love programming and I value the opportunity to work with children and young people. For me, teaching brings together the best of all disciplines,” says Stefania. It was only last August the he completed his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at the ZHAW. Nevertheless, he had already founded Cool Code GmbH back in April. Today, he primarily works for his own start-up and gets a helping hand from friends and colleagues, who are now part of the team as teachers or who work in the background in an advisory capacity. He also has a part-time role as an app developer with another start-up. “This suits me down to the ground. I’m glad that I’m able to work like this.” Stefania came to programming by chance, as he puts it. He had in fact attended a preliminary design course with the goal of studying film at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). During an introduction to programming, it suddenly became clear to Stefania that this is what he wanted to do. “For me, programming was something creative from the very beginning, something that is quite personal, and it was always clear to me that I wanted to develop apps or games after completing my degree,” says Stefania. The only thing that he didn’t realise back then was that the road he was about to embark upon would lead to teaching. “The children benefit from two things in particular: from the lesson that patience pays off and the opportunity to practice approaching problems in an analytical and playful manner." Daniel Stefania, founder of Cool Code During his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at the ZHAW School of Engineering , he started to introduce individual children to programming on a private basis. More enquiries then came in. Friends of these children would come knocking at his door, and at some point the idea of transforming this service into a professional undertaking began to take root in Stefania’s mind. “I realised that there really is a demand here.” The private lessons clearly illustrated something that he already knew: programming games isn't only fun, but also trains various important skills, including the ability to think logically, solve problems, express creativity, develop stories, work together with others and make your own ideas understandable to those around you. All things that come in useful during life. “I am sure that the children benefit from two things in particular, namely the lesson that patience pays off if something doesn't work the first time round and the opportunity to practice approaching problems in an analytical and playful manner." He was still some way off turning this vague idea into a business of his own. Nevertheless, Stefania founded his company before he had even finished his studies. “While it was undoubtedly the right decision, it of course wasn’t an easy step to take.” The time factor was the main challenge that Stefania had to overcome when setting up the company. As a student who had yet to graduate from his Bachelor’s programme, he was not yet able to devote all his attention to the new limited liability company. What is more, he set up his firm on his own, meaning he was responsible for every last detail. To this day, he still does the lion’s share of the work himself, including the administration. “I deliberately decided against looking for investors,” he says. “As we exclusively teach online, we are able to keep the fixed costs low. Of course, it is not possible to delegate work without outside investment.” Stefania wants to stick with this strategy for now. His five-person team of teachers and advisors in the background is currently doing well. Various offerings provided by the ZHAW proved helpful in establishing the start-up. “Thanks to the knowledge I was able to acquire in my foundation courses, I can introduce others to programming,” says Stefania. What also especially helped him were the specialisations he was able to choose at the end of his degree programme. “This gave me the chance to put together content that fitted with my future professional plans. I have on a number of occasions been able to use what I learnt directly for my start-up.” A specific programme for start-ups, which Stefania was able to participate in thanks to the ZHAW, was particularly helpful. He attended the Business Concept course at the STARTUP CAMPUS. “The ambition to turn my idea into reality ultimately developed during this course,” explains Stefania. “For the children who had programmed the games, it was, of course, a wonderful experience to see other children enjoying them.” Daniel Stefania Who still gets support from a mentor as part of the ZHAW entrepreneurship initiative of the School of Engineering . “We are in regular contact and are always agreeing new goals for my start-up. This helps me enormously. As an entrepreneur herself, my mentor knows what is important.” His professional activities also often see him cross paths with the ZHAW in other places. At the "Nacht der Technik" event ("Night of Technology"), Cool Code was able to exhibit its pupils’ work, with the games developed in the courses being played live by visitors. “This was, of course, a wonderful experience, especially for the children who had programmed the games. It was fantastic to see other children enjoying their games.” There was also a recent invitation to the alumni dinner organised by the ZHAW entrepreneurship initiative (see box). Stefania is especially pleased when his pupils' programming skills help them when searching for an apprenticeship place. “Generally speaking, IT apprenticeships are only awarded to young people with a certificate from secondary level A,” says Stefania. One of his students attended secondary level B yet still wanted to start an IT apprenticeship. “Thanks to our weekly course together, I knew this pupil well and could see that he had a talent for programming. He was also motivated and hungry for knowledge. Unfortunately, he still received several rejections to his applications. It was clear that he was a great candidate for an IT apprenticeship.” Things worked out in the end, however. One of the factors in this success story was the fact that the pupil was able to present the impressive programming projects he had created with Cool Code. “That was a moving moment for me,” says a proud Stefania. Experiences such as these show Stefania just how valuable it is to give children access to coding at an early age. This is very much in the same vein as the approach applied to music lessons and other hobbies. “Discovering your own talents is a very important process and is only possible if you have the chance to try things out,” he says. Cool Code is currently in the process of approaching various school to offer taster courses. “I am looking forward to seeing what happens next,” adds Stefania. Either way, he feels that he is in exactly the right place professionally speaking. He no longer wants to miss out on working with children. “The first thing that I admire about these young people is their motivation and their enjoyment of learning. And secondly, their self-confidence. They see something that they want to be able to do and then simply get about learning it. They don't stop to think that it looks difficult and they may be better served to leave it alone.” The online lesson with Marco is now almost over. Stefania has patiently explained the countless functions and possibilities of Scratch to him. He has also shared tips on how the game could be developed further, taking Marco’s interests into account, and taken up ideas that he has implemented directly with his pupil. Marco grew in confidence with each new line he programmed, laughing about the experiments that worked as well as those that didn’t turn out as planned at the first attempt. And in passing, Marco has also learnt the basic of maths, which aren’t yet part of his year 5 school curriculum, but which are important for developing a game – and can be explained in a simple and concrete fashion in this context. At the end of the lesson, Marco has succeeded in programming his first rudimentary game with Stefania’s assistance. Expectations have thus been exceeded, and a desire for more has been awakened. www.coolcode.io Elena Ibello

It’s hard to imagine a more delightful setting. The cereneo rehabilitation clinic in Hertenstein sits on a peninsula on Lake Lucerne, and Irene Christen’s office affords her a view over the lake and mountains. The 34-year-old is managing director of the neurorehabilitation clinics. The sites in Hertenstein und Vitznau provide treatment primarily for patients who have suffered a stroke or traumatic brain injury and also for patients with Parkinson’s disease. Sitting on a stool at her black office desk, the ZHAW graduate recounts: “It was here at cereneo that I took up my first job after obtaining my Bachelor in Occupational Therapy – and it was the perfect fit.” That was in 2012 and marked the start of a steep career. The occupational therapist was able to assist in setting up the clinic in Vitznau, enjoying great freedom in its configuration and assuming an increasing amount of responsibility – first in her own specific area of work and then as Head of Therapies. She also helped with human resources management and was involved in the development of an outpatient clinic in Dubai, which opened in 2017. “We set up the outpatient clinic after seeing that there was a lack of aftercare facilities for our patients from the United Arab Emirates.” “Knowing that I’m working with a strong team gives me great pleasure and also the freedom to work more strategically.” Irene Christen, ZHAW graduate in occupational therapy Over time, Christen earned the trust of the clinic owners – NRG Group. After a number of changes at management level, they asked her in 2018 whether she would be willing to take on the post of manager of the Vitznau clinic. And she was bold enough to say yes. To acquire the necessary business know-how, she obtained an Executive MBA from the University of St. Gallen. Then, when the clinic location of Hertenstein was set up at a later date, she took charge of coordinating the development work before taking on the management of this second clinic in 2020, too. Since then, she has been in charge of the two clinic locations in Switzerland with 120 employees. And that’s not all. In 2020, she was additionally appointed CEO of NRG Group Holding and is pressing ahead with the development of digital therapeutic services at group level in the Amsterdam and Berlin locations. Irene Christen sees parallels between occupational therapy and her management tasks. “For both jobs, you need to like people and feel responsible for the success of others. My job is to enable our staff to work successfully with their patients. The therapist’s job is to successfully accompany the patients to their rehabilitation goal.” “For both jobs, you need to like people and feel responsible for the success of others.” Irene Christen, CEO NRG Holding The fact that she likes people and enjoys being among them is also evident on this particular morning. The managing director greets the six new trainees and attends the morning kick-off where all the staff start the day together. She then takes the journalist on a tour of the clinic. On our way around, we call in on Meret Branscheidt, a senior physician who specialises in brain stimulation. In front of her sits a young patient from the Arab region. He has suffered a brain haemorrhage and an injury to his spinal cord. The doctor is holding a black device over his head to stimulate his brain. The specialist jargon for this is transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS for short. “I’m trying to remind the brain of the four-lane motorway that used to run right through to his fingers”, the doctor says in explaining this therapy. The patient’s father and brother are waiting outside the treatment room. Irene Christen also welcomes this: “Here at cereneo we consider it important to involve the family.” In the case of patients coming from abroad, the clinic ensures that their family can stay either with them or in apartments nearby. A third of our international patients come from the Arab region, a third from Europe and a third from other parts of the world, such as South America. “Many of our patients live their everyday lives in homes that are like a 5-star hotel.” Irene Christen The two Swiss clinics are aimed primarily at people who are accustomed to a certain degree of luxury. “Many of our patients live their everyday lives in homes that are like a 5-star hotel”, says Irene Christen and continues: “We offer rehabilitation with accommodation that is commensurate with this standard.” When Niki Lauda once came for treatment on Lake Lucerne, the media reported: “What a luxurious rehabilitation clinic!” The clinic also admits patients from Switzerland with standard health insurance, however. “The quality of the treatment is exactly the same”, Christen assures me. The treatment is highly personalised so as to ensure that all patients derive the best possible benefit from it. The affiliated research centre enables cereneo to offer its patients new findings and innovative treatment methods, including ones involving robotics, sensor technology and brain stimulation. “It is important for us to ensure that our patients can benefit from the research findings in practice as rapidly as possible”, explains the managing director – “we as a company are particularly proud of this.” At one stage, the ZHAW graduate herself was faced with the question of whether she should switch to research. “I took the MSc in Occupational Therapy to see whether I would like to go into research or teaching in future.” She regards the internationally orientated European Master in Occupational Therapy at ZHAW as an optimum basis for opening up all the different career options. “I learned a lot about adopting a scientific approach and also networked with those who, like myself, were looking for that extra portion of additional knowledge.” Over time, she came to realise that she was a generalist and cut out for management work and she subsequently went on to focus fully on this. Working in the healthcare sector for patients was still a matter of importance for her – “this makes my work meaningful and enables me to apply the knowledge I built up at ZHAW on a daily basis and benefit from it.” She thus has the optimum background for her current work. “To run a clinic, it is ideal to be interested in organisation, management, leadership and finances and to have a medical or therapeutic background at the same time.” That makes it much easier when communicating with medical, therapeutic and nursing staff, as well as with researchers, since you have a certain command of their vocabulary and a better understanding of their day-to-day work than someone whose background is purely in business administration. “With telemedicine, it ought to be possible to sustainably maintain the progress achieved in rehab.” Irene Christen Her duties as managing director also include representing the clinics and looking out for new partners to cooperate with. This takes her to numerous events and conferences. “As a woman, you still stand out among the predominantly older men attired in suits. And that can also be an advantage for the clinic”, she says and laughs. Since her last career move to the post of CEO at NRG Holding, she has reorganised the management team and handed a large number of operational management tasks over to others. “Knowing that I’m working with a strong team gives me great pleasure and also the freedom to work more strategically.” Telemedicine is a major topic here. On this particular day, she has an online meeting scheduled with the branch in Amsterdam where cereneo is setting up a telemedicine centre. Founded a year ago, this is intended as a follow-on solution for patients once they return home from their inpatient stay in Switzerland. It will be available for patients from Dubai too, since the former outpatient clinic had to be closed two years ago due to the corona pandemic. Telerehabilitation aims to provide further support for patients in their own homes. "We also send a therapist to the patients’ home, if necessary, to accompany them during the transition from their stay in the clinic." This transition always constitutes a big challenge for patients and their families since, without continuity, the skills they learned during their inpatient stay would quickly be lost again. The idea is that, with telemedicine, it ought to be possible to sustainably maintain the progress achieved in rehab. Given all the duties and projects she has been speaking about, it soon becomes clear that Irene Christen is seldom to be found in her office with its magnificent view. One day a week, she also works from home in Lucerne. Maintaining a clear divide between work and leisure is very important for her. She tries not to work in the evenings or at weekends – “and I generally manage not to”, she says with a wink. In Lucerne, she lives with her partner and husband-to-be. Their wedding is coming up soon. Irene Christen explains that she has been spared any feelings of planning stress in her private life due to the fact that “we are both good planners and have engaged in small-scale project management. Now, everything is ready and we’re completely relaxed”, she says at the end of our tour as she takes leave of me in one of the meeting rooms of this clinic overlooking the delightful Lake Lucerne. Katrin Oller

Kim Fuchs loves people and computers. And the 25-year-old is surrounded by them day in, day out. She also loves horses – but more on that later. Kim Fuchs completed her Bachelor’s degree in Business Information Technology at the School of Management and Law in 2020. Since then, she has been working as a service delivery manager in Group IT at the Federation of Migros Cooperatives. Her role involves ensuring that different Migros departments have the IT applications that they need and that these are running stably. The 25-year-old business IT specialist is in constant contact with the in-house customers who use the IT services. And, as product owner, she creates the framework conditions that her colleagues in the IT Logistics team, and also the application developers and application managers, require for their work. She takes up the needs of in-house customers, sounds out the available options in the team, reconciles the requirements and makes sure that the assignment is clear and that the targets can be achieved. “I appreciate being able to work in IT. It’s a highly varied job”, says Fuchs. She works with a range of Migros employees, from logistics specialists through to top managers. Every day is different, Fuchs explains. She also has frequent dealings with suppliers, since she is in charge of procuring external IT services for Group IT. People are always very much at the centre of her work, she stresses. “I’m certainly no computer nerd”, she explains with a laugh. An internship she completed at a bank after finishing commercial high school introduced her to the world of e-banking and IT security, and she rapidly became hooked. She soon started looking into studying business information technology at ZHAW. To begin with, she was hesitant and not sure whether she should really enrol in the business information technology programme. For a brief moment she wondered “Am I really up to it?” but then decided to give it a try anyway. “Fortunately”, she adds today. Fuchs has not regretted her decision for a single second and started working in IT at Migros in the recreational facilities department even while she was still studying. She took up her current post as a service delivery manager in Group IT three years later. The post had just been newly created and, with her experience as a student trainee at Migros, she had just the right tools for the job. “By working while I was still studying, I was able to combine theory and practice in the ideal manner”, she says. “When we were completing the IT project management module during my studies, I was straightaway given an IT project to take on at my workplace. That was fantastic and I’m very grateful to my boss at the time for giving me the opportunity.” “As service delivery manager, I act as a link between the IT world and the business world in the organisation.” Kim Fuchs, Bachelor graduate, ZHAW Precisely this knowledge and experience of project management is what Fuchs is able to put to good use today. “As service delivery manager, I act as a link between the IT world and the business world in the organisation”. She has thus acquired a great deal of knowledge about both worlds. “I not only need to but also want to understand the business processes employed in my organisation and its industry so that my team and I can make sure we are implementing the IT services we provide in an appropriate manner and making the right IT solutions available.” This comprehensive perspective is especially important in logistics, which is Migros’ actual core business. If complications arise in the IT system for shop deliveries, for example, Kim Fuchs and her team have no time to engage in lengthy clarifications. The team is required to supervise the system continuously and must be capable of reacting quickly. The fact women are still the exception in the IT field (she is the only woman in her six-person IT Logistics team) does not bother her in her day-to-day life. But it is nonetheless a cause of concern to her. “Diversity is something that greatly interests me and it’s an issue that evidently moves people too”, says Fuchs. She wrote her Bachelor thesis on women in IT. Lecturer Katja Kurz had announced the topic and it immediately appealed to Kim Fuchs. “It’s a huge topic and I had no alternative but to narrow it down and concentrate on a specific area. That’s why I focused exclusively on IT business management”, Fuchs explains. She looked into the attitudes of IT business management regarding women in IT. After conducting various interviews with managerial staff from this area, she came to the conclusion that they were fundamentally very receptive to the topic. “Everyone thinks it’s important”, says Fuchs. Despite this, the proportion of women in IT is still very low. In Group IT at the Federation of Migros Cooperatives, 22 percent of employees are women. In the IT sector all over Switzerland, the figure is about 15 percent. “Diversity is something that greatly interests me and it’s an issue that evidently moves people too.” Kim Fuchs, Service Delivery Manager at Migros In a bid to bring about a change, Fuchs drew up a set of guidelines in her Bachelor thesis with the aim of helping IT departments within an organisation achieve greater diversity in terms of gender. And the guidelines can doubtless be applied to other areas of an organisation too. “While my first priority was naturally to achieve a good mark for my studies with my thesis, I was also determined to learn something and, at the same time, create added value for the world of work, or at least for my organisation”, Fuchs explains. She is absolutely delighted that this has worked out. Migros has taken up the results of the Bachelor thesis and the relevant teams are in contact with Fuchs. She was able to present her thesis at an in-house event on the subject, and Martin Wechsler, Chief Information Officer at Migros, supplemented her presentation with the latest information on the current endeavours and projects at Group IT in this respect. The Migros Cooperative has been moving forward in matters of diversity for a number of years now. In 2019, it set up its Diversity & Inclusion office. “I find it hugely important for people to talk about this subject. And also for each and every one of us to think about it and determine their own attitude to it. My Bachelor thesis naturally helped me a great deal in this respect”, says Fuchs. She remains committed to raising people’s awareness within Migros. A workshop for managerial staff was recently held in Group IT with the aim of making employees in management posts more aware of the subject of gender diversity and highlighting the “unconscious bias” with which we all view the world. At this workshop, Kim Fuchs moderated a group engaged in drawing up measures for more gender diversity. “It’s great and particularly important for Group IT to be dealing with this subject so intensively”, says Fuchs. After all, those using the IT services are highly diverse as well. Yet this diversity is not reflected on the “supplier side” of the IT services in any way. It would be a major advantage if user diversity were better reflected by IT, since this would make it possible to offer services that meet everyone’s requirements. “With my Bachelor thesis, I also wanted to create added value for the world of work.” Kim Fuchs But why is it that there are still so few women in IT? “On the one hand, I think that many women still lack the confidence to take up technical professions”, says Fuchs. “And, on the other hand, many women are simply unaware of just how varied IT is.” Information technology entails far more than just programming and providing support. It also involves managing processes, communication and working with people. “IT ought to be presented in all its different facets, so that women, in particular, can appreciate the great options that exist in this field.” Migros has planned a further measure to this end. It is organising a “Female Tech Event” this summer and Kim Fuchs is also involved in it. “We want to inspire women to pursue careers in IT and encourage them to immerse themselves in this world”, she says. Kim Fuchs has found her way in business information technology and, as service delivery manager, has taken on a responsible and exciting post at a young age. “My advice to other young women is to do what they enjoy.” I wish we women were more self-confident and had more faith in ourselves. I also think we should mutually support one another whenever possible.” As to Kim Fuchs’ third love – that of horses: Despite all her enthusiasm for her work and computers, she also values her free time, which she mainly spends outdoors in nature. As an active show jumper and the daughter of successful show jumpers, she is frequently to be found in the saddle. Her 80-percent post at Migros makes this possible. “This places completely different demands on me than my duties at work. I’m on the move, in contact with my horse and in the fresh air. It’s the perfect counterbalance to work.” Elena Ibello

He and his colleagues have been through a “very lively time”, says Joel Varonier. He’s sitting in his office in Visp, looking back over the last few months. “It was a huge challenge, but an honour to be involved.” The biotechnologist works as Senior Manager Operations mRNA at pharmaceuticals manufacturer Lonza, and is a key figure in the production of the active ingredient for a new mRNA coronavirus vaccine which Lonza is producing for US biotech company Moderna. “At the beginning, there was a certain sense of awe. We knew that the whole world was waiting for this vaccine.” Joel Varonier, Senior Manager Operations mRNA “I was on holiday when I found out in mid-2020 that we would be taking on the production of the vaccine”, he says. His supervisor wrote to him: “Look forward! When you get back it will take all your energy and commitment.” Joel Varonier came back from his holiday raring to go to work. “Especially at the beginning, of course, there was a certain sense of awe. We knew that the whole world was waiting for this vaccine.” That awareness spurred the young biotechnologist on. It was now a matter of moving forward with production as rapidly as possible so that the vaccine could be rolled out to the general public. “In the pharmaceuticals industry, of course, we’re always producing essential medicines. We know that we’re working for countless patients. But we rarely come into contact with them. This time it was completely different”, says Varonier. The coronavirus is affecting everyone in one way or another, and at this stage of the pandemic many felt completely helpless. “There was direct feedback; lots of people even thanked us. Of course, the pressure was high as well. But I found that motivating.” There were regular visits from media representatives and health authorities from different countries. Joel Varonier and his team were in demand. “It was nice to be in the spotlight.” And it was hard work: under those circumstances, the 31-year-old says matter-of-factly, there had of course been no possibility of a normal working day. “We were working very hard for a long time. We wanted to do everything we could to make sure the vaccine would be available quickly.” “We” is several hundred people who even now are still working on production of the vaccine in Visp. “Production had to be ramped up quickly, without compromising the quality of the drug.” Joel Varonier Production had to be ramped up quickly, but without taking any shortcuts. There was simply no room for that, says Varonier. “When it comes to quality and the standard of the drug, there can be no compromise.” So the rule in this case was to achieve the same thing, but “working flat out and with the utmost priority”. And as the timetable was the only thing that was different from other jobs, everyone involved knew straight away what they had to do. For Varonier, that meant working on the technology transfer in the first few months. “We first had to take over the process from the customer and transfer it to our own facilities.” Then the implementation began, and Joel Varonier took on the role of production lead, together with his colleague Tillmann Schnierda. This means he reports directly to the ‘Head of Operations’. “I coordinate and manage the processes in my areas of responsibility and ensure that standards are adhered to. I’m in constant communication with my team members from around the world.” As a manager, Varonier works in the office every day. He’s only rarely in the production hall now. “Sometimes I think that’s a shame. But it takes a lot of meetings and requires a lot of coordination input to lead a project like this. That’s also exciting. In the end, we’re all still biotechnologists and scientists.” “Lonza was right next to the ice hockey rink, it fit the bill perfectly.” Joel Varonier Joel Varonier came to biotechnology by way of a little detour via sport. He grew up in Visp, and before he was seized by a passion for natural sciences, he loved the combination of ice, wood and vulcanised rubber. As an ice hockey player he attended the Sportgymnasium, the local sports academy high school. “But I already had chemistry and biology in the back of my mind”, says Varonier. When he eventually realised that the Sportgymnasium wasn’t the ideal choice for team athletes, he started an apprenticeship as a laboratory technician. “Lonza was right next to the ice hockey rink, it fit the bill perfectly.” So Varonier was able to combine sport and vocational training. His interest in biology continued to deepen; he established contacts within the company, and soon after completing his apprenticeship and the subsequent vocational diploma he decided to study biotechnology. Joel Varonier completed his degree at ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences in the School of Life Sciences and Facility Management in Wädenswil. One of the key factors in his decision was the location. “I wanted to head from the Valais to Zurich”, says Varonier. He graduated in 2017 with a Master of Science in Life Sciences – Pharmaceutical Biotechnology , and moved back to his hometown, to his old employer, Lonza. And he wasn’t alone. His partner, and now his wife, Linda Varonier, whom he met during his studies in Wädenswil, also took up a position at Lonza in Visp. Today they both work in the same area, on the same project, but in different roles. “That’s been useful especially in the past few months”, says Varonier, and laughs. “We were both working a huge amount, and were rarely home at the same time.” That has changed dramatically now, at least temporarily: since the summer, the two have been enjoying parenthood. “Actually it’s only now that I’m noticing how closely the course content was tied in with eality.” Joel Varonier, Joel Varonier also retained other friendships from his time as a student in Zurich. Another thing he has brought with him from his time at ZHAW is a big backpack full of practical and theoretical know-how that he applies in his work every day. “Actually it’s only now, years after I graduated, that I’m noticing how closely the course content was tied in with reality”, he says. “We had good case scenarios and work placements. The insights I gained are now part of my day-to-day business.” Varonier laughs, and adds: “Even with those courses that I couldn’t see the point of during my studies, it’s become clear in retrospect how important they are for my actual hands-on work.” What he likes about his work today is the combination of subject matter and communication, along with the interdisciplinarity that he experiences in his coordinating role. “I especially like the contact with different people from all over the world”, he says. And: “Lonza offers a fantastic playground for biotechnologists and chemists, with every technology that’s available in the pharmaceutical industry. There’s a real spirit of optimism with great prospects for everyone.” Elena Ibello