Alkistis Petropaki has joined Advance as General Manager in 2015. She has more than 20 years experience in leading positions in well known FMCG companies like e.g. L’Oreal, Nestlé, Mövenpick and Lindt & Sprüngli. Before joining Advance she was the Country Manager of Yves Rocher in Switzerland. She studied economics and holds a MBA from ESCP-EAP. She also has a Master’s degree in German literature and psychology from the University of Athens.

Alkistis strongly believes in the benefits of mixed-gender teams for society, for organizations as well as for individuals. With her engagement with Advance she is convinced to be able to make an impact in the Swiss economy.

Alkistis is married and has two grown-up children.

Globally recognized M&A strategy, merger management, and carve-out expert who helps companies achieve more impactful deal outcomes.

Anna leads the Strategy & Corporate Finance Practice for Switzerland and coleads M&A strategy and portfolio for the Life Sciences Practice around the world. She is a globally recognized merger management and carve-out advisor specializing in advising boards and management teams in designing, planning, and executing complex, cross-border integrations, separations, and alliances. She also helps her clients develop M&A blueprint and build M&A capabilities.

Anna has close to twenty years of M&A experience, advising clients in buying and selling across the entire M&A value chain. She has supported more than 110 M&A deals, ranging from $200 million to $50 billion. While her industry focus is on life sciences, she has worked across multiple industries, ranging from consumer and industrials to technology.

Anna also has extensive consulting, corporate, and private-equity experience. She regularly lectures on M&A topics at business schools across Europe and has authored numerous studies.

In addition to her work with M&A, she is also passionate about diversity and has served in multiple roles and boards to further diversity and inclusion.

Anna has previously held various executive management roles including being the Chief People Officer for Deloitte in Switzerland. 

EXPERTISE

M&A, Life Sciences, Private Equity & Principal Investors, Strategy & Corporate Finance, Carve-outs, Merger Management

PAST EXPERIENCE

Deloitte – Partner, Managing partner, Director

Gyrus Capital – Operating-advisory partner

Advance – Vice president of the board

EDUCATION

University of Gothenburg – MS and BA, Business Administration and Economics

Ana Maria Montero (AM) is an international TV, radio and print journalist with 20 years of experience who grew up professionally within the CNN family – from intern to anchor desk – working for CNN International, CNN Español, CNN domestic and HLN, in English and Spanish.

During this time, she hosted Escenario, a Los Angeles-based daily entertainment news show focused on all things arts and entertainment: Hollywood, premieres, celebrity interviews, set visits, film festivals, concerts, etc., including live coverage of the Academy Awards®, Grammys® and other high-profile events around the globe for CNN and TNT. Not to be limited solely to infotainment however, she rounded out her experience as a live news correspondent working out of the Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City, Miami, San Francisco, Chicago, Buenos Aires, and Mexico City Bureaus.

In 2017 AM traded red carpets for stock markets and joined the CNNMoney Switzerland team as an anchor for their flagship business and finance show, The Swiss Pulse. Replacing movie stars and rock legends with CEOs, founders, entrepreneurs, bankers, analysts from top global companies, she also became host of the long-format interview show, The Newsmaker. In addition she hosted the show, All Inclusive where she focused on topics of diversity and inclusion as well as Tech Talk, a show about all things tech, with a focus on sustainability, the Swiss start-up scene and women in tech.

When she is not working in front of the camera, AM is speaking, moderating or hosting live and virtual events for a diverse range of conferences, companies, and financial institutions, as well as providing media consulting and training.

The pursuit of her own personal story brought this Cuban, Spanish, American to Zurich, where she lives with her family, chases her writing and obsesses about making the world a better place for her daughters.

Kate Squire is Head of Non-Financial Risk at Man Group. Her role includes oversight of Global Compliance, Financial Crime, Operational Risk and Resilience (‘ORR’), Information Security and ESG Infrastructure at Man Group. She is Co-Chair of the Risk and Finance Committee, an executive member of the Man Plc Audit and Risk Committee, as well as Chair of the Man Group ESG Governance and Systems Committee. In addition, Kate is a member of the Man Group Executive Committee.

Kate began her career in financial services in 2000. Before joining Man Group in 2015, she worked for Barclays Bank where she was a Managing Director in the Investment Banking Division and held senior compliance positions in both New York and London. Prior to working at Barclays, Kate worked in the Private Wealth Management division at Morgan Stanley in London.

Kate holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Modern History, Economic History and Politics from Royal Holloway, the University of London.

James Squire took up his post as His Majesty’s Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein in January 2023. Prior to this, he served in various diplomatic capacities, including as the British Deputy Ambassador to Afghanistan, at the UK Mission to the United Nations in New York, and as Head of North East Asia and Pacific Department and Head of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Department at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Before joining the Diplomatic Service in 2008, James worked as a Fund Manager with Schroders PLC and is a Chartered Financial Analyst® charterholder.

Andrea Och ist eine international gefragte Karrieresparringspartnerin. Ihre eigene Karriere startete sie in der Industrie und wechselte nach 6 Jahren zu einer Top-Unternehmensberatung. Dort nahm sie in drei Jahren vier Hierarchiestufen und wirkte als jüngste Bereichsleiterin der Märkte Versicherungen und Gesundheitswesen. 

Vor 20 Jahren gründete sie OCH CONSULTING – Personal Branding. Ihr Ziel: Frauen den Weg in Spitzenpositionen zu ebnen. Mit individuellen Personal Branding-, Netzwerk- und Mikropolitik-Strategien.

Für ihre erfolgreiche Arbeit wurde sie mit dem Innovationspreis für Beratung ausgezeichnet. 

2012 wurde sie als erste Frau in den Wirtschaftsrat der European Business School berufen.

2013 veröffentlichte sie „Lust auf Macht – wie (nicht nur) Frauen an die Spitze kommen“, von dem das Manager Magazin sagte, hier können auch Männer noch lernen.

Andrea Och ist glücklich verheiratet, hat eine erwachsene Tochter und lebt in Hamburg. 

Leonie Flückiger has an engineering degree from ETH Zurich, one of the most renowned technical universities in the world. She co-founded a tech company in the watch industry and exited it to Bucherer Group (now Rolex) in 2022. Her company created a digital representative for luxury watches to securely store information about authenticity or ownership, and open up to a digital ecosystem including, for example, embedded insurance. Leonie was awarded Forbes30under30 for her achievements with her company and research in the field of blockchain technology. She now works for McKinsey and is passionate about digital topics.

Ana Maria Montero (AM) is an international TV, radio and print journalist with 20 years of experience who grew up professionally within the CNN family – from intern to anchor desk – working for CNN International, CNN Español, CNN domestic and HLN, in English and Spanish.

During this time, she hosted Escenario, a Los Angeles-based daily entertainment news show focused on all things arts and entertainment: Hollywood, premieres, celebrity interviews, set visits, film festivals, concerts, etc., including live coverage of the Academy Awards®, Grammys® and other high-profile events around the globe for CNN and TNT. Not to be limited solely to infotainment however, she rounded out her experience as a live news correspondent working out of the Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City, Miami, San Francisco, Chicago, Buenos Aires, and Mexico City Bureaus.

In 2017 AM traded red carpets for stock markets and joined the CNNMoney Switzerland team as an anchor for their flagship business and finance show, The Swiss Pulse. Replacing movie stars and rock legends with CEOs, founders, entrepreneurs, bankers, analysts from top global companies, she also became host of the long-format interview show, The Newsmaker. In addition she hosted the show, All Inclusive where she focused on topics of diversity and inclusion as well as Tech Talk, a show about all things tech, with a focus on sustainability, the Swiss start-up scene and women in tech.

When she is not working in front of the camera, AM is speaking, moderating or hosting live and virtual events for a diverse range of conferences, companies, and financial institutions, as well as providing media consulting and training.

The pursuit of her own personal story brought this Cuban, Spanish, American to Zurich, where she lives with her family, chases her writing and obsesses about making the world a better place for her daughters.

Florence Schnydrig Moser became Head of Private Banking and member of the Executive Board of Zürcher Kantonalbank in 2021.

From 2018 until joining Zürcher Kantonalbank, Florence Schnydrig Moser was CEO of Swisscard AECS GmbH in Horgen. From 2000 to 2018, she worked for Credit Suisse in various management positions in the Private Banking area including posts in Zurich, Australia and Hong Kong. In her last role at Credit Suisse Florence Schnydrig Moser was Head of Products, Investments & Marketing and responsible for the development and marketing of products for Swiss private clients. Furthermore, as a member of the Management Committee, she held cross-company responsibilities within Credit Suisse (Switzerland) AG. 

Florence Schnydrig Moser holds a degree in mathematics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification. 

She is the Chairman of the supervisory board of the Zürcher Kantonalbank Österreich AG, Salzburg. In addition, she is a member of the board of Advance (Gender Equality in Business) and Hasler Foundation. 

Kate Squire is Head of Non-Financial Risk at Man Group. Her role includes oversight of Global Compliance, Financial Crime, Operational Risk and Resilience (‘ORR’), Information Security and ESG Infrastructure at Man Group. She is Co-Chair of the Risk and Finance Committee, an executive member of the Man Plc Audit and Risk Committee, as well as Chair of the Man Group ESG Governance and Systems Committee. In addition, Kate is a member of the Man Group Executive Committee.

Kate began her career in financial services in 2000. Before joining Man Group in 2015, she worked for Barclays Bank where she was a Managing Director in the Investment Banking Division and held senior compliance positions in both New York and London. Prior to working at Barclays, Kate worked in the Private Wealth Management division at Morgan Stanley in London.

Kate holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Modern History, Economic History and Politics from Royal Holloway, the University of London.

Nora Teuwsen is the Country Holding Officer of Switzerland at ABB since 2022.

She holds a Master’s degree in Law from the University of Zurich as well as an Executive Master of European and International Business Law from the University of St. Gallen.

Swiss-German dual citizen and mother of two children, Nora was previously a partner in a Zurich law firm and, prior to her appointment as Group General Counsel of SBB, held various management positions at SBB, in particular at SBB Real Estate.

Nora Teuwsen is also, among other things, a member of the board of trustees of the “Menschen für Menschen” foundation and a member of the board of directors of Raiffeisenbank St. Gallen.

Nora Teuwsen wants to further embed gender equality in the unquestioned (work) culture. To achieve this goal, we need to make role models more visible. And to encourage women to dare to progress, to believe in their own strengths, to be less complacent about possible shortcomings – in other words, to seize opportunities and embrace change with open arms. She wants to contribute to this with her own experience so far.

Malvika Singh is the founding partner of IMPACT, an international consulting and leadership development firm with offices in Switzerland and the U.S.A. She has over thirty years of experience as a successful leader in a multicultural environment. She works with Boards, CEOs, senior executives and top leadership teams in the areas of organization and leadership development. Her work focuses on the creation of innovation by design, and she specializes in working with individuals and organizations to create breakthrough results.

Malvika earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from The University of Pennsylvania, an M.B.A. in Finance and International Business from New York University, and Organizational Gestalt Diploma from Metanoia Institute. She is a member of Harvard Kennedy School Women’s Leadership Board (WLB), a lecturer at the Lorange Institute of Business, and was formerly affiliated with Ashridge University and CCL.

Malvika is passionate about advancing the cause of women. She is a champion and advocate of women getting a fair share representation in the corporate world. She is the initiator and co-founder of Advance and is an honorary board member.

Malvika is married with two children.

Faye joined Advance in April 2020. In the position of Program Manager, she brings a wealth of experience from her corporate career at Thomson Reuters, where most recently she was a Talent & Development Director responsible for Diversity & Inclusion and Culture Change. She is enthusiastic about working with Advance’s member companies to help them move the gender diversity needle. In so doing, greater societal change can be achieved.

Faye holds a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies and has further developed her knowledge and skills during her career with NLP, Facilitation and Grief Counselling Certificates. In September 2020, she certified as a Professional Integral Coach (PCC) with The Centre for Coaching, Switzerland.

Faye is British and has lived in both Geneva and Zurich for a total of 14 years. She is married to a Dutch partner and they live in Zurich with their two young daughters. 

Margit is a seasoned professional known for her expertise in shaping and driving Diversity, Equity & Inclusion agenda. She has a proven track record in driving large-scale cultural transformations and has extensive experience in leadership and talent development. Her personal purpose is to help people make better choices, so that everyone can live, lead, and love authentically. Margit lives in Zurich with her two sons, loves theater and can be often seen jogging along the Limmat.

Julia holds a Master of Banking & Finance from the University of St.Gallen (lic. oec. HSG, Bankwirtschaft).

She has 20 plus years of experience within Financial Services working for JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank covering products such as Wealth Management, Corporate Banking, Investment Banking Asset Management in Europe & Asia.

She will join UBS as of 1st March 2024 as an Integration Officer based in Zurich.

She is married with a 4 years old daughter.

.

Isabelle is a Partner in EY’s People Consulting practice. She joined EY in September 2019 and is based in Zurich, Switzerland. She engages with clients across all of Switzerland to discuss and evolve their corporate culture, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and social sustainability. Before joining the consulting world, Isabelle has worked for over 10 years at UBS, always focusing on human centred change and evolving the corporate culture.

Isabelle holds a Master in Business Administration from the University of Zurich (Switzerland) and the University of Montpellier (France).

The gender diversity topic has gotten a new boost by focusing more on equity and sustainability. As a consultant, I have the pleasure to work with many great role-models and DEI enthusiasts every day. And acknowledging that every human is different, we need to focus even more on creating a culture of inclusion.

Isabelle is a mother of two little girls and lives in the city of Zurich.

Nazim Unlu is an accomplished HR leader with over 15 years of experience in healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture and food, consumer goods, and banking. He is known for simplifying complex problems and building consensus across regions and cultures, enabling him to deliver successful change initiatives and transformations in complex, global environments. Nazim’s expertise spans multi-country leadership, talent management and acquisition, digital and agile HR transformation, strategic HR business partnering, organizational design, and DEI. He has demonstrated leadership at all levels, from global to regional and country, and is renowned for his ability to identify and recruit “hidden gems” and create an ecosystem to support their growth.

He has held several key positions at Novartis, where he led global transformations, developed well-balanced people strategies, and implemented digital and agile working standards. He brings an international perspective to his work and identifies himself as an HR Scientist and a lifetime learner pursuing the Chief Human Resources Program at The Wharton School. He has also completed executive leadership programs at INSEAD and Harvard University. Nazim’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity is evident in his approach to creating a balanced and psychologically safe work environment. His passion for this cause dates back to his pre-career days as a project leader in Turkey in an NGO, developing and designing diverse projects. He supported young individuals in finding their purpose and eliminating obstacles to achieving their goals. He actively practices and shares this approach with his work colleagues and audiences globally. He believes building an equitable and inclusive workplace where everyone can be their best and authentic selves is not difficult.

He is humbled to have received several awards and recognitions, including the `He for She Award` from the Turkish Businesswomen Association, the Innovation HR Award, and the D&I Award. He mentors many young individuals and recently collaborated with TechFace and Girls in Tech Platform to support women’s careers in STEM.

Empowering voice and global influence. As a globally-recognised coach and keynote speaker, Gabriela blends a vibrant Swiss-Latin flair to inspire change, empower women and corporate teams in over 80 countries. Her humorous and transformative approach transcends conventional learning. Her journey spans two decades, evolving from a technology professional to a diversity and inclusion specialist.

As a professional certified coach (CTI), she holds an MBA in Global Leadership and a BA in Business Technology. Gabriela’s multi-faceted expertise helps propel individuals and organisations toward innovation, growth, and future readiness. She energises and coaches diverse mid to senior-level executives/teams, heads of state, and elite athletes. Experience the transformative power of engagement with Gabriela to achieve your goals with less effort and more impact.

Economist, banking rebel and believer in life-serving leadership, I am driven by two fundamental convictions: that daily money decisions are an untapped source of positive social and environmental impact, and that we cannot wait another 100+ years to achieve economic gender equality. As senior leader in finance with over 21 years’ experience in Wealth Management at UBS, I have had the privilege to support UHNW families to have more impact with their wealth, and to design and lead a global transformation program to facilitate female financial participation. My work to advance financial literacy, equality and female economic empowerment was honoured with the Financial Justice Champion Award by The Bridge, Berlin, in 2018. 

I am the author of “Women and Risk: Re-writing The Rules” (Nikolai Intelligence & Publishing, Berlin, 2018) and A Smart Way To Start (2018-2022), a rhymed book series for children on money, equality and sustainability. My vision is to shape our children’s financial future, and in particular to empower all girls to talk about money, to know their worth and to feel comfortable negotiating their pay, so they can enter the workforce on equal terms to the boys. My book, A SMART WAY TO START DOING GOOD explains the 17 Sustainable Development Goals to children, and has been published by the United Nations under the title START DOING GOOD to support awareness and education for the world’s Agenda 2030. This book has been translated to Swahili and re-illustrated for the African context, in celebration of International Day of the African child, 2022.

I hold a doctorate with highest honours in Political Economy from Fribourg University, CH, and I speak English, Italian, French and German fluently. In my spare time, I am pro-bono leader for The-A-Effect.com  and board member of Plan International Switzerland.  I recently founded FinancialParentingWorld.com to enable all parents to successfully teach their children the money skills they will need for life. Today, I am proud to be CEO Switzerland & Europe for VP Bank. 

“More freedom of choice and peace of mind when you unlock your (financial) potential.”

With over 13 years in Wealth Management across Europe & Asia, Cristina Jaeger is an expert in helping clients reach their financial goals.

As economist and finance expert she had the privilege of working with wealthy Families and Entrepreneurs across those regions, gaining insights into their money related questions and worries and how to support them with the right solutions.

When confronted not just with the frustratingly bleak statistics of women’s (financial) independence, but also the lack of financial confidence & knowledge in her female networks, Cristina applied her finance experience switching her focus to Female Finance. Since then, she has dedicated herself to reducing the gender wealth and investing gap, ultimately empowering women through financial literacy. As financial literacy is the undoubted link to greater security and autonomy, she works with women to build up financial knowledge and confidence to live their most independent lives.

She does this as Head of Female Finance & Senior Relationship Manager at VP Bank Switzerland AG and as founder of herFinancialFreedom. The Female Finance efforts focus on providing a network as a safe space for women to get inspired by each other, grow together and easily access financial literacy and wealth related topics.

Empowering voice and global influence. As a globally-recognised coach and keynote speaker, Gabriela blends a vibrant Swiss-Latin flair to inspire change, empower women and corporate teams in over 80 countries. Her humorous and transformative approach transcends conventional learning. Her journey spans two decades, evolving from a technology professional to a diversity and inclusion specialist.

As a professional certified coach (CTI), she holds an MBA in Global Leadership and a BA in Business Technology. Gabriela’s multi-faceted expertise helps propel individuals and organisations toward innovation, growth, and future readiness. She energises and coaches diverse mid to senior-level executives/teams, heads of state, and elite athletes. Experience the transformative power of engagement with Gabriela to achieve your goals with less effort and more impact.