From apprentice to boss: Numerous CEOs in Switzerland began their careers not with the Matura, but with an apprenticeship. This is also the case with our interview partner of the month. Marco Schweizer's career to date is a success story that can be attributed not least to the nature of the dual education system in Switzerland.
The current managing director of the FrymaKoruma AG in Switzerland and the ProXES Technology GmbH in Neuenburg am Rhein (DE), looks back on 24 years with the same employer. "A wild, dynamic journey that has taken me to the remotest corners of the earth," as Marco Schweizer reveals to us in the interview.
His penchant for precise drawing and his passion for technology were the driving force behind his apprenticeship as a machine designer at FrymaKoruma AG, one of the world's leading suppliers of process engineering machines and process plants. At the same time, Marco Schweizer completed his vocational baccalaureate, which also gave him the tools he needed for his basic commercial training. When the opportunity arose to stay with the company after completing his apprenticeship, he jumped at the chance and continued to develop both personally and professionally with each new internal job change.
Marco Schweizer's path from joining the company to the top was varied: from design engineer and project manager to team leader engineering and department head to product manager, he worked in various positions and learned from countless people. In order to better understand the economic context, he pursued an extra-occupational degree in business administration and corporate organization. This was followed by positions in Customer Service at company level and in the umbrella organization of the ProXES GmbH Group. In his current position as Managing Director of FrymaKoruma AG in Rheinfelden and ProXES Technology GmbH, another subsidiary of the parent company, he and his team are pursuing the challenges in the sustainable production of food, new alternative forms of nutrition and the context of increasingly important ESG criteria*. "Reduction of Food Waste begins with the design of the process solutions," Marco Schweizer is convinced.
The parent company, ProXES GmbH, successfully unites three leading brands for process technologies under one roof: FrymaKoruma, Stephan and Terlet. As a technology supplier for the food processing industry and for the manufacture of pharmaceutical, cosmetic and health-promoting products, Marco Schweizer believes that his journey with the company is far from over.
It comes as no surprise that the innovation-driven Managing Director is committed to the consistent promotion of apprentices. There are currently 13 trainees in 5 apprenticeships at FrymaKoruma. As part of our "5 questions for..." series, we spoke to Marco Schweizer about his professional and personal interests and the most important lessons he has learned on his career path so far. Find out more about him in our interview of the month.
Mr. Schweizer, if you had taken a different path when you were younger, what would you have become?
"I come from the "JurassicPark" generation, so I've always been fascinated by archaeology. Driven by this, I also took Latin courses - with rather limited success."
What is your favorite way to start your day?
"My nature is sporty and active, so I start the day with a visit to the gym. 5 a.m. can be planned, but unfortunately the rest of the day can't 😊."
What does success mean to you personally?
"My DNA is based on team sports and many experiences from my years in the army. For me, success is not necessarily about achieving goals, but rather about starting the journey together. For me, bringing people of different views, backgrounds and ideologies together to reach a consensus is the epitome of success."
What would you work for free for a week?
"It would be presumptuous to say that this is THE one thing. Basically, I believe that we need to seek out exchanges with the younger generation much more often. On the one hand, to learn from them and find out how the world is seen through their eyes, and on the other, to pass on experiences to them that will in turn help them on their path in life."
What was the best professional advice you ever received?
"Since it was several years ago, I unfortunately can't remember who I picked up the idea from, but I still act according to the motto today: "Normally people say: 'Treat other people the way you want to be treated."
For me, however, this is not the appreciative approach I would like to take towards another person. I am firmly convinced that it should read as follows:
"Treat other people the way they want to be treated!" My world view should not be the yardstick for how I treat other people.
Whether good or bad, this is one of my convictions and has helped me decisively in many years of complex cooperation with people."
We would like to thank Mr. Schweizer for his contribution to this article. This interview was conducted in writing.
*ESG criteria: The term "ESG" has become established as the standard for sustainable investments. These three letters stand for Environment, Social and Governance and describe three sustainability-related areas of corporate responsibility.
Editor: Neslihan Steiner
Batterman Consulting Basel AG
Executive Search,
Byfangweg 1a, CH-4051 Basel
T +41 58 680 55 55
basel@batterman.ch
