• How do decision-makers in SMEs recognize which innovations are decisive for their core business, which innovations can be used productively and monetized?
  • How does the balance between proven methods and agile innovation management succeed in the SME?
  • How do you maintain a tradition-oriented and innovative corporate culture that motivates employees to pull in the same direction every day?

Four entrepreneurs and executives from globally operating SMEs from various industries will answer these and other questions from the audience during a panel discussion on technology, digital transformation, culture and innovation management in SMEs.

Format: Panel discussion and audience questions
Time: 9:00-09:40 Uhr
Language: Ger
Location: Schiffbau

Speakers

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    Alice Šáchová-Kleisli

    Challenger, transformer, board member

    Alice is a versatile entrepreneur and board member with a strong focus on the customer and consumer perspective. She is co-founder of Collective63 AG and supports companies in shaping and anchoring their desired change by means of people-centricity.

    In her 30 years of professional experience, she was in CEO positions for over 15 years and has also been a board member since 2004. Her operational positions range from Procter & Gamble to the Boston Consulting Group to the management of Tela-Kimberly and the de Sede Group. In addition to her consulting work, she currently holds several board mandates, such as…

    Alice is a versatile entrepreneur and board member with a strong focus on the customer and consumer perspective. She is co-founder of Collective63 AG and supports companies in shaping and anchoring their desired change by means of people-centricity.

    In her 30 years of professional experience, she was in CEO positions for over 15 years and has also been a board member since 2004. Her operational positions range from Procter & Gamble to the Boston Consulting Group to the management of Tela-Kimberly and the de Sede Group. In addition to her consulting work, she currently holds several board mandates, such as SRG SSR, Griesser and Pax. In addition, she is a long-standing member of the board of GfM (Swiss Society for Marketing).
    Alice is also committed to promoting education and is an active member of Aiducation.

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    Doris Albisser

    Entrepreneur & Board Member

    Doris is an entrepreneur with many years of international leadership experience at CEO and board level in Europe, North America and Asia. Her key areas of expertise are innovation, technology and people & culture.
    As owner and Executive Chairman of Evaluglobe AG, she focuses on board mandates and as an investor on innovative, growth-oriented companies. She also supports companies in their growth and internationalisation phases. She has many years of experience in cross-border M&A and the merging of corporate cultures in Europe, Asia and North America. Previously, she led CLS Communication AG for more than 16 years as Group CEO,…

    Doris is an entrepreneur with many years of international leadership experience at CEO and board level in Europe, North America and Asia. Her key areas of expertise are innovation, technology and people & culture.
    As owner and Executive Chairman of Evaluglobe AG, she focuses on board mandates and as an investor on innovative, growth-oriented companies. She also supports companies in their growth and internationalisation phases. She has many years of experience in cross-border M&A and the merging of corporate cultures in Europe, Asia and North America. Previously, she led CLS Communication AG for more than 16 years as Group CEO, co-owner, Delegate of the Board of Directors and most recently as Vice President. She shaped the company's history from its founding (spin-off of Swiss Bank Corporation (UBS) and Zurich Insurance), internationalisation, organic and acquisitive growth to the sale of the group in 2015. During this time, CLS Communication evolved from a classic translation service into a technology-based international solutions provider and ranked among the top 10 worldwide. Doris Albisser is President of the Foundation Board of SOS Children's Villages Switzerland and a member of the International Senate of SOS Children's Villages International. She is a founding member and Vice-President of MIDATA (e-health) and a member of the Hospital Board of the Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich. Doris Albisser holds a translator's diploma from the ZHAW, an Executive MBA from the University of St. Gallen, a Senior Executive Program from Columbia University, USA, a Board of Directors degree from the University of St. Gallen, INSEAD in France, and CEIBS/Wharton in China.

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    Elena Cortona

    CTO, Head of Innovation & Group Executive Committee

    Elena Cortona starts as the new CTO at Belimo Automation AG in June. From 2001 to 2021, she held various positions at the Schindler Group. Most recently, she was responsible for the digital transformation of the entire value chain, defining strategic goals, methodologies and the IT/IoT tool landscape for elevator design, production, installation and maintenance.
    From 2007 to 2017, she was the technical lead for Schindler 7000, leading the development of elevators up to 500m for the global market and bringing Schindler to the forefront in this product segment. From 2005 to 2007, she led Atlas Schindler's R&D team in…

    Elena Cortona starts as the new CTO at Belimo Automation AG in June. From 2001 to 2021, she held various positions at the Schindler Group. Most recently, she was responsible for the digital transformation of the entire value chain, defining strategic goals, methodologies and the IT/IoT tool landscape for elevator design, production, installation and maintenance.
    From 2007 to 2017, she was the technical lead for Schindler 7000, leading the development of elevators up to 500m for the global market and bringing Schindler to the forefront in this product segment. From 2005 to 2007, she led Atlas Schindler's R&D team in Sao Paolo, Brazil, and was involved in the strategic definition of R&D globalization for the Schindler Group. She holds a PhD from ETH Zurich and a degree in mechanical engineering from the Polytechnic University of Turin.

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    Christiane Leister

    Owner

    Christiane Leister studied economics and built her career at well-known German family-owned companies gaining well-grounded specialist and management competencies in Finance and Controlling. She was responsible for operative and strategic tasks at Karl Leister Elektro-Gerätebau, a family-owned company before she obtained control of the company and used new technologies and business activities to develop the company into the Leister Group with eleven Group companies on three continents.
    Christiane Leister is a member of the Supervisory Board at Amphasys AG, a spin-off of the Leister company Axetris AG and a Member of the Foundation Board at the Leister Foundation. In addition…

    Christiane Leister studied economics and built her career at well-known German family-owned companies gaining well-grounded specialist and management competencies in Finance and Controlling. She was responsible for operative and strategic tasks at Karl Leister Elektro-Gerätebau, a family-owned company before she obtained control of the company and used new technologies and business activities to develop the company into the Leister Group with eleven Group companies on three continents.
    Christiane Leister is a member of the Supervisory Board at Amphasys AG, a spin-off of the Leister company Axetris AG and a Member of the Foundation Board at the Leister Foundation. In addition to that Christine is a member of the ETH Board, the ETH Domain’s strategic management and supervisory board, member of the advisory board of the Venture Foundation that promotes entrepreneurship in Switzerland, member of the strategic advisory board of Artmyn SA, a start-up offering solutions for digitalizing visual artworks and jury member of the swiss economic award for extraordinary young companies.

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    Oceana Galmarini

    Moderation

    Oceana Galmarini has been moderating the news program “Schweiz aktuell” for a year and a half. Before that, the Engadin woman spent almost seven years at Radiotelevisiun Svizra Rumantscha as a reporter and presenter for various formats. With her open and down-to-earth manner, she meets people at eye level with a lot of curiosity.

    Oceana Galmarini has been moderating the news program “Schweiz aktuell” for a year and a half. Before that, the Engadin woman spent almost seven years at Radiotelevisiun Svizra Rumantscha as a reporter and presenter for various formats. With her open and down-to-earth manner, she meets people at eye level with a lot of curiosity.