Welcome to the Alumni Community

My Working Day

Teresa Gemperle, Class of 2014

Teresa Gemperle, Class of 2014 (2008-14), Digital transformation specialist and Partnerships Manager for Girls in Tech.

A Grade 10 robotics class first sparked my interest in the digital world – and I’ve been fascinated by the ways technology can make our lives easier ever since. Today, that means I’m focused on innovation and digitalisation, helping companies and senior leaders become more resilient, more able to respond faster to changes happening around them and within them. It’s about embracing more agile and flexible ways of working.

Above all, this is interesting because it can be tough. We’re asking people to move from a command-and-control model, where you have a boss telling you what to do, to having a leader who is empowering you and enabling your work to be done by removing any impediments along the way. My main focus is on training leaders to switch into this new way of working and thinking.

To do this, my working day involves liaising with lots of different people from all over the world – something that my time at ZIS definitely helped prepare me for. It’s that balance of working well under pressure alongside a healthy work-life balance – meeting friends, going for a run and to a spin class or, weather permitting, playing tennis. In fact, tennis was something I discovered a passion for at ZIS and carried on during my time at the University of St Gallen, studying for a degree in Business with a Master’s in Business Innovation.

Something else that’s stayed with me from my time at ZIS is the importance of giving back – for example, I was delighted to have the chance to take part in a session for prospective parents about life after ZIS. Also, a few years ago, I volunteered at Advance – Gender Equality in Business, the leading business association for gender equality in Switzerland, which set me on the path of wanting to make an impact in that area. In 2020, an opening came up for an events manager that later turned into a partnerships manager position for Girls in Tech, a non-profit organisation whose mission is to help build an inclusive and diverse tech community by empowering and inspiring women. We put on free networking events, provide learning opportunities, help with skills like preparing a CV and navigating a job interview, and give advice and mentorship.

In Switzerland, we’re a team of more than 30 volunteers that keeps growing. By partnering with companies that are committed to attracting and retaining more women in tech, we’ve been able to get funding and resources that we can put back into helping our network of women. Day-to-day, we’re mostly communicating on Slack, but we all attend a yearly retreat and it’s been wonderful to meet people from so many different backgrounds, all with the same goal: to build an inclusive tech community in Switzerland. 

INTERVIEW CLARE THORP PHOTOGRAPHY JULIAN COFFIN-LENNEAR

From Voices Magazine Summer 2023

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My Working Day

Sylvia Cediel, Class of 1995

Sylvia Cediel, Class of 1995 (1993-95), Deputy Public Defender in the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office

"Each of us is more than the worst thing we have ever done,” said Bryan Stevenson, the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, and I firmly believe that’s true. When you work as a public defender, you learn to see the humanity in everyone. I believe everybody deserves good legal representation, and I represent people charged with a crime who cannot afford a private attorney; I do everything I can to try to make sure that their rights are upheld. 

I’m in court nearly every day, usually for at least half the day, but otherwise I might be at the jail seeing clients, meeting with social workers or investigators who are working on my cases, reading police reports or negotiating with the District Attorney’s office. I have 60 clients at any one time and for all of them I’m trying to get the most favorable outcome.

I recently had a client who was in custody for nine months and we finally got him out and home with his family and young son. Moments like that are fantastic. A good day is when I win a case, but it’s not always about getting someone off completely – sometimes it’s about minimizing harm.

We provide what’s called holistic defence, so we’re not just helping people with the criminal charge against them, but addressing all areas of their life that they need support in. We want to improve their lives so we don’t see them here again. My clients are often scared, because they’re facing serious charges. It’s rewarding to be able to hold their hand and help them through the process.

Of course, not all people who commit crime are bad people – and people aren’t always guilty of the crimes they’re accused of. The United States over-prosecutes people of color especially – for example, San Francisco has a black population of less than five per cent, but more than 50 per cent of people in jail accused of a crime are Black.

There’s obviously a massive range of people to deal with, and my ZIS experience has been invaluable, helping me deal with so many different personalities. Being at a school with people from such a diverse range of backgrounds and nationalities definitely makes you more open and tolerant. But as rewarding as my job is, it can be emotionally draining too. Your heart really has to be in this job or you won’t last. The people I work with are really dedicated and we’re a very close community who lean on each other and spend time together outside of work – I’m on a softball team with some colleagues.

Whenever I’m having a tough day I remind myself of the bigger goal of why I do this, which is making sure that justice is served for everybody, and that everyone has the opportunity to be properly represented in the system, no matter their skin color or socioeconomic background. 

INTERVIEW CLARE THORP PHOTOGRAPHY JULIAN COFFIN-LENNEAR

From Voices Magazine Winter 2022/23

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My Working Day

Sylvia Cediel, Class of 1995

The human angle Benji’s Humans of Covid-19 Instagram account showed the shocking, real-life impact of the pandemic on frontline healthcare professionals.

There’s been a lot of talk about doctors and nurses being heroes, but I don’t know anyone who wants that kind of recognition – we just want to have a normal shift. I start mine in London walking into the hospital through the ambulance bay – it gives me a feel for how busy we are. At the height of Covid, we didn’t have enough space in A&E and there were many shifts when I went into the backs of ambulances to assess people, even walking them to X-ray and then back to the ambulance to start treatment. It sounds absurd but we did the best with what we had.

It was difficult working in such an intense environment and then seeing people meeting up and not social distancing. I started the Instagram account Humans of Covid-19 in April 2020 to let people know what it’s like on the frontline and why we were passionate about following the guidelines. There are now seven of us interviewing healthcare  workers all over the world and we’ve reached more than five million people through social media. More importantly, many of our followers say they changed their behaviour as a result. The message was important – if we all do everything we can to stop the pandemic, then frontline staff can get on with making patients feel better.

Pandemic or not, no two days are alike, of course. People don’t typically come into A&E from nine to five, so most of my shifts are midday to midnight or 10pm to 8am. The numbers of patients I see can vary massively, and you have to be adaptable. Looking at things from a different perspective and having the confidence to try new ideas were really rewarded at ZIS and are a big part of my role now. Giving presentations throughout high school also taught me a hugely valuable skill, because these days I have to present all the time, whether it’s updating colleagues or telling a specialist why my patient needs to be admitted.

I spend my days off working on Humans of Covid-19 or studying, because as a doctor that never ends – you need to stay sharp. I’m also in a jazz band and I missed being able to practise together. I play the drums which is incredibly cathartic and just a world away from the working day!

INTERVIEW DIANE SHIPLEY PHOTOGRAPHY HUMANS OF COVID-19

From Voices Magazine Winter 2021

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My Working Day

Sophia Marti, Class of 2006

A walk in the park Sophia, who runs Marti Engagement Marketing Agency, says that she savoured walks with Blanche even more during lockdown.

I’m quite self-disciplined, so my day starts early, usually around 6am as that’s the easiest time I can get out for a spot of exercise. I might go running or do a high-intensity style boot camp, or maybe yoga.

Then it’s time for Blanche, my lovely fox terrier. I’ve only had her for a couple of years but she’s transformed my working day. As well as the walk into work, I try to take her out for some fresh air whenever I get a break; there’s a beautiful forest near our office and we love to spend time there. I never realised what a difference it makes if you step away from your desk, even for a brief 10 minutes. I return with a clearer mindset and, during the lockdown, walks with Blanche became even more frequent and savoured.

I’ll spend the day dealing with multiple clients, and that can be tricky as everything can come at once. My approach is to tackle the difficult stuff first; I’m not a person who can live with something hanging over me – it drives me nuts. Some clients are very sensitive; they want everything to be 100 per cent accurate and I find myself on call 24/7. I’m in the office from 8.30am to 6pm every day – but I might work evenings too.

Many of my clients are international and, without my experience of the international outlook at ZIS, I don’t think I would have been able to operate in that world. My parents are Swiss, I’m Swiss, but I speak English almost as my mother tongue. The ZIS culture made me completely comfortable communicating with people anywhere in the world – my international clients don’t realise I’m Swiss!

That’s not to say I was the most academic person at school, but I don’t think it’s all about being academically excellent – one way that ZIS prepared me was to emphasise that it’s important to find the thing you have a passion for and make the most of that. Don’t be afraid to follow that ambition.

It’s worked for me: so much of what I do is new ground for me, but I love the flexibility of being my own boss and making my own decisions. I don’t have a mentor, but I do consult my husband, who runs his own asset management firm, so we know what we’re both going through.

Having your own business is exciting because every day is different and brings new opportunities, but it can also be challenging as you need to be patient and stay motivated. Having ambition is what pulls you through; if you are driven, you can take the lows, move on and fight for what you love doing.

INTERVIEW DIANE SHIPLEY PHOTOGRAPHY KATE PETERS

From Voices Magazine Spring 2021

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Small World

Mazood Razaq, Class of 1992

Masood Razaq isn’t sure which was the most nerve-racking: working with Bill Gates or trying to break a Toblerone the Swiss way in front of his peers. But one thing he’s sure of is that no matter what he’s doing, the experience at AISZ taught him to aim high.

“You should try to surround yourself with as many talented people as possible,” says Masood. “It forces you to raise your game, to perform at a higher level, and to learn from some of the best people around. That will be a good thing for your career forever.”

Masood first came to Zurich at 15 (having lived in Egypt, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Greece and Germany), and he settled into school quickly. “There was a family atmosphere, which gave it a feeling of intimacy and trust,” he says. “Looking back, it was a privilege to be in such an intimate classroom setting. I do better in small groups.”

Via Harvard, Cambridge University and Harvard Business School, his first job was with management consulting firm A.T. Kearney in London. However, his most significant professional experience was at Microsoft in Seattle, where he spent four years as part of the corporate strategy group, working with senior executives on new product ideas. “I had some meetings with Bill Gates, which were mildly terrifying. He’s a really good guy, but it’s hard to talk to someone about the future when they’re way ahead of you on everything,” he says.

It was in Seattle that he met his wife, Sofia, an interior and clothing designer, and it was also a time where he discovered a new challenge. “I became interested in working with business people who are risking their own capital and doing things more organically, and I wanted to see if I could do that in an emerging markets context.” Through Verdacore, he advises Gulf-based family groups, entrepreneurs and mid-sized businesses on strategic opportunities, operational improvement and investments, in addition to mentoring a couple of startups.

He’d like his two sons (Zayn, 6, and Rayan, 10) to have a similar high school experience to his own and not just academically. He played soccer and tennis, visited the Uffizi gallery in Florence with his art class and took part in Model United Nations conferences, a simulated version of UN proceedings. “You definitely felt that teachers were passionate about their subjects and cared about you – they weren’t just punching in to a job,” says Masood.

He also picked up some practical skills. “One of my classmates taught me how to break a Toblerone the Swiss way: press inwards on the last point with your thumb, rather than pulling it apart.”

He still keeps in touch with about a dozen school friends through Facebook. “Many of them are doing amazing things. It makes you set your sights higher in terms of what you can do in the world.”

WORDS DIANE SHIPLEY / PHOTOGRAPHY SIDDHARTH SIVA 

From Voices Magazine Summer 2018

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Small World

Erika Darmstaedter (Class of 1981)

From self-styled ‘ski bum’ to award-winning ad agency leader, Erika Darmstaedter (Class of 1981 (1979-81) is proof that there’s more than one route to success. Responsible for global account management and client strategy at FCB, one of the largest global advertising agency networks, she has overseen some of the biggest brands in the world. But it hasn’t always been straightforward.

She left AISZ in 1981 with no clear career goals. Instead, she brushed up her German and spent two years lost on the ski slopes. It was when she landed a junior secretary job at Geneva-based advertising agency Y&R that she found her true calling. Within five years, she’d worked her way up to account management but, at 26, she decided it was time to get a degree and studied Business Administration at New York University.

Erika admits she was a more committed student as an adult than as a teenager, but she always loved English, particularly class discussions. “Mr Kruger [English teacher, 1966-90] and Mr Killen [English teacher, 1972-90] were superb teachers who both brought literature to life. They opened up this world of exploration and discovery.”

Having grown up in Saudi Arabia, Taiwan and Israel, as well as Zurich, international schools made a big impression on her. “They really influenced my career and who I am today because of the diversity of the people and the cultures that come together.”

After eight years at Saatchi & Saatchi in London, Erika returned to her native Switzerland in 2011 to be closer to her family and so that her children, now 19 and 20, could take the IB. She was on the AISZ board from 1999 to 2001, during the time it adopted the programme, and still thinks it’s the best way to learn. “It has a lot of academic rigour, but more importantly teaches kids to think and value learning. It’s not just teaching kids to pass tests.”

Her love of advertising is as strong as ever, particularly knowing she’s part of a bigger picture. “I get to shape a little of the history of the company and of these beautiful legacy brands.” There are constant challenges, including evolving communication methods and bright young things defecting to tech. But Erika remains optimistic.

“Every day, we try to make our creativity come to life in this new world. We’ve just won another global contract, so we're moving in the right direction. I have creative projects happening in Brazil, Mexico, India, England and France – and that’s just today. I’m living proof that you don’t have to do things in a linear way, you can still take something great from each stage of life. If we teach our children that, they’ll be better prepared to go into the world.”

WORDS DIANE SHIPLEY PHOTOGRAPHY OLIVER OETTLI

Voices Magazine Winter 2020

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Small World

Dr Lucile Burgo-Black, Class of 1970

As a doctor working with war veterans at the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System in Connecticut, Dr Lucile Burgo-Black has seen first-hand the devastation of battle.

Now, as National Co-Director of the Veterans Health Administration’s Post-Deployment Integrated Care Initiative, she splits her time between seeing patients, teaching students, and delivering talks and presentations on behalf of the central office in Washington, DC. “We’re working on making sure that the lessons we’ve learned are hard-wired into the system so that, after each war, we don’t have to relearn how to take care of people coming back.”

In fact, she says, she fell into the work almost by accident. After leaving AISZ she contemplated pursuing skiing professionally, but instead she went to Brown University in Rhode Island to study marine biology, before deciding she “really liked working with people” and returning to medical school at the University of Lausanne. It was there that she met her husband, Robert.

After graduation, they settled in the US state of Connecticut, and had four children in four years. Looking for work she could fit around her family, Lucile took a part-time primary care job at the local VA hospital and soon became passionate about the healthcare needs of people who have been to war.

“I always look back on AISZ, more than my college experience, as making me who I am today: a lot of challenges, a lot of opportunities and incredible mentoring. I tried to get involved in every sport going and the trips were brilliant. We went camping along the Rhine one year – I can still remember the foldable kayaks – and it was a two-week mud-fest, but with so many fun memories.

“Ski weeks were just the best time, and reading books with Chuck Kruger (former English teacher, 1966-90) and playing in the lab with Fowler Stillman (former biology teacher, 1967-89) was just so wonderful. The school’s first head teacher John Mattern (1963-71) was an amazing guy; he had this Jungian atmosphere, just thinking about how we can understand ourselves, and by understanding yourself you can learn about life and others. They just did a wonderful job in raising adolescents.”

Now at Yale, she has stayed connected to her AISZ classmates, thanks to Facebook and occasional reunions. And she says the lessons she learned from the school have stayed with her throughout her career. “You have to work hard, you have to explore, you have to be curious. I had this curiosity to find out about the world that I still hold today. It just makes life so interesting and rewarding.”

WORDS DIANE SHIPLEY / PHOTOGRAPHY SALLY MONTANA

From Voices Magazine Winter 2017

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My Working Day

Garry Earl Spurr, Class of 2009

If I wasn’t doing this, I’d be in… international development. “I’ve always been interested in human rights and thought about getting into global community development, but going overseas wouldn’t feel right when there are issues that need attention right in my own backyard.”

When it comes to my average day, there really isn’t one! But when your “office” is the vast deserts of Western Australia, perhaps that’s not too surprising.

I work with the indigenous people of Martu country, where around 2,000 people are custodians of 13.6 million hectares of desert – almost threeand- a-half times the size of Switzerland. Our organisation, Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa (KJ), helps establish and develop Martu communities, people who were among the last of Australia’s indigenous people to make contact with the European world, with many living a completely traditional desert life as recently as the 1960s.

Most of my work is focused on the preservation and celebration of the Martu language, within which is encoded a wealth of cultural, spiritual and ecological knowledge. So, on any given day I might be at a conference with indigenous groups from all over Australia, having planning meetings within the organisation, or going to work with elders who are keen to pass on their knowledge of country, community and culture to future generations.

In a mainstream setting, the Martu are operating within a foreign culture and in a foreign language – they are dependent on benevolent kardiya (white people) to help them get by. When we head out into Martu country, the dynamic completely shifts, and that’s where you can have a really good conversation. When I meet indigenous people who’ve never seen a white person speak their language before, I’m often greeted by wide eyes and amusement!

Our approach is that this is a living language rather than something that needs to be preserved and documented. Martu have passed down amazingly detailed knowledge for millennia through song, hand signs, painting, different speech styles – everything but the written word. So, we need to be sensitive to that and not undermine those traditions.

There is a danger you can plan too much, but if you’re overly gung-ho you could also cause harm, so striking the right balance is an active and reflective process that requires being humble and willing to try new things. KJ’s ranger team at Kunawarritji held an awesome language camp this year, which involved family members across all generations passing on stories. It was beautiful to see some of the elders surrounded by grandchildren, their eyes twinkling.

The experience of being immersed in the culture changes people, and initiatives led by the community are a lot more likely to work than top-down solutions. The challenges Martu people have faced in the 50 years since they came out of the desert are hard to imagine but to watch these communities and witness their strength is inspiring.

INTERVIEW DIANE SHIPLEY PHOTOGRAPHY TAMARA BULCOCK

From Voices Magazine Spring 2020

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