Every month we ask one individual in our network a few questions about their way into tech, their motivation and their lessons learned.
Let’s start from the beginning. Tell us about where you’re from!
I grew up in the French part of Switzerland (Crissier) and my family and I later moved to Bettingen, Basel, and at last to Wattwil, St.Gallen. At 22 I married my now husband, and we moved close to Zürich. During that time I studied Tourism in Chur and worked for an event agency after finishing my bachelor’s. Then my husband and I sold everything we owned and traveled the world to see if we wanted to build a life somewhere else. However, we came back to Switzerland and I started to work for TEAMBOX, an ERP Software for agencies, which is now part of the everii Group. At that time I took on this role as a customer success manager. I was familiar with the company because I was initially a user of the software since I had been working with it when I had my position at the event agency.
I love the fact that my life took me to so many different places in the world. I learned to adapt, to get to know people, and to build bridges even if you do not speak the same language.
After working in this role for 2 years at everii Group (a key provider of Professional Services Automation in the DACH region), I was promoted to Head of Customer Success. A year ago, I was entrusted with leading the Swiss company and joining the management board. At this point in time, I serve on the Management Board of everii Group while leading the Swiss branch. Additionally, I am Head of Customer Success for TEAMBOX, UntermStrich, and Kobold.
What valuable advice did you get from your parents?
Always be honest and respectful to others but also to yourself. To reflect on my actions and communicate my ideas as well as my struggles.
Thus, it is very important to have common ground and values.
How did you become interested in tech?
I’ve always been interested in computers and loved to play games, like GTA or Age of Empire on the computer with my brother. I was captivated by this new world that the tech industry opened. Over time, this passion grew beyond gaming.
What challenges did you face when transitioning from a customer success role to a leadership position, and how did you overcome them?
I quickly realized that supporting customers is quite different from being responsible for team members. In both roles, building relationships is key, but with team members, it requires a deeper level of involvement and a more sustained commitment. Being in a leadership role means that you take action and make decisions that might be challenged by the team. There’s also a shared responsibility to achieve long-term goals together, which requires more emotional investment and continuous support. I believe I experienced significant personal growth last year, more than at any other time in my career.
What trends in the tech industry do you think will significantly impact customer success management in the coming years?
It will be AI for sure – we already have automated tools and collect data to see what kind of customer health scores or what net promoter scores our clients have. However, I think the use of an AI will help to predict certain events even better and help to take action faster. Moreover, I think self-service will be a bigger topic next year. Clients want to be able to adapt things in the tools themselves and be less dependent – thus the product and the customer success team need to change the current processes. Nevertheless, when the client needs support he wants to have a trusted advisor, Which gives him insights and another perspective.
You mentioned the importance of teamwork. How do you foster collaboration and a sense of belonging in your teams?
It is for sure a mixture of trusting the person in charge to take true ownership of their task, but also always being here for any questions they might have. Moreover, we organize several different events and trips/excursions with our teams so that they also get to know each other on a deeper and personal level. For example, the sales team recently flew to Barcelona for a workshop. However, I think that the key is to listen to the needs of the people and take action on that feedback.
Have you ever had a role model that inspired you on your path?
Yes, my grandfather was a very inspiring man. He was an engineer, used to travel the world, and spoke several different languages. He was always thoughtful and loved to talk about his travels and the experiences he had. He was also a very good listener. From him, I learned to be open to the world, to look carefully and analyze things, but also to trust my own abilities.
What aspects of your work are you proudest of?
I love it when I implement one of our products successfully and our clients feel a huge difference in their daily work. Moreover, I like that I have a huge team behind me that supports me. Every single person is essential to our success, and I like how well we function as a team.
What drives you at work?
The moment when through our team, our client, and my work we successfully reach our common goal and everything worked as we had it planned out.
What has been your toughest challenge you faced while working in tech?
To face the reality of our products always having room for improvement and being a never-ending creation. When I first started out, I thought of the software tool as being like a painting. At one point it would be finished and perfect but very soon I realized that it’s more like a garden that needs a team of gardeners, who always look after it and keep up its maintenance.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast?
Currently, my favorite book is, Madame Pylinski und das Geheimnis von Chopin – Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt
It is a small book but wonderfully written, you have the feeling of hearing the music while reading. And it is perfect to read on a Sunday afternoon.
What advice would you give other women in tech?
I would say:
And what advice would you give women not yet working in tech that want to enter the field?
It is a great field, and you will have a lot of options. It is not only programming but also creating and finding the best solution with teams that are motivated to improve a product with you.
