Celebrating TEAM's Swiss roots

An interview with three Swiss colleagues

Since 1991, TEAM has called Switzerland home. We’re proud to have our headquarters in beautiful Lucerne and that 40% of our staff is Swiss. In honour of Swiss National Day (1. August), we interviewed three Swiss colleagues (one from each region) to hear what being Swiss means to them.

Grab yourself a Schoggibrötli, pour yourself a Kaffeecreme and enjoy reading their stories.

Silvia, Italian-speaking region

Where did you grow up?

A village in the south of Ticino directly on the Swiss border with Italy, where you can literally have one foot in both countries.
Living on the border, we were really influenced by Italian food, music and television, but the culture is still very Swiss. The fact that we have a common foundation across education, healthcare, and infrastructure really unites all the regions of Switzerland.

What does being Swiss mean to you?

In general, I think the Swiss are very down to earth and like to keep a low profile; they are more focused on doing, rather than telling.
I have a lot of gratitude to live in a country where you can really “trust the system”. Everything is reliable and safe: the water, the transportation, the buildings, the people.

Something unique about growing up in the Italian region:

Ticino is a very diverse region, with lakes, rivers, vineyards, mountains, and picturesque lakeside villages. The carnival tradition is very much alive, and you should eat a good polenta or local cheese and wine at the 'grotto' (typical restaurant).
I knew I would most likely never study/work in my mother tongue. At the time I was looking for universities, the only options in Switzerland were in the French or German-speaking regions. Learning the other Swiss national languages (German and French) was very important and something that also feels very Swiss.

Sylvain, French-speaking region

Where did you grow up?

Nyon, which is located on Lac Léman between Lausanne and Geneva. It is the 4th biggest city of Vaud with 23,000 inhabitants.
It’s an ancient Roman city, with buildings that are hundreds of years old, and yet it is so well-maintained and pristine. That’s something very unique to and common across Switzerland.

What does being Swiss mean to you?

For such a small country, Switzerland really offers everything you need. We have beautiful lakes to enjoy in summer and some of the best ski facilities in the winter.
We take pride in our country and want to keep it safe, efficient, and beautiful. For this reason, we are a generally very well-behaved and a rule-following nation. Which may seem boring, but we can see the positive effect it has on the quality of life here!

Something unique about Nyon:

I love that we have so many festivals that bring people together. The Paléo music festival is the largest openair festival in Switzerland, and we have numerous wine festivals (the Chasselas grape being our specialty).

Nicci, German-speaking region

Where did you grow up?

Lucerne, which I believe was really hitting the jackpot!
I love to travel and experience other peoples’ hearts and cultures, but I can’t imagine living anywhere else without my family and friends; I’m always so thankful to live here.

What does being Swiss mean to you?

My mother’s side of the family were all involved in Yodelling and were members of the Jodelklub. However, I went a different musical route and focused on learning beat-boxing and drums.
I understand how lucky I was to be born here, and I don’t take that for granted. I believe it’s important to be generous and help each other. In this sense, I always try to pay it forward through my association foundation “Zigerchrapfe Stiftung.”

How do you celebrate 1 Aug?

It’s all about family and getting together with the neighbours. We always have a big bonfire (10m high), and a BBQ (Cervelat, Bratwurst, Schlangenbrot). And of course, fireworks! As a child, I even built my own firework gun to shoot them off!

Are you interested in experiencing TEAM’s unique culture first-hand? Check out our Careers page to learn more about Life at TEAM and our open roles.