Kathrin Wolff has a stellar career. After graduating with an MBA from EU Business School, she spent 30 years with UBS, a multinational investment and financial services company based in Switzerland, which is the top wealth management firm in the world. A Zurich native, Wolff has carved out a brilliant career for herself in Switzerland. Read on to learn more about how studying in Switzerland helped launch her successes.
Success and Expertise
After completing her initial degree in the health sector, Wolff realized that she had greater motivation towards business. This led her to return to school right away, where she connected with a marketing professor who inspired her to continue working in that sector. Having secured an entry-level position with a bank already, Wolff moved into a marketing role and earned a diploma in that field.
Eventually, this led her to study for an MBA at EU Business School, a pioneer for high-level business education. This was the experience Kathrin needed to confirm that her destiny lay in marketing and business. Switzerland, where marketing and business opportunities are so high-level, remains her base, but her work has taken her around the world, allowing her to live in many places on both short- and long-term assignments.
Clearly, Wolff is recognized as an experienced leader in both Swiss and international business circles, and her activities don’t stop at the door of UBS. She has contributed her expertise to Venture, the largest Swiss competition for startups, and is an expert at SEF. Growth, a Swiss Economic Forum venture that certifies small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) during their growth phases. After her time at UBS and rising in prominence in the blockchain sector, Wolff finds that her wealth of experience in business development and marketing is particularly appreciated in the startup world, making her an excellent resource for these SMEs. So not only has she made a name for herself in Switzerland, she has numerous opportunities to weigh in on emerging businesses and shape the future of startups in the country.
Subverting the Hierarchy and Cultural Adjustments
While Wolff may hold a lofty position and command respect for her expertise, like many women in the workplace, she had to forge a difficult path. “When I started, I had meetings where I was the only woman,” Wolff recalls.
But while her first impression of work culture was that it was hierarchical, Wolff herself doesn’t hew so closely to a rigid corporate structure. Instead, she encourages the workers under her to actively contribute. “I always say, you’re only as good as everybody’s ideas… I want to set the direction and the vision, and I want them to come up with it and challenge me… in a positive way.” However, she quickly realized that cultural mores in the workplace in certain countries can make it difficult for many workers to adopt this attitude and that she must be proactive in telling staff that she wants this direct connection.
Coming from Switzerland, with its high numbers of foreign residents and its many international companies and organizations, Wolff was likely better equipped to navigate these cultural differences than she would have otherwise been. In addition, studying at EU Business School, which has campuses in three countries and a student body representing over 100 distinct nationalities, likely also contributed to her success in establishing such an internationalized career.
Blockchain and the Future of Business
As a digital transformation expert, Wolff has an intimate understanding of how digitalization affects banking and wealth management. Automated and digitalized processes, like data analytics, are extremely valuable to a giant firm like UBS. Wolff recognizes blockchain as a true paradigm shift and is actively looking into this new technology. This led her to change focus to digitalization and pursue advanced education in blockchain technology. Eventually, this put her in the position to lead a consortium of five global consortiums in a collaborative business plan to digitize the global art market. This resulted in her receiving widespread recognition in the world of blockchain and led to her current position as Senior Advisor at aXedras, where she digitizes and connects the global precious metals industry.
Are you interested in building an international career in wealth management and getting your start in Switzerland, just like Kathrin Wolff? EU Business School is the answer. We have campuses in Geneva and Montreux, as well as online, offering a number of future-focused bachelor’s, MBA, and master’s courses, including blockchain management, digital business, and business finance. Visit us today and see what an EU degree can do for you.
