Past Events 2023

Power of strength and Positivity: Ukrainian women rebuilding lives and livelihoods

Natalia Shkarban and Alina Selinanova

Over our last 2023 event showcased two Ukrainian women rebuilding lives & livelihoods through the stories of our members.

Natalia Shkarban told her story of leaving Ukraine with her 2 children at the start of the war in February 2022 and rebuilding her life here in Switzerland with the support of family and new colleagues at PPG. Her 3 lessons will stick with us:

  1. Life does not stop if all your belongings are in a carry-on luggage.
  2. The best investment you can make is in health and education.
  3. We have to allow ourselves to do things that make us happy without feeling guilty.

Alina Selinanova shared the story of how she supported her family from here in France/Switzerland. Her number 1 priority at the start of the war was the security of her family who live 30km from the frontline and 50km from the nuclear power plant occupied by the Russians.

Member showcase

Lorraine Berthoud, Monica Ray Scott, Klara Boor, Katrina Edmunds

Over this inspiring event, our 4 members presented on topics very dear to them and expressed how your thoughts and beliefs influence behaviors in life and at work. 
• Lorraine Berthoud on “The Power of Thoughts”
• Katrina Edmunds on “Setting Audacious Goals”
• Klara Bloor on “Continuous Learning”
• Monica Ray Scott on “Design as a Methodology for Problem Solving”

 

Caring & career: finding strength in each other & ourselves in times of illness

Elina Viitaniemi

Over an interactive and inspiring discussion, we had the opportunity to name and hold space to explore the complexity of feelings, challenges and dilemmas associated with cancer in particular, and illness in general, leaving us with much food for thought and action. Main takeaways: 
  • The need to remove the barriers to people feeling able to talk about cancer or other illness particularly with their employer (that figure of 50% feeling afraid to do so will still with us), and 
  • The need to keep an open dialogue professionally and personally.

Microbiome: A New Frontier in Health

Ramona Cernat

Over decades, attitudes, understanding and preferences in human nutrition have outgrown the basic concepts of macronutrients and calories. But we have entered a new, more sophisticated age of functional nutrition to improve quality of life. Recent scientific advances in our understanding of the human microbiome show that it provides a new frontier in health.

Dr. Ramona Cernat, a gut microbiome expert, explained to us what the human microbiome is, why it matters, and what levers we can use to improve it and stay healthy. Ramona shared how intricately connected our overall health and the health of our microbiome are, as well as tips for nurtuing a healthy microbiome, from sleep and stress management, to a healthy diet including probiotics and prebiotics. 

Boost your confidence & communication with color

Sarah Valentine

Sara taught us the meaning of color and how we can choose colors to boost our own mood and communicate to others, as well as thinking about what suits us.

Attendees had the chance to test colors that could suit them better (our color palette), as well as to discuss why some color tones look better on us and ideas to explore or new options to try.

Beyond diversity: the importance of fostering inclusion and belonging

Fadzi Whande

Over this enlightening talk, Fadzi walked us through the concepts of Diversity and Inclusion, what they mean and how often they're used interchangeably.

Using her inspiring personal story, Fadzi showed to us that being inclusive is easier said than done. It takes focus and action at every level. This talk brought us awareness on how our education and culture can distort our understanding of the value of diversity. 
She provided some practical tools very useful to improve inclusion.

How to communicate better across cultures and why it matters

Nicola Winzenried 

Over this fascinating and inspiring workshop, Nicola Winzenried guided us on a journey to find out more about cultural differences and how you can improve your intercultural communication skills, why it matters, and how easy it is to make mistakes in case we do not master such aspects while living and working in cross-cultural environments. 
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How to plan your retirement serenely: Your questions answered

Monique Adamer
Madeleine Pita Fernandez 

Over this inspirational and extremely useful event, Monique and Madeleine described the Swiss retirement system, explaining why it remains one of the issues of concern to the Swiss population. And why women often face challenges in the pension system resulting from part-time work or maternity, resulting in a pension gap. We went through a deep dive into the Swiss pension system leading to a willingness from many of our members to review their current pension plan and take control of their financial planning.

 

Why set big scary goals? What I learned from traveling the “Long Way Home” from Lausanne to New Zealand by bike

Rebecca Wardell

Over this inspirational talk, Rebecca described her amazing journey as a heptathlete and an extreme cyclist to explain what happens when you set objectives beyond what seems possible.
Rebecca cycled 20,000 kilometers through 19 countries, visiting schools along the way and raising money for the Forward Foundation.
This journey was also the means to achieve personal growth and deep connections, and to learn how to set audacious goals, overcome obstacles, and build resilience along the way.