Simon Vogel's Interview

Simon Vogel

"It is without saying that these objectives will not be reached without our team, which is today our real competitive advantage." Smile Suisse Director.

 April 09th 2024, by Rayene Imane Chikhi 

Rayene : Can you introduce yourself?

Simon : My name is Simon, I am 37 years old and married with two kids - one daughter and one son. I am originally from Germany but I grew up in the French part of Switzerland, feeling therefore more Swiss than German.

I am passionate about new and disruptive technologies, business and politics. I believe these are fundamental topics and are key on how you can drive innovation and how you can create a competitive edge. 

In addition, I love spending time with my family, exploring new places in nature around Lake Geneva or in the mountains.

Rayene : A few words about your career?

Simon :  I studied hospitality management and business. I started my career with the Hyatt Hotel Corporation in Doha, Qatar. A few years later as I always had an affinity for exploring new ways of doing business and working alongside new cultures, I decided to settle down with my family in Shanghai, China and open my own venture. Fast forwarding to 2018 and after living as an expatriate for almost 8 years, I decided to come back to Switzerland to be closer to family. 

During my last tenure, I had the chance to work for a tech scale-up called Coople. I was responsible for the entire French-speaking part of Switzerland and later business development for the entire region of Switzerland as well as the international expansion.

Rayene :  How did you come to join Smile ?

Simon : For me, the people, the values and the culture are the most important foundations of a successful company. Whilst I was exchanging with various stakeholders of SMILE, I quickly realized that the DNA lived by all Smileans was the perfect match to my DNA, both professionally and personally. In addition, having a clear strategic plan and drive was a stronger motivator for me. Lastly to be part of something big and to continue to build together a strong and recognized organization in the markets we are operating in today were key factors which led me to want to join SMILE ! 

Rayene : What are your main responsibilities & what are the major goals of your job?

Simon : The main responsibilities within my job scope include business development, strategy, HR and finance, to name a few. 

My ultimate goal for the Swiss market is to further increase Smile’s Group footprint in Switzerland across its portfolio of brands with our incredible team. The market has a real appetite to work with a technological company like ours and therefore we must aim to position ourselves as a leading and recognized IT service and IT consulting partner in Switzerland for our existing and future clients over the next few years. It is without saying that these objectives will not be reached without our team, which is today our real competitive advantage. It is important that we invest in the professional development and well-being of our colleagues, and position ourselves as an attractive employer in the region.