Sandro Tobler: You get what you give

Sandro Tobler gets things done. He enjoys having his finger on the pulse. In fact, you can feel the buzz and positivity in his voice when you speak to him. He talks passionately about what he does, and you can tell he is grateful for the life that he has created.

As Vice President of Operations at Huber+Suhner, a telecoms multinational headquartered in Herisau, his job often involves 50+ hour working weeks.

He’s responsible for sites around the globe, from India to Mexico, so there’s lots of travel involved. Even when he’s at home in Switzerland, he’s often burning the candle at both ends, either with frequent calls to site teams or working out at the Cross-Fit gym.

Sandro’s route to the EMBA was somewhat unique. “I started as an apprentice at my company when I was 16 years old,” he said. “Then I studied for different certifications and eventually did a Master of Advanced Studies in supply chain operations management. Not having a traditional Bachelor or Master as first degree meant that I had the opportunity to join the EMBA via an entry exam.” he recalled.

So why did he choose the EMBA, and why in English? “For me, an EMBA was the last building block in my academic education. I view this as really opening the door to future C-Level positions,” said Sandro. “I chose the English language programme with UZH because the opportunity for intercultural exchange within a diverse, international class really appealed to me. And I greatly enjoyed the modules abroad – especially the one in Israel. Tel-Aviv really opened my mind to new possibilities.”

Sandro was inspired to write his final thesis on the potential involvement of Robotic Process Automation in transforming the digital workplace of the future. “I definitely don’t consider myself a computer nerd, more a computer dummy,” he joked. “But the EMBA has provided me with the ability to conceive of the practical use of tools like VR and AR, for the benefit of my company.”

Sandro left with these parting words: “It was a lot of fun! Yes, it was super intense. And, yes there were times when I don’t know what I would’ve done without the stress relief that Cross-Fit provided me! But you get out of it what you put in, and graduating from the EMBA was one of my proudest moments.”