Afsheen Ismail-Wey has spent over 20 years asking the same question in different rooms: what actually makes people – and the organizations they work in – trust each other enough to grow together? That question took her through senior Talent and Organization roles at Abbott Laboratories and Mondelez International, where she led talent strategy across dozens of countries and rebuilt performance systems following the Kraft/Cadbury merger. Ten years ago, she took that question independently, founding Phoenix, a leadership and HR advisory practice now based in Zurich, working with Pharma and FMCG clients across Change Management, Transformation, Talent Management, Culture, Organization Effectiveness, Coaching, and DEI – work that has driven double-digit gains in engagement and Net Promoter scores for her clients. […]

I used to say this when I moved here in 2009: “It’s easier to get a managerial job in Zurich than an acceptable apartment.”, which is why I recommend working with professionals when it comes to home search. As usual, I also recommend you use your and our network, the Global People Club. Zurich routinely captures the hearts of global talent. With its unmatched proximity to nature, thriving corporate ecosystem, and top-tier quality of life, it is no surprise that the city remains a crown jewel for lifestyle expats. However, the secret is well out. Zurich’s residential vacancy rate hovers at an agonizingly low 0.1%, turning the search for a home into one of the most competitive relocation hurdles in […]

If you’ve ever felt like you had to “just get on with it” after a significant life transition, traumatic event, or a series of micro-challenges—especially while living abroad—you’re not alone. Many lifestyle expats carry invisible emotional weight that builds over time: unresolved grief from losing their home culture, a tough repatriation, chronic uncertainty, or even high-stress corporate transitions. But here’s the good news: Coaching—when done well—can help you overcome the lasting impact of trauma, build sustainable resilience, and reconnect with your purpose. And no, this doesn’t mean diving into your childhood or treating mental health disorders—that’s the domain of therapy. Let’s get honest about what coaching can and cannot do—and how it might be the missing link in your expat […]

Nine Hot Tips to Use to Your Advantage by Angela Weinberger With the start of international and Swiss school holidays, you notice fewer people on the trains, and motivation to work is generally lower than usual. This is when to take overtime compensation, go home at decent hours, and take a break from the country for a while. It’s also time to jump into a lake near you every evening after work.  Over the years, I have learned that everything in Zurich is cyclical, like a woman. As an entrepreneur, I needed to learn to adjust my work schedule to the slow periods (as most expats leave the city), and this year, the heat wave has arrived before the traditional […]

Tejana Raithatha’s path has been a natural evolution, shaped by a consistent practice of adapting to life’s transitions rather than following a rigid master plan. Her early professional years were anchored in the highly structured, practical world of the corporate sector—a foundation that built a deep respect for logic, clear systems, and everyday execution. The truest turning point arrived over the last decade through the grounding, daily reality of parenting. This shift forced a natural pause, turning focus inward and sparking a gradual realization that the way human beings interact with the world operates from the inside out.  Through consistent practices like meditation, intuition, and honest self-talk, she began to understand the practical mechanics of human behavior, emotions, and how we manage […]