Charting the course from India’s academic excellence to the cutting-edge research landscape of EPFL, Switzerland, Harish’s journey embodies a fusion of innovation and cultural richness. Armed with a PhD in LDPE Composite Materials, Harish is a maestro, especially in the realms of haptic technology and medical device automation. He is dedicated to the transformation of sustainable concepts into tangible efficiencies.

As a permanent resident in Switzerland, Harish is currently learning German, to add to his already broad linguistic range (English, French, Malayalam, Hindi, and Tamil). Harish has over 10 years of project management experience. During this period, he has delivered gender equality advancements and engineering marvels at institutions such as AmmaChi Labs and UNESCO.

Harish is dedicated to mastering the nuances of Agile to deliver exceptional results and is committed to leadership and innovation in this sphere of project management.

Away from project management, blueprints and prototypes, Harish enjoys the practice of yoga, watching football, and travelling.

You can learn more about Harish by visiting his LinkedIn profile.

Chloé Azzopardi is French and has been living in Switzerland for over 10 years. With over 15 years of experience gained across the Tourism, Hospitality and Real Estate sectors, she is an expert in marketing, digital, and project management. Roles held include that of project manager, digital marketing and customer relations manager, and product and service development manager.

Some of her key skills are in developing marketing and strategic plans (incl. marketing mix); conducting customer and prospect studies; analysing consumer insights; managing online sales channels; implementing communication campaigns; and developing innovative products and services.

Chloé is passionate about monitoring market trends and innovation, brands and their history, and strategy development.

She enjoys skiing with her family and cold-water swimming - a passion she discovered shortly after her arrival in Geneva.

Chloé is PMP® certified and joined the Swiss chapter to formalise her project experience, access a wider network of project professionals, and continue her professional development.

You can learn more about Chloé by visiting her LinkedIn profile.

Tim is an experienced Program and Project leader, with nearly two decades of experience spearheading digital transformation initiatives across a variety of sectors, including financial services, automotive, and machinery. He possesses a Bachelor's Degree in Business Informatics, as well as an Executive MBA in Business and IT Management from the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP) since 2015, Tim also holds certifications in Scrum, SAFe and TOGAF.

His projects are typically centred around crafting data strategies, building enterprise-wide AI and data capabilities, and/or refining processes through data-driven process automation.

He joined the Swiss chapter to network with other project management professionals and participate in knowledge sharing.

You can learn more about Tim by visiting his LinkedIn profile.

Claire has over 12 years of professional experience across various sectors, organizations, roles, and geographies, and currently works within the financial sector in a sustainability role. She continuously strives towards improving her project management, operational excellence, and stakeholder engagement skills. She is a curious learner, always open to broadening her knowledge through training and interactions with like-minded professionals.

Claire obtained her PMP Certification in 2020, which helped her solidify her project management skills. Recently she renewed her certification (October 2023) and is excited to have joined the Swiss chapter.

Claire possesses Master's Degrees in both Engineering and Business, and in 2020 obtained her certification in Business Sustainability Management from the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). She has dual citizenship (French and Japanese), and grew up in the U.S. Following the years that she attended universities in France and Argentina, she moved to Lausanne, Switzerland (2016- ).

Claire is passionate about Sustainability and Environmental topics, which is demonstrated through her active involvement in various related activities outside of the workplace. Currently she serves on various advisory and technical committees; performs an academic assessor role within the Business and Climate Change course at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL); volunteers for both the Swiss CISL Social Committee and SHE Changes Climate Switzerland network; provides mentorship to professionals in adopting sustainable practices; and is a recognised affiliated B Leader in Switzerland.

She spends a considerable amount of time enjoying the outdoors, and you are likely to find her running, hiking, paddle boarding or doing yoga. She loves a good book, classical music and jayy, and makes use of any opportunity to explore other cultures. As a big fan of gastronomy and wine, she is also a member of a wine club.

You can learn more about Claire by visiting her LinkedIn profile.

Originally from the UK, Matt has been living in Switzerland since 2014, and has been working in Private Banking since 2006. From his first client-facing function, he transitioned to credit operations, before progressing to project-oriented roles. Roles of this nature are typically associated with sizable transformation projects, wherein banks modernize their IT infrastructure through Core Banking Platform migration. Whilst Matt considers himself a Technical Business Analyst at heart, these projects afforded him the opportunity to gain experience in various other functions, including, UAT Testing, Business Analysis, Programming / Developing, Leading of Streams, and more recently Project Management. In his current role as the Principal Consultant at an International IT Transformation Company, Matt is the Project Manager responsible for the introduction of a new ‘Ticketing Tool’ into the Banks infrastructure. The initiative’s objective is to enhance and align Global processes across multiple regions.

Matt joined the PMI Swiss Chapter seeking to maximise networking opportunities. Following the successful acquisition of a PMP certification, the involvement in a dedicated Project Management community presents further opportunities for professional development.

In his spare time, Matt enjoys making the most of what Switzerland has to offer, namely, skiing, hiking, and relaxing with the family by the lake.

You can learn more about Matthew by visiting his LinkedIn profile.

Mélissa has been working in the Design field since 2018, predominantly within scenography and graphic design projects. Her reasons for moving to Switzerland in 2019 were that her husband is a Swiss National, and that the work opportunities were appealing.

She studied in both France and Japan, and has completed a Master’s Degree in Design and Art. In May 2023, Mélissa obtained a PMP certification and became a member of the Swiss chapter and has since joined as a volunteer within the marketing and communication team, fulfilling the role of graphic designer.

Mélissa has worked in various industries, namely, Medical, Retail, Electronics, and Events. Having recently assumed a project management role in the watch industry, expanding her network is her next undertaking.

As a neurodivergent individual, she is interested in all topics related to neurodiversity in the workplace, primarily because her later-in-life diagnosis has spurred the re-evaluation of her entire working life.

Mélissa’s hobbies are drawing and trampoline/acrobatics, with a special interest in video games and trading cards. She is also multi-lingual, as she is a native French-speaker, fluent English-speaker, and has a moderate command of Japanese – Self-proclaiming that she ‘certainly needs to practice more’. She also aspires to learn German and Thai.

You can learn more about Mélissa by visiting her LinkedIn profile.

Ioannis is an experienced project management professional and manager with more than 10 years of experience in product development, engineering, and manufacturing. He is a Greek national who has lived in Switzerland since 2012, after having completed all three of his tertiary degrees (Diploma, Masters. and PhD) in mechanical and aeronautical engineering, with particular focus on production systems.

As he has worked across various industries and international corporations in both Switzerland and Germany, Ioannis has developed a diverse professional profile, with experience ranging across numerous functions, including roles within Research & Development (R&D), Supply Chain, and Operations. Currently he is leading complex strategic projects, involving the cultivation of relationships, collaboration and team spirit.

Ioannis is dedicated to continuous learning and development, which is illustrated through his 2015 PMP certification and 2019 ACP-PMI certification acquisitions, along with a Green Belt Six Sigma certification. He is passionate about learning project management-related topics, including the various methodologies, leadership principles, and results-driven delivery. Currently, he derives great satisfaction through the coaching and development of others, as well as mastering team communication.

Ioannis joined the PMI Switzerland chapter to both learn from other professionals, and contribute to the community through volunteering. From a personal perspective, Ioannis is a husband, and father of 2 children. He also enjoys sailing and biking.

You can learn more about Ioannis by visiting his LinkedIn profile.

Patrick Ghion joined Geneva State Police in 1997 after having worked within the Swiss Banking Industry for five years. Since 2015, he has acted as the Executive Head of Forensic Sciences, during which he, in collaboration with a triptych of Analysts, Investigators, and Forensics, developed the Strategy of Cyber Investigations .

The delivery of this long-awaited strategy propelled him into the construction and leadership of the Regional Cyber Competence Center for Western Switzerland (RC3) in 2019. Since 2023, he performs the Chief Cyber Strategy Officer role at the Geneva State Police, whilst retaining his RC3 duties. Currently he is establishing and cultivating partnerships between Law Enforcement agencies and Public, Private, and Academics at the International Level.

The eagerness to learn more about Project Management led him to PMI.

His main hobbies are computer science, scuba-diving and flying.

Sebastian Commichau is not only a passionate project manager, but also has a broad range of technical interests. Moreover, he is an enthusiastic product developer with many years of experience within his current organisation.

Born in Aachen, Germany, he acquired a Diploma in Physics from RWTH, located in his birth city. He went on to obtain a PhD in Physics from ETH, Zurich, as well as a PMP certification (March, 2023). Having lived in Switzerland since 2003, he holds both German and Swiss citizenships. In 2022, Sebastian decided to join both the global PMI and the Switzerland Chapter to strengthen his knowledge in project management, which also enabled preparation for the March 2023, PMP exam. Although he already possesses extensive experience in product development and project management, he remains eager to continue developing, improving, and learning from his peers in this field. PMI, and the Switzerland Chapter, make this possible through their extensive offerings, including training and interesting activity opportunities.

Outside of his profession, he enjoyes spending time with his wife and three sons, two of whom are enthusiastic football players, whilst he prefers all kinds of cycling, in all conditions, throughout the year.

You can learn more about Sebastian by visiting his LinkedIn profile.

Cenk is a 41-year-old Turkish citizen who arrived in Switzerland in 2015 for a short-term assignment in the tobacco industry. At the end of his assignment, he was offered a local contract and decided to stay in Switzerland. He has held various roles in Quality, Supply Chain, and Sustainability functions and led multiple projects at local and regional levels. Cenk holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration (BBA) from Dokuz Eylul University in Turkey. He is currently looking for the next chapter in his career and decided that obtaining the Project Management Professional (PMP) qualification would give him an advantage. As a result of his hard work, he obtained it in July 2023 and naturally joined the Switzerland Chapter. He would like to experience new industries by using his project management skills and hopes that Switzerland Chapter can enlarge his personal network.

Cenk is married and a father of an amazing 5-year-old boy. He believes he is in the right location since he adores hiking in the mountains while enjoying the beautiful views. His native language is Turkish, but he fluently speaks French and English and is working to learn German.

You can learn more about Cenk by visiting his LinkedIn profile.