Magazin_ETHPortraits_A4_EN

Engineers
are
the
rockstars
of today’s
economy.

The world needs more engineers
Today, many engineers can be found at the helm of global companies
and organizations. They have the necessary expertise to analyze com-
plex issues and the technical skills to develop and implement innova-
tive solutions. Although student numbers continue to increase at ETH
Zurich, industry demand for capable engineers still widely exceeds the
available supply.
This magazine is, therefore, aimed at a young readership. We hope
that it will motivate school leavers to take a closer look at the range
of courses on offer at ETH Zurich. In this magazine, you will hear from
people who have studied at ETH. Although they all embarked on
different career paths, they have one thing in common: studying at
ETH Zurich prepared them well for working life and gave them an
internationally recognized platform from which to shape their profes-
sional career as they wished.
This magazine was initiated by Martin Bosshardt, CEO of Open Systems.
He, too, studied at ETH Zurich, like many of his colleagues. In the
global competition for talented new employees, Open Systems and
numerous other Swiss companies rely on ETH Zurich. As Bosshardt
puts it: «It’s our employees who make us stand out in the marketplace,
not our technology.» For companies like Open Systems, ETH is vital in
its capacity as an educational and research institution of international
standing. «It is, therefore, of great importance to us», says Bosshardt,
«that we don’t just profit from ETH. We also want to give something
back.»
We are delighted by this loyalty and commitment to ETH. The ETH
Zurich Foundation sees itself as a builder of bridges. We bring interest-
ed individuals, companies and foundations together to the table with
ETH Zurich. On top of the solid financial foundations provided by the
federal government, the generous support of our donors gives us the
freedom to explore new, promising approaches, to tackle important
issues directly and to help exceptional individuals develop.
For this reason, I would like to thank everyone who made this magazine
possible, and wish you an exciting and inspiring read.
Kind regards
Dr. Donald Tillman
Managing Director of the ETH Zurich Foundation
Publisher Open Systems AG, Räffelstrasse 29, 8045 Zürich
Design and Art Direction Peter Kostelac, Open Systems AG Photography Noë Flum,
Ornella Cacace Photography (cover, page 25/29) Layout and Print Köpfli & Partner AG
Translation Sprachweberei.ch and Margarita Smits, Open Systems AG
Contact info@open.ch, Tel +41 58 100 10 10, www.open.ch

Prof. Dr. Lino Guzzella
President ETH Zurich
«A good university teaches its students
critical thinking skills, in addition to
transferring knowledge.»
Page 1
Fred Kindle
Partner, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice
«It’s important to me to shape events.»
Page 17
Martin Bosshardt
CEO, Open Systems AG
«It’s our people who make us stand out
in the marketplace, not our technology.»
Page 33
Prof. Dr. Bernhard Plattner
Communications Systems Group
ETH Zurich
«It’s our job to seek out the new.»
Page 9
Lennart Elsen
Security Engineer, Open Systems AG
«I want to gain a better understanding
of the world we live in.»
Page 43
Jessica Genta
Master’s student, ETH Zurich
«I’d like to make a contribution to the
energy supply of the future.»
Page 41
Urs Hölzle
Senior VP for Technical Infrastructure
Google
«Computer science is actually not
a narrow career choice, as it leaves
plenty of options open to you.»
Page 25

2
«A good university teaches its
students critical thinking skills,
in addition to transferring
knowledge.»
Prof. Dr. Lino Guzzella
President ETH Zurich
Professor Lino Guzella, President of ETH Zurich, is
convinced that an education in engineering is an
excellent foundation for a successful career. For him
it is clear that all doors are open to successful gradu-
ates; not only in research, but also in management.

3
Prof. Guzzella, the engineering education
at ETH Zurich has an excellent reputation
throughout the world. From your perspec-
tive, what makes a good engineer?
Above all, a good engineer has the skill to
correctly grasp problems. Many people think
the great art lies in solving problems. I am
convinced that the real skill lies in recognizing
problems and grasping them in a correct way.
Could you explain that to us in a bit
more detail …
Solving a problem seems easier to me
than correctly grasping a problem. Of course
you are quick to notice when issues crop up
somewhere. Like when a customer complains
that a machine is not running well, or em-
ployees are dissatisfied. You quickly develop
a gut feeling when something’s not quite
right. But please don’t misunderstand me: of
course it is difficult to solve problems, and
their solution is ultimately an important goal.
But the true art from my perspective lies in
identifying a problem and grasping it precise-
ly in all its dimensions. Only in this way can
you apply the correct solution to effectively
resolve a problem.
Which skills in your opinion are important
in identifying problems?
The most important skill of all is being
able to think correctly – conceptually, ab-
stractly and systematically. A good universi-
ty teaches its students critical thinking skills,
in addition to transferring knowledge. That
not only applies to engineers, by the way,
but also to the students of all 16 depart-
ments at ETH Zurich, and I think it’s import-
ant to emphasize that.
And specifically how do you learn to
«think correctly»?
If you have the intellectual potential, you
need to develop it by practicing on many ex-
amples – in other words, on concrete issues –
for many years. Plus, it’s really crucial that you
don’t believe everything you’re told.
You mean that effective learning comes
only from experience?
I’m convinced of it. Because there’s sure to
be someone out there who’ll tell you that the
machine doesn’t work because, for example,
a certain bolt is jammed. That may well be so.
But if you simply accept this and say, «you’re
right, the bolt is jammed», you’ve maybe
solved one problem, but not necessarily the
problem. Of course you need to listen careful-
ly in order to get the important information.
But I believe the really crucial skill is about
critically analyzing the problem yourself and
from a certain distance. Only in this way are
you in a position to form your own opinion
and get to the root of the matter.
How does ETH ensure that students
develop these skills?
First of all, by confronting them again and
again with unsolved problems during their
education. Secondly, we ensure that compe-
tent and experienced people assist them in
their dialog – in their personal struggle – with
the problems. And it’s absolutely not a matter
of presenting the problems on a silver platter
to them, along with the solutions, but rather a
matter of accompanying and supporting the
students on their path, as well as challenging
them. We humans essentially learn by means
of dialog, which is a learning relationship
between master and pupil. That is a key part-
nership and it continues to work very well.
You’re referring to the approximately 500
professors currently working at ETH …
Not only the professors, but also the
numerous doctoral students, post-doctoral
students and teaching assistants. ETH offers
students a comprehensive network that not
only makes personal interaction possible but
also encourages it.
So in the end, the crucial success factor is
the person and not the technology?
Yes, indeed. I’m convinced of it.
And whether the person studies engineer-
ing, natural sciences or architecture is a
secondary matter?
Yes. Obviously the topics vary, as do the
tools that are used for research and problem
analysis.
Fundamental research has a very high
priority at ETH – what role does it play in
the education?
Fundamental research offers us the ideal
practice system for our students. We don’t
want to educate our people with pseudo-
«From my perspective, those who learn in depth
about technology and can thus better understand
its potential will have an advantage – not only in
research but also in the executive management of
a company.»
Prof. Dr. Lino Guzzella, President ETH Zurich

4
«ETH makes students a very interesting offer: we are prepared
to give a great deal to students and to support them. Those
who study at ETH meet many highly gifted and very committed
people who will personally do all they can to ensure that students
receive a fantastic education.»
problems for which we already have the
solutions. Our students sharpen their thinking
skills with research questions. And at the
same time the students make a significant
contribution to one of the most important
tasks of a university.
And that is?
Ultimately, to gain a better understanding
of the world with the help of fundamental
research. And to make the new findings
useful to society. However, findings cannot
be forced in this type of research, because it
is subject to risks and uncertainties, and as a
scientist you need a lot of staying power. It is
precisely these aspects that characterize uni-
versities and differentiate us from industry.
Today, fundamental research is done almost
exclusively at universities. They are the
breeding ground for radical breakthroughs.
When it comes to selecting the right
education, many prospective students are
uncertain. Why, from your perspective,
should students choose ETH?
ETH makes students a very interesting
offer: we are prepared to give a great deal
to students and to support them. Those who
study at ETH meet many highly gifted and
very committed people who will personally
do all they can to ensure that they receive
a fantastic education. But in return we also
demand a great deal. Passive knowledge
consumption does not work for us. Students
at ETH need to be prepared to accomplish a
great deal.
And why would you recommend engineer-
ing to someone?
The subject area of engineering sharp-
ens students’ thinking skills in the area of
technology. As we are currently living in a
science and technology society, I believe that
this type of education is very exciting and
offers an excellent foundation for a success-
ful career. In the future, technology will play
an even more significant role in our lives.
The interconnections between the physical
world and information world are already
omnipresent, and in the course of time they
will become even more important. From my
perspective, those who learn in depth about
technology and can thus better understand
its potential will have an advantage – not only
in research but also in the executive manage-
ment of a company.
You yourself studied in the Department
of Mechanical and Process Engineering,
and you specialized in thermotronics.
What fascinates you personally about
engineering?
When I was a researcher, my team and I
concentrated on exploring the field of system
dynamics and control of energy conversion
systems. We focused on system modeling,
dynamic optimization, and reduction of
pollutant consumption and emission in drive
systems. Breakthroughs in these areas are
immensely important for our society, because
although mobility is one of our greatest
blessings, it also brings major challenges
related to environmental issues.
I assume that you were not already inter-
ested in system modeling and reduction of
pollutants when you left school …
Certainly not in such concrete terms …
But what I always had in me was a certain
curiosity to understand the world a bit better.
The beauty of our field is that there are a few
points on which you can really rely. By this I
mean the laws of nature that we must follow;
for example, the first law of thermodynamics.
Or Pythagoras’ theorem.
Of course, many students would also like
to address the challenge of establishing
themselves in their career after their
education. What are their prospects after
ETH?
All doors are open to them. And I don’t
mean only in the engineering industry and in
IT companies, but also, for example, in retail
and the financial industry, or in management
consultancy. About 95% of our graduates
find a position immediately on completing
their degree. And that’s not by pure chance.
Companies need the skills we teach – the
technical knowledge combined with a way of
thinking, the critical attitude, and the ability
to analyze and to network. These qualities
are very much in demand everywhere by the
economy.
In the minds of many school-leavers there’s
an idea that you can’t pursue a career in the
working world as an engineer; that you’re
likely to get stuck in research and develop-
ment instead.

5
Professor Lino Guzzella studied at the Department of Mechanical Engineering (now the Depart-
ment of Mechanical and Process Engineering) at ETH Zurich. After receiving his doctorate in
1986, he worked in leading research roles at two industrial companies. In 1993 he was appoint-
ed Assistant Professor at the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering ETH Zurich,
and subsequently promoted to Full Professor of Thermotronics in 1999. He has gained consider-
able recognition as a scientist both at home and abroad, particularly in the field of environmen-
tally friendly technologies. From mid-2003 to mid-2004 he was a «Honda Visiting Professor» at
Ohio State University, Columbus. Lino Guzzella is a committed advocate of cooperation with
industry, and knowledge and technology transfer, and is just as familiar with the needs of Swiss
SMEs as those of large international corporations. He has taken on a number of managerial roles
in academic self-government within ETH Zurich; for example, as Head of Institute and Head of
Department, even serving as Rector from 2012 to 2015. At the beginning of 2015, Professor Lino
Guzzella was elected by the Federal Council as the new President of ETH Zurich.
I don’t understand this and it does not cor-
respond to reality in my view. A great many
of our alumni work in management and are
even on management boards of companies.
Naturally, there are also engineers who pre-
fer to stick to one field and have no career
intentions in the classical sense. They do
valuable work for a company in the develop-
ment department or in research. And that’s
fine too.
Does an ETH degree course also convey
the necessary skills for a management
career? After all, business life doesn’t
always run according to the laws of
nature …
For students interested in management
topics, we have a great many appealing
offers. For example, the opportunity to work
together with three or four other students
in projects that focus on starting up an in-
novation company. But first and foremost an
ETH degree course is about concentrating
on the core elements – those are physics,
math, and the various tools. Time is scarce
for students at ETH. What’s even more
limited, in my opinion, is a person’s capacity
to absorb new information. We really need
to focus here.
That means you would need to acquire
management skills mostly on the job or in
a postgraduate course?
For me, both are excellent possibilities. As
always, it depends very much on the person.
Here, too, there are no set rules.
You spoke of a person’s limited capacity to
absorb new information. How do you think
learning changed in recent years?
I don’t believe that learning itself has
changed, but rather that certain aspects of
it have changed. Before you used to learn
from a textbook that you borrowed from the
library or bought. Today you download a PDF
from the internet and use it on a tablet. And
instead of studying a complex graphic, today
you’d be more likely to watch a YouTube vid-
eo about the topic. These changes are clearly
noticeable and will also influence the tools
we use for learning in the future. In contrast,
what has not changed is the process of learn-
ing itself. It has remained the same for 40,000
years and will not change in the future either.
What exactly do you mean by that?
Learning is and will continue to be hard
work. You need to sit down for longer
periods of time and really concentrate on a
topic. There’s no way past that.
Is that even possible in today’s multi-
tasking society?
That’s a good question. Multi-tasking,
which is becoming more and more prevalent
– and is definitely accepted, and even viewed
as positive at times, by society – certainly
does have its advantages in certain areas. But
I guarantee that when it comes to learning –
genuine, focused, substantial learning – multi-
tasking doesn’t work. Learning requires the
ability to sit down in order to do something in
a concentrated way, and to do it for long

7
periods of time. Of course it wasn’t easy be-
fore either. But I’m afraid this skill is tending to
diminish still further. Many students today are
under the illusion that they can listen to music
on their headphones, do some texting on their
mobile phone and still learn integral calculus
all at the same time. But that doesn’t work.
ETH works closely together with the
business community. What do you believe
companies could learn from universities?
I think both sides benefit greatly from
close collaboration. If I had to name some-
thing, it would likely be the culture of error
tolerance, which from my perspective many
companies appear to have lost.
Do you mean the way people cope
with mistakes?
Yes, exactly. But perhaps even more so
the realization that progress isn’t possible
without making errors. Mistakes are really
only a problem when made through negli-
gence or stupidity. Those who don’t accept
that mistakes will be made from time to time
and that failure will happen sometimes will
never really succeed in achieving a break-
through. I am convinced that you can learn
just as much – if not more – from failure than
from success.
You’ve been President of ETH Zurich since
the start of the year. What strategic goals
are you pursuing during your term?
No university is a company. If we knew in
advance where good research results were to
be found and which learning methods were
the most innovative, we’d be in a position to
plan our work better. As president, I’d then
develop a strategy, which a team could imple-
ment. But our world doesn’t work that way.
In general we enjoy a great deal of trust
because throughout the 160 years of its exis-
tence ETH has proven again and again that it
will use all its powers to work systematically
on genuine breakthroughs, which advance us
as a society. We have an education mandate
in this country that we take very seriously and
at the same time we want to measure our-
selves as a research-based university against
the best in the world.
In order for us to continue being successful,
I am setting three priorities: firstly, we need
to further increase the attractiveness of ETH
as an employer and educational institution,
so that we can welcome people who have the
ability to generate breakthroughs in funda-
mental research. Secondly, we need to offer
the culture, framework and machinery in-
house, so that these people can do optimal
research and experimentation. And thirdly,
we need to uphold our claim to excellence
with all our energy and if possible expand on
it. Above all, I see this as my most important
task as president: that we not yield one iota
when it comes to quality.

«Companies need the
skills we teach – the
technical knowledge com-
bined with a way of think-
ing, the critical attitude,
and the ability to analyze
and to network. These
qualities are very much in
demand everywhere by
the economy.»

10
«It’s our job to seek
out the new.»
Prof. Dr. Bernhard Plattner
Communications Systems Group
ETH Zurich
An engineer, says Professor Bernhard Plattner, is
in a position to make a major contribution in many
different areas − even if, at first glance, they have
absolutely nothing to do with electrical engineer-
ing. The Professor of Computer Engineering at the
Department of Electrical Engineering knows that
if you look a little closer, you’ll find electrical engi-
neering in everything.

11
Prof. Plattner, you earned a degree and
PhD at ETH Zurich, as well as doing a spell
as an assistant professor there. And you’ve
been a Professor of Computer Engineering
at the Department of Electrical Engineer-
ing since 1988. When you left school, did
the thought ever enter your mind that you
might become a professor one day?
Actually yes, I saw it as an option right
from the start. So after I graduated in elec-
trical engineering in 1975, it was an obvious
step for me to find a professor who was
looking for doctoral candidates.
But after finishing your dissertation you
left ETH …
I was given the opportunity to set up the
Computer Science department at the Neues
Technikum in Buchs, as a lecturer. It was a
challenge I didn’t want to pass up.
So what brought you back to ETH?
Well, I took a slight detour via the Univer-
sity of Zurich. In Buchs we were busy learning
everything we could about the UNIX oper-
ating system, which was still very much in its
infancy. We used it in class to run through
user-oriented scenarios. We founded an
advocacy group to promote awareness of this
new operating system in Switzerland, and its
members would meet up regularly at Zurich
main station. It was there that I first met
Professor Rudolf Marti, who taught IT at the
University of Zurich. At some point he asked
me if I’d like to transfer to his institute as a
senior research associate. As the groundwork
for the computer science degree course in
Buchs was all in place by then, I accepted.
Then after working for a while at the universi-
ty, I applied for a professorship at ETH. That
was in 1985. So I arrived at ETH just in time
to experience the birth of the internet and its
first steps.
Sounds like perfect timing …
That’s for sure. At the time, ETH Zurich
was involved in three landmark projects.
Things really got going in Switzerland due to
a federal stimulus program to promote Swiss
IT research and training. One important ele-
ment of this program was the supercomputer
that was later installed in Manno, Ticino, to
be used by all Swiss universities. The purpose
of the launch of the IDA program, «Informatik
Dient Allen» (IT serves everyone), in 1986
was to provide IT resources for the specific
needs of teaching and to promote their use
in enhancing learning. The third project was
initiated by a group of colleagues. Our goal
was to create a network that linked up the
universities and colleges with the supercom-
puter in Ticino, as well as with each other.
Given the crucial role of collaboration with
international colleagues in all these projects,
it was not surprising that we extended the
ETH network to beyond national borders a
short time later. These activities, supported
by the stimulus program, led to the found-
ing of the SWITCH Foundation in 1987 by
the federal government and the university
cantons. SWITCH still operates the internet
for the academic community in Switzerland to
this day.
How exactly did that come about?
To start with, only the universities and
colleges were connected to the network,
which was used solely for research purpos-
es. The US was already the center of these
developments back then. So naturally it was
very important for us to know exactly what
was being researched and developed over
there. We always endeavored to be right at
the forefront when it came to the implemen-
tation of new technologies. For example, we
implemented the newly developed X.400
standard for email at ETH very early on. To
my knowledge, these were the first email sys-
tems in Switzerland that could be used across
all kinds of organizations and technologies.
«Nothing is ever routine at ETH.»
Prof. Dr. Bernhard Plattner, Communications Systems Group, ETH Zurich

12
«We’ve got to deliver concrete results from our work. We can,
for example, contribute to how ETH has been perceived for
decades at home and abroad – as an attractive institution for
research and education.»
Is it true that you were once the official
owner of the Swiss top-level domain.ch?
Yes, but only for a few weeks. Initially we
had used «chunet» as the country code in our
email addresses, meaning «the Swiss univer-
sity network». But the standard international
two-letter country code for Switzerland is «ch»,
and it is the norm that is used on the internet
for the top-level domain of every country. So
it was an obvious step to reserve .ch for our
network, and it was so easy to do. All it took
was an email to the former head of the Internet
Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), Jon
Postel. After a few weeks I became the «own-
er», i.e. the administrative contact for .ch, while
Hannes Lubich, a PhD student of mine at the
time, was the technical contact. The domain .ch
was officially registered on 20 May 1987. Later
that year, when I became the interim director
of SWITCH, I transferred the ownership to
SWITCH. That was an exciting time.
After hearing that, it is not really surpris-
ing that you have remained loyal to ETH
over the years …
Yes, I think the reason lies in the fact that
nothing is ever routine at ETH. I see the free-
dom that I enjoy in my work as an enormous
privilege. Every day my team and I can work
on putting our ideas and plans into practice.
The ETH supports us researchers, teaching
staff and students by giving us the space and
tools we need for our work and the courses.
But I believe it is important for us to rec-
ognize that responsibility comes with this
freedom. We’ve got to deliver concrete
results from our work. We can, for example,
contribute to how ETH has been perceived
for decades at home and abroad – as an
attractive institution for research and edu-
cation. This image draws international talent
to our university and facilitates global dialog
with science and industry at the highest level.
Are you saying that it’s the people at ETH
you’re so enthusiastic about?
Yes, definitely. Those people are the col-
leagues I work with and make new discoveries
with on a daily basis, as well as the under-
graduate and doctoral students, who keep
me on my toes and give me fresh ideas. But
also the executive board and the administra-
tion, which create our excellent environment
that makes it all possible.
You mentioned the dialog with young
people: how does your work with students
look day to day?
The lectures for the bachelor’s degree
course are fairly large, numbering about 140
students. So although I do try to challenge
the students a little and ask them questions,
obviously no real dialog is possible. But it
gets really interesting in this respect when it
comes to the practical sessions and seminars,
where we do practical exercises in much
smaller groups of about 15 students. This
semester, for example, we are building the
hardware and software for access routers and
firewalls from scratch. Here I try to keep the
theory to a minimum, because in my opinion
this type of course is not about students
thinking in mathematical formulas, but about
them being able to do things hands-on. In
this kind of class, I place a major emphasis on
dialog. So that’s why it doesn’t surprise me in
the least that I’ve met some of my future PhD
students in these practical classes. Active
participation is encouraged, and it is not long
before students can contribute their ideas to
shape and enhance the classes.
Are you saying that you involve students in
concrete projects early on?
But of course. That’s the great thing
about our system. Starting from the master’s
level, our students do their work inde-
pendently and − unlike the American univer-
sities − are supervised by our assistants
and PhD students. The tasks the students are

14
Bernhard Plattner studied at the Department of Electrical Engineering at ETH Zurich. He has
been a Full Professor of Computer Engineering at the Department of Electrical Engineering at
ETH Zurich since 1994. He was appointed Head of Department of Information Technology and
Electrical Engineering in 2014. From 2005 to 2007 he was the Vice-Rector of ETH Zurich. His
long years of intensive research have earned him international recognition with the publications
by his research group and as co-author and publisher of several books. Bernhard Plattner is a
member of numerous renowned international committees and associations. As a long-standing
member of the board of the SWITCH foundation and as its vice-president, he was instrumental
in setting up the internet for Swiss universities. As the program committee chairman, he was
responsible for the scientific content of a large number of international conferences. At the
end of July 2015, Bernhard Plattner will step down as Head of Department and hand over the
Faculty of Computer Engineering in the Department of Electronic Engineering at ETH Zurich
to his successor.
set are often sub-tasks taken from the sub-
jects of doctoral students’ dissertations. This
way students are confronted with research-
related issues very early on – which is another
thing that I believe is very important.
After hearing you talk about the pioneer-
ing days of the internet, one could get the
impression that things are far less exciting
nowadays …
Actually, I couldn’t agree less. The inter-
net was just the beginning. The future is sure
to bring plenty of exciting, even revolutionary
topics for us to grapple with at ETH. It is true
to say that today we don’t know exactly where
tomorrow’s technology will take us, but that’s
precisely what it’s all about: it’s our job to seek
out the new. And our work is not only to dis-
cover these new things, but also to work out
what benefits they can provide to society.
So you’re not afraid that engineers are
likely to run out of work any time soon?
No way. Just think of how many different
fields of research there are at ETH. Our De-
partment of Computer Science and Electrical
Engineering (known internally as D-ITET)
alone comprises 17 institutes, with four main
areas of research in the broad field of electri-
cal engineering: Electronics and Photonics;
Information and Communication; Energy;
and Biomedical Engineering and Neuroinfor-
matics. At D-ITET we study everything from
integrated circuits to computer networks,
from signal processing to wireless communi-
cation, from control systems to power elec-
tronics. Apart from that, we are strong in the
field of biomedical engineering, with a focus
on medical imaging and neural information
processing.
Can you give us a brief outline of what is
being researched in each area?
About 35 professors and 400 PhD stu-
dents work at D-ITET. They pursue both basic
and applied research, often in collaboration
with industry.
In Electronics and Photonics, we explore and
try out new approaches for the component
and system development of technologies for
future electronic applications. Our research
includes the miniaturization and performance
improvement of electronic and photonic
components, and the use of new materials and
processes. In system development, we focus
on the development of embedded electron-
ics and smart environments. Information and
Communication devotes its attention to the
constantly improving communication options –

15
especially of a web-based nature – that drive
the development of new network and com-
puting technologies. Research in this area
focuses on signal and image processing,
control systems, information theory, distribut-
ed computing, wireless networks and future
internet technologies.
In our view, a sustainable energy supply and
the associated technologies will be critical to
maintaining strong economic growth and se-
curity in the 21st century and beyond. Which
is why Energy enjoys a high priority in our
department. Research here focuses mainly on
the development of smart grids for efficient
energy supply and distribution and for inte-
grating renewable energy sources, but we
also conduct basic research on photovoltaics
and new types of batteries.
Last but not least, Biomedical Engineering
pursues the higher-ranking goal of advancing
healthcare. The fruits of the collaboration
between engineers and clinical research-
ers are of prime significance in all areas of
medicine, from prevention and diagnostics to
therapy and rehabilitation. We focus on the
interaction between biological and technical
systems, with emphasis on bioimaging, im-
age-based modeling and bioelectronics.
That sounds particularly exciting. But what
does biomedicine have to do with elec-
tronics?
Let me give you a specific example: our
colleagues from the Institute of Biomedical
Engineering and Neuroinformatics have
developed a syringe with which substances
can be injected into an individual human cell.
The challenge here is to penetrate the cell
wall with such an accurately calibrated force
that the cell is not destroyed. This allows a
few nanograms of an active ingredient to be
injected directly into the cell.
That’s impressive …
If you ask me, it’s a fantastic achievement
and proof that as an engineer you are in a po-
sition to make a major contribution in many
different areas − even if at first glance they
have absolutely nothing to do with electrical
engineering. If you look a little closer, there’s
electrical engineering in everything.

«The internet was just the
beginning. The future is
sure to bring plenty of
exciting, even revolutionary
topics for us to grapple
with at ETH.»

18
When it comes to providing a fact-based, academic
education, ETH is streets ahead of all the other
forms of education he has experienced first hand,
says Fred Kindle, who has enjoyed an international
career as a consultant, CEO, board member and
active investor. However, he considers it really im-
portant to realize that it is not education alone that
is essential for success. Kindle is convinced that to
get ahead in the global competition for talent, you
have to make a name for yourself by demonstrating
character and commitment.
«It’s important to me
to shape events.»
Fred Kindle
Partner, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice

19 Mr. Kindle, you studied at ETH Zurich.
How did you choose what to study?
Although it’s quite a few years ago now,
I remember that time very well. It was no
easy process, because I was interested in
many subjects. I was considering various
courses of study, from German, medi-
cine and architecture to the true natural
sciences, such as physics and math. Then
I drew up a list of criteria to cut down the
choice. In the end, just two subjects were
left on my list: architecture and mechanical
engineering.
So you opted for engineering. Why?
Studying engineering allowed me to
keep my options open. Maybe I was a little
indecisive back then. But I simply couldn’t
bear to part with some of the subjects that
interested me. Back in my day, a mechanical
engineering degree was structured so you
could select from two majors alongside the
general topics. I opted for the management
track, with options in business administra-
tion, law, industrial psychology and solutions
methodology. To go with all that, I chose
operations research, which is pretty much
applied mathematics. Perhaps the decisive
factor for me was the feeling that I still had
a bit of room for maneuver while studying
engineering.
That’s interesting. Many school-leavers
study jurisprudence if they’re not sure of
what career they’d like to pursue …
Not an option for me. The natural sciences
had always fascinated me, especially math.
And I already knew back then that ETH had
an excellent reputation and that its quality of
education was above average. I was certain
that no matter what I studied at ETH, a de-
gree from such an institution would stand me
in good stead.
And were your expectations met?
Definitely. The combination of subjects
was ideal for me and I gained an excellent
springboard for entering professional life.
Which in your case was not the classical
route for an engineer …
I decided to join the Marketing depart-
ment of Hilti, the tool manufacturer. That was
certainly unusual in those days.
Let us stay with ETH for a moment.
Professor Guzzella says that you learn to
think at ETH. Would you affirm that?
Yes, I certainly would. We spent a lot
of time during the course grappling with
structured thinking and problem-oriented
approaches to solutions. The goal was to
develop the ability to first analyze and clearly
structure a problem by applying certain
models and methodologies. Only in a second
step were potential solutions developed, as-
sessed and prioritized before finally deciding
which route to take. That helped me greatly –
in all areas of life, including later in my career.
What did you find appealing about the
marketing job at Hilti?
After graduating, I felt that I wanted to
supplement the good toolkit, which I had
worked hard for as an engineer in science,
with something that would enable me to
work in management. Back then, Hilti was
already a highly innovative firm. For Martin
Hilti, the company’s founder, the market was
the focal point. The whole company was fully
geared to customer needs. For that time, his
statement that owning markets was more im-
portant than owning factories was new. That
fascinated me greatly.
Then you did an MBA in the US. Was that a
deliberate career move or did you have the
feeling that you were missing something in
your education after ETH?
A bit of both. Added to this was that,
over time, I found it simply too constricting
in Liechtenstein and Switzerland. I yearned
to go abroad, experience new cultures and
gain more impetus for shaping my profes-
sional future. ETH had given me a very good
basic academic education. Additionally,
«Studying engineering enabled me to keep my options
open. Maybe I was a little indecisive back then. But I
simply couldn’t bear to part with some of the subjects
that interested me.»
Fred Kindle, Partner, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice

20
«I’m a firm believer in the benefits of what used to be known as
years of travel and apprenticeship. Even though we live in a
highly international environment here in Switzerland, it is extremely
important to gain experience beyond our national borders.»
I had learnt many new things on the job at
Hilti. I was convinced that an MBA from an
American university would give me the man-
agement skills I needed. That an MBA from
a prominent American institution also looks
good on the CV was also evident of course.
So I applied to Northwestern University in
Chicago − in terms of quality of education
and international reputation, you might call
it the equivalent of ETH for MBAs.
On your return to Switzerland, you joined
the management consulting firm
McKinsey & Company. Evidently you still
couldn’t decide on a specific industry.
That’s right; I also had a very broad client
portfolio at McKinsey. When you work for a
company like that, the learning curve keeps
heading upward non-stop. But after four
years of exciting projects, the desire for
change kept getting stronger. So the inquiry
from a headhunter came at just the right
moment.
What happened next?
The headhunter’s offer encouraged me to
look around on the market. In a short space
of time, I had several offers on the table. I
really wanted a challenge that would let me
shape events. So that’s why I opted for an
interesting position at the industrial compa-
ny, Sulzer …
Where you became CEO in 1999 …
Precisely. When I moved from McKinsey to
Sulzer in 1992, I first assumed the profit and
loss (P&L) responsibility for a global division
that was facing operational difficulties. This
period was really intense and I gained plenty
of experience in next to no time. The oppor-
tunity to help shape events was crucial to me.
To cite one example, we opened new plants
in Poland and Shanghai in the face of great
internal opposition. Although that was risky, it
turned out to be a big success economically.
So first you were CEO at Sulzer and then
later at ABB, two very well-known global
conglomerates operating in highly compet-
itive markets. What skills were especially
important to you in these positions?
I’m convinced that the most important
thing for a CEO is his authenticity. Not just ex-
ternally but also internally and toward himself.
To me, being authentic means making every
effort to do the right thing. And that, in turn,
presupposes that you act on the basis of facts.
Not driven by some gut feeling or because
you seek plaudits from the shareholders, the
stock market or the media.
As a CEO, every day you make decisions that
have consequences − for the business, but
above all else for people, too. You need to
bear that in mind at all times. So it is essential
that you are authentic. So that what you do is
necessary, economically correct and morally
right. And in the final analysis, this means in
turn that you work in a fact-oriented way in-
stead of speculating. Anyone who has studied
at ETH is used to making decisions based on
facts.
You have been a partner with Clayton,
Dubilier & Rice, a respected private equity
firm, since 2008. In this role, don’t you
frequently invest in people with visionary
ideas and less on the basis of facts?
That’s right, although the two are not
mutually exclusive. The key point is that in
management, two different roles are called
for, depending on the situation: that of a
manager and that of a leader. The leader
must have the gift of enthusing people in
a goal, motivating them to take a leap into
the unknown, and deliberately take risks
in the process. The manager, on the other
hand, must create security and be capable of
planning with the aid of facts. Then he imple-
ments the plans, constantly checks where the
company is at and intervenes to correct when
there are negative deviations.
Both roles are tremendously important for the
company. The manager is more of a techno-
crat, doing analysis on the basis of facts, mak-
ing decisions, tracking progress and interven-

21
Fred Kindle has dual Swiss-Liechtenstein citizenship. He studied mechanical and process engi-
neering at ETH Zurich from 1979 to 1984. From 1984 to 1986, he was a marketing project manager
with Hilti, and from 1986 to 1988, he did an MBA at Northwestern University in Chicago, followed
by four years with McKinsey & Company. In 1992, he joined Sulzer, where he was appointed CEO
of the Industries segment in 1999 and CEO of the whole Sulzer Group in 2001. Fred Kindle was
CEO of ABB from 2005 to 2008 before becoming a partner at Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. He lives
with his wife in London.
ing only when necessary. The leader speaks
to the soul, arouses emotions, and enthuses
people. A really good leadership personality,
who is also interested in the firm’s long-term
success, must be able to deal with this schizo-
phrenia, combining the two different roles into
one and responding as the situation requires.
That sounds very demanding to me. Is
that something one can learn to do or
is it something that just comes naturally?
I believe that one can learn some of it. ETH
provides a fact-based, academic education,
making it − in its substance − superior to all
other forms of education that I know of first
hand. The education in the US was, however,
certainly a decisive stimulus for me in terms
of leadership. The environment was full of
dynamism, enthusiasm and energy. That had an
impact on me, showing me the pleasure to be
gained from shaping events and running a busi-
ness. In the meantime, we’re now also sensing
more of this positive energy in Switzerland.
But I reckon that spending time abroad − may-
be in Asia these days − is still something to be
greatly recommended in this regard.
So you would recommend that students
gain professional experience abroad?
Definitely. I’m a firm believer in the be
nefits of what used to be known as years of
travel and apprenticeship. Even though we
live in a highly international environment here
in Switzerland, it is extremely important to
gain experience beyond our national borders.
Business today is global, and from my point
of view, it is essential to get to know other
cultures.
Anyone wanting to play on the international
stage, wanting a career and responsibility
in a global company, needs to step out
of their comfort zone. We Swiss are maybe
too timid in this respect, or maybe too
comfortable.
As an active investor, you work closely
with the management of your portfolio
companies. So are you more of a leader
or a manager?
First and foremost, we see ourselves as
entrepreneurs. I am on the board of directors
of all the companies that I’ve invested in –
usually as the chairman. This means, although
I’m not directly responsible for the operation-
al business, I work closely with the CEO. We
bear great responsibility because, in most
cases, we hold 100 % of the shares, or at least
a majority stake.
The intensity of collaboration does vary, of
course. If a business is running smoothly, and
we don’t need to intervene much, I have less

23 frequent contact. In other cases, I deal with
an enterprise almost on a daily basis. Here,
too, I like the idea of shaping events. This
especially means discovering and implement-
ing new business opportunities together
with the management. It covers all traditional
areas of management, from cutting costs and
boosting productivity to organic growth and
geographical expansion all the way through
to acquisitions. That’s why, even after seven
intensive years of private equity, I still really
enjoy my job.
You’re a father of five children, all of whom
hold the university entrance qualification.
What did you recommend to them in terms
of courses?
The most important thing is that they
are clear about what profession they want
to enter later. Once you’ve decided on a
profession, the next question is to find the
best education and the right university or
college for that. If someone is interested in
the natural sciences and technology, I would
recommend ETH out of deepest conviction.
What you get during your studies there is of
great value. In addition to what you learn, an
ETH degree opens doors across the globe.
If someone prefers medicine, economics, or
jurisprudence, other institutions are certainly
better placed.
Would you advise your children to do a
postgraduate course such as an MBA?
What’s really important to us is that our
children spend some time abroad at some
point, be it for their education or simply so
they can experience a foreign culture. I don’t
think it’s absolutely essential to hold an MBA
in order to work in management. But it is still
the case that this type of education helps
you broaden your horizons and gain key ex-
pertise in the fields of finance, marketing and
organization theory. What’s more, studying
at an elite university opens up all sorts of
career opportunities.
It is really important, I believe, to realize it
is not the education alone that is essential
for success. You can take as many courses as
you want in life, but that will only help you
to a limited extent to win the global contest
for talent. In the end − and I’m thoroughly
convinced of this − you have to make a name
for yourself with your character and your
commitment, and seize the opportunities
that life offers you with plenty of initiative
and passion.

«If someone is interested
in the natural sciences and
technology, I would
recommend ETH out of
deepest conviction.
What you get during your
studies there is of
great value. In addition
to what you learn, an
ETH degree opens doors
across the globe.»

26
«Computer science is actually
not a narrow career choice,
as it leaves plenty of options
open to you.»
Urs Hölzle
Senior VP for Technical Infrastructure
Google
As a top manager at Google, Urs Hölzle not only
shapes the global technology landscape but also
affects the lives of millions of people through his
work. In his view, a competent manager has three
distinguishing qualities: a good understanding of
technology based on solid training, the ability to
communicate and a somewhat relaxed attitude to
career planning.

27
Mr. Hölzle, you began your studies in 1983.
Why did you opt for ETH back then?
I wanted to study computer science and
there was practically only one place to do so
at the time: ETH in Zurich. Seen like that, my
choice was very simple.
What did you learn from your time at ETH?
The department was no more than two
years old when I arrived. So the curriculum
was still very broad in those days, certainly a
bit broader than what’s offered today. Back
then, we did more math than computer sci-
ence. What I really liked was the environment.
I could attend lectures and seminars that
made me think. They weren’t just about com-
puter science, but included scientific topics
of general interest. And of course what I also
really liked was that ETH is an international
university. I had a lot of contact with people
from other cultures and countries.
What made you want to study computer
science?
The subject really interested me. Also,
I was aware that I would be working for
something like 40 years after completing my
education. Computer science gave me huge
flexibility in this regard. Although I would be
working in IT for many years, I could choose
the industry or specialist field of work. Com-
puter scientists are needed everywhere – in
medicine, biology, and the energy industry.
In this sense, computer science is actually not
a narrow career choice, as it leaves plenty of
options open to you.
Did you know from the outset that you
wanted to do your doctorate abroad?
No, not at all. I didn’t even know if I want-
ed to do a doctorate. It just worked out like
that. I took things as they came, year by year.
I really started thinking about a doctorate
only in the last year of my ETH course. In the
end, I wanted to go to the US because the
subject that I was interested in was not cov-
ered in Switzerland or anywhere in Europe.
Back then, I spent a lot of time on object-ori-
ented programming languages. Almost all
the researchers working in this field were
based in the US. I chose Stanford University
on account of my later doctoral supervisor.
After I read his publications, I knew that I
wanted to apply to him.
So doing a doctorate at ETH was never an
option for you?
No. I didn’t want to do a doctorate just for
the sake of the title, but to further my skills in
a specific field that fascinated me. From that
perspective, I chose the people with whom I
wanted to collaborate rather than the place.
Did your ETH degree prepare you suffi-
ciently for Stanford University?
Absolutely; even back then ETH was one
of the best institutions in the world. I passed
the entrance exam to Stanford University with
very little effort.
But after that it was probably like entering
a completely different world, wasn’t it?
Yes, the difference was really enormous,
especially in terms of operations. Even in
those days, Stanford was less of a school and
much more of a meeting place for like-mind-
ed people. The university maintained close
contact with industry already early on, and it
was not unusual for professors to be actively
involved in start-ups.
The equipment was much better at ETH; even
the stuff that was available to students. I can
still remember that we were allowed to use
Apple Macintosh computers and Sun work-
stations at ETH. At Stanford, the terminals
were 24×80 pixels, without a graphical user
interface.
Doctoral candidates were required to join
a research group. That’s where the money
was, and the equipment was better. The
decision of which research group you want-
ed to join was something you had to figure
«Because IT is teamwork, I personally view
communication as a key success factor – not only
in the academic world but also in working life.»
Urs Hölzle, Senior VP for Technical Infrastructure, Google

28
«It’s one of Google’s strengths that we also expect managers to have a
good understanding of technology. A manager must understand both the
technology and the facts and figures that underpin the decisions.»
out by yourself. It took me nearly two years
to find the subject area I wanted to do my
doctorate in.
Is there anything that was not taught suffi-
ciently, or at all, in your ETH degree?
The greatest difference back then was
that the American universities prepared the
students much more in the art of communi-
cating their ideas. No matter whether you
were giving a talk or writing a paper, the
expectations in terms of communication
and presentation of the content you created
were enormously high and were then also
practiced accordingly. That was certainly not
considered so important at ETH in my day. I
personally view communication as a key suc-
cess factor – not only in the academic world
but also in working life. I have the feeling that
communication is learned at school in the
US, even before going to university, and in
Switzerland you’re more likely to learn it on
the job. This has no doubt changed greatly at
ETH over the last 25 years. Nevertheless, the
presentations given by Americans at interna-
tional meetings are still some of the best.
Can you explain more specifically why you
think communication is so important?
Because IT is teamwork. These days,
there are only a very few areas of IT where an
individual can make a big impact, such as in
cryptology or compression techniques. What
matters most there is the algorithm. This is
where an individual can make ground-break-
ing progress. But normally it’s teams of at
least two or three engineers working togeth-
er closely who achieve something jointly.
That’s why it’s crucial for you to be capable
of communicating your ideas to other people
and of talking about the work you’re doing.
If you know what would be the right thing
to do, but can’t convey that to the others in
the team or the company, the right thing will
never happen. So the way I see it, people
who can’t express themselves in a clear way
can never be successful.
In other words, if someone wants to have
a career at Google, then in addition to
having the right technical skills, they must
also be able to communicate well?
Definitely. Like other companies, we at
Google distinguish between a technical track
and a management track in a career path.
This means you have two ways of developing
professionally at Google: via leadership or by
using in-depth technical knowledge. In both
areas, the ability to communicate is crucial
for success. At first glance, this seems more
understandable applied to managers rather
than tech leads. But if you’re the person
responsible for technology decisions, you’re
the one who needs to make sure that every-
body in the organization understands what
you’ve decided and why. It is fundamentally
important that everyone is aware of the com-
pany’s technical orientation and understands
the reasons for it.
Is the situation similar when it comes to
technical knowledge? Do managers at
Google need to understand technology?
Yes, I think it’s one of Google’s strengths
that we also expect managers to have a
good understanding of technology. Even if
managers don’t take the technical decisions,
it is important for managers and tech leads to
cooperate closely. To do so, a manager must
understand both the technology and the
facts and figures that underpin the decisions.
In the issues we deal with, there is often no
simple yes or no, and no simple A or B. If the
tech lead finally goes with a judgment call,
the manager also needs to understand the
big picture, and this includes the technolog-
ical aspects alongside the economic and or-
ganizational considerations. This explains why
people normally work their way up to tech
lead with us first, even if they want to take
on management roles later. You might say
they develop as engineers and then switch to
management.

30
Urs Hölzle originally comes from Liestal in the canton of Basel Land. He studied computer
science at ETH Zurich from 1983 to 1988, gained his doctorate from Stanford University in
1994 and worked as an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Califor-
nia. He joined Google in 1999 when the company still worked with 30 PCs in racks crammed
into a tiny space. Today, he is a Google Fellow and Senior Vice President with responsibili-
ty for technical infrastructure. With his team, he is thoroughly committed to reducing pow-
er consumption in Google’s data centers and has succeeded in cutting the total energy
consumed by Google infrastructure to half the usual amount for the market. Urs Hölzle is
a member of the Board of Directors of WWF. He is married and lives in Palo Alto. His dog
Yoshka, who regularly went to work with Urs in the early years, has gone down in Google’s
history as the «first dog».
The technologization of the world is
advancing in great strides. Is being an
engineer beneficial in business?
I certainly think so, because engineers
can generally better assess and unlock the
possibilities that the internet brings to light. I
believe that the internet is the real revolution.
An engineer who uses the internet for his
benefit can work anywhere, meaning in any
industry and physically at any location.
Could you explain that in more detail?
It is the internet that has brought about
many more changes in the world, rather than
the world becoming more technical. The
world was already technical 20 years ago.
Electricity, the telephone and the car were
all innovative technologies, developed by
outstanding engineers. Unlike today, it would
not have been possible for those engineers
to have reached a global audience – and
hence a global market – so quickly with a
good idea. Software and the internet have
simply made this revolution possible.
It is of course still incredibly difficult to have
a good idea and then to implement it tech-
nically. Thanks to software and the internet,
these days engineers can share their idea
globally at relatively little expense. You can
develop things in small teams and scale up
quickly if you’re successful. You don’t need
much starting capital to invest in production
or in a distribution network.
In the past, if you came up with something,
you couldn’t simply put it on the shelves of a
store and sell it. Anyone can market and sell
anything on the internet. Thanks to the inter-
net, global access to ideas has become much
easier. And because you can also win recogni-
tion with ideas, they are far more important.
What would you say to a school-leaver who
is currently planning a career?
I would tell them I don’t rate career
planning. Looking back, I was way off the
mark with all the predictions of what I would
be doing for the next two years when I was
studying and first started working. And I have
to say, I actually think that’s pretty good. You
shouldn’t worry too much about the future. I
think it’s more important to concentrate on
whatever it is you’re doing right now. If you
do what you’re doing well, the next opportu-
nity will open up of its own accord.
So you’re saying that no plan is the
better plan?
Of course I realized that it wouldn’t hurt
to go to Stanford to do my doctorate there.
But if you’d have asked me that question back

31 then, I would have been sure that I would
return to Switzerland after four years to
do something else. But that isn’t the way it
panned out. My dissertation at Stanford,
my time at the University of California, my
first start-up, the time at Sun Microsystems
and the encounter with Larry and Sergey. All
of that wasn’t planned; that’s just how it
turned out.
Did you have the self-confidence partly
because you knew that you’d had the best
possible start at ETH?
If you learn a trade that is in demand and
the market, and you’ve been educated at
such a prestigious institution, you don’t really
have anything to worry about. You can’t really
afford to get anxious if things don’t work out
at a certain job. If you’re working at a place
you don’t like, there’s another position out
there waiting for you. What we have in Silicon
Valley is unique of course. If you make a
mistake, it’s no big deal. The important thing
is not to make the same mistake twice. Here
in Silicon Valley, you’re successful if you keep
making new mistakes instead of repeating
the same mistakes.
Of course that type of culture makes it
considerably easier to stay relaxed …
That’s true. At the same time, though, I
think that as an engineer, and especially as a
computer scientist, you have the best prereq-
uisites for professional success. The knowl-
edge and skills of good engineers will always
be in demand. You’ve just got to be open and
have the courage to accept change in life as
a challenge and to seize opportunities that
open up for you along the way. The world will
continue to change rapidly in the future. You
just have to know how to deal with it.
Google has a longstanding tradition of working closely together with the world’s finest educa-
tion and research institutions. As Zurich is Google’s largest engineering hub in Europe, Middle
East and Africa, the relationship between Google and ETH Zurich goes back a long way. For sev-
eral years, Google has been closely collaborating with the ETH Computer Science Department
in strategic focus areas such as information security, computer vision and distributed systems.
Due to this close partnership, Google and ETH have succeeded in closing the gap between
research-oriented universities and application-centric private companies. With its Faculty Re-
search Award and European Doctoral Fellowship Programme, Google regularly supports young
talent to find new answers to existing problems. Google is also strongly engaged in attracting
young talent to ETH, as well as developing the still small number of women in engineering
courses. The co-hosting of the ETH computer science taster course («Schnupperstudium») and
the advancement of the well-established RISE Awards and Women in Tech Travel and Confer-
ence Grants have helped promote a well-rounded and intergenerational mix of female comput-
er scientists.

«As an engineer you have
the best prerequisites for
professional success. The
knowledge and skills of
good engineers will always
be in demand. You’ve just
got to be open and have
the courage to accept
change in life as a chal-
lenge and to seize oppor-
tunities that open up for
you along the way.»

34
«It’s our people who make us
stand out in the marketplace,
not our technology.»
Martin Bosshardt
CEO
Open Systems AG
Entrepreneur Martin Bosshardt rejects the notion
that ETH graduates end up pursuing their careers
in dark research laboratories. He and his colleagues
focus on how global organizations can employ
security technology in a way that is more efficient,
more automated and more scalable. For him, ETH
Zurich plays a vital role in this context: it trains the
engineers that he desperately needs to ensure
both service quality and the future growth of his
company.

35
Mr. Bosshardt, when did you decide to
become an engineer?
I already knew that I wanted to be an
engineer while I was still at secondary school.
Although I would not describe myself as a
typical tinkerer, I enjoyed experimenting
with electronic components, building alarm
systems and taking radios apart.
Was there a particular turning point for you?
I think it was the day our neighbor stood
on our doorstep with a banana box. In the
box − neatly dismantled into its individual
parts − was a moped. When my parents
looked at the mess in the box, they thought it
was pretty unlikely that I would end up riding
the contraption one day. Nevertheless, they
insisted that if I were successful, then I would
absolutely have to wear a crashhelmet for my
own safety.
And how did the story end?
About a week later, my mother bought
me a helmet, which I even agreed to wear on
my victory tour through the village.
You studied electrical engineering at ETH
in Zurich. How did you find out about ETH
back then?
Even in those days, ETH was the top school
for engineering. My father had also studied
at ETH and, as luck would have it, Professor
Georg Epprecht, who taught electrical engi-
neering at ETH, was our neighbor. He watched
me one day as I took a radio apart. He reck-
oned that if I wanted to learn to how to put it
back together again, I should study electrical
engineering. Which I then did.
How did you enjoy student life at ETH?
I had a really good time. There was an
unbelievable amount of stuff to see, do and
learn. I was passionate about the subject
matter, got heavily involved in the develop-
ment of an electric car and naturally spent as
much time as possible on the ETH comput-
ers. They opened the door to a new world for
me − the world of global networks.
But as far as I was concerned, the best thing
about ETH was the many like-minded people,
all of whom really understood how things
worked. Two of them have shaped my life in a
special way.
That sounds interesting. Who were those
two people?
First of all, my wife, Daniela, who was
studying pharmacology at ETH back then. We
got married in 2004 and today are the happy
parents of two sons − Lino and Jon. The oth-
er person who has greatly influenced my life
in a very positive way is Florian Gutzwiller.
With whom you run Open Systems AG
today …
Right. Florian Gutzwiller, the founder of
Open Systems AG and currently the chairman
of the Board of Directors, is heavily involved
in the development and global expansion
of our firm. Before setting up the company
in 1990, he was responsible for running the
most important communications computer at
ETH. It was he who opened my first account
on the Bernina mainframe, which used to
be ETH’s most powerful communications
system. So you could say that he was the one
who gave me access to the global networks
that would one day become the World Wide
Web.
You worked as an intern in Japan for a few
months while you were studying. How did
that come about, and what exactly did you
do there?
ETH boasts a superb international net-
work from which undergraduate and doctoral
students can benefit directly. I definitely
wanted to make use of that opportunity and
gain some experience abroad. Through a
student exchange program, I obtained an
internship with a Japanese technology firm
in Tokyo. During the internship, I had contact
through ETH with the University of Tokyo,
where I got the opportunity to spend my final
semester and write my diploma dissertation
at the Institute for Nanorobotics after com-
pleting my industrial internship.
And what exactly did your work entail?
We were asked to build a scanning
tunneling microscope that could position a
scanning tip accurately to one atom, where
the scanning tip had the necessary precision
to scan a carbon lattice. The subject could
«ETH boasts a superb international
network from which undergraduate and
doctoral students can benefit directly.»
Martin Bosshardt, CEO, Open Systems AG

36
«The potential and opportunities for engineers will become even more
pronounced in the future. Just think about how many established markets
are currently being revolutionized by new technologies and how many
new opportunities are being opened up by innovative technologies.»
hardly have been more topical, as it was in
precisely that year − 1986 − that the German
physicist Gerd Binnig and the Swiss physicist
Heinrich Rohrer received the Nobel Prize in
Physics for inventing the scanning tunneling
microscope, with which they made atoms visi-
ble by using tunnel current. After five months
of really hard work, we managed to complete
our project successfully. It was an amazing
experience. I felt as though I’d been present
at the creation of the Earth.
To what extent did ETH play a role in
this work?
Of course we had regular contact with
ETH at the organizational level and, inter-
estingly enough, also at the technical level.
As we did not have suitable visualization
software available to us in Japan, we used a
mainframe at ETH in Zurich to compute the
image out of the processed data overnight
and print it out in Tokyo. Looking back on it,
that was a tremendous achievement in our
project. You should remember that in those
days the internet connected only something
like 1,000 machines.
How did your career develop after you
graduated?
Back in Switzerland, I applied for a job
with the technology conglomerate ABB. In
our first meeting, my boss asked me how
long I would need to pack if ABB needed
me in a different country. A couple of weeks
later, I was working in Malaysia as a commis-
sioning engineer on a major building site for
a combined cycle power plant.
That sounds like you were thrown in
at the deep end …
I was lucky enough to be given respon-
sibility early on at ABB. After Malaysia came
Indonesia, where I had the sole responsibility
for the commissioning of the control systems
in a similarly sized project. We had 12 months
to bring the machine online. Every day’s
delay would have triggered a contractual
penalty of CHF 500,000. At times, more than
3,000 people worked on the site. The power
plant was finished on time. Today, it gener-
ates electricity for around 10 million people.
These projects clearly demonstrated to me
how, thanks to the engineering sciences, it is
possible to build complex machinery that far
exceeds the capabilities of a single person.
Nobody knows every single detail of a power
plant from top to bottom. You need to break
down the overall system into manageable
parts in order for specialist teams to con-
struct it and put it into operation.
Then came a short interlude in
consulting …
Yes, that was a very important step for
me, as it required complete immersion in
the role of a service provider. Economical-
ly, this period was overshadowed by the
dotcom crisis, which had a large impact on
both our company and clients at the time. I
could scarcely have had a more interesting
and informative time than working with the
management of a service provider.
But you still moved to Open Systems
in 2002 …
Open Systems had fascinated me from
the outset. It was love at first sight.
You are the CEO of Open Systems AG
and a shareholder. What does it mean for
you to be an entrepreneur?
For me, being an entrepreneur means
bringing into line the goals of the customers,
the goals of the employees and the goals of
the shareholders. This is the only way for a
company to grow sustainably and establish
itself on the market in the long run. I really
enjoy accompanying this growth and it fills
me with pride to think that more 130 people
work here today. When I started, we had a
grand total of 17 employees.
You spoke about the strong growth of your
company. What is your recipe for success?
Information technology is predestined
for automation. Consequently, we try not to
view our people as parts of a machine, but
as engineers who develop and build a ma-
chine, giving them the chance to constantly
advance the level of useful automation. I’m
not convinced that we should relocate sim-
ple, repetitive activities to cheaper regions.
We delegate these often boring tasks to
the computer. That works better in IT than

37
Martin Bosshardt studied at ETH Zurich and Todai University in Tokyo; he has a degree in
electrical engineering from ETH. After graduating, he worked as an engineer for ABB in Swit-
zerland and abroad. In 1998, he was appointed to the management of Futurecom Interactive,
a consultancy belonging to the worldwide Young & Rubicam Group, with responsibility for
consultancy. Martin Bosshardt has been CEO, member of the Board of Directors and a share-
holder of Open Systems AG, an independent Swiss provider of enterprise security, since 2002.
In 2011, he won the Swiss Venture Club’s Entrepreneurs Award for the Zurich region. He has
been a member of the Advisory Board of PwC Switzerland since 2013.
any other industry. There are no physical or
geographical borders in our business, and
our logistics costs are minimal. Automation
makes us competitive, and our work more ex-
citing. It also helps us provide higher quality,
as the services are more secure, more stable
and more scalable. Achieving a high level of
automation is exciting but also very demand-
ing work. To do it well, we need the best and
most creative engineers we can get.
So, as far as you’re concerned, your tech-
nology is not your key selling point?
We differentiate ourselves in the market
with our staff and how we employ technol-
ogy, not with the technology itself. In their
day-to-day work, our employees focus on
how we can apply security techniques in a
way that is more efficient, more automated
and more scalable. And this is how they also
constantly redefine the way we work at Open
Systems. So recruitment and continuing
professional development of the teams are
critically important. Many of my colleagues
studied at ETH. We do, of course, also recruit
from many other excellent educational estab-
lishments. But ETH remains a very important
talent pool for us.
Another important point is the fact that a
company is only as good as its customers. We
have the privilege of working for prestigious
organizations that are highly successful all
over the world. The customer mix is particu-
larly interesting – alongside conglomerates
from all sectors of industry, we also have a
strong presence with NGOs. The motivating
effect on the staff of supporting prestigious
NGOs should not be underestimated.
In 2011, you won the SVC Entrepreneurs
Award for the Zurich region.
I received the award on behalf of the man-
agement team and all employees of Open
Systems. I was, of course, incredibly proud,
and still am today. What I particularly liked
was that many of my colleagues attended the
award ceremony.
You are working hard to establish the topic
of IT security at the executive level. Is that
an issue for you personally or just clever
marketing?
Probably a bit of both. Whatever else, I’m
still amazed that many directors and senior
managers continue to delegate IT issues to
their IT department.
The most important development – seeing
as it is the most disruptive − in a company
comes from IT. This is a game-changer for
everyone, no matter which industry they
operate in. Be it retailing, tourism, aviation,
banking or insurance. Even the taxi industry
is being redefined by IT. We all know this.
But it seems to me that the «Kodak effect»
is still widespread. From my point of view,
this is one of the biggest dangers for a
company. As far as I’m concerned, the
responsibility rests with the senior managers

39
and directors. They need to look at both the
possibilities and the risks inherent in infor-
mation technology.
ETH Zurich supports outstanding students
who want to do their master’s degree at
ETH with the «Excellence Scholarship &
Opportunity Programme (ESOP)». Open
Systems is supporting this programme.
Why is that?
Because ETH is extremely important – for
Open Systems, as well as for Switzerland in
terms of a business location. Giving the best
young talents the chance to study at one of
the best universities in the world is something
well worth supporting and highlighting − for
these students as well as for the university.
What matters to us is not to profit from ETH
but to give something back. So we offer
internships and support students in their
master’s theses. Open Systems is helping to
ensure that ETH remains one of the world’s
top universities in the future. So the sup-
port is less of a commitment and more of an
obligation.
How will you make an engineering degree
appeal to your sons when they’re deciding
what to study one day?
I view a degree in engineering as one
possible door that opens a thousand other
doors. So I consider this education to be a
great option − even for people who don’t
yet know for sure what they want to do later
professionally, or what position they would
like at work.
But I will also try to eliminate a number of
prejudices that still exist, such as that an en-
gineering degree is incredibly hard. Or that
engineers end up in the darkest corner of
some half-forgotten laboratory later in their
careers. Quite the opposite is true: there are
few other degrees with as many fabulous,
practice-oriented exercises and technical
«toys» in their curriculum. Plus, the com-
petition between medical students or law
students is just as hard, or even harder − all
the more so later in the profession.
Engineers are trained to break down com-
plex systems into manageable parts, in order
to make mechanisms of practically any size
run. As an engineer, you learn how to think,
and how to view the world in a very specific
way. This knowledge later works world-
wide, irrespective of permits or legislation.
I consider this school of thought to be one
of the best principles for an entrepreneur or
manager. After all, companies are complex
systems. The potential and opportuni-
ties for engineers will become even more
pronounced in the future. Just think about
how many established markets are currently
being revolutionized by new technologies
and how many new opportunities are being
opened up by innovative technologies. An
engineering qualification − and this is some-
thing I believe most strongly − is the ideal
preparation for the future.

«As an engineer, you learn
to view the world in a very
specific way. I consider this
school of thought to be
one of the best principles
for an entrepreneur or
manager. This knowledge
later works worldwide,
irrespective of permits or
legislation. That is why an
engineering qualification is
the ideal preparation
for the future.»

41
«I’d like to make a contribution to the
energy supply of the future.»
Jessica Genta, Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme, ETH Zurich
Ms. Genta, you are completing your mas-
ter’s degree at ETH Zurich with a scholar-
ship from the «Excellence Scholarship &
Opportunity Programme». How did it come
about?
It had always been my dream to do a mas-
ter’s degree in engineering at ETH in Zurich.
When I first heard about the scholarship, I
was naturally somewhat unsure about wheth-
er I would even manage to obtain it. But after
I looked into the requirements more closely,
I felt that my chances were good. In the end,
trying for the scholarship was also an exciting
challenge that really appealed to me.
The application process is extremely exact-
ing and challenging for students. Did you
get that impression as well?
Yes, the requirements are, indeed, very
high. You need to be considerably motivated
and enthused about what you are studying in
order to successfully complete the applica-
tion. Apart from good grades, excellence
counts in all aspects of your application,
which means you should prove that you are
generally capable of thinking in a rational
and systematic way, and of developing new
ideas. An important part of the application is
a detailed description of the master’s thesis
you are planning to write. Of course that
compels you early on – in the third year of
your bachelor studies – to know specifically
which area of research you intend to focus on
years later. In addition, you must have high
technical competence in order to be capable
of anticipating which topics will be relevant in
the targeted research areas.
I think that the effort and tough selection
process are justified. After all, this is a rather
special scholarship, which is about bringing
talented individuals to ETH from all over the
world. ETH not only sponsors us financially,
but also supports us in other areas; for exam-
ple, in networking.
Did you know early on that you wanted to
become an engineer?
Not just that I wanted to become an engi-
neer, but also that I wanted to study material
science. During my bachelor studies, I quickly
started heading towards a specialization in
renewable energy and sustainability. It is my
opinion that the energy supply will be one
of the greatest challenges we will face in the
future.
You completed your bachelor’s degree at
the Politecnico di Milano in Italy. Why did
you decide that it had to be ETH Zurich for
your further studies?
My bachelor’s degree in Milan was very
interesting and instructive. It was a founda-
tion course that provided basic knowledge
and tended to be heavy on the theory. In a
master’s programme you work much more in-
dependently and in the areas that you would
like to focus on later. ETH has an excellent
reputation and you meet people from all over
the world there. Additionally, ETH offers an
outstanding general framework for research
and has courses with very high practical rele-
vance due to its close contact with industry.
I’ve set myself a specific personal goal and
I’m firmly convinced that ETH can support me
best in reaching this goal.
What does your goal look like exactly?
In my master’s studies I’m currently get-
ting acquainted with the various topics in the
field of energy conversion and storage, which
are decisive for renewable energies. Then I
can write my master’s thesis about the topic
that fascinates me most and in which I would
like to start my career. Besides the final
paper, we write reports on two additional
research projects in the master’s programme.
That also gives us the opportunity to become
more familiar with the various institutes in our
department or in the entire ETH.
And now you’re doing an internship at the
ABB research center?
Exactly, the industry internship makes
it possible for me to gain some insight into
another area of renewable energies for six
months – here we’re examining the important
role that material science plays in the field of
energy from a new perspective. At the same
time, it’s also a major opportunity to work
here with highly qualified people and to learn
from them. I think that the quality of science
is strongly dependent on people.
In that case, you don’t see research as a
matter for the individualist on the princi-
ple of every researcher for himself?
Not at all. Research, whether at ETH or
at a company like ABB, is purely a team sport.
To me it’s like basketball, a sport at which
I’ve been training hard for over the years.
Research at this level cannot be done alone.
Success is largely dependent on the best
people exchanging their ideas and finding
new paths together. Thinking for yourself is
important. But what’s even more important
is sharing with others what you discovered, in
order to get feedback.
And then you’ll write your master’s thesis
at ETH?
Yes, I would like to write my master’s
thesis at the Institute for Electrochemical
Materials under Prof. Jennifer Rupp. I will be
working very intensively on batteries there.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years’
time? Will you become a professor at ETH
Zurich?
Today I would say probably not. After
my master’s degree is completed, I intend
to do a PhD dissertation in any case. After
that I can well imagine making a move into
industry. I find it exciting when research and
production are very near each other and
when they work closely together. In addition
to the technical challenge, I would certain-
ly find it extremely appealing to start and
develop my own company. But for now I’ll
just take one step at a time. I don’t think it
makes an awful lot of sense to plan too much
in advance. So far, every step I’ve taken in my
life has brought me further. I feel responsible
for making a contribution toward finding
solutions for how we can deal meaningfully
and sustainably with energy in the future.
This motivates me and I am happy to fully do
my part every day.

44
«I want to gain a better understanding
of the world we live in.»
Lennart Elsen, Security Engineer, Open Systems AG
Mr. Elsen, you come from Hamburg and
completed your engineering degree at
ETH Zurich. Why did you decide to study
in Switzerland?
I was interested in electrical engineering
and drew up a list of universities at home and
abroad that offered suitable courses. ETH
was at the top of my list.
What were the key factors behind your
decision?
What mattered to me most were the qual-
ity of the education and the reputation of the
institution. The quality of life in the city where
I would be studying had to be right too.
What finally tipped the scales in favor of
ETH and Switzerland?
ETH came highly recommended to me
by my colleagues. When I took a closer look
at the course it was offering, I simply had a
good feeling about it. The scientific stan-
dards are very high and the infrastructure is
excellent. On top of that, I liked the idea of
studying abroad. I really like Zurich as a city;
in terms of flair, it’s quite similar to Hamburg.
So studying at ETH seemed like a great over-
all package to me.
You wrote your master’s thesis with the
support of Open Systems, the company for
which you now work as a security engi-
neer. Can you tell us briefly how that came
about?
The practical side of my master’s thesis
was very important to me. With this in mind,
I started looking for an industrial placement.
And then a friend introduced me to Open
Systems. The security and availability of net-
works were topics that I had covered in my
course. Once I’d met the managers at Open
Systems, I decided that I really wanted to
take this opportunity.
In concrete terms, what did your industrial
placement involve?
Open Systems is a global provider of
managed security services and secures and
operates networks in over 175 countries. My
task was to develop a tool in six months that
could read core data from network packets,
store it and prepare it for later analysis. The
tool was designed to help security engineers
analyze the composition of global network
traffic over a longer period of time.
Evidently the project was a success and
you liked it at Open Systems …
Yes, you could say so. My colleagues now
use the analysis tool in their work, which I’m
naturally very happy about. I’ve received a lot
of positive feedback about my work; for ex-
ample, that it makes problem analysis easier
and increases productivity. And ETH was also
pleased with the outcome. What more could
you want?
That sounds really good. What made you
decide to join Open Systems?
I got to know the company and the people
at Open Systems during the six months of my
master’s thesis. I really like the way people
treat each other here. I want to work for a
company that challenges me professionally.
But it is just as important to me that I work in a
fun environment. I want to be able to look for-
ward to work when I wake up in the mornings.
How do you imagine your career evolving
from here? Do you already have specific
plans?
I have some clear ideas, but for now I
want to enjoy my first job. It’s a good feeling
to have an ETH degree in my pocket. I’m well
aware that I’m just at the beginning of my
professional career. But the time at ETH has
already given me a certain amount of confi-
dence and security …
In what sense?
In that I’ve achieved something and have
gained some skills as a result that nobody can
take away from me. The degree from ETH
makes me stand out and opens up numerous
opportunities in various industries anywhere
in the world.
How was your start in the world of work?
The subject of secure, reliable connec-
tivity is a big issue for many companies and
organizations. I have a particularly strong
impression of being in the right place at the
right time.
Currently I feel as though I’ve extended a
part of my studies. I can apply the knowledge
I gained during my degree and expand it,
but I’m learning many new things as well. I’ve
just completed the internal Mission Control
Engineer certification. This has given me
an overview of the whole service portfolio.
I needed that because, while writing my
master’s thesis, I had concentrated on a very
specific area of the services.
What reasons would you give a school-
leaver today as to why they should consider
studying engineering?
I want to gain a better understanding of
the world we live in. An engineering degree
trains me to do so and additionally gives me
the chance to make a contribution towards
future technological advances by applying my
knowledge.
Where do you see yourself in the future: in
a technology position or in management?
Management. That is my goal in the long
run. But I’m also sure that these days you can’t
do one without the other. In a highly technol-
ogy-driven global economy, a manager must
also have a solid understanding of technol-
ogy. I see this as the essential prerequisite
for identifying problems and recognizing
opportunities. With this in mind, I want to
take the time to get up to speed and build a
good technical foundation for myself.

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