Where did you grow up ?
I grew up in St. Gallen, Switzerland.

What were your hobbies as a child ?
I used to skateboard and cycle a lot. Skiing was the order of the day in winter because we had a small ski lift in the neighborhood and were there every free minute after school.

Where did you go to University ?
I studied business, economics, and law at the University of St. Gallen and then specialized in banking and financial markets. During the years as a postgraduate student, I was greatly inspired by Bruno Gehrig, Klaus Spremann, and Heinz Zimmermann, who were the main professors in the field. Klaus Spremann later became my doctoral supervisor. All of them were very influential for me and my fellow students at HSG.

Where did you do your PhD ? 
Gladly, I had the opportunity to do my PhD at the University of St. Gallen. I completed my doctorate with a thesis on the Swiss real estate market. That was at a time when there was hardly any research on the subject.

Who were your PhD Advisors ?
My PhD advisors were Professor Klaus Spremann and Professor Jörg Baumberger. Both were unconventional thinkers with an eye for the bigger picture, and their backgrounds in finance and economics were extremely stimulating.

Any anecdote or memory from your time as PhD ?
I remember many good and prolific discussions with my academic advisors. With every meeting, my main advisor gently but firmly maneuvered me into the field of real estate. Coming from a banking and finance background, I was neither familiar with real estate as a research field nor particularly interested at the time, to be honest. However, that push was key, and I’m grateful for the conversations with both of my advisors. They opened up this area to me which has turned out to become a major pillar of my academic activity and personal interest.

What is your main research focus ?
My focus area is financial management, including applications in real estate markets and venture finance.

What research, that you are you working on right now, are you really excited about and why ? 
One example is the area of sustainable real estate that has become increasingly important in recent years. The topic offers so many links and ramifications and is highly relevant to society. At the same time, there are still many unresolved questions in both research and practice. In this context, my research interests are mainly linked to aspects of profitability, valuation, and financing of properties and portfolios, taking sustainability into account. We also offer courses on sustainable real estate in our curriculum as well as in our continuing education program at University of Basel.

What attracted you to Basel ?
The University of Basel is a great institution and offers many advantages for both students and lecturers. As a comprehensive university, it covers a wide range of subjects, but at the same time it is very clearly organized and the communication channels are short and efficient. In addition, Northwestern Switzerland is an extremely attractive location with the border triangle and the important pharmaceutical and life sciences industries.

What languages do you speak ?
German is my mother tongue, and I also speak English, French, and Italian as foreign languages.

What do you do in your spare time ?
My hobbies are quite unspectacular. I like hiking, swimming, skiing, and good food.

What is your favorite holiday destination ?
I love spending time in the mountains, both in summer and in winter.