Join us on May 10 for the second edition of the Gen A Day, celebrating the vibrant Gen A Community and its diverse expertise. This special gathering brings together current Gen A Fellows, Alumni, and members of the Asia Society Switzerland community, including Board Members, Patrons, and Passport Members.

The day will feature insightful discussions and exchanges, including a keynote by Dr. Rahul Sahgal, CEO of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce, as well as contributions from our very own Gen A Community. This year, we’re excited to present two Gen A Talks: Shaping Smart Cities: Human Priorities and Global Strategies, organized by Chirine Sunderland (Gen A 2021 Fellow) and Liliane Krüsi (Gen A 2022 Fellow), and Voice and Visibility in Asia's Changing Social Media Landscape, organized by Joseph Christian Agbagala and Walter Vlad (both Gen A 2024 Fellows).

With the generous support of our Patron Nicolas Oltramare, the Gen A Day offers a special opportunity to exchange ideas, build connections across generations, and deepen your Asia Competence in a welcoming and enriching environment. Engage with a dynamic group of young Asia experts offering fresh perspectives across regions and disciplines. 

Program

13:00 – Welcome & Icebreaker

14:00 – Gen A Talk: Voice and Visibility in Asia's Changing Social Media Landscape with Amy Weng, Julia Lechbinska, and Simon Stocker. Moderated by Joseph Christian Agbagala.

15:00 – Keynote by Dr. Rahul Sahgal, followed by a moderated conversation with Nico Luchsinger

15:45 – On the Ground with Gen A Alumni Travel Grant 2024 Recipient Jeanette Gautschi

16:10 – Gen A Talk: Shaping Smart Cities: Human Priorities and Global Strategies with Hanbit Lee, Jean-Baptiste Sebgo, and Francis Müller. Moderated by Chirine Sunderland. 

17:00 – Apéro

19:00 – Dinner 

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Rahul Sahgal is the CEO of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce, which oversees efforts to strengthen bilateral trade and economic relations between Switzerland and the United States. Rahul joined Switzerland’s diplomatic corps in 2013. After postings in Brussels and Bern, he served as Counselor and Head of Financial and Fiscal Affairs at the Swiss Embassy in Washington, DC., which was followed by his role as Deputy Head of the Tax Division at the SIF in Berne. Before his diplomatic service, Rahul held leadership roles in the private sector, among them, he worked for Deloitte Consulting in Zurich and was Managing Director of Autoneum India. Rahul holds master’s degrees in both business administration and law, as well as a PhD, all earned from the University of St. Gallen.

Speakers

Amy Weng, born in Shanghai and raised in Zurich, is fluent in German, Chinese, English, and French. An alumna of the University of Zurich, she also holds a Master’s degree from the Graduate Institute of Development Studies and the University of Geneva. With experience at the Swiss Embassy in Beijing and a strong background in Zurich’s financial sector, Amy is now an entrepreneur and the founder of Think East. She supports Swiss companies and institutions in connecting with China through branding, digital marketing, and creative projects that promote cultural understanding and collaboration. Amy is a Gen A 2025 Fellow.

Chirine Sunderland is an international business and trade specialist with extensive experience in Europe-Korea relations. Having recently returned to Switzerland, she is seeking new opportunities in international business and global affairs. She previously led market entry and expansion initiatives as a Manager at the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce (KGCCI/AHK Korea), supporting German companies including startups in sectors like CleanTech, Machinery, and MedTech. She also held key roles at the Swiss Business Hub Korea (Swiss Embassy in Seoul)/Switzerland Global Enterprise and KOTRA Zürich, advising companies on trade, investment, and cross-border collaboration. Beyond trade, Chirine has contributed to major translation projects, including Netflix’s Crash Landing on You. She holds a BA in Korean Studies (SOAS & Korea University) and an MSc in East Asian Business (University of Sheffield), with over 15 years of engagement with the Korean peninsula. Chirine is a Gen A 2021 Fellow.

Estelle Oltramare is Chief of Staff at Arbor Ventures, a global, Fintech-focused VC. Prior, Estelle worked at Lombard Odier, a private bank, and Partners Group, a global private equity company, in Switzerland and Singapore, while also building her own venture portfolio since 2017. Estelle holds a B.Sc. in International Management and Chinese from SOAS in London and BNU in Beijing, an Executive Masters in Social Business and Entrepreneurship from LSE and an MBA from ESADE. She has lived in Zurich, Geneva, London, Paris, Barcelona, Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore. Estelle is part of the Asia Society Switzerland Board.

Francis Müller is a master's student in law at the University of Geneva with five years of professional legal experience, working for a Swiss law firm focusing on Asian clients doing business in Europe. Before studying law, he obtained a bachelor's in Japanese studies from the University of Zurich. His specialization lies in corporate and financing transactions, commercial contracts and, particularly, legal issues relevant to international trade as well as the manufacturing and chemical industries. Francis is intrigued by the legal implications of emerging technologies for the real economy, including digitization and robotics in industrial processes and international trade. His mission is to standardize and optimize legal processes while employing mathematical tools to quantify legal risks. Francis is a Gen A 2020 Fellow.

Hanbit Lee is an environmental systems researcher investigating urban energy transitions from a socio-technical perspective. Originally from South Korea and currently based in Switzerland, she is particularly interested in cross-regional comparisons of sustainability initiatives and strengthening the interface between academia and policy-making to drive impactful change. Hanbit is a Gen A 2025 Fellow.

Jean-Baptiste Sebgo (博历) holds a Master’s degree in International and Development Studies from the Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID) and a Bachelor’s degree in International Politics from the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) in Beijing, China. He is fluent in Mandarin and five other languages and has a strong passion for Asia-Africa relations. In addition to his academic qualifications, Jean-Baptiste works as a freelance political and security risks advisor, collaborating with Chinese companies that are investing in Africa and Europe. His areas of interest include security, trade, investment, and development. Currently, he is involved in official relations management at the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva. Jean-Baptiste is a Gen A 2024 Fellow.

Jeanette Gautschi works for KPMG Switzerland as an Alliance Operations Specialist where she enables strategic relationships between international tech firms and KPMG. She graduated in International Management at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences and spent a year studying in Seoul, South Korea while working for a Korean crypto exchange in Gangnam. She grew up in Switzerland and has roots and passports in the Philippines and the Netherlands as well. Due to her upbringing, she is very passionate about intercultural exchange and therefore was also active as a Partnership Manager and Board Member for the Erasmus Student Network in Winterthur. Jeanette is a Gen A 2023 Fellow.

Joseph Christian Agbagala is a PhD candidate at the Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zurich. His research focuses on military organization, deterrence studies, and alliance politics. Joseph holds a Master's degree in International Relations from the University of Amsterdam. His thesis examined how the decentralization process during China's economic reforms in the 1980s enabled its provinces to operate within China's foreign policymaking system. He received his Bachelor's Degree in International Affairs with honors from the University of California, Riverside. During his undergraduate studies, he was a Communications Intern for the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C. He also spent time as an undergraduate associate at the Queen Mary University of London. Before joining the CSS PhD program, Joseph also worked at the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMFUS) as a Research Intern for the Asia Program. Christian is a Gen A 2024 Fellow.

Gallerist and art historian Julia Lechbinska serves as a cultural bridge for East Asian contemporary art in Switzerland. Julia's journey commenced in wealth management and later commodity trading, where she managed the East Asian market. This experience piqued her interest in the arts and culture of this region, prompting her to pursue a Master's degree in Art History. Julia further honed her skills through art expertise training and gained valuable experience working in an auction house before establishing her own gallery. Now, her role involves connecting artists and an international network of collectors at the Zurich based Lechbinska Gallery. Julia is a Gen A 2023 Fellow.

Krish Zimmermann is part of the marketing team of Blindflug Studios, a Swiss indie video game company. Apart from that, she is also active as a musician and event manager. As such, she has organized concerts and small festivals in the underground music scenes of both Japan and Switzerland. Krish is a Gen A 2023 Fellow and a release of her music project Umriss was selected as an "Outstanding Gen A Project" by Asia Society Switzerland. As a half-Indian Swiss person, she hopes to contribute to a better understanding of the Asian continent, its diversity, and dynamics in the West. 

Martina Froehlich holds a Bachelor's degree in Japanese Studies and Environmental Sciences. She gained experience working abroad in Osaka and Miyazaki as an Event Manager and travel writer, before joining the PR team at the Zurich Film Festival in 2020. As a project manager at the Japan Information and Cultural Center in Bern, she supported cultural initiatives and exchanges. Passionate about Asia, art, and culture, Martina now focuses on fostering cross-cultural dialogue and collaboration through her current role, connecting diverse communities and disciplines. She is a Gen A 2023 Fellow.

Michele Bing is a manager with experience in luxury goods and financial services, He graduated in Economics at Bocconi University in Milan and speaks fluently Italian, Mandarin, English and German. He is currently living between Milan and Lugano and connecting Asia and Switzerland through Art, education and hospitality industries. In his free time, Michele enjoys exploring modern art exhibitions, discovering fine wines, and practicing martial arts. An avid traveler, he seeks to immerse himself in different cultures, gaining insights that enrich both his personal and professional perspectives. Michele is also passionate about entrepreneurship and innovative business models, constantly seeking new opportunities to bridge European and Asian markets through strategic collaborations. He is a Gen A 2024 Fellow.

Myrta Brunner is a communications specialist at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), where she focuses on social media, marketing, and alumni network management. She holds an interdisciplinary MA in Religion - Economy - Politics from the universities of Basel, Zurich, and Lucerne. She values intercultural exchange as a foundation for mutual understanding and cooperation in our globalized world. Myrta is a Gen A 2020 Fellow and committed to deepening her Asia competence and strengthening the Gen A community. 

Simon Stocker studied International Relations at the University of Geneva and at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies. At the same time, he worked as an editorial assistant at the ARD foreign studio in Geneva. He gained further work experience at CSS at ETH Zurich and at the Swiss representations to the UN in New York and the EU in Brussels. He now works as a researcher at the Avenir Suisse think tank, where he mainly focuses on energy issues. Simon is a Gen A 2024 Fellow.

Support the Gen A – Young Leadership Program and the Gen A Day

We are proud to offer the Gen A – Young Leadership Program free of charge and are continually striving to enhance its value for both our Fellows and Alumni. If you would like to support our efforts, here are a few ways to get involved:

• Become a Gen A Expert: Are you professionally engaged with Asia? Share your expertise! We are always seeking dynamic speakers with unique career journeys and a passion for mentoring the next generation of (thought-)leaders.
• Provide Financial Support: Help us grow by sponsoring a Fellowship or an Alumni event, such as the Gen A Day.
• Share Your Ideas: Have suggestions on how we can improve the program? We'd love to hear from you!

Your contributions – whether through knowledge, resources, or feedback – help us continue building a thriving community of Asia-focused professionals. Thank you for your support!

Thank you!

The Gen A Day is graciously supported by Nicolas Oltramare. 

The Gen A – Young Leadership Program is made possible with the support of Ernst Göhner Foundation and the Hirschmann Foundation, and the Gen A Travel Grant is sponsored by IMP AG.