Béatrice Schaeppi talks about the opportunities and responsibilities of being an entrepreneur in a long-established family business, emphasizes the importance of value-driven leadership that puts people at the center and shares her journey as part of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year program.

You are part of a family business and an entrepreneur at the same time. In your view, what are the greatest opportunities and challenges of this combination?

One of the greatest opportunities, in my view, is the ability to make decisions quickly. This gives the company a high degree of agility. This way, I can credibly combine tradition with modernity. Changes that I initiate as a representative of the fourth generation are generally met with greater acceptance within the company than if such initiatives were introduced from the outside. At the same time, this role also carries great responsibility: successfully continuing a company into the fourth generation means finding the right way to handle the legacy of one’s predecessors. One must not – out of respect for one’s forebears – hold on to the familiar for too long because otherwise one might miss the best possible solution.

What role does your perspective as a woman play in the further development of your company?

I don’t think my gender plays a major role — my personality traits shape me much more. As a woman and mother, however, I do have a particular understanding of employees with families. I know, for example, how important flexible working hours are. At our company, even managers can work part-time. I am an empathetic and very social person, but men can have all these qualities too. Perhaps I am not always as radical as some situations might demand. In my opinion, that’s due to my character and my experiences, not necessarily because I am a woman. I don’t like to pigeonhole people.

When the time comes for you to pass on your responsibilities, what is particularly important to you to preserve in the company?

Our values are extremely important to me. My company must never become one in which people are reduced to mere numbers and profit is placed above everything else.

What prompted you to participate in the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year program, especially given the assumption that established family businesses often don’t “need” to participate?

I was nominated by the father of one of our apprentices. When I first heard about it, I was both surprised and deeply honored. Schaeppi Grundstücke turned 90 last year. Together with the Board of Directors, we felt that this was a great opportunity to showcase our company. I wasn’t thinking about myself personally, but about our firm and about increasing awareness of who we are, what we do, and the fact that we are a modern, well-positioned company.

Was there a moment during the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year process that particularly stayed with you?

The conversation with the jury was incredibly exciting for me and at times challenging, but it was always very candid and, overall, extremely enriching. I was able to take away many valuable insights and useful advice.

What has changed as a result of winning, both personally and for the company?

Schaeppi Grundstücke has gained greater recognition, and I have since been frequently asked about the award. Personally, what I took away from the experience was the opportunity to meet many fascinating people. In addition, I am now the proud owner of this award.