In honor of International Women’s Day on March 08, the Fintech News Network is presenting its spotlight on the trailblazing female founders in Switzerland’s fintech landscape. These remarkable women are not only shaping the future of the industry but also championing diversity, innovation, and inclusion within fintech. They are driving forward the industry, showcasing resilience and leadership in the vibrant world of fintech.

For this list, we’ve focused on female founders of fintech companies in Switzerland, highlighting 11 of the most influential leaders in the country and delving into their professional journeys, accomplishments, and contributions to the advancement of their respective companies.

Brigitte Baumann, Founder, GoBeyond Investing

Brigitte Baumann is the founder of Go Beyond Investing, a platform that facilitates angel investing for both novice and seasoned investors in Switzerland. Baumann boasts over 30 years of experience in introducing new technologies to markets across the US and Europe.

In addition to her role at Go Beyond, Baumann is a prominent figure as a keynote speaker, trainer, and consultant, focusing on designing educational content for angel investors, startup board members, and entrepreneurs seeking financing.

Before founding Go Beyond Investing, Baumann was CEO and director of iWORLD Group, a venture capital (VC)-backed mobile content developer, and served as the senior vice president at American Express Corporate Services where she launched internet businesses including the online travel agency Expedia.com. Baumann was also the president of Gemalto for the US and Canada, and worked with McKinsey & Company as a senior engagement manager in New York, Paris and Tokyo.

In May 2015, Baumann received the European Investor of the Year award from EBAN. In 2017, she was selected In EY’s European Winning Women Entrepreneur program. In 2016 and consecutively in 2017, Baumann was listed as one of Europe’s Top 50 Most Influential Women in the startup and VC space and Top Women in FinTech.

Cecilia Mueller-Chen, Founder, Comply Now

Cecilia Mueller-Chen is the founder of Comply Now, a regulatory compliance advisory company serving the crypto and fintech sector. Mueller-Chen is regarded as a visionary thought leader in the realm of regulations and compliance and was recognized in 2020 by Finews as one of Crypto Valley’s Top Female Talents.

With a background as the former chief compliance officer and other key roles in institutions such as China Construction Bank Zurich and Deutsche Boerse, Mueller-Chen has amassed a wealth of experience in managing systemic risks during various crises and navigating complex regulatory environments globally. Her expertise extends to regulatory strategy, compliance, legal, and operations.

Mueller-Chen’s accomplishments include devising regulatory strategies for the original bitcoin and bitcoin cash protocols, obtaining licenses in multiple jurisdictions, and advocating for third-country equivalence in European Union (EU) laws during her tenure at SIX Exchange and Deutsche Boerse.

Beyond her corporate roles, Mueller-Chen has been instrumental in shaping industry standards, such as authoring the Crypto Valley Association’s Code of Conduct. She has also collaborated with organizations like the World Bank and Consensys to address United Nations’ sustainability goals.

With a diverse educational background including an E-MBA from the University of St. Gall, an MBA from the University of Toronto, and dual degrees from the University of California at Berkeley, Mueller-Chen combines her expertise in finance, technology, and compliance to drive innovation and positive change.

Dr. Lidia Kurt, Founding Partner, Vision&

Dr. Lidia Kurt is the founder of Vision&, a Swiss digital asset business studio. Kurt has extensive experience in the intersection of traditional finance with new technologies. With Vision&, she builds products and creates ventures in the digital asset industry for her clients.

Besides her role at Vision&, Kurt is also a co-founder of the recently launched Swiss Stablecoin, an initiative aimed at establishing a regulated and widely accessible digital Swiss franc.

Previously, she was the managing partner of a consulting boutique for quantitative finance and has worked for JP Morgan and Swiss Re in Zurich, London and Hong Kong. Lidia graduated from the University of St. Gallen with a PhD in asset management. Although loving to tackle the challenges of the financial world, Lidia’s actual happy place are technologies – during coding she regularly loses track of time.

Zulma Prieto, Co-Founder, CPO and CMO, Emilian

Zulma Prieto is the co-founder, chief product officer and chief marketing officer at Emilian, an “insurtech-as-a-service” provider based in Zurich.

Drawing upon over 20 years of industry experience, Prieto has a comprehensive understanding of the insurance value chain, acquired through roles with esteemed companies such as Marsh, Winterthur, Zurich, and SwissRe. Her expertise spans diverse domains, including reinsurance for corporate solutions, international programs, and coverage for the public sector and personal lines.

A Colombian and Swiss citizen, resident in Switzerland for many years, Prieto graduated with an MBA in Economics with a focus on insurance and will graduate soon as an user experience (UX) Designer. She is passionate about technology, digital platforms and UX design and strives to democratize insurance distribution.

Dr Luba Schoenig, Co-Founder, UMushroom

Dr. Luba Schoenig is the co-founder of UMushroom, a Swiss digital platform helping users to make investment decision in an intuitive way. Schoenig brings a wealth of experience from a distinguished career in the financial industry. With a background spanning over two decades, she has held various prominent roles in leading institutions such as Julius Baer, Credit Suisse, and Lehman Brothers.

Schoenig’s journey in finance began as a research and teaching assistant at the University of Zurich, where she also earned a doctor of quantitative finance degree. Prior to that, she completed a master’s degree in Finance from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland.

In 2020, Schoenig co-founded UMushroom. Leveraging her extensive expertise in investment solutions, structured credit, and structured products, Schoenig embarked on a mission to democratize access to financial information and empower users with professional research and insights.

Together with co-founder Tonia Zimmermann, whom Schoenig met during her tenure at Credit Suisse, she is expanding UMushroom beyond the borders of Switzerland to conquer European markets.

Sandra Tobler, Co-Founder, Chief Customer Officer, Chairwoman, Futurae Technologies

Sandra Tobler is the co-founder, chief customer officer and chairwoman of Futurae Technologies, a Swiss cybersecurity company enabling users seamlessly authenticate to online, mobile, and smart home device applications.

At Futurae Technologies, Tobler is responsible for igniting the company’s sales strategy, fueling exponential customer growth and unleashing untapped potential. She orchestrates a seamless fusion of sales, marketing, and customer success, all driven by an unshakable dedication to elevating the customer experience.

Tobler is a well-respected figure in the fintech industry, renowned for her visionary leadership and impactful work. Her journey in the industry began in London and continued with her work for the official economic representation of Switzerland with tech companies in the US.

With IBM background and fintech passion, Sandra holds a degree in International Relations from the University of Geneva and is committed to shaping the future of the fintech industry for the better.

Stephanie Feigt, Founder and CEO, 3rd-eyes

Stephanie Feigt is the founder and CEO of 3rd-eyes, a Swiss wealthtech and insurtech provider founded in 2015. Feigt has over 20 years of experience in investment expertise and management roles intersecting strategic asset allocation, asset liability management, sustainable investing, and asset management across diverse asset classes.

Prior to 3rd-eyes, Feigt co-founded Contrast Capital in 2011, a consultancy firm specializing in sustainable investing, where she provided advisory services to institutional clients.

Her journey in sustainable investing began as the chief investment officer, co-CEO, and head of portfolio management at RobecoSAM Zurich. Before that, she held pivotal roles such as head of investment strategy at Bank Leu in Zurich and spearheaded the strategic asset allocation for Siemens’ pension funds. Feigt’s tenure in institutional asset management at Siemens equipped her with invaluable experience as a senior equity portfolio manager and quantitative analyst.

Feigt holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of Constance and the Humboldt University of Berlin, with a focus on capital markets theory, econometrics, and statistics. Additionally, she is a chartered financial analyst (CFA).

Yoko Spirig, Co-Founder and CEO, Ledgy

Yoko Spirig is the co-founder and CEO of Ledgy, a Swiss equity management platform for scaleups. The platform enables team members to better comprehend their equity stakes, streamlining the process of running equity plans. Under Yoko’s leadership, Ledgy has emerged into a prominent player in the equity management sphere, boasting a team of over 60 professionals across offices in Zurich, London, and Berlin.

Prior to Ledgy, Spirig was project lead on Swissloop, Switzerland’s first Hyperloop research initiative.

Spirig studied Physics at the University of Oxford, CERN, and ETH Zurich, where she met her Ledgy co-founders Ben Brandt and Timo Horstschaefer. Together they identified the administrative burden that equity management creates for startups – a problem that needed solving.

Spirig has received several honors and accolades. In 2020, she was named one of the Digital Shapers by Bilanz and in 2019, she was recognized as one of Forbes’ 30 under 30 for the DACH edition.

Olga Miler, Co-Founder and CEO, SmartPurse

Olga Miler is the co-founder and CEO of SmartPurse, a Swiss financial wellness platform designed to empower individuals to achieve financial abundance and impact.

Miler is a global innovation expert, specializing in women and finance, sustainability, and gender-smart investing. She has been broadly recognized for her transformational achievements to change the financial services industry for women and gender equality with features in the global press such as Sky News, BBC News, CNBC, the Financial Times, Bloomberg and The Guardian and has won numerous awards including Inspirational Woman of the Year 2019 by CityWealth Magazine and a place on the Senior Leaders in Fintech Powerlist by Innovate Finance.

Miler founded SmartPurse after a 12-year career at UBS where she developed an award-winning program for women and led marketing and client experience functions. Besides her role at SmartPurse, Miler is also an ambassador and consultant for Alpian, a Swiss digital private bank, a columnist for Watson News’ MoneyTalks, and a member of the board of trustees of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.

Isabella Brom, Co-Founder, Kore Technologies

Isabella Brom is the co-founder of Kore Technologies, a Swiss tech company specializing in creating and managing blockchain certificates for people and products. Brom is a fintech professional with a focus on enterprise architecture and blockchain technology and an international background.

Apart from her role at Kore Technologies, Brom is also a managing consultant at Vision& where she builds the bridge between technology and business, combining vast experience in the tech space and financial advisory services with blockchain, distributed ledger technology (DLT), digital assets and decentralized finance (DLT). She’s also a lead lecturer at the HWZ University of Applied Sciences in Business Administration Zurich where she teaches the blockchain economy, as well as a guest lecturer at the ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences.

In her previous role at Ernst & Young (EY), Brom worked with Fortune 500 companies on digital transformation projects and was fundamental to the rise and growth of EY Switzerland’s blockchain and crypto technologies advisory practice. Leading this practice, she delivered first DLT pilot projects in the insurance, crypto storage and treasury space.

Featured image credit: Edited from freepik