Events

#SwissChamBajío
We kicked off the year 2023 with the organization of a breakfast conference on the theme “Perspectives 2023” Bajío, to which the companies affiliated to the Swiss Chamber were invited. The event took place at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Querétaro.

As part of the activities at the beginning of the year, within the framework of the Audit and Finance Working Group, we organized a breakfast on “Economic and Political Perspectives 2023 with presentations by Actinver in which the CEOs and CFOs of Swiss companies affiliated to the Chamber participated.

SwissCham Mexico and the Embassy of Switzerland in Mexico extended a cordial invitation to the Coordinators of the Chamber’s Working Groups to present the work agendas and define areas of collaboration for 2023, as well as to align cross-cutting themes.

SwissCham Mexico participated in the Universities Fair 2023, organized by the Swiss College of Mexico, where the Chamber presented its activities, the implementation of Dual Training, as well as a brief overview of the importance of Swiss companies in Mexico, and the bilateral relationship between Switzerland and Mexico.

SwissCham Mexico together with Nestlé shared the importance of Dual Training as a channel for young people’s insertion into the formal labor market at the breakfast organized by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) with the aim of continuing to promote new alliances.

At the initiative of the Coordinating Council of Women Entrepreneurs of Nuevo León and the Ministry of Economy of Nuevo León, a collaboration agreement was signed for the development of projects with a gender component related to entrepreneurship, social responsibility, digitalization and sustainability.

We concluded the Diploma in ESG and Sustainability with a few words from the President of SwissCham Mexico, Simon Blondin, as well as the Ambassador of Switzerland in Mexico, Pietro Piffaretti.

Congratulations on this fruitful joint initiative that brought together more than 60 participants from the private, public and academic sectors to discuss with experts from Switzerland, as well as Swiss companies in Mexico, key environmental, social and governance issues! 

The Board of Directors met this week and we celebrated our year-end posada by saying goodbye and thanking Christian Michel for his commitment and leadership during these five years with SwissCham Mexico, and Emilia Pfeiffer was appointed as the new Director General. We wish her the best of success.

Congratulations to the winners of the #Nespresso coffee machine raffle and thank you to the participants who joined us, we wish you a happy holiday season!

The Ambassador of Switzerland in Mexico extended an invitation to his residence to the Coordinators of the Thematic Working Groups of SwissCham Mexico and the Chamber’s executive team to generate an exchange of dialogue on the activities and events that took place on site and virtually in 2022.

#SwissChamBajío

As part of the Bajío activities, we held the last year-end toast at the Moser Cafe Kultur in the company of our partners with presence in the region. We thank the participants who joined us for this event and wish them happy holidays!

In the framework of the visit of Emmi’s CEO to Mexico, we organized together with the Embassy a visit to the Emmi / Mexideli cheese distribution center in Mexico City. There are high tariffs between Mexico and Switzerland on cheese and other dairy products and we discussed the importance of modernizing the free trade agreement between Mexico and EFTA. 

We concluded the 2nd edition of the Diploma in Public Health organized by SwissCham Mexico with the Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), the Swiss Chambers of Latam and Roche with a few words from the Deputy Director of SwissCham, Emilia Pfeiffer as well as Maïa Inzaurralde from the Swiss Embassy and Celina Rodriguez from Roche.

We thank the more than 200 participants who joined us from the Latam Region for attending the 6 sessions of the program. Congratulations!

#SwissChamBajío

Together with the affiliates in Bajío we organized a visit to Sika’s Innovation and Development Center in Querétaro to learn about the activities they develop in the region. Thank you very much for receiving us in your facilities!

Together with Syngenta, we organized a visit with Ambassador Piffaretti to the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) to find out about all the technology and innovation in the field that Syngenta is doing. CIMMYT is an international scientific research organization in the agricultural sector, specialized in the development of improved maize and wheat varieties.

Together with the support of the Honorary Consul in Guadalajara, Mr. Roger Eleutheri, the Embassy of Switzerland and the Swiss Business Hub, we visited Siemens plant and the facilities of IJALTI / CANIETI Western Chapter and SEDECO Jalisco. Afterwards, we organized a breakfast with representatives of Swiss companies and businessmen to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the region.

#SwissChamBajío

Together with the French Chamber of Commerce, we organized a breakfast and signed a strategic collaboration agreement with “El Gran Bajío” to strengthen relations and foster the development of French and Swiss companies in the region.

#SwissChamMonterrey

Together with the Foreign Chambers of Commerce in Monterrey, we organized the first Networking cocktail on the 2023 economic outlook in the region for our affiliated companies and allies. We had the participation of more than 160 people from the 7 Chambers. This event was sponsored by Adecco Mexico and SGS.

We held the second edition of the SWISStainability Forum at the University of Monterrey with more than 40 in-person participants and close to 300 virtual reproductions. We had the participation of representatives from Swiss companies, the Swiss Embassy in Mexico, the government of Nuevo Leon, Monterrey and sustainability experts to learn more about the efforts and achievements that Swiss companies have made in sustainability.

SwissCham Mexico organized a breakfast with the participation of Bettina Schaller, Head of Group Public Affairs of Grupo Adecco and President of the World Employment Confederation (WEC), representatives of Swiss companies and the Swiss Embassy in Mexico, in order to learn and exchange views on the future of employment, as well as challenges and opportunities for companies.

We celebrated our Sixth General Assembly to approve new members, financial statements, strategy and activities, as well as to elect the new Board of Directors 2022-2023. We also welcomed the CEO of Switzerland Global Enterprise, Simone Wyss, and the Swiss Business Hub. We thank the 50 Swiss companies for their participation and commitment!

We organized a roundtable in Querétaro to share with the Swiss Embassy in Mexico, the Swiss Business Hub, the Honorary Consul of Switzerland in the region and partners established in the Bajío region about potential areas of collaboration and to hold a networking cocktail after the roundtable. 

From August 29 to September 2, our Executive Director participated in the annual meeting of Swiss Chambers Abroad organized by Switzerland Global Enterprise. In addition to sharing good practices between chambers, our director participated in a seminar on export and investment promotion, visited several Swiss companies, and presented our institution at the Latin America Day organized by the Latin American Chamber of Commerce in Switzerland.

SwissCham Mexico held the second edition of the Swiss job fair. We had the participation of Adecco Group, Ferring and Schindler. More than 70 participants had the opportunity to know about the activities and vacancies offered by companies such as Bühler, Clariant, Givaudan, Holcim, MSC, Nestlé, Novartis, Richemont, SGS, Sika, Swiss Re, Syngenta and Zurich.

From 22 to 27 September 2022, the Lugano Summer School in public policy, economics and management in public health took place. With the support of the Chamber, two Mexican students from the Mexican Institute of Public Health (INSP) were able to participate in the summer school through scholarships.

Taking advantage of the visit of the new Deputy Head of Mission of the Swiss Embassy in Mexico, Yves Reymond, a series of working meetings were held with Swiss companies in Nuevo León, state authorities such as the Secretariat of Economy, Secretariat of Economic Development of Monterrey, State Employment Service, Invest Monterrey, Information Technology Cluster, Secretariat of Environment and Education.

#SwissCham Bajío – Holcim extended an invitation to SwissCham Mexico affiliates to visit its plant in Querétaro. After a presentation of the Holcim Group and its history, a tour of the facilities was given followed by a networking session.

SwissCham Mexico participated in the Swiss National Day celebrations held in August and September in Amecameca, Cancun, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey and Queretaro. We had stands to provide information about Swiss institutions in Mexico and to promote Swiss products. We thank our sponsors: Curaprox, Lindt, Micro, Nestlé, Ricola and SICPA.

Together for Inclusion is an initiative that has been launched by Adecco in collaboration with the Mexican Federation of LGBT+ Entrepreneurs, which consists of a training and awareness strategy for the business sector that wishes to participate, with the objective of promoting labor inclusion of vulnerable groups in a win-win scenario for the parties involved. Registration and more information here.

Together with the Association of European Chambers of Commerce in Mexico (EUROCAM) we organized a breakfast with President of Mexico’s Business Council (CCE), Francisco Cervantes Díaz, in which he offered an exchange of opinions on the country’s economic outlook. More than 80 representatives of European companies participated.

We held the closure of the 2nd edition of the Mentorship Program for Women Leaders together with IPADE thanks to the sponsorship of Adecco, Credit Suisse, Holcim, Nestlé and Novartis. The Program had more than 70 participants and six thematic sessions with the objective of continuing to promote women’s leadership in the workplace.

The Swiss Chambers in Latin America organized a webinar on Gender Equality with the Latin American Chamber of Commerce in Switzerland (LATCAM). Eight female corporate leaders shared their experiences and views on diversity and inclusion in Swiss companies in Latin America.

Together with the Association of European Chambers of Commerce in Mexico (EUROCAM) we organized an afterwork cocktail for our member companies. More than 150 people from eight European chambers of commerce participated. The directors of the chambers gave a welcome speech. This event was sponsored by: Baker & MacKenzie, Bakertilly, Broxel, Humand (as well as Adecco and Grupo Modelo).

This Cocktail was held with the participation of more than 80 top level executives from member companies and allies such as the Swiss Embassy to Mexico, the Swiss Business Hub and Swiss Community Mexico. In this gathering, the partcipants were able to discuss the topics on the agenda for the future meetings of the 11 Working Groups and generate intersectoral strategies for the benefit of the Swiss private sector in the country.

In the framework of LGBT+ pride month, we organized a breakfast with two panel discussions on LGBT+ inclusion in Swiss companies. One panel focused on corporate policies of inclusion and the other on personal experiences of members of the community. We thank Novartis for hosting the breakfast and the participating companies: Adecco, Novartis, Zurich, Ferring, Nestlé, Curaden and Givaudan, as well as our moderators from ADIL and SRE and words of welcome by the Swiss Embassy. 

The chambers of commerce of Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands and the SwissCham Bajío organized a successful cocktail with more than 250 people in Querétaro for member companies and allies. We thank all the people who were able to join us, as well as our sponsors WMP Mexico Advisors, El Gran Bajío, Grupo Esscala constructora, Heineken, Ventas AMATI box, and CIEN Grupo Inmobiliario for supporting this event.

In May, SwissCham inaugurated its new representation in the north of México with the company of the Ambassador of Switzerland in Mexico, the President of SwissCham, the Honorary Consul of Switzerland in Monterrey, the Secretary of Economy of Nuevo Leon, the Director of the SBH and representatives of member companies, businessmen from Nuevo Leon, as well as state authorities and strategic allies.

The purpose of the breakfast at the Ambassador’s Residence was to introduce the new Swiss Ambassador to Mexico and Belize, Mr. Pietro Piffaretti and his wife Rosita Pérez to CEOs and representatives of Swiss companies members of the SwissCham Mexico. In addition, there was the opportunity to hold a round table to present the challenges and opportunities that Swiss companies face in their operations in Mexico.

The 2nd edition of the Swiss golf tournament at Amanali Country Club took place in April. This event was organized by the AEMS-Swiss Community in collaboration with SwissCham. The tournament was sponsored by member companies: Adecco, Credit Suisse, Lindt and Ricola. We thank all participants and look forward to seeing you next year!

The women CEOs of Swiss companies affiliated with the Swiss-Mexican Chamber of Commerce and Industry met at the Residence of the Swiss Embassy in Mexico and exchanged on the importance of continuing to promote gender equality from different leadership roles and senior management .

In March, SwissCham inaugurated its new representation in the Bajío region, with more than 90 participants, as well as representatives of the Government of Querétaro and Guanajuato, the Swiss Embassy and members of the Swiss Delegation on their official visit to Mexico.

On March 15, 16 and 17, 2022, an economic delegation carried out a trade mission to Mexico. The delegation was made up of the Director of the Americas and the Director of Free Trade Agreements of the Swiss State Secretariat of Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO), representatives of Switzerland Global Enterprise, as well as Swiss private sector associations: Economiesuisse, Scienceindustries and Swiss Textiles. The Chamber organized a round table with CEOs of Swiss companies, participated in the Consultative Group for Trade and Economic Cooperation between SE-SECO, organized a visit to the Querétaro Aerocluster and the Givaudan plant, and a meeting with state authorities. Finally, we participated in a lunch organized by the Swiss Business Hub for SMEs.

The SwissCham team and the Embassy’s Economic Attaché paid a visit to the Sulzer plant in Cuautitlán Izcalli, State of Mexico. Sulzer is the world’s leading Swiss fluid engineering and pump manufacturer.

The Swiss Chamber together with the Ministry of Economy, visited the new CEDIS CDMX of Mexideli (Emmi) to learn in detail the business process, the high technology and the sustainability strategies of the company.

SwissCham’s Board of Directors met to define upcoming events and activities of the Chamber including working group meetings, mentoring program, diploma courses, trade missions and the opening of representations in the Bajío and Northeast regions of the country.

SwissCham Director moderated a panel discussion on investment perspectives in Mexico for 2022 at ABB Formula E Grand Prix 2022 Mexico City. CEOs of Swiss companies Novartis, Schindler and Swiss Re participated as panelists in the discussion. Thanks ABB for the invitation! 

The Working Groups Coordinators of the Swiss Chamber concluded last January with a meeting to share 2022 agendas and align topics of common interest.

Within the framework of the Women Leaders 2021-22 mentoring program, sponsored by Adecco Mexico, Credit Suisse Mexico, Holcim Mexico, Nestlé Mexico and Novartis Mexico, a session was held on good practices in the transmission of professional skills.

In collaboration with the St. Gallen Club Mexico, SwissCham organized a panel on “Collaborative Advantage” to address topics such as innovation and responsible technology, the new intergenerational contract, effective global governance, resilient economies and businesses, and sustainability with representatives from the Embassy of Switzerland in Mexico and member companies: Syngenta and Zurich. The panel was moderated by Stephanie Jiménez from Mexico City’s Civil Protection Agency.

Swiss Ambassador Eric Mayoraz, President Simon Blondin, Director Christian Michel, Human Rights Attaché Anette Wittwer and Director of the Swiss Business Hub Ruben Araiza participated in the installation of the Mexico-Switzerland friendship group in the Mexican Chamber of Deputies (LXV Legislature).

Within the framework of the 2021-22 Women Leaders Mentoring Program, sponsored by Adecco México, Credit Suisse México, Holcim México, Nestlé México and Novartis México, a virtual workshop was held on key tools to promote women’s leadership.

The Swiss Christmas Party was held as part of the closing celebrations of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Mexico, on November 27 and 28 at the Swiss College in Mexico City. The celebration was organized by all Swiss institutions in Mexico: the Swiss Embassy, ​​the Swiss College of Mexico, the Swiss Chamber, AEMS, SwissCoMex and Damas Suizas.

To close the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Mexico, the Swiss Embassy in Mexico organized the official inauguration of the recently renovated Residence of the Ambassador in Mexico City. The President and CEO of the Chamber participated, as well as representatives of companies sponsoring the 75th anniversary: Clariant, Novartis and Roche (gold), Adecco, Credit Suisse, Kuehne + Nagel, Nestlé, Swiss Re (silver), and the Swiss School , Givaudan, Schindler and Zurich (bronze). SICPA was the main sponsor for this specific event.

The Board of Directors met at its last meeting of the year to approve the budget and activities for 2022. In addition, it received a visit from Ambassador Mirko Giulietti, Head of the Americas of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAE) of Switzerland. In a round table, CEOs shared the challenges and opportunities that Swiss companies face in Mexico.

The Swiss Chamber presented the 5-year progress of the creation of the Swiss Alliance for Dual Education in a virtual event in which apprentices from Schindler and Zurich, as well as Swiss executives from the Swiss School and the Vicepresident of Human Resources of Nestlé Mexico shared experiences implementing the vocational and professional education and training (VPET). The Swiss Embassy organized the renewal of the letter of intent on cooperation in VPET between the Secretariat of Public Education of Mexico (SEP) and the Secretariat of State for Training, Research and Innovation of Switzerland (SEFII).

10 Mexican startups and 10 Swiss startups participated in a training camp organized by the Leading House for the Latin American Region and CONACYT to link academy and industry and bring their products and services to the market. The Swiss innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem was presented for a week in September and the Mexican ecosystem for a week in November. The Swiss Chamber presented the business environment in Mexico and in various sectors: energy and infrastructure, health and regulatory, water and agriculture.

The launch of the 2nd edition of the Women Leaders of the Swiss Chamber mentoring program, sponsored by Adecco México, Credit Suisse, Holcim México, Nestlé and Novartis México, took place virtually with the participation of more than 20 Swiss companies in Mexico.

Simon Blondin President of the Chamber, Christian Michel Director General, Andres Engels Honorary Consul in Monterrey and representatives of ABB, Adecco and Bystronic met with the Investment Director in Nuevo Leon, Anabell Flores to discuss business opportunities in Nuevo Leon.

A fruitful dialogue between the Secretary of Economy, Tatiana Clouthier Carrillo, the COFEPRIS Commissioner, Alejandro Svarch, the Swiss Ambassador to Mexico, Eric Mayoraz, and the Regulatory Affairs Committee of the Swiss Chamber, to strengthen collaboration on regulatory matters between Switzerland and Mexico.

We celebrated the 5th anniversary of the Swiss-Mexican Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the terrace of the Club de Industriales. The Chamber’s President, the Ambassador of Switzerland in Mexico and the Undersecretary of Foreign Trade Luz María De La Mora and the Director of the Chamber gave speeches. We thank our member companies for their support and trust!

During a commercial visit to San Luis Potosí, the Swiss Chamber together with the Swiss Embassy in Mexico visited Swiss companies ABB and Ronal Group, which have important operations in the region. They also met with representatives of CONALEP for dual education. 

Within the framework of the Swiss + Sustainabiliy = Swisstainability event, we visited Nestlé México’s Zero Water plant together with the Swiss Embassy in Mexico and students of the ITESO’s master’s degree in sustainability, in which 1.6 million liters of water are saved per day in the processes.

Within the framework of 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Mexico, the Swisstainability forum took place with three thematic panels on agriculture, waste management, and water, with participation of public, private and academic sectors. In addition, an the exhibition “Can Technology Save the World? Swiss solutions to protect the environment” was inaugurated, and an exchange was held with the ITESO university laboratories on sustainability in the construction sector.

Representatives of the Swiss Embassy and the Swiss Chamber visited the State of Tabasco to meet with state authorities, to visit Zurich Insurance’s Flood Resilience program with the Mexican Red Cross, and to visit Holcim’s Cement Plant in Macuspana.

Within the framework of the presentation of the book “Mexico and Switzerland: 75th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations”, a panel on the history of diplomatic and economic relations was held at the Matías Romero Institute, which was presented by representatives of the Swiss Chamber, the Swiss Embassy in Mexico, the Swiss College of Mexico, among others.

The directors of the twelve Swiss Chambers in Latin America met virtually with Simone Wyss Fedele, CEO of Switzerland Global Enterprise, together with Thomas Foerst (Director of the Global Network), Benjamin Werenfels (Consultant for Latin America) and Martina Bietenhader (Global Network Manager) of the Swiss export promotion agency S-GE.

In collaboration with the Swiss Business Hub, the Swiss Chamber carried out an investment mission to Queretaro. We met with investment promotion authorities of the state of Queretaro, visited industrial parks and organized a dinner with member companies in the region such as Adval Tech, Oskar Rüegg and UTZ Group with the Honorary Consul of Switzerland in Queretaro.

The Fifth General Assembly took place to approve the Chamber’s budget, strategy, activities and to elect the new Board of Directors and new President (Simon Blondin, Credit Suisse), Vicepresident (Julieta Loaiza, Nestlé) and Treasurer (Caio Zuccarelli, Clariant). We thank the 50 Swiss companies for their participation and support!

The Swiss Chamber in Mexico offers a new public health program in collaboration with the Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+) for its members. Nine professors from different Swiss universities and research institutes share information and best practices on policies related to public health. Thanks to Roche México several scholarships have been offered for Mexican public health officials and legislators to participate in the program. 

On August 1st, we celebrated the Swiss National Day with a small reception at the Swiss Ambassador’s Residence in celebration of the 730th anniversary of the creation of the Swiss Confederation.

As part of the celebration of 75 years of diplomatic relations between Mexico and Switzerland, the Swiss Embassy and its Swiss Business Hub, in collaboration with the Swiss-Mexican Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Switzerland Global Enterprise, organized a hybrid panel offering a deep insight into the banking and financial technology ecosystem of Mexico and Switzerland. The affiliated company SICPA presented its technological solutions at the panel on cybersecurity.

Representatives of the Swiss Embassy in Mexico and the Swiss-Mexican Chamber of Commerce and Industry, held a working meeting with the Federal Commissioner of COFEPRIS, Alejandro Svarch, to continue the dialogue on binational collaboration on regulatory matters.

The Director General of the Swiss Chamber participated in a webinar organized by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) on «How to create trust between the educational and private sectors to develop an efficient dual training system, between industry and institutes deformation”. Representatives from academic institutions (ETH Zurich), the Swiss Federal Institute of Vocational Training (SFIVET), as well as Swiss companies in Mexico: Firmenich, Schindler and Nestlé participated to share their experiences in the implementation of the model.

Available in English on Youtube. 

For the third consecutive year, the Swiss Chamber in collaboration with the Swiss Embassy in Mexico organized the Forum of Women Leaders. This time in a format of 40 people in person at the Ambassador’s Residence and virtual transmission on social networks. The keynote speaker was Amb. Patricia Danzi, General Director of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and there was a panel on “Women as an engine of economic recovery and resilience in times of crisis” with executives from Clariant, Dromakaba, Givaudan and Nestlé .

In the webinar on the results of the midterm elections, Joselyne Rivera, General Director of Psiquepol, shared her expertise in an interesting presentation on the panorama that resulted from the midterm elections in Mexico as well as the implications for the Swiss private sector in Mexico.

On June 1, the Chamber’s Board of Directors met for its XXI session. New affiliated companies were accepted, various activities of the Chamber were defined for the second semester of the year. At the end, the company representatives exchanged information on the business perspective in their sectors and industries in a round table at the Industrial’s Club.

This webinar included the presentation of the annual salary panorama by Spring Professional part of Adecco Group and in collaboration with the International Dual Career Network (IDCN). Good practices regarding employability and the dual training and youth education strategies of the Swiss Chamber were also shared.

The Embassy of Switzerland in Mexico, the Swiss-Mexican Chamber and the Swiss Business Hub held a meeting with Mexico’s Secretary of Economy Tatiana Clouthier Carrillo to present the economic, trade and investment relationship between Switzerland and Mexico. The Undersecretary of Foreign Trade Luz María de la Mora also participated at this important meeting. 

The Swiss Chamber organized a workshop on the prevention of counterfeiting of Swiss products and traceability with experts from Novartis, SICPA and EPI Training & Consulting within the framework of the Security Working Group.  

The Undersecretary of Industry, Trade and Competitiveness, Héctor Guerrero of Mexico’s Secretariat of Economy gave a presentation on Mexico’s industrial strategy and economic recovery to managers and executives of Swiss companies in Mexico. Participants included the President of the Swiss Chamber, the Ambassador of Switzerland in Mexico and the Director General of the Swiss Chamber, as well as general, finance and corporate affairs directors of Swiss companies in Mexico.

Together with the Swiss company USM Modular Furniture, we organized a webinar on innovation at the workplace and trends in wellness and sustainability at the corporate offices.

The Swiss Ambassador to Mexico and the Director General of the Swiss-Mexican Chamber of Commerce and Industry made an official visit to the State of Chiapas. They visited Nestlé’s Coffee Mate plant in Chiapa de Corzo and participated in the announcement of an investment of 300 million pesos for the expansion of the plant together with the CEO of Nestlé Mexico and the Governor of Chiapas. In addition, they organized a breakfast in San Cristóbal de Las Casas with state government secretaries, representatives of Swiss companies with a presence in the region (Nestlé, Zurich and Regal Springs) and businessmen from the state.

As part of the Foreign Trade Working Group, we organized a webinar on the outlook for the global maritime sector with a presentation by the Commercial Director of Mediterranean Shipping Company Mexico (MSC). We addressed the challenges and opportunities for the maritime sector in Mexico and the world in 2021.

This leadership workshop was organized as part of the mentoring program for women leaders. The Human Resources Director of Ferring Pharmaceuticals Mexico and the General Director of Fracht Mexico presented female leadership strategies and professional growth experiences.

The Swiss-Mexican Chamber of Commerce and Industry signed Nestlé’s Modern Parenting initiative together with the International Chamber of Commerce in Mexico, FUNSALUD and the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare. The agreement seeks to promote actions for healthier families and modern parenting, such as flexible work schedules, maternity and paternity leave, and work spaces that include lactation rooms. Nestlé Mexico’s CEO, Fausto Costa was present at the signing of the agreement and Mexican Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare, Luisa María Alcalde delivered a message.

We organized the first Swiss job fair sponsored by Adecco Group Mexico. The fair was held virtually through an interactive platform and brought together people from the Chamber’s job bank, as well as representatives from the human resources area of affiliated companies. Edgar Rojas, Talent Acquisition Director at Adecco Group made a presentation on employability in times of COVID-19.

Mexico’s Secretary of Economy, Tatiana Clouthier, met virtually with the European Chambers in Mexico (Eurocam) including the Swiss Chamber to discuss economic reactivation and the axes of Mexico’s Development Plan: innovation, inclusion and diversification. This event was sponsored by Adecco Group Mexico. The event was attended by Juan López-Dóriga Pérez, Ambassador of Spain in Mexico, who spoke on behalf of the European Embassies present, Paolo Caridi, on behalf of the Delegation of the European Union in Mexico, and Antonio Basagoiti, President of Eurocam.

The Swiss Cup 2021 golf tournament, organized by the Mexican-Swiss Business Association, Swiss Community Mexico and the Swiss Chamber of Commerce, was held at Amanali Country Club. We thank the sponsoring companies, including Adecco Group Mexico and Lufthansa Group. Among the players were the CEO of Adecco Group Mexico and the CEO of Swiss Re Corporate Solutions.

On February 26, the first meeting of the year of the SwissCham Board of Directors took place. New member companies were accepted, various activities of the Chamber were defined for the year. At the end, the company representatives exchanged information on the business perspective in their sectors and industries in a virtual round table.

The main objective of the forum was to raise awareness of the importance of the Swiss country brand, as well as the characteristics of Swiss companies, products and services in Mexico. Representatives from the Mexican and Swiss intellectual property institutes, Switzerland Global Enterprise, the Swiss Embassy and the Swiss private sector participated. More than 25 Swiss companies, both multinationals and SMEs, participated in a “virtual expo” attended by more than 120 participants. 

First part of the event available on Youtube.

In collaboration with Holland House, the Swiss Chamber organized a webinar on the developments of the Law reform initiative on outsourcing in Mexico with Pablo Lezama, General Director of the Mexican Association of Human Capital Companies (AMECH) and the general directors of Adecco Group Mexico, Francisco Martínez, and Randstad Mexico, Andrés Sánchez. 

Within the framework of the Health and Innovation Working Group, the Chamber organized a webinar on the possible vaccination scenarios in Mexico for 2021 including the panorama of the health sector, the Mexican scientific projects to counter the COVID-19 pandemic, and the international negotiations for the acquisition of vaccines and implications for the distribution of vaccines in Mexico with Dr. Tanaka, from Roche Mexico, Dr. Orozco, Coordinator of the Consortium of Innovative Scientists in Vaccines (SRE-AMEXCID) and Ms. Alcántara from the Foreign Affairs Secretariat. 

In the framework of the Swiss Alliance on Dual Education, the SwissCham organized a webinar for Swiss companies on dual education with the Secretary of Education of Mexico. 

Our first event in 2021, was a virtual networking session of the Chamber’s mentorship program for women. Anna García, CEO at Lindt & Sprüngli Mexico was the keynote speaker and then participants had the chance to network in 15 different virtual tables on several topics, make connections, and exchange the challenges we face in 2021. 

The Swiss Chamber participated at the organization of the panel discussion on “Trust matters”, organized at the Residence of the Swiss Ambassador in the framework of the constitution of the St. Gallen Club of Mexico. 

Video in Spanish available in Facebook: @EmbajadaSuizaMexico

With more than 50 participants, the initiative to reform the Law on subcontracting in Mexico was discussed with the joint participation of the Chamber’s Human Resources and Legal Affairs committees and with a presentation by Francisco Martínez, General Director and Claudia Gutiérrez, Legal Director of Grupo Adecco Mexico.

Today, the Board of Directors met for the 19th occasion to present and approve the Chamber’s strategy and budget for 2021, as well as its activities and events for next year. Furthermore, Board members participated at a roundtable to present the economic situation of their companies and sectors, which have been affected by COVID-19. 

SwissCham participated at the 10th meeting of the Swiss-Mexican Consultative Group on Trade and Economic Cooperation between Switzerland and Mexico representing the private sector and addressing several key issues like regulatory and fiscal affairs and the pharmaceutical sector. The meeting was co-presided by Mexico’s Undersecretary for Foreign Trade, Luz María de la Mora and Swiss State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch. We thank the participation of representatives from both delegations. 

The Swiss chambers of commerce in Latin America organized a joint webinar on “Swiss companies, products and services in Latin America”. The speaker were: James Breiding, author of “Swiss Made – the untold story behind Switzerland’s success”; Julieta Loaiza, Vicepresident of Corporate Affairs and Communications at Nestlé Mexico; and Monique Clúa Braun, Oncology General Manager South Cluster (Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia y Paraguay). 

Available on Youtube in English. 

In the framework of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the Swiss Chamber and Embassy organized a vritual panel on Health, technology and innovation with Novartis and Roche’s CEOs, representatives from Health NGOs (FUNSALUD), academia (Leading House for the Latin American Region), the OCDE, and Mexican and Swiss government officials.

On October 15th, 2020, Swiss Ambassador inaugurated with Mexican governement officials the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Mexico by inaugurating the exhibition of “Swiss posters: tradition + innovation” at the Foreign Affairs Museum in Mexico City. Representatives from sponsor companies participated: 
Gold: Clariant, Novartis, Roche

Silver: Adecco, Kuehne + Nagel, Nestlé, Sicpa, Swiss Re

Bronze: Colegio Suizo, Credit Suisse, Givaudan, Schindler, Zurich.

Video in Spanish available in Facebook: @EmbajadaSuizaMexico

The Chamber’s President and Swiss Ambassador welcomed Martha Delgado, Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights from the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs to comment on Mexico’s strategy of economic and trade promotion abroad. Several CEOs and company representatives participated at this virtual exchange. 

We launched the Swiss Leadership Program for Women explaining the objectives of the program. The Chamber’s President and UN Women Representative in Mexico gave welcoming remarks and Nestlé’s VP for Communication and Corporate Affairs presented what it means to be a mentor. 

Our Fourth General Assembly took place in order to approve budgets, strategy, and future activities. We also (re-)elected the Board of Director for the 2020-2021 period. We thank the more than forty Swiss companies for their participation and commitment!

The Director General of FONATUR, Rogelio Jiménez Pons, shared with the member companies of the Swiss Chamber the progress of the Mayan Train in the Yucatan Peninsula. For their part, the Swiss companies SGS, Holcim, Hilti and AFRY shared and presented to the Director the expertise and high-quality services that their companies have.

With the participation of José Rodríguez, Partner at Russell Bedford Mexico, the members were informed about the new rules for IMSS retirement pensions, such as the reduction of the weeks contributed; the increase in the amount of the Guaranteed Minimum Pension; the reduction of AFORES commissions; and the increase in the level of mandatory savings to 15%. Likewise, reflections on the planning of the retreat were shared for the attendees.

The Swiss Chamber and Lufthansa Group organized a webinar to answer questions regarding the future of airplane traveling and on the safe, responsible, and sustainable recovery of the aeronautic industry. Christian Michel, Director General of the Swiss Chamber moderated the webinar and Felipe Bonifatti, Director of Lufthansa Group for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean presented the issues.

The Swiss Chamber organized a virtual meeting on Swiss investment and trade in the state of Queretaro with the objective to present the status of Swiss investment and address the main challenges Swiss companies face in the region. The Swiss Ambassador, President of the Chamber, Director of the Swiss Business Hub and the Secretary of Sustainable Development of the State of Queretaro were present, as well as company representatives from Advaltech, Givaudan and Oskar Rüegg.

In the webinar “Regulatory compliance for a return to the new normal” we had the participation of lawyers and partners from De La Vega Consultores, who shared the new mandatory obligations that workplaces will have to implement due to COVID-19.

During LGBTI+ pride month, the Swiss Chamber organized a webinar about LGBTI+ labor inclusion in Swiss companies with the participation of the Chamber’s President, the Swiss Ambassador, and executives from Nestlé, Zurich and Novartis as well as ADIL (Alliance for Diversity and Labor Inclusion) to discuss corporate strategies on diversity and inclusion. To see the recording here. 

This webinar, organized in the framework of the Energy & Sustainability and the International Trade Working Groups, had the participation of Andrew Beanland from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, who spoke about the post crisis scenario and the opportunites for companies. We also had a panel of sustainability experts from Swiss companies Bühler, Micro, Sika and Syngenta.

Available on Youtube in English.

The chamber presented to Mexico’s Secretary of Labor and Social Prevision, Luisa Maria Alcalde, a report on the lessons learned after a year of implementing the Youth Building the Future program. The report was written by the Chamber with the sponsorship of Adecco Group. The President of the Chamber, Swiss Ambassador were present and representatives from Adecco, Holcim and Ferring shared their testimonials at the virtual event.

SwissCham Mexico, Swiss Business Hub and Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE) organized together this webinar to share how countries such as Switzerland and China are developing strategies to recover from the COVID-19 crisis. We had presentations from Peter Bachmann (SwissCham China) and René Naf (URMA). 

Webinar available on Youtube.

SwissCham organized with Grupo Adecco Mexico this webinar about the future of work after the pandemic. Salvador de Antuñano, Human Resources Director of Grupo Adecco Mexico; and Roberto Martínez, Director of the Centre of the OECD in Mexico, participated in the discussion. 

The Swiss Business Hub Mexico, Switzerland Global Enterprise and the Swiss chambers in Chile and Mexico organized a webinar on the macroeconomic perspective of COVID-19 with Tobias Straumann, Professor at the University of Zurich. More than 80 participants from Chile, Mexico, Brazil and Switzerland attended this webinar.

Today, Corporate Affairs and Communication Directors of Swiss companies participated in our webinar about 10 steps to react to a crisis, organized in conjunction with our external communication agency Spinto. The Swiss companies that were present include: Bühler, Firmenich, Givaudan, Holcim, Monosuisse, Nestlé, Novartis, Roche, Schindler and SGS. 

UBS’s Chief Investment Officer, Gabriela Soni, participated at a Chamber’s webinar on the economic and financial implications of the coronavirus in Mexico and the world. More than 100 participants attended the webinar. Participants had the opportunity to ask questions on the main macroeconomic indicators such as growth, inflation, and exchange rate in Mexico.

The Swiss Chamber organized a webinar with law firm Cuesta, Llaca y Esquivel on contractual and labor obligations affecting Swiss companies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Human Resources and Legal executives participated and asked the experts several questions and implications.

A delegation of the SwissCham and the Swiss Embassy visited on Februrary 27th, the Technological Innovation Center for Construction (CiTec) in Toluca, Estado de México. The Center serves as regional research and Development hub in the construction sector.

In the framework of the Working Group on International Trade, the SwissCham organized a workshop on the recent modifications of the USMCA. It was taught by Ricardo Ramírez, former judge in the Court of Appeals of the World Trade Organization, and Samatha Atayde Arellano of RRH Consultores.

On February 11th, in the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we organized the 2° edition of this Forum with a focus on science, technology, engeneering and mathematics. We had the Keynote Speech of Senator Beatriz Paredes, President of the Science and Technology Committee of the Senate Republic.

Swiss companies met with the Swiss Ambassador to Mexico, Eric Mayoraz, to learn more about the celebrations that will take place in the framework of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic Relations between Mexico and Switzerland.

At the event “Construction in Mexico: Productivity, Health and Safety” led by Hilti Mexicana, Under Secretary Carina Arvizu of the Secretariat of Agrarian, Land, and Urban Development (SEDATU) shared with representatives of the construction sector in Mexico the programs of territory, public works and housing of the federal government

Swiss companies in Mexico met with Ambassador Nora Kroning, Vice Director General of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, to discuss the challenges and opportunites of the health systems in Mexico and Switzerland as well as the importance of promoting innovation in the health sector.

As part of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (November 27th), the SwissCham México organized the event “Empowering Women as an Integral Part of Corporate Sustainability”. In addition, Swiss companies committed to the Women Empowerment Principles sponsored by UN Women.

In the event “Mexico: Investment and Commerce 2020” we listened to presentations by Juan Carlos Baker of Ansley Consultores; René Flores of MSC; and Patxi Ipiña of the Yucatan Development Agency on the international trade landscape, maritime and land flows and investment opportunities in the southeast of Mexico.

At the annual conference-lunch of the Swiss Chamber held on October 29th, 2019, we had the presence of Alfonso Romo, Chief of Staff for the President, who spoke with the representatives of Swiss companies about the prospects for investment and economic growth in Mexico.

At the event “Traceability for Welfare: International Experiences of Collection and Combating Illicit Trade”, led by SICPA Mexicana, we had interesting presentations on international trends in fiscal traceability and tax collection as a way to inhibit illicit trade.

A Swiss delegation, led by Philippe Nell, Deputy Head of the Bilateral Economic Relations Division and Hervé Lohr, Head of the Americas at SECO presented Switzerland’s economic policy at a lunch organized by the Swiss Chamber.

SwissCham’s Executive Director, Christian Michel Casulleras, signed an agreement to become member of the UN Global Compact at the offices of the UN in Mexico City. The Swiss Chamber reaffirms its commitment with the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs).

The Swiss Chamber participated at the 1st of August Swiss national day celebration, organized by the Swiss community at Hacienda Panoaya on the foothills of the Iztaccíhuatl volcano. The Chamber’s stand offered Ricola, Lindt chocolates and pins with our logo.

SwissCham’s team and company representatives, participated at the Swiss Embassy’s event to commemorate 728 years of foundation of the Swiss Confederation. The Swiss Ambassador, Eric Mayoraz, gave a speech on Swiss history and bilateral relations.

delegation of the Swiss Chamber’s Board of Director had a meeting with Alfonso Romo, Mexico’s Presidency Chief of Office in order to discuss how to increase and maintain Swiss investment in Mexico.

The Swiss Chamber organized a breakfast with Undersecretary of Foreign Trade, Luz María de la Mora to present the trade strategy of the new administration. The President of the Chamber, as well as the Swiss Ambassador in Mexico and the Mexican Ambassador to Switzerland were present.

Una delegación suiza, liderada por el Emb. Mauro Moruzzi, Director de Asuntos Internacionales de la Secretaría de Educación, Investigación e Innovación Suiza, participó en una mesa redonda sobre el tema de innovación y formación dual. Además, la delegación suiza visitó el centro de capacitación de Schindler.

SwissCham’s President, Fernando J. Cruz signed an agreement with the Mexican Labor Secretary, Luisa María Alcalde to promote the Jóvenes Construyendo el Futuro program at Swiss companies. The Swiss Ambassador, Eric Mayoraz, acted as witness of honor.

We organized the first Swiss Forum on Women as a space to share best practices on gender equality with two panel discussions: one on education and another on the experience of female CEOs. Gold sponsosr: Nestlé and Novartis; Silver sponsors: Adecco, Swiss Re and UBS.

The Swiss Chamber organized a breakfast with Mexican Congresswoman María de los Ángeles Huerta, Coordinator for Economic Issues at MORENA party. She presented the economic and competitiveness guidelines of the legislative branch in Mexico.

We organized our third General Assembly, in which Fernando J. Cruz, Corporate Affairs and Communication Director of Novartis. was named President. We would like to thank Sandrine Dupriez, our previous President, who performed an extraordinary job in front of the Chamber during its first two years!

Today, we hosted the event “Mexico’s Economic Forecast 2019”, sponsored by Hilti. Alonso Cervera, Managing Director, Emerging Markets Economics Research from Credit Suisse presented the economic outlook for Latin America and Mexico this year.

The Swiss Business Hub’s Director, Rubén Araiza, organized in collaboration with SwissCham a business lunch for the visit of Switzerland Global Enterprise’s CEO, Mr. Daniel Küng, who presented  some useful strategies for the implementation of new business models to fight against the ongoing protectionist international trends.

The main objective of this visit was to celebrate the investiture of the new Honorary Consul of Switzerland in Querétaro, Mr. Philipp Mosser. We organized a brekfast with representatives of 18 Swiss companies. During the meeting, the SwissCham, the Embassy and the Swiss Business Hub presented their activities and services they offer.

SwissCham signed an agreement with COMCE and CCE, giving the Swiss Chamber the faculty to operate at a local level the coordination activities on dual education for Swiss companies in Mexico. Two Nestlé apprentices (Dafne and Ivan) shared their experience.

Kenneth Smith, Mexico’s Technical Chief Negotiator for the North American Free Trade Agreement shared with SwissCham members and with other European chambers of commerce in Mexico, the details of NAFTA’s modernization process.

Today we celebrated our 2nd Anniversary! We thank Givaudan for hosting the Chamber staff in their offices in Corporativo Punto Polanco! “Happy Lilly” and Givaudan’s collaborators were part of the celebration.

The Chamber organized a panel discussion on Mexico’s economic perspectives for the next year. Roberto Martínez (OCDE representative in Mexico), Luis Foncerrada (economist) we part of the panel, which was moderated by SwissCham’s President, Sandrine Dupriez. Schindler sponsored the breakfast.

We organized a breakfast to introduce the new Swiss Ambassador to Mexico, Eric Mayoraz, and the Deputy Chief of Mission, Léo Trembley to member company representatives. Executives transmitted their  priority themes and the main business challenges in Mexico.

SwissCham and Geolife organized the event: “Treatment plants: efficient management of biological processes” with the objective to present Swiss biotechnology on the control of biomass in treatment plants and the dynamization of microbiology in biological treatment plants for industrial and urban use.

At the second edition of this event, we gathered Swiss company HR executives with Swiss university alumni at a networking event. We tasted Swiss cheese and wine at the Residence of the Swiss Ambassador.  

We celebrated, in advance, the Swiss National Day, which usually takes part on August 1st . In this big celebration at the Ambassador’s Residence, we tasted Swiss cheese by Emmi, Swiss wine and we wished Ambassador Touron farewell in his new posting in Ireland.

Member companies attended a breakfast with Dr. Claudio X. González, President of the NGO “Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity”, with a conference on the civil society position regarding rule of law, anti-corruption, and transparency in Mexico. The conference was followed by a panel discussion with Credit Suisse, Novartis, and SGS representatives.

Mexican Economy Secretary, Ildefonso Guajardo met with representatives from Swiss companies to discuss Mexico’s current trade policy. The discussion was centered around NAFTA talks; the EU-Mexico Agreement; and the modernization of the free trade agreement Mexico-EFTA: Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. More than 100 people participated at this event at Nestlé.

During the Credit Suisse 2018 Mexico Investment Ideas Conference, member companies were able to participate in conferences about the upcoming Mexican presidential and general elections, as well as presentations about supertrends in investment. Besides, affiliated companies had access to group and private meetings with companies listed in the stock exchange at the Hyatt hotel.

The Swiss chamber’s 2nd General Assembly was celebrated at the Ambassador’s Residence with the purpose of sharing the activities undertaken. Also, future activities and events of the Chamber were presented through the Strategic Plan 2018-19. The new Board of Directors was elected, and new members were admitted to the Chamber. The event was followed by a cocktail offered by the Swiss Embassy.

Swiss Company CEOs participated at a roundtable breakfast on Marketing Strategies of Industry Disruptors at the Four Seasons hotel. The workshop was led by Prof. Dominique Turpin from the prestigious Swiss university IMD Business School.

Bertrand Piccard es un piloto suizo y la primera persona en volar alrededor del mundo en un avión solar. El Sr. Piccard impartió una conferencia sobre Soluciones Limpias, Eficientes y Rentables para Cambiar el Mundo, seguido por un panel de discusión. Este evento fue co-organizado por la Embajada de Suiza en México, la SwissCham México, ABB y la ONG Green Momentum.

State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch, gave a conference titled “Switzerland and Mexico in an Evolving World” at the Swiss Ambassador’s Residence. Secretary Ineichen-Fleisch talked about the bilateral economic relation, trade agreements, and Swiss economy. The event was followed by a cocktail with swiss fondue from Emmi. With Tequila instead of Schnapps!

Mexico’s Undersecretary of Foreign Trade, Juan Carlos Baker, gave a conference about the trade strategy and the developments in the NAFTA renegociation. Swiss Company representatives and their guests attended this end- of-the-year event.

After a year of its inauguration, Sandrine Dupriez (President) presented the activities and developments of the SwissCham. The Swiss Ambassador to Mexico, Louis-José Touron, thanked those who participated in the foundation process of the SwissCham. Celebrations included a toast (sponsored by Sonova), the cutting of the cake and a sensory experience (organized by Givaudan). Guests also enjoyed swiss cheese and fondue (sponsored by Emmi).

During the State visit to Mexico of the Vicepresident of the Swiss Confederation and Head of Internal Affairs, Alain Berset, advances of the Swiss Alliance for Vocational Education and Training were presented. Alain Berset signed an agreement on Swiss bicultural schools with the Mexican Secretary of Public Education at the Swiss School in Mexico City.

During the alumni event, the SwissCham’s President, Sandrine Dupriez, said a few words to alumni from Swiss universities that are currently living and working in Mexico City. HR Directors from Swiss companies were invited to the event in order to have the opportunity to network with alumni from Swiss universities. The speeches were followed by a jazz concert and a cocktail.

The Swiss Ambassador to Mexico, Louis-José Touron accompanied members of the SwissCham to a meeting with the Swiss negotiators in the modernization of the Free Trade Agreement between Mexico and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), composed of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, at the end of the fourth round of negotiations.

The recently founded Swiss Chamber organized its first event with directors from important Swiss companies in Mexico to announce the formal start of its activities. Larry Rubin, the Representative of the U.S. Republican Party in Mexico, was the main guest and gave a conference titled: “The Future Update of NAFTA”. The event was followed by a press conference.

The first General Assembly of the SwissChamber was held at the Residence of the Swiss Ambassador. Ambassador Touron and the Interim President of the Chamber, Sebastián Conde from Givaudan, gave the welcoming words. Without delay, the first Board of Directors was elected and Sandrine Dupriez, Sonova’s CEO was elected as the Chamber’s first President.

As part of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Mexico and Switzerland, both governments and representatives from 36 Swiss companies, inaugurated the Swiss-Mexican Chamber of Commerce and Industry on November 3rd, 2016 at the Swiss House in Bosque de Chapultepec. Swiss companies finally have a coordinating body in Mexico.