Having been born and raised in Switzerland to an entrepreneurial father allowed me to take on responsibility from a young age. My father’s mantra was that success is earned through hard work, and as luxuries don’t exactly fall from the sky, I soon developed an acute business mindset.

My entry into the business world took place very early on. At the age of seven, I sold used footballs and goalkeeper gloves at a stand in my schoolyard. To increase the value of my merchandise, I sought out my favorite football players and asked them to autograph my merchandise, and they were kind enough to support a little kid’s endeavor. The entrepreneurial seed was then planted!

Once in secondary school, I took on a commercial apprentice role in a small electronics shop. I managed the sales and the shop, and found it to be a deeply enriching experience in terms of developing my social skills, as well as the hands-on learning required by the job.

University came with its own excitement and set of opportunities. As someone with an interest in both ends of the spectrum, I was glad that I got to experience both. Studying Business Law armed me with the practical business knowledge and scientific know-how I so desired, whilst attending voluntary philosophy courses allowed me to expand my critical thinking skills.

But perhaps the highlight of my time as a law student was the exchange semester I undertook in Singapore. With options of cities like New York and Chicago on the table, my choice of Singapore was based on predictions that world trade will shift East in the near future. My learning experience during that semester was unparalleled, and I found the work culture in Singapore quite fascinating. I observed that the main focus of their dedicated workforce is on producing maximum effort and dedication, which is an approach quite unconventional in the Western world.

The connections I made throughout my university years are truly invaluable. I make sure to keep in touch with my peers from Singapore and Europe as a way to remember our shared lives, and so that we may find new ways to work together towards future impactful projects.

Having gone through the traditional educational system myself, I realized early on that the modern-day education is, unfortunately, very theoretical and detached from the reality of the advanced lives we lead. Constantly questioning the status quo of the educational system led me to notice the challenges it posed, and where the system can be improved. This observation and realization formed the backbone of the approach I apply with my students. My main mission is creating a pioneering learning environment where I impart the wisdom I have gained through my own experiences, so that my students are able to interact with real-life business, economic and social cases.

My approach has ensured that not only do my students always score well, but they also become lifelong learners who are always looking to grow and reach their full potential. This fulfilling outcome alone is perhaps the single most important motivation for me to continue teaching and coaching.

The first educator-role I took on was teaching in private business schools during my time as a Law student, and I have not looked back since. Having delivered over three thousand classes to more than a thousand students, my educating and coaching career in the business, entrepreneurship, and the law field is now well over 10-years old.

In terms of educational memberships, I am a member of the Swiss Federation for Adult Learning (SVEB) and I also hold an SVEB Educator Certificate for advanced training and pedagogical skills development in the field of adult education.

After gaining invaluable experience in the fields of Corporate, Investment and Banking Law through working in several renowned private Swiss banks in Zurich, I was offered a job in a boutique law firm in Dubai. Since working in the Middle East was always one of my goals, this was the perfect opportunity to experience the business environment within the region.

During my time as a corporate lawyer, I had the pleasure of advising numerous Swiss and European companies vying to establish their entities in Dubai. After accomplishing several major projects, I was then acquired by a leading international law firm specializing in investment migration solutions. There, I took on the position of a Senior Client Advisor, and worked with some of the most successful investors in the Middle East, South Asia and Africa.

In addition to my title as a Corporate Lawyer, I also had the pleasure of applying my leadership and coaching skills with associates. This included sharing knowledge, expertise, and motivation to inspire them to go beyond solely reaching financial targets. It was essential to me to ensure that they find ways to exceed their clients’ expectations.

Alongside like-minded ambitious colleagues, I co-founded the Swiss Arab Network (SAN), one of the leading associations in Switzerland that strives to bridge the gaps between the Swiss and Arab worlds. SAN cultivates a valuable network of business individuals across various sectors, who aim to connect, exchange ideas, and discover promising opportunities.

As a student, I remember walking through the financial district of Zurich after long hours in the library, where I visualized my own company with an office in one of Zurich’s prestigious buildings at the Bahnhofstrasse. “One day”, I told myself.

I did not know it then, but the ‘day’ was not far off, and in 2017, I opened the doors of my first business enterprise, Bellevue Zurich Advisory. My vision had become a reality! And what a journey it has been.

I started Bellevue Zurich Advisory as a boutique wealth advisory firm with a location in the heart of Zurich’s financial center. It boasts a clientele of some of the most successful investors and businesses in the world, and it has given me the opportunity to help wealthy families achieve their goals, which in return has granted me immeasurable satisfaction.

The beginning is a story I often repeat. Without a strong online presence and sophisticated marketing tools, I managed to attract the most valued investors from the Middle East, Africa and Asia. These investors and businesses trusted in my experience to assist them in complex matters of private wealth, and in that sense, in relation to Michael Jordan’s words, my accomplishments always spoke for me.

Within two years of serving clients out of our Zurich office, building a team of exceptional associates, and organizing hundreds of travel missions between Switzerland and the Middle East, Asia and Africa, it was time for a strategic expansion of our firm. The second strategic branch of Bellevue Zurich Advisory was established in Dubai, where a selected team of attentive senior associates would stay in proximity with clients in the Middle East, Africa and Asia to better serve them.

As a promoter of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), I provide continuous support towards safeguarding the wellbeing of people who have been forced to flee from their homes. While visiting the UNHCR Camps in Jordan, I was able to speak to and spend time with the refugees there, many of whom were young children. I listened to their stories, and heard, firsthand, how much suffering they have been through, and continue to go through, on a daily basis.

To say the least, my visit to the camps was extremely eye opening on one end, but it was also awfully difficult to witness the pain and loss those people had been though.

Still, however bad something seems, it must be remembered that there is always hope.

My hope is to help improve the lives of those badly affected through impactful donations. Each donation counts. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Every single contribution improves a single life and helps to lessen the suffering of the thousands of families and children waiting for us to take action. Our giving gives them the confidence they need to look towards the future and move forward.

I absolutely love adventures and pursuing new physical challenges. Whether it is a marathon, a muddy obstacle race, or spearfishing, I’m always on the quest to enhance my physical and mental strength. For it is only through pushing our limits that we are able to unlock our true potential.

A physical and mental sport I am currently enjoying is deep-sea freediving that helped me discover peace and challenge at the same time. It is the first time I have found an activity that immediately captured my interest after the very first dive. It’s a sport that requires endurance, inner quietness, self-control, mental focus, confidence, and physical strength to take a single breath and dive deep under water without the use of any breathing apparatus. Freediving helps me understand myself physically and mentally, and has also been an effective outlet to stay relaxed when the daily business becomes turbulent. When I dive on one breath, I truly feel free.

I am a certified freediver. Hence, if you need a buddy to dive with, or if you want to experience free diving in Dubai or Switzerland, feel free to contact me!