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About GSL

Learn more about Global Swiss Learning​
About the brand

What do we
stand for?

Our vision

We believe there are no borders in education. And to promote transformation, knowledge needs to be shared. That’s why we are the enablers between Swiss education, companies, and people around the world who want to build and advance their businesses and careers.

Our Mission

Globalizing Swiss vocational courses.

Our Values

We believe education is more than a tool: it is a way to empower life. We believe in empowered careers because, above all, we believe in people’s potential to transform their lives and the world.

We believe in equal opportunities through premier vocational education.

Meet the team

We are an international team, with diverse backgrounds, from all over the world, who transform education into lifelong changes. We have skin in the game, because we believe in our mission to bring Swiss vocational courses to the world.

Samuel Notz​

Samuel Notz​

CEO and Founder​

After 30 years in the Swiss banking industry and with his own Consulting Company in China and Brazil, Samuel was looking to put his energy into something more meaningful. Democratize education became the project of his heart. This is how Global Swiss Learning was born.

Lynn Räbsamen, CFA​

Lynn Räbsamen, CFA​

COO​

With a vision of a world where everyone can realize their professional dreams, Lynn realized her own to make an impact in the world through education. After two decades of building businesses in global finance and technology firms, today she lends her pragmatic and hands-on leadership to develop all operational units within GSL, ensuring that the business can grow on all levels.

Dr. Peter Weibel​

Dr. Peter Weibel​

Board of Directors President​

Peter studied business administration at the University of Zürich and worked for many years in management positions, including as CEO of PwC and as a member of the Board of Directors of Credit Suisse Group. Peter Weibel has been professionally committed to education, and has shaped the development of various foundations.

Adrian Ort

Adrian Ort

Asia Management

Based in Hong Kong, Adrian is a hospitality professional with over 40 years of experience on three different continents. He has worked for renowned international companies such as The Peninsula Group, Rezidor Hospitality, and Cathay Pacific Airways. For the past seven years, Adrian has worked for the Vocational Training Council in Hong Kong at the director level.

Alessandro Corbi

Alessandro Corbi

Southeast Asia Management

Alexandra Oliva

Alexandra Oliva

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER​

Multilingual - speaking English, German, Italian and Spanish, Alexandra has a very international background and fits perfectly to Global Swiss Learning team :). Alexandra is transitioning into Instructional Design from being a primary school teacher. She graduated from Texas A&M University, with a masters in Learning Design and Technology and is currently pursuing an online Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with a strong focus on Ed Tech.

Alina Dumea

Alina Dumea

Central Asia/ Eastern Europe Management

Brigitte Hänggi​

Brigitte Hänggi​

Head Instructional Design​

An experienced e-learning specialist, Brigitte holds an MBA in eLearning & Knowledge Management from the IKF Lucerne and a CAS in Higher Education Didactics from the Zurich University of Teacher Education. After several years of teaching, she was responsible for continuing education at Sanofi for 7 years. From 2011 Brigitte worked as an e-learning specialist on a project basis at WHO, UNEP, Orange, UBIS, Easylearn, PHZH and PHTG.

Brigitte Weber​

Brigitte Weber​

Training and Course Coordination​

Following her commercial training in Switzerland and a bachelor's degree in business administration at Washington University, Brigitte worked for 12 years in the Asia-Pacific region as an international trainer and has extensive experience in training sales teams on site. At GSL she bridges the gap between our sales, Swiss schools and our local teams on the ground.

Brittany Rodriguez

Brittany Rodriguez

Instructional Designer

Brittany holds an MA in Economic History and English Linguistics from the University of Zurich. After over 10 years experience in Swiss Higher Education in research and administration, she is transitioning to instructional design due to the interest sparked by previous Edtech endeavors.

Cayla Casares

Cayla Casares

Visual Designer and Content Creator

Born and raised in California, Cayla studied art, language, and literature. She is a specialist in user experience and visual design and has an MA in English Literature and Linguistics from the University of Zurich. Cayla will assist us in creating designs and content for Global Swiss Learning channels and partner schools and in spreading the news about our projects and vocational education around the world.

Daniela Mares​

Daniela Mares​

Marketing Manager​

A versatile marketing professional with experience in digital communications, social media strategy, retail, and branding in diverse industries. Holds a Master's degree in Marketing and Business Management and a Bachelor's degree in Social Communication - Advertising and Media Studies.

Dawid Jeczmionek

Dawid Jeczmionek

Information Technology Manager

With BSc and MSc degrees in engineering from Politecnico di Torino and ETH Zürich respectively, Dawid is an expert in the cutting-edge fields of artificial intelligence, computer vision, and robotics. His passion for leveraging AI to enhance productivity and drive development is matched by a proven track record in applying his expertise to foster innovation. Additionaly, his IT skills enhance digital transformation efforts, elevating his impact in the field.

Dr. Barbara Fontanellaz​

Dr. Barbara Fontanellaz​

Board of Directors

General Director of the Swiss Federal University for Vocational Education SFUVET since 2020. Having obtained her PhD from the University of Zurich, she was Head of the Department of Social Work of the University of Applied Sciences of St. Gallen until 2020.

Gabriela Schultz​

Gabriela Schultz​

Head of Marketing​

15 years Marketing experience in different industries in Europe, Asia and Brazil. Holds an MBA from BWU - United States, besides a certification of Marketing from UFPR - Brazil. For Gabi, a successful marketing department needs well stablished processes.

Gilmar Chagas​

Gilmar Chagas​

Managing Director Brazil​

Gilmar holds an advanced diploma in Business Management from the University of Hong Kong and has more than 10 years international experience in customer relationship and project management. For him, the GSL successful mix - the highly professional team and the top-notch Swiss partner schools - can move professional education in Brazil to another level.

Janise Chow​

Janise Chow​

Asia Management​

Karim Federizzi​

Karim Federizzi​

Local Representative Brazil​

12 years experience in international business and events in Hong Kong and Italy, plus 5 years in Brazilian banking sector. MBA from Plymouth University, England. For Karim, a multicultural international education is the best way to learn and evolve!

Leo Li

Leo Li

Technical Program Manager

Leo has acquired 12 years of experience in IT, specializing in cloud computing, high availability platforms, and industry digitization. His tenure at top tech companies such as Alibaba and Huawei has allowed him to develop exceptional skills and knowledge in these areas. Additionally, Leo has 5 years of experience providing training and consulting services to businesses (2B), which has equipped him with a deep understanding of industry best practices. 

Luis Augusto Silva

Luis Augusto Silva

Marketing Specialist

Professional with more than a decade in the advertising market, graduated in social communication and journalism, expert in different aspects of marketing. Skills that range from No-Code programming to product management and graphic design to CX and community management.

Marco Mehr​

Marco Mehr​

Global Culinary Expert​

Not only Marco Mehr has cooked for celebrities like Xi Jinping and Barack Obama, he’s also won several global culinary championships and most recently he was responsible for 150 chefs at the Park Hyatt Shanghai. For Marco, Swiss vocational education is one of the main reasons of his successful career.

Mariah Domingues

Mariah Domingues

Delivery Executive Brazil

Mariah is a recent college graduate in Culinary Arts who is passionate about exploring and discovering new flavors and bringing them to the table. She holds a degree in Culinary Arts and has a Post Graduate from PUC in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in Nutrition, Healthy Food and Entrepreneurship. She also specialized in menu planning and management at SENAC. Mariah will support us with the localization process in Brazil.

Martina Yao

Martina Yao

Delivery Executive Asia

Master degree in European Languages and Literatures, expert in cross-cultural studies. 7 years of experience as lecturer in universities, expert in teaching methods. Experienced interpreter and translator, with 6 translation works published.

Michele Corbi

Michele Corbi

Central Asia/ Eastern Europe Management

Nadya Barry ​

Nadya Barry ​

Instructional Designer​

Nadya brings a long background in the education industry and has been involved in the creation of numerous training projects. She has already created several of our learning modules, bringing her innovative ideas to the table. She speaks fluent German, English, Russian and French, which of course ideally supports our international ambitions.

Patrick Diethelm​

Patrick Diethelm​

Head Culinary Excellence

Master chef, international hospitality & culinary educator, mentor and global industry networker. This GSL project is an affair of the heart and reflects my love, passion and dedication for education of the professional craftsmanship and its SWISSNESS.

Philipp Ries​

Philipp Ries​

Board of Directors

Philipp holds a Master's degree in Business Information Systems and completed the Stanford Executive Program in 2014. He has been working at Google Switzerland for ten years in various management positions and since 2018 as Head of EMEA Assistant Distribution Partnerships. Philipp also invests in start-ups and coaches them.

Tina Tian

Tina Tian

Master Trainer - China

Tina can look back on a successful 25-year career as a pastry chef in renown upscale hotel chains, such as the Crowne Plaza, Sofitel or Marco Polo Parkside Hotel. During the last 10 years, Tina has been a Western cuisine teacher at the Yangzhou Hospitality Institute.

Wioleta Stelmaszyk

Wioleta Stelmaszyk

Finance Manager

Xiao Tang​

Xiao Tang​

Training Coordinator Greater China​

Xiao acts as a bridge between China and Switzerland to facilitate the process of training, marketing, and production. Xiao has previously worked in various international hotel groups in China. With more than ten years of professional experience in the hospitality industry, she has gained rich practical experience in learning and development and human resources.

Dr. Peter Weibel​

Dr. Peter Weibel​

Board of Directors President​
+ Tap to see the bio

Peter studied business administration at the University of Zürich and worked for many years in management positions, including as CEO of PwC and as a member of the Board of Directors of Credit Suisse Group. Peter Weibel has been professionally committed to education, and has shaped the development of various foundations.

Lynn Räbsamen, CFA​

Lynn Räbsamen, CFA​

COO​
+ Tap to see the bio

With a vision of a world where everyone can realize their professional dreams, Lynn realized her own to make an impact in the world through education. After two decades of building businesses in global finance and technology firms, today she lends her pragmatic and hands-on leadership to develop all operational units within GSL, ensuring that the business can grow on all levels.

Samuel Notz​

Samuel Notz​

CEO and Founder​
+ Tap to see the bio

After 30 years in the Swiss banking industry and with his own Consulting Company in China and Brazil, Samuel was looking to put his energy into something more meaningful. Democratize education became the project of his heart. This is how Global Swiss Learning was born.

Adrian Ort

Adrian Ort

Asia Management
+ Tap to see the bio

Based in Hong Kong, Adrian is a hospitality professional with over 40 years of experience on three different continents. He has worked for renowned international companies such as The Peninsula Group, Rezidor Hospitality, and Cathay Pacific Airways. For the past seven years, Adrian has worked for the Vocational Training Council in Hong Kong at the director level.

Alessandro Corbi

Alessandro Corbi

Southeast Asia Management
+ Tap to see the bio

Alexandra Oliva

Alexandra Oliva

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER​
+ Tap to see the bio

Multilingual - speaking English, German, Italian and Spanish, Alexandra has a very international background and fits perfectly to Global Swiss Learning team :). Alexandra is transitioning into Instructional Design from being a primary school teacher. She graduated from Texas A&M University, with a masters in Learning Design and Technology and is currently pursuing an online Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with a strong focus on Ed Tech.

Alina Dumea

Alina Dumea

Central Asia/ Eastern Europe Management
+ Tap to see the bio

Brigitte Hänggi​

Brigitte Hänggi​

Head Instructional Design​
+ Tap to see the bio

An experienced e-learning specialist, Brigitte holds an MBA in eLearning & Knowledge Management from the IKF Lucerne and a CAS in Higher Education Didactics from the Zurich University of Teacher Education. After several years of teaching, she was responsible for continuing education at Sanofi for 7 years. From 2011 Brigitte worked as an e-learning specialist on a project basis at WHO, UNEP, Orange, UBIS, Easylearn, PHZH and PHTG.

Brigitte Weber​

Brigitte Weber​

Training and Course Coordination​
+ Tap to see the bio

Following her commercial training in Switzerland and a bachelor's degree in business administration at Washington University, Brigitte worked for 12 years in the Asia-Pacific region as an international trainer and has extensive experience in training sales teams on site. At GSL she bridges the gap between our sales, Swiss schools and our local teams on the ground.

Brittany Rodriguez

Brittany Rodriguez

Instructional Designer
+ Tap to see the bio

Brittany holds an MA in Economic History and English Linguistics from the University of Zurich. After over 10 years experience in Swiss Higher Education in research and administration, she is transitioning to instructional design due to the interest sparked by previous Edtech endeavors.

Cayla Casares

Cayla Casares

Visual Designer and Content Creator
+ Tap to see the bio

Born and raised in California, Cayla studied art, language, and literature. She is a specialist in user experience and visual design and has an MA in English Literature and Linguistics from the University of Zurich. Cayla will assist us in creating designs and content for Global Swiss Learning channels and partner schools and in spreading the news about our projects and vocational education around the world.

Daniela Mares​

Daniela Mares​

Marketing Manager​
+ Tap to see the bio

A versatile marketing professional with experience in digital communications, social media strategy, retail, and branding in diverse industries. Holds a Master's degree in Marketing and Business Management and a Bachelor's degree in Social Communication - Advertising and Media Studies.

Dawid Jeczmionek

Dawid Jeczmionek

Information Technology Manager
+ Tap to see the bio

With BSc and MSc degrees in engineering from Politecnico di Torino and ETH Zürich respectively, Dawid is an expert in the cutting-edge fields of artificial intelligence, computer vision, and robotics. His passion for leveraging AI to enhance productivity and drive development is matched by a proven track record in applying his expertise to foster innovation. Additionaly, his IT skills enhance digital transformation efforts, elevating his impact in the field.

Dr. Barbara Fontanellaz​

Dr. Barbara Fontanellaz​

Board of Directors
+ Tap to see the bio

General Director of the Swiss Federal University for Vocational Education SFUVET since 2020. Having obtained her PhD from the University of Zurich, she was Head of the Department of Social Work of the University of Applied Sciences of St. Gallen until 2020.

Gabriela Schultz​

Gabriela Schultz​

Head of Marketing​
+ Tap to see the bio

15 years Marketing experience in different industries in Europe, Asia and Brazil. Holds an MBA from BWU - United States, besides a certification of Marketing from UFPR - Brazil. For Gabi, a successful marketing department needs well stablished processes.

Gilmar Chagas​

Gilmar Chagas​

Managing Director Brazil​
+ Tap to see the bio

Gilmar holds an advanced diploma in Business Management from the University of Hong Kong and has more than 10 years international experience in customer relationship and project management. For him, the GSL successful mix - the highly professional team and the top-notch Swiss partner schools - can move professional education in Brazil to another level.

Janise Chow​

Janise Chow​

Asia Management​
+ Tap to see the bio

Karim Federizzi​

Karim Federizzi​

Local Representative Brazil​
+ Tap to see the bio

12 years experience in international business and events in Hong Kong and Italy, plus 5 years in Brazilian banking sector. MBA from Plymouth University, England. For Karim, a multicultural international education is the best way to learn and evolve!

Leo Li

Leo Li

Technical Program Manager
+ Tap to see the bio

Leo has acquired 12 years of experience in IT, specializing in cloud computing, high availability platforms, and industry digitization. His tenure at top tech companies such as Alibaba and Huawei has allowed him to develop exceptional skills and knowledge in these areas. Additionally, Leo has 5 years of experience providing training and consulting services to businesses (2B), which has equipped him with a deep understanding of industry best practices. 

Luis Augusto Silva

Luis Augusto Silva

Marketing Specialist
+ Tap to see the bio

Professional with more than a decade in the advertising market, graduated in social communication and journalism, expert in different aspects of marketing. Skills that range from No-Code programming to product management and graphic design to CX and community management.

Marco Mehr​

Marco Mehr​

Global Culinary Expert​
+ Tap to see the bio

Not only Marco Mehr has cooked for celebrities like Xi Jinping and Barack Obama, he’s also won several global culinary championships and most recently he was responsible for 150 chefs at the Park Hyatt Shanghai. For Marco, Swiss vocational education is one of the main reasons of his successful career.

Mariah Domingues

Mariah Domingues

Delivery Executive Brazil
+ Tap to see the bio

Mariah is a recent college graduate in Culinary Arts who is passionate about exploring and discovering new flavors and bringing them to the table. She holds a degree in Culinary Arts and has a Post Graduate from PUC in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in Nutrition, Healthy Food and Entrepreneurship. She also specialized in menu planning and management at SENAC. Mariah will support us with the localization process in Brazil.

Martina Yao

Martina Yao

Delivery Executive Asia
+ Tap to see the bio

Master degree in European Languages and Literatures, expert in cross-cultural studies. 7 years of experience as lecturer in universities, expert in teaching methods. Experienced interpreter and translator, with 6 translation works published.

Michele Corbi

Michele Corbi

Central Asia/ Eastern Europe Management
+ Tap to see the bio

Nadya Barry ​

Nadya Barry ​

Instructional Designer​
+ Tap to see the bio

Nadya brings a long background in the education industry and has been involved in the creation of numerous training projects. She has already created several of our learning modules, bringing her innovative ideas to the table. She speaks fluent German, English, Russian and French, which of course ideally supports our international ambitions.

Patrick Diethelm​

Patrick Diethelm​

Head Culinary Excellence
+ Tap to see the bio

Master chef, international hospitality & culinary educator, mentor and global industry networker. This GSL project is an affair of the heart and reflects my love, passion and dedication for education of the professional craftsmanship and its SWISSNESS.

Philipp Ries​

Philipp Ries​

Board of Directors
+ Tap to see the bio

Philipp holds a Master's degree in Business Information Systems and completed the Stanford Executive Program in 2014. He has been working at Google Switzerland for ten years in various management positions and since 2018 as Head of EMEA Assistant Distribution Partnerships. Philipp also invests in start-ups and coaches them.

Tina Tian

Tina Tian

Master Trainer - China
+ Tap to see the bio

Tina can look back on a successful 25-year career as a pastry chef in renown upscale hotel chains, such as the Crowne Plaza, Sofitel or Marco Polo Parkside Hotel. During the last 10 years, Tina has been a Western cuisine teacher at the Yangzhou Hospitality Institute.

Wioleta Stelmaszyk

Wioleta Stelmaszyk

Finance Manager
+ Tap to see the bio

Xiao Tang​

Xiao Tang​

Training Coordinator Greater China​
+ Tap to see the bio

Xiao acts as a bridge between China and Switzerland to facilitate the process of training, marketing, and production. Xiao has previously worked in various international hotel groups in China. With more than ten years of professional experience in the hospitality industry, she has gained rich practical experience in learning and development and human resources.

How do we
make it happen?

1

We build a strong foundation


We have partnerships with Swiss educational institutions and hold the right to distribute their courses content and brands internationally. ​

We produce digital courses based on the most advanced pedagogical concepts and didactics.

We select and build up local markets by implementing the ideal strategy.

2

We create
and maintain content


We digitize our course content in collaboration with our Swiss partners, using renowned tools and platforms.

We run the entire operational process from start to finish​.

We ensure that teachers and instructors in local countries are properly trained to meet quality standards.

3

We market to reach a wide audience


We do local and global marketing, with the endorsement of our Swiss partner institutions, to attract local and global customers.

We help create a higher brand value for local schools and companies through the quality of our content and our Swiss partner institutions’ brand recognition.​

A word from Our CEO

Everybody should have access to education, and education should no longer be a luxury good.


The world has this tendency to democratize luxuries one by one. We believe that education is next, thanks to digitization, and we will accelerate it.

Learn more about our CEO Samuel Notz →