PMFORUM Breaking News
Breaking News in the Project Management World
Monday, July 16, 2007
Alexander Matthey named International Correspondent for PMForum in Switzerland
Mr. ALEXANDER MATTHEY, MS, PMP has been named an International Correspondent for PMForum in Switzerland. Alexander Matthey is also the Managing Director of 3PM Experts Sàrl, a project management consulting and training enterprise based in Vich, Vaud, Switzerland. With over 24 years’ experience, he has worked extensively in many cultural environments, from Switzerland to Australia, from Morocco to Singapore, including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Mr. Matthey is a computer science engineer with extensive experience in information services, consulting and training industries.
Following a fruitful career in software development and ERP implementation, he has now focused on combining his Services, Project, Process and People skills and expertise to organizational excellence. With over 20 years in project management including as a PMO Manager, he has forged a reputation as expert and trouble shooter in Project Management consulting, coaching and training. Alexander is a Project Management Office consultant at Richemont International; was the PMO Manager at SITA in Geneva in 2005, and designed, established and managed the PMO at Orange Communications from 2002 to 2004. He led the world’s first organizational project management maturity assessment based on PMI’s OPM3 model.
Other previous professional assignments include senior project manager for Cap Gemini Ernst & Young in Geneva; project manager, methodology and functional consultant at Scala Business Solutions SA in Nyon, Switzerland; and project manager and consultant at Fintel Ltd. in Geneva. He has extensive experience with planning and implementing technology projects, developing and leading project teams, establishing and managing a project management office (PMO), and coaching and teaching project management professionals.
Alexander has written and lectured widely on Project Management in French and in English, and is the author and trainer of the PMP certification course which enabled over 25% of the PMPs in Switzerland to pass their certification. He offered the first such courses in Morocco and Tunisia. He has developed and delivered PMP preparation courses, organizational project management maturity (OPM3) seminars, and introductory and intermediate PM classes at the undergraduate and graduate university levels. Alexander is also a frequent speaker at International PMI leadership meetings, at PMI regional and chapter events, and at PMI global congresses. He is a faculty member of the International University in Geneva, and is an external lecturer at the University of Geneva for undergraduate and MBA students in project management. He is Vice President of the PMI Switzerland Chapter.
Mr. Matthey holds a Master of Science in Computer Electronics and Software Engineering from Sofia Technical University and a Masters of Business Information Systems from the University of Geneva. He is a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI®) and in 2001 he achieved PMI’s internationally recognized Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification. He graduated from PMI’s Leadership Institute Masters Class in 2007. He is fluent in the English, French, Hungarian and Bulgarian languages, and speaks some German and Russian. Alexander Matthey lives in Vich, Switzerland and can be contacted at a.matthey@3pmexperts.com.
According to Wikipedia, Vich is a municipality in the district of Nyon in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, residing on the main route connecting Geneva and Lausanne. The Canton of Vaud is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and is located in the southwestern part of the country, bordering the western shores of Lake Geneva.
The capital Lausanne is the major city in the canton. There are light industries concentrated around the capital. The canton is the second largest producer of wine in Switzerland. Most of the wine produced in the canton is white wine, and most vineyards are located on the steep shores of Lake Geneva. Tourism is important in many towns along the Lake Geneva. Major lakeside resorts include Lausanne, Montreux or Vevey.
The Lake Geneva Region commands a very special, central position in Switzerland, located at the cross-roads of the major European thoroughfares. Ever since the 18th century, the Lake Geneva Region, reputed for its beauty, has grown to be a holidaying region, visited by the great personalities of this world who were enchanted by the peace that emanates from its landscapes. The advantages of its climate and its diversity were appreciated long before that as, even as far back as Roman times, many tourist sites had come into being.
The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 as a defensive alliance among three cantons. In succeeding years, other localities joined the original three. The Swiss Confederation secured its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499. Switzerland's sovereignty and neutrality have long been honored by the major European powers, and the country was not involved in either of the two World Wars. The political and economic integration of Europe over the past half century, as well as Switzerland's role in many UN and international organizations, has strengthened Switzerland's ties with its neighbors.
According to Wikipedia, Switzerland is a landlocked nation of 7.5 million people in Western Europe. It is bordered by Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein. Switzerland is multilingual, with four official languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Switzerland is divided into 26 cantons, six of which are sometimes referred to as "half-cantons," since they have less representation in the Council of States. Switzerland has a long history of being neutral (it has not been in a foreign war since 1815) and therefore hosts various international organizations, such as the United Nations, which, though headquartered in New York City, has many departments in Switzerland.
In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations, leaving the Vatican as the last widely recognised state without full UN membership. Switzerland is a founding member of the EFTA, but is not a member of the European Economic Area. An application for membership in the European Union was sent in May 1992, but not advanced since the EEA was rejected in December 1992 when Switzerland was the only country to launch a referendum on the EEA. There have since been several referenda on the EU issue, with a mixed reaction to these from the population. However, Swiss law is gradually being adjusted to conform with that of the EU and the government has signed a number of bilateral agreements with the European Union. Switzerland, together with Liechtenstein, has been completely surrounded by the EU since Austria's membership in 1995.
Many international institutions have their seats in Switzerland, in part due to its policy of neutrality. The Red Cross was founded there in 1863 and still has its institutional centre in the country. Switzerland was one of the last countries to join the United Nations, in 2002, even though Geneva is the second biggest centre for the United Nations after New York, and Switzerland was a founding member of the League of Nations.
With an area of 41,285 square kilometres (15,940 sq mi), Switzerland is a relatively small country. The population is about 7.4 million, resulting in an average population density of 182 people per square kilometre (472/sq mi). The more mountainous southern half of the country is more sparsely populated. Switzerland has a prosperous and stable modern market economy, with a nominal per capita GDP that is higher than those of the big western European economies, United States and Japan, though on a PPP basis, it ranks tenth. The World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report currently ranks Switzerland's economy as the most competitive in the world. For much of the 20th century, Switzerland was the wealthiest country in Europe.
Several of the world's largest companies are headquartered in Switzerland, including Nestle, UBS AG, Credit Suisse, Novartis, ABB, and Swatch. Switzerland is ranked the sixth most powerful economy in the world. Banking, tourism, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals are very important industries in Switzerland. The manufacture of precision instruments for engineering is important, as is watch making and the biological sciences industries. Switzerland has nearly zero unemployment.
In recent years, the Swiss have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with those of the European Union in many ways, in an effort to enhance their international competitiveness. The economy has been growing at around 3% per year. Full EU membership is a long-term objective of some in the Swiss government, but there is considerable popular sentiment against this supported by the conservative SVP party.
The western French-speaking areas tend to be more pro-EU. The government has established an Integration Office under the Department of Foreign and Economic Affairs. To minimise the negative consequences of Switzerland's isolation from the rest of Europe, Bern and Brussels signed seven agreements, called bilateral agreements, to further liberalise trade ties. These agreements were signed in 1999 and took effect in 2001. This first series of bilateral agreements included the free movement of persons. A second series covering nine areas was signed in 2004 and awaits ratification.
They continue to discuss further areas for cooperation. Switzerland most recently (2006) approved a billion euro supportive investment in the poorer eastern European countries in support of cooperation and positive ties to the EU as a whole. They have also been under EU and international pressure to open up their bank secrecy and to raise their tax rates into compliance with the EU. Preparatory discussions are being opened on four new areas: opening up the electricity market, participation in the European GPS system Galileo, cooperating with the European centre for disease prevention and recognizing certificates of origin for food products.
The United States is the second-largest importer (9.1%) of Swiss goods after Germany (20.0%). Germany, on the other hand, exports more to Switzerland each year than to all the countries of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe combined. In addition, the United States is the largest foreign investor in Switzerland, and conversely, the primary destination of Swiss foreign investment. It is estimated that 200,000 American jobs depend on Swiss foreign investments. (More information about Switzerland can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org).
In August 2006, PMForum announced the formation of a global network of International Correspondents to provide news and information from around the world of project management. PMF now has correspondents in over 15 countries. More information about this program and about other international correspondents can be found at http://www.pmforum.org/pm%20forum%20team/index.htm#5.
Established in 1995, www.pmforum.org was the world’s first website devoted to professional project management and continues to be one of the world’s most popular sources of project management news and information. PMForum is a company formed to operate and administer the pmforum.org website. PMForum also produces the monthly online PM World Today eJournal where articles, case studies, papers and viewpoints by leading PM authorities from around the world can be found; free subscriptions are available at www.pmworldtoday.net.
Other previous professional assignments include senior project manager for Cap Gemini Ernst & Young in Geneva; project manager, methodology and functional consultant at Scala Business Solutions SA in Nyon, Switzerland; and project manager and consultant at Fintel Ltd. in Geneva. He has extensive experience with planning and implementing technology projects, developing and leading project teams, establishing and managing a project management office (PMO), and coaching and teaching project management professionals.
Mr. Matthey holds a Master of Science in Computer Electronics and Software Engineering from Sofia Technical University and a Masters of Business Information Systems from the University of Geneva. He is a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI®) and in 2001 he achieved PMI’s internationally recognized Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification. He graduated from PMI’s Leadership Institute Masters Class in 2007. He is fluent in the English, French, Hungarian and Bulgarian languages, and speaks some German and Russian. Alexander Matthey lives in Vich, Switzerland and can be contacted at a.matthey@3pmexperts.com.
The capital Lausanne is the major city in the canton. There are light industries concentrated around the capital. The canton is the second largest producer of wine in Switzerland. Most of the wine produced in the canton is white wine, and most vineyards are located on the steep shores of Lake Geneva. Tourism is important in many towns along the Lake Geneva. Major lakeside resorts include Lausanne, Montreux or Vevey.
The Lake Geneva Region commands a very special, central position in Switzerland, located at the cross-roads of the major European thoroughfares. Ever since the 18th century, the Lake Geneva Region, reputed for its beauty, has grown to be a holidaying region, visited by the great personalities of this world who were enchanted by the peace that emanates from its landscapes. The advantages of its climate and its diversity were appreciated long before that as, even as far back as Roman times, many tourist sites had come into being.
The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 as a defensive alliance among three cantons. In succeeding years, other localities joined the original three. The Swiss Confederation secured its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499. Switzerland's sovereignty and neutrality have long been honored by the major European powers, and the country was not involved in either of the two World Wars. The political and economic integration of Europe over the past half century, as well as Switzerland's role in many UN and international organizations, has strengthened Switzerland's ties with its neighbors.
In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations, leaving the Vatican as the last widely recognised state without full UN membership. Switzerland is a founding member of the EFTA, but is not a member of the European Economic Area. An application for membership in the European Union was sent in May 1992, but not advanced since the EEA was rejected in December 1992 when Switzerland was the only country to launch a referendum on the EEA. There have since been several referenda on the EU issue, with a mixed reaction to these from the population. However, Swiss law is gradually being adjusted to conform with that of the EU and the government has signed a number of bilateral agreements with the European Union. Switzerland, together with Liechtenstein, has been completely surrounded by the EU since Austria's membership in 1995.
Many international institutions have their seats in Switzerland, in part due to its policy of neutrality. The Red Cross was founded there in 1863 and still has its institutional centre in the country. Switzerland was one of the last countries to join the United Nations, in 2002, even though Geneva is the second biggest centre for the United Nations after New York, and Switzerland was a founding member of the League of Nations.
With an area of 41,285 square kilometres (15,940 sq mi), Switzerland is a relatively small country. The population is about 7.4 million, resulting in an average population density of 182 people per square kilometre (472/sq mi). The more mountainous southern half of the country is more sparsely populated. Switzerland has a prosperous and stable modern market economy, with a nominal per capita GDP that is higher than those of the big western European economies, United States and Japan, though on a PPP basis, it ranks tenth. The World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report currently ranks Switzerland's economy as the most competitive in the world. For much of the 20th century, Switzerland was the wealthiest country in Europe.
Several of the world's largest companies are headquartered in Switzerland, including Nestle, UBS AG, Credit Suisse, Novartis, ABB, and Swatch. Switzerland is ranked the sixth most powerful economy in the world. Banking, tourism, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals are very important industries in Switzerland. The manufacture of precision instruments for engineering is important, as is watch making and the biological sciences industries. Switzerland has nearly zero unemployment.
In recent years, the Swiss have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with those of the European Union in many ways, in an effort to enhance their international competitiveness. The economy has been growing at around 3% per year. Full EU membership is a long-term objective of some in the Swiss government, but there is considerable popular sentiment against this supported by the conservative SVP party.
They continue to discuss further areas for cooperation. Switzerland most recently (2006) approved a billion euro supportive investment in the poorer eastern European countries in support of cooperation and positive ties to the EU as a whole. They have also been under EU and international pressure to open up their bank secrecy and to raise their tax rates into compliance with the EU. Preparatory discussions are being opened on four new areas: opening up the electricity market, participation in the European GPS system Galileo, cooperating with the European centre for disease prevention and recognizing certificates of origin for food products.
The United States is the second-largest importer (9.1%) of Swiss goods after Germany (20.0%). Germany, on the other hand, exports more to Switzerland each year than to all the countries of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe combined. In addition, the United States is the largest foreign investor in Switzerland, and conversely, the primary destination of Swiss foreign investment. It is estimated that 200,000 American jobs depend on Swiss foreign investments. (More information about Switzerland can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org).
In August 2006, PMForum announced the formation of a global network of International Correspondents to provide news and information from around the world of project management. PMF now has correspondents in over 15 countries. More information about this program and about other international correspondents can be found at http://www.pmforum.org/pm%20forum%20team/index.htm#5.
Established in 1995, www.pmforum.org was the world’s first website devoted to professional project management and continues to be one of the world’s most popular sources of project management news and information. PMForum is a company formed to operate and administer the pmforum.org website. PMForum also produces the monthly online PM World Today eJournal where articles, case studies, papers and viewpoints by leading PM authorities from around the world can be found; free subscriptions are available at www.pmworldtoday.net.
