I’m an activist, a campaigner.

When I became self-employed in 1998, it was more out of necessity. I’m a physicist by training and spent 13 years with Greenpeace.

I realized that what I learned in campaigning is useful in virtually every field. Because ultimately, it's about changing people’s understanding, attitudes, or behavior – so they help you achieve a goal that you can't simply command.

Campaigning is about dialogue: listen actively first, speak second.

Ultimately, it always comes down to having more influence over people and organizations.

Many people would probably call me crazy because I take risks. I’ve been in the jungle, fighting to protect the rainforest, and nearly walked into an ambush by loggers who wanted to shoot us.

I helped build a Collaborative Innovation Network for Power-to-X, with members ranging from the army to SBB, Swiss, and Zurich Airport – essentially everyone working with synthetic fuels and hydrogen.

I’m currently leading a feasibility study for building a demonstration plant for synthetic kerosene in the Canton of Aargau. I also play in the rock band «300 Rock», which recently released a single – and I jump around on stage in a Spartan costume.

I’m a municipal councillor, mingle with people from the AC/DC fan scene, walk in and out of the Federal Palace – and get along well with everyone.

That humanity experiences an Enlightenment 2.0 – where the values of liberty, equality, and fraternity are complemented by science.

That politics is guided by facts, with full respect for human dignity – and in freedom. That would be my greatest wish.

As a pioneer, you venture into uncharted territory. You don’t know what to expect. Naturally, that triggers fear. When I became self-employed, I had sleepless nights if I wasn’t fully booked at least six months in advance.

Fear can also be a good thing. Fear sharpens the senses. And when your senses are sharp, you pay close attention to all the signals – as long as you don’t let yourself become paralyzed.

Synthetic fuels. I’ve been advocating for them for twelve years now. On the one hand, I have the patience to keep going, even though politics moves painfully slowly. On the other hand, I’m impatient because climate change is galloping ahead of us.

When it came to staff, I was often too impatient.

As a pioneer, you dive deeply into a subject. Then you fall victim to the curse of knowledge. You become an expert and can no longer put yourself in the shoes of those who aren't as familiar with the topic. You think, «I’ve explained it – why don’t they get it?» – and suddenly, I lack understanding for mistakes.

You need much, much, much, much more patience than I have.

Einstein – for his science and critical thinking. As a physicist, having Albert Einstein as a role model is almost a given.

Steve Jobs – for his focus and ability to reduce everything to the max. I see the same with AC/DC: radically reduced, to the point, and instantly recognizable.

I find that fascinating, because in campaigning, you also need that same level of clear identity. In the end, the vision is a brand. And that brand has to be anchored in people’s hearts, guts, and minds – with absolute clarity.

Campaigning is dialogue. If I don’t fully understand the target group, I run workshops with them and let them develop the campaign themselves. The first time we did this was in 2003, for the NuvaRing – a contraceptive for women.

The marketing strategy for the film «Mein Name ist Eugen» was also developed by the target audience themselves.