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Barbara Bätschmann – PRESIDENT
Barbara Bätschmann is Polish by birth and Canadian, because she lived and worked there for many years. After finishing a very old-fashioned and traditional High School, she decided to explore unknown worlds. Barbara moved across Poland to study in a field which had been restricted to men only for many years. After constant reminders by her fellow students that “a woman’s place is in the kitchen”, she graduated with a master’s degree in the Navigation and Operation of Merchant Navy Ships. She worked for a Chinese-Polish Shipping Company and Polish Ocean Lines. After reaching the level of 1stOfficer and facing a few life and death situations, she decided to change her career.
During the time when the political and economic situation in Poland was unstable, Barbara moved to Canada where she completed business courses and started working in the retail industry. She slowly reached her goals by working from an entry level sales position, through supervisor and on to a managerial position in a very profitable retail business. She remained working as a manager for eight years until she met her “knight Richard”, got married and moved to Switzerland.
In Poland and in Canada, her life was devoted to proving that men and women have equal rights to jobs, titles and positions in a global industry.
In 2008 a friend who took her for a tour around Zurich and told her about the wonderful organization called ZIWA. Barbara was a member for two years and then rejoined ZIWA again in 2011.
At this time Barbara has decided to run for the position of ZIWA President and these are her own words: “All the years in management positions where I was responsible, not only for goods but also for human’s lives, gave me valuable assets to run for the next ZIWA President”. |
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Marion Senellart de Vriere – TREASURER
Marion, who is French, studied to become a high school teacher and taught high school for several years. Married, she has two children who currently study in the west of France, her son in a military engineering school, her daughter in a management school.
She joined ZIWA shortly after her arrival with her husband in Zürich in 2011. She regularly joins the hikes, the German conversation, the bridge and the walking groups. She launched the "French for Beginners" group in April 2011 becoming its chairlady. It changed its name some months ago and became French lessons intermediate.
Her professional experience as an accountant began in Seoul (South Korea) where she was the Head of the Management and Finance department of the French High School. Later on Marion took on various roles in social and cultural associations in both France and Germany; the last of these, before moving to Switzerland, was as the (volunteer) treasurer of the Amicale Femmes of the European Council (welcoming association for the wives of the foreign diplomats and administrators) in Strasbourg.
During 2012-2013 Marion was ZIWA Treasurer. |
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Judith Westhoff – SECRETARY
"The founder members of ZIWA had wisdom and foresight and understood that new ideas and fresh people are needed on the Executive Board; this is why the Board members change. It is so that the Association develops and grows and does not become static. This is not always easy, new ideas bring concern and a fear that ZIWA will change beyond recognition and not remain true to its values. The familiar is safe, but let us use all our experience and understanding to build on this foundation and use that to inspire and move us forward."
It is with these thoughts in mind that Judith will be working on behalf of ZIWA members as one of their representatives on the Board, bringing fresh ideas and energy to the Association.
Judith has already been on the ZIWA Executive Board for 1 year as Secreatry. With over 5 years in Association Management, she is able to appreciate the unique challenges that face a multicultural Association.
Also, although she did not get to complete a marathon, she did run another half marathon. Maybe having run 2 half marathons this now counts as a marathon? Who knows, being inspired with a second year as Secretary she will run that elusive marathon, also encouraged by ZIWA’s new running group (shameless plug here for “Run Along”). |
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Liliana Winkelmann – DIRECTOR OF MONTHLY MEETINGS
Liliana Winkelmann came to Zürich in 2001 and has been an active member of the international community here since joining ZIWA in 2007. While completing her master‘s degree in Managing Diversity at Luzern University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Liliana worked hard to bring to life ZIWA’s ReachOut programme and was also pivotal in establishing the English around the World ZIWA week in Wädenswil. Her recent BBC initiative, Building Bridges Communications, aims at raising questions of relevance to the international community and entails interviewing business, political and community leaders in Switzerland about leadership challenges which they have faced in working with us or which concern them.
In the role of Director Monthly Meetings, Liliana’s focus is on 3E’s :- Empower, Engage, and Entertain. When not busy managing a diversity project or organizing a next Monthly Meeting or sampling a new venture hosted by a creative ZIWA lady or exploring the pristine beauty of the Swiss outdoors with fellow enthusiasts, Liliana enjoys discussing the future of work with her twenty year old son and debating the future of leisure with her Alps loving husband. She believes that the greatest glory of living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time you fall, and has never asked aloud, Why is nothing written in English in Migros. |
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Malgorzata Schneider - DIRECTOR OF INTEREST GROUPS
Malgorzata was born in Poland where she received her Bachelor´s degree in International Economics and Politics from the Warsaw School of Economics. She went then to London where she studied and worked before returning to Poland. She is also a graduate of the Edgware College for Languages & Sciences. Every opportunity to learn is good in order to expand life´s horizons, says Malgorzata.
She met her Swiss husband in Warsaw and soon after they were married. A new job assignment for her husband meant packing and leaving Poland again, but this time for Switzerland. Being a mother to two toddlers, twin boys, and barely speaking the local language didn´t leave her many job options.
So Malgorzata founded her own company and started importing hand-made ceramics to Switzerland. Finding new friends was a real challenge too, so, she joined as many organisations, associations, groups and meet-ups as possible. Obtaining two certificates from a German language school helped her gain more insight into Swiss society and to fully integrate with locals.
After working at UBS for a couple of years, Malgorzata decided to become self-employed again and in 2012, together with her husband, she set up a family company, FS Services GmbH.
She was a ZIWA member from 2001-2003, during which time she was active in the writers’ group, various coffee corners was a reporter for the ZIWA News. She rejoined ZIWA in 2012 and is active with the Career Networking group, Global Concerns and Building Bridges. |
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Deirdre MacLeod – DIRECTOR WITHOUT PORTFOLIO
Deirdre is a Canadian who, like many, has moved to Switzerland due to her husband’s job. After leaving Canada, they first spent 7 months in Ireland and then 9 months in Paris, so by the time she arrived in Zürich, she was quite adept at being the new girl in town. The first thing she did upon arrival was to Google Ex-Pat organisations and found ZIWA and she is glad she did.
Her first ZIWA event was the kick off meeting where she was lucky enough to meet some wonderful women, who welcomed her into ZIWA and helped her settle into Swiss life. She volunteered for English Around the World, where she met more wonderful ladies from ZIWA. Deirdre believes that there is nothing like throwing yourself into volunteering to get over that outsider feeling.
Deirdre's my many years of experience with non-profit organizations as a volunteer, board member and paid staff, gives her the required skills to be an effective member of the ZIWA Executive Board. She has served on the development committee of a shelter for at-risk youth, she was the vise-president of a board that established a community off-leash dog park, and she was also a Services Specialist for Muscular Dystrophy Canada. Her educational background includes fundamentals of project management as well as developing effective non-profit organizations. |
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Dawn Powling – DIRECTOR WITHOUT PORTFOLIO
Dawn Powling was born in England and came to Switzerland fourteen months ago and now lives in Regensberg. Like so many members, it was her husband’s work that brought her to Switzerland. She retired from her job as a specialist nurse in child protection and NHS manager, after fourteen years in the role, to join him.
She trained as a nurse in her twenties and then took further qualifications in midwifery and health visiting. She completed a BSc (Hons) in nursing and psychology while practising as a health visitor and later undertook a Masters course in Child Protection.
In her recent management role she lead a large team, was responsible for writing local policy and for offering specialist advice and training. She was a member of a Board comprising around 25 social care leaders and representatives of voluntary groups with a remit to ensure close liaison and collaboration between services.
Dawn found ZIWA an essential part of settling into living in Switzerland.
She wanted to offer something back so took over the role of membership secretary in November 2012. She has really enjoyed meeting new members and the role has given her knowledge about the way ZIWA works.
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