Alumni Portraits

Even as a little girl, Rahel Salathé knew that she wanted to study nature and become a marine biologist. Later on, her family would become more important than her career. These days, the 47 year old is devoted to her other great passion: the production of quality wines. She sees her work in the wine cellar as a “balancing act between craftsmanship and art”.

In 2023, the ETH Big Band is celebrating its 30th anniversary and will play at the ETH Alumni Gala on 10 June. ETH alumnus Christoph Eck tells us how it all began and which appearances have been particularly memorable. And he reveals what makes jazz music so special for him.

Originally, Christian Lenz wanted to become a pilot, but having studied mechanical engineering, he and an old school friend founded a start-up company. These days he works for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), where he is responsible for engineering projects worth 50 million Swiss francs. He has experienced several life-threatening situations during deployments in the Middle East.

Luck has played a huge part in the career decisions taken by Ariane Orosz. With a doctorate in neuroscience, today she juggles three different jobs and relishes the variety this gives her. As an expert in stress management, she is best placed to advise people on how to protect themselves from burnout.