Who
"A Swiss global citizen, epicurean explorer loving life and learning, I am passionate about personal and organizational development, people, tech, innovation and social impact."
Oliver Durrer, Founder SwissLEAP
Why SwissLEAP exists
Already as a teenager, I saw what fear does to bold ideas within an organization: it crushes them.
In 1998, my dad proposed embedding software and services into his employer’s hardware.
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​The idea was gold. It could have changed the company’s future. But they thought “it's too risky.”
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My dad left to build his own business.
I wrote the first version of its T&Cs at 18.
At 26, I joined the non-executive board, while working at Nestlé.
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Thirteen years later, my dad’s former employer acquired our family business.
Today, as far as I know, it's still one of their most profitable divisions.
That moment raised questions I carry to this day:
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What if that idea had been backed and brought to fruition inside the company?
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What were the missing pieces for that to successfully happen?
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How can I contribute to a solution to make entrepreneurship and innovation thrive from within?
The Patterns I’ve Seen
Over 20+ years across corporates, SMEs, startups and scaleups in Europe, Asia and US, I’ve seen the same pattern repeat:
The bigger the organization, the stronger the risk-aversion.​
I believe leaders don’t need more ideas. They need ideas that are nurtured, acted on, and turned into measurable impact - without burning out the people who make them happen.
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​​That's exactly why SwissLEAP exists:
We equip leaders and their organizations with “Lasting Entrepreneurial Action Practices”.
The Value Created
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I focus on people and organizational development, embedding intrapreneurship and innovation for sustainable impact.
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At Migros Club School, my team and I launched, scaled and integrated a corporate EdTech startup - with 95% of new customers coming on top of the existing base - and built a Learning Innovation Lab as an innovation and intrapreneurship catalyst.
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At Nestlé, I contributed to Nescafé Dolce Gusto’s record growth in Switzerland, co-launching Nestlé Myanmar, and leading award-winning multicultural teams.
About Me
A fan of life-long learning, foreign cultures and languages, I enjoy connecting with people in (Swiss-)German, English, French, Italian and Spanish.
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I hold a Master of Science (MSc) in Business Management from Lausanne University's Faculty of Economic, am a certified lean innovation coach and market opportunity navigator.
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In addition to empowering leaders, enabling teams and elevating organizations to innovate with impact, with SwissLEAP, I am serving on boards, advising startups, mentoring entrepreneurs and teaching intrapreneurship & innovation in Executive MBA programs.
Let's connect on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).
Our Partner Ecosystem
Depending on specific mandate scope and requirements, we collaborate with a global network of experienced practitioners and lifelong learners - to bring specialized expertise and right skills into each project. Exactly when and where it’s needed.
