Every week, interesting personalities from the world of finance and beyond share their personal preferences in our section Backstage.

What do you do first in the morning?

Depending on where I wake up - Lugano, Zurich or Geneva - my morning routine varies slightly. It always includes a strong espresso or cappuccino and either 15 minutes of stretching with a few specific Fitball exercises, or a walk to start the day.

What is the best thing of your job?

The people I get to work with, the diversity of topics and the constant learning. Every day I interact with subject matter experts, colleagues, business partners and investors across Switzerland and around the world.

A moment that changed your life?

A defining moment was when I left my job as a process engineer to join a hedge fund – without any prior experience in finance. A colleague told me I was crazy, as I was essentially closing a nearly ten-year chapter (including my studies). My former supervisor, however, said: «You bring a structured way of thinking and the ability to deal with complexity.» He showed me the «transferable skills» I had as I embarked on a new path.

What cars do you own? Which is your favorite?

An old 2007 Mercedes C220 CDI, which is now fully depreciated. In Switzerland, I mostly travel by train. My GA travelcard is my favorite way to get around.

What advice would you give to your 20-year-old self?

You can take more risks than you think. Your conservative approach to skiing, however, is perfectly fine.

What are you particularly proud of?

On a personal level, I’m proud of the strong bonds within my family and the way we support each other. Professionally, I vividly remember an episode early in my career as a young engineer, when I was assigned to a task force for a project in our pharmaceuticals division. Coming from the oil and gas industry, I was nervous because I wasn’t familiar with the process. On my first day, I was asked to provide an estimate of the size of the utilities by noon. With only limited information about the scope of the project and no data on the liquids involved, the task seemed impossible. A proportional estimate based on similar projects would have been sufficient, but I opted for a more robust approach. In the end, it took me a day and a half and a lot of exchange with the team, but the more reliable figures I delivered served the project far better. I still remember the fantastic collaboration with my colleagues, which taught me a valuable lesson about resilience and the power of teamwork.

What do you do when you have doubts?

I gather more information, weigh the pros and cons, and make the most reasonable decision based on what I know.

What is your favorite wine?

Although I come from Piedmont, one of Italy's great wine regions, I only occasionally drink local, light sweet wines such as Malvasia, Moscato oder Brachetto.

What projects are you currently working on?

I typically work on several projects at once. Alongside my role at Aberdeen, I’m passionate about financial education and empowering women. I recently completed a seven-year term as Chair of the CAIA Zurich Chapter and have just joined the Global Advisory Council of 100 Women in Finance. Within our firm, I’m also an active member of the EMEA DEI Forum, and socially I am engaged with Soroptimist International – Club  Zurich.

What do you admire in other people?

Curiosity, passion, humility, and generosity.

What would be the biggest surprise for someone who had to take over your job for a day?

The blessing and the curse of my job is that every day can be completely different. A lot happens, but there’s also a lot of noise, and you need to judge when the direction you’re moving in makes sense – and when it’s better to pause and rethink. Along the way, you’re accompanied by investors and colleagues, which is what makes the journey so meaningful.

What is your personal drive?

Being part of the success of our investors and our team, and continuously learning.

What are you afraid of?

Professionally, I fear boredom – which rarely happens in this field. Personally, I’m afraid of following my younger brother on his freestyle skiing adventures. He says I might be a bit too attached to my life, but I prefer to survive so I can enjoy the next ski trip too.

Your favorite watch brand?

I wear either a Fitbit or an Apple Watch. I grew up in the 80s with a Casio calculator watch.

Is there an unfulfilled dream you would still like to realize?

It brings far too much bruises to call it a dream - but learning to kitesurf?

Your best investment?

Time spent learning, collaborating with like-minded people and having meaningful conversations. The journey matters just as much as the destination. Financially speaking, I can’t include my shopping trips with my sister-in-law on that list – but we certainly have a lot of fun.

Paola Bissoli is Director Business Development und Verwaltungsrätin at Aberdeen Investments Switzerland AG. She joined in 2015 from Saint George Capital Management, where she served as CEO and Investment Manager. Previously, she was a hedge fund manager. She is committed to financial education, led the CAIA Association Zurich from 2017–2024, and was a director at 100 Women in Finance from 2013–2018. She holds an MSc in Chemical Engineering and a CAS in Sustainable Finance.