WDS Member of the Month: Tessa Bauer

Meet Tessa!

Tessa Bauer, is a 28-year-old native Parisianne who has called Geneva home since February 2023.

Her journey into tech emerged in perhaps an unusual way, from a background in international hotel management and marketing & sales. After an education in hotel management and work experiences with American luxury goods and Dutch cryptocurrency startups during the pandemic, she found her interest piqued by new technologies. This curiosity led her back to Switzerland and into the event technology industry.

Outside work, Tessa is a dynamic outdoors enthusiast, diving into activities such as climbing, mountain biking, and yoga. She's always open to exploring new sports and loves traveling to discover new places and delve into art-related museums.

But Tessa has a particular passion for horses.

Read further to find out something that might surprise you about Tessa!

As a recent arrival to Switzerland and with my growing interest in technology, WDS has been an amazing opportunity for me to join a dynamic and like-minded community. Being able to network and join workshops that spark my interest has been an amazing opportunity.

Tell us about yourself

I'm Tessa, 28 years old, originally from Paris and currently living in Geneva since February 2023.

I have been working at MCI Group HQ, an event and marketing communication agency, as a software solution analyst. I have been in charge of developing new internal processes in order to improve customer onboarding workflows as well as team engagement, onboarding and coordination.

On the more practical part, I was in charge of building online registration websites on different types of software platforms for event attendees mainly in the pharmaceutical industry. The tools and software used allows a deep dive into event reporting and attendee behavior analysis.

My background before entering the world of tech is quite different. I studied international hotel business management with a specialization in marketing & sales at Glion International Institute of Higher Education in Montreux in 2017. After graduation, I pursued my studies in Amsterdam at the Hotel School The Hague and followed an MBA in international business and entrepreneurship. I had multiple experiences in the hotel industry until the Covid pandemic, then I decided to give my career a radical change radically.

I worked for different start ups, first an American luxury goods company and later on a leading Dutch crypto currency exchange platform.

Thanks to those experiences, I started to develop a taste for new technologies, while working closely with development teams. It then led my curiosity towards the event industry and my wish to come back to Switzerland, to join the event technology industry.

During my spare time I'm a very active and outdoorsy person. I am a passionate horse rider, and climber, but also love mountain biking and yoga. I've practiced several types of sports during the years and am always curious to try new ones. I also love to travel, visit new places and visit art related museums.

What was your first interaction with WDS and how was it for you? I joined in May 2023, when I was introduced to WDS by Karen Bhavnani who is the Innovation and Implementation Manager at MCI Geneva. She invited me to join a workshop organized at the EA HQ in Geneva and that first introduction with the WDS community led me into becoming a member.

Tell us something about you that might surprise us!

Not something related to technology; I have been a passionate horse rider since the age of 3 and used to compete in different disciplines as well as at the national French tournament.

In 2012 I became French champion in team events. My love for horses is still very strong. I have combined my interest in well-being to my passion, and two years ago I became an equine sport masseuse. They are athletes just like us and deserve the best of care.

I am always happy to connect with fellow horse riders.

Is there a professional achievement that you are especially proud of?

I am very proud of my professional adaptability, my sense of flexibility and my eye for details. With a positive mindset, I have been able to face multiple types of challenges in different industries which provided me with a great panel of skills, amongst which a keen sense of analysis and problem solving.

Are there many women in your industry? Why is that or why not?

In the different types of industries I worked for, the gender balance was pretty much equal. However, I did recognize a larger number of men while working in the Fintech industry, and a higher number of men (in all different industries) on the higher end of the hierarchy.

I believe that the proportion of men is generally larger in the Finance industry than in others which might explain the difference in proportion. I don't really know what the reason might be.

Which aspect of your industry might interest other women to start work in this field?

In the realm of project management and website development, the dynamic blend of various tools, spanning from event management software, app creation, to coding, introduces a captivating diversity into my daily work. Each day brings forth new and exciting challenges, ensuring that no two days are alike.

Exploring the technological landscape within event management has truly broadened my horizons, revealing the vast potential for customization made possible by the wealth of tools at our disposal. What truly resonates with me is how technology has revolutionized the event industry, granting people seamless access to events across the globe through hybrid events.

Furthermore, the incorporation of event gamification has redefined the attendee experience, offering a fresh and engaging perspective on event participation. Contributing to the creation of such immersive experiences stands as one of the most rewarding aspects of my journey in this industry.

Which future trend is the most interesting in your opinion?

AI is definitely the most talked about trend at the moment, and it will be very interesting to see how it will evolve in different industries but also at individuals' use level in the upcoming years. Though revolutionizing, it comes with certain threats for certain jobs and I hope that the more we will learn on how to use it and combine it with certain types of jobs the more benefits we will get from it.

Want to connect with Tessa? You can find her on LinkedIn. Or you might meet her at one of our Geneva events! Want to find other like-minded women? Check out our forum.