Interview: Paolo Navaretti
How and when did you join Zurich Instruments?
I joined Zurich Instruments in 2014 as Application Scientist, following my second postdoc at ETH Zurich. I have a master's in electronic engineering from the Politecnico di Torino and a PhD from Sheffield University, UK. My background is broad and covers semiconductors physics as well as engineering: I worked on optoelectronics and MEMS, studying their characterisation and fabrication. After academic and industry positions, I decided to focus my career on industry. I stumbled upon an Application Scientist job advertisement from Zurich Instruments and I thought it may be something interesting for me. I didn’t really know what to expect from the interview, but I felt a really good connection from the very beginning. As I had no previous experience in sales or marketing, I realized that this move would be a big jump and a professional challenge – but I wanted to give it a try. The connection with the team was amazing: joining Zurich Instruments was certainly a great decision.
What does your job look like, and what is the most important aspect of it?
Leading the product management of all test and measurement products at Zurich Instruments, is a very exciting job. Its most rewarding aspect is working closely with extremely smart and competent people – both colleagues and customers. Internally, my role gives me the opportunity to interact with very talented people from R&D, Marketing and Sales, Production, Business Fulfilment and more, as well as with the Product Managers.
I also have the privilege to meet with our customers - scientists, researchers and developers pushing the limits of knowledge and technology in many different and fascinating fields - and to discuss their unique, advanced requirements. Understanding and helping to solve their needs through our products and knowledge is one of the most motivating parts of my job.
This closeness to our customers is key to my job as one of its most important aspects is to ensure that our products fulfil the needs of the market segments we serve and to find new segments where our instruments can bring value.
The most challenging aspect of my job is also the most exciting one: we would like to develop so many valid projects and ideas that choosing which ones to pursue and which ones to put on hold can be a difficult call that requires moving from the big picture of our product roadmap to the finest details of our instruments.
What is the most memorable Zurich Instruments moment that stayed with you?
I will never forget this episode: during the first customer application fit that I shadowed during my training, my coach listened to the customer's needs and then told him that our lock-in amplifiers were an overkill for his application, and that he would be better off with a cheaper second-hand solution. That’s when I realised that this company cares about customers, and that its values are aligned with my own. Interestingly, that customer later bought our lock-in products for a bigger project. I enjoy working at Zurich Instruments because there is this sense of community and purpose, where we all work together towards the same goal.
How do you spend your free time?
What I enjoy the most is spending time with my family. I also like travelling, exploring different cultures and learning new things – all activities that my job gives me ample opportunity to pursue. I also like swimming, reading and tinkering with electronics.
