A packed centenary year for the British-Swiss Chamber of Commerce
2020 is the year the British-Swiss Chamber of Commerce celebrates its Centenary, ushering months of special events to toast one hundred years of bilateral trade Edit Snippet
2020 is the year the British-Swiss Chamber of Commerce celebrates its Centenary, ushering months of special events to toast one hundred years of successfully furthering bilateral trade and helping companies in Switzerland and Britain find their way in a fast changing world.
From its origins in Bern in 1920 to its structure today as a member organisation of eight Chapters stretching across six Swiss cities and regions, Liechtenstein, and the UK, the BSCC has become the biggest and most active British chamber of commerce in continental Europe.
From the outset, it has been focused faithfully on the needs of its members. That could be a request for information about new regulations and procedures, knowledge about new developments and technologies, or the simple desire to get to know other like-minded businesses and entrepreneurs through regular networking events.
From the sole trader or independent consultant to the global household name, the BSCC, with members from 12 industry sectors, caters to all, irrespective of size or nationality. Membership is currently around 500, represented by 31 councillors and more than 100 volunteers.
Membership, which comes in various categories depending on the degree of engagement, is handled by the BSCC’s Zurich central team of five full time professionals, supported by consultants in Geneva and London. Our team coordinate and arrange events, manage marketing and membership and form a central point of reference for the Chapters.
Central office also plays a crucial role in managing the BSCC’s close relationship with the British Embassy in Bern and Swiss Embassy in London. That can include exclusive events at the Ambassador’s residence, or co-ordination when it comes to visits by specialised representative for bilateral UK-Swiss trade.
Britain and Switzerland are and will continue to be extremely close partners. Total bilateral trade (imports & exports) amounted to £30.5 billion in 2018. Britain was Switzerland’s sixth biggest export market in 2018, with sales of CHF 9.4 billion, and the country’s eighth biggest source of imports. Almost 60,000 scheduled flights link Switzerland and the UK each year, helping to connect the roughly 31,000 Swiss citizens living in Britain and the 41,000 Britons resident in Switzerland.
What’s in store for BSCC in 2020
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Caroline Rosenberger
Guest Writer
Caroline joined the British-Swiss Chamber of Commerce (BSCC) in 2017 and since April 2019 she has led the team as General Manager of the organisation. With her background in the manufacturing industry and her knowledge of working in various organisations over the last 25 years she is extremely familiar with an international business environment. During her professional career, she has managed various SME’s, developed new business models for the international market and helped companies through different challenges as an active board member. She is also a member of several other organisations and still active as a board-member in the Swiss SME world.
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