“I think that if you’re willing to put in the effort and stay curious, you can do almost anything — even without formal training,” Lea says. The statement relates to her finding her professional footing after completing her studies, but it also perfectly captures her broader approach to life. We all know and appreciate Lea as a positive young woman with an infectious enthusiasm and a genuine love of people — qualities that make her a perfect fit for her role at Bonebridge. “Basically, a lot of my day-to-day includes helping people,” she says. “Someone has a problem and I’ll figure out a solution.”
Outside of work, Lea channels her seemingly endless supply of energy into an impressive array of hobbies. When it comes to staying active, mountain climbing and dancing top the list these days. “I have always been drawn to activities that combine movement with creativity,” Lea says.
Other outlets for her creative impulses currently include sewing her own clothes, nurturing a growing collection of plants, and singing with Incantata, a choir dedicated to film music. Lea recently got to perform at the prestigious KKL concert hall in Lucerne, where the choir was on stage alongside the City Light Symphony Orchestra in a concert featuring iconic video game soundtracks. “Working with these professional musicians was a definite highlight for me,” Lea says. “I love that with the choir I get to interact with people of different ages, from different backgrounds, who share a love for music.”
One reason why Lea appreciates her creative pursuits now is that she largely had to put them on hold during her studies. Lea got her education in Health Sciences and Technology and Biomedical Engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. A very demanding environment, Lea admits, but she also found it to be rewarding:
“During my studies, I learned a lot about stress and resilience. I was also fortunate to find lifelong friends at ETH, which made dealing with the pressure much easier.”
What she liked about her course of study was its interdisciplinary nature. “I’ve always been interested in how things relate to each other and have been driven to understand the bigger picture of things,” she says. Her interests were also shaped by her family background: When Lea was 13 years old, her father suffered a serious skiing accident, which left him a paraplegic. Only a few years later, her mother passed away. “I wouldn’t say that these events made me want to get into the healthcare industry, but they did intensify the strong sense of community I’ve always had,” Lea says. “I wanted to pursue something meaningful that would be of value not only to myself, but also to the people around me.”
Lea embarked on an internship at Bonebridge in September 2023 as she was wrapping up her studies. It gave her broad insight into the company as a whole and the different functions and departments. “Getting an idea of how everyone collaborates definitely helped me understand what we could further optimize and streamline,” she says. “When the opportunity of joining Bonebridge as a Process Automation Specialist came up, I had a pretty clear idea of what that position would entail and what I could contribute to the team.” After her internship, Lea gave herself a year before returning to work for us full-time. Six months were dedicated to her Master’s thesis, which focused on user-centered mobile app development to support arm rehabilitation for stroke survivors. Lea spent another three months traveling in countries in Asia and Australia and three months at home in Switzerland. “Having the opportunity to travel abroad was fantastic, but I was just as eager to have some time at home to explore my surroundings here,” she says. “The older I get, the more I realize how beautiful our home country is.”
That appreciation for Switzerland is perhaps not surprising given Lea’s roots. She grew up in Arth, a small town in the canton of Schwyz, near Lake Zug and with a view of Mount Rigi. It was the kind of place where everyone knew everyone, she recalls, and anonymity was virtually nonexistent — a sense of community she occasionally misses now that she lives in Zurich. That close-knit environment also played a role in another important part of her life: the high school she attended near her hometown was where she met her boyfriend Valerio at the age of 15. More than a decade later, they are still going strong. “We actually got engaged last year and will be getting married soon,” Lea says. Nothing too formal — just “a big celebration of love,” as Lea calls it. That being said, there is one tradition she has no intention of skipping. Asked whether she plans to wear a white wedding dress, she answers without hesitating, “Absolutely, I live for that kind of drama!"