Thomas Wüst: “ETH prepares its students perfectly for the future and that pays off in the long term.”

When you were a kid, what did you want to be?

When I was younger, I actually wanted to be a journalist, write a book or be a singer in a rock band, but not an engineer. My father was a successful ETH civil engineer, he wrote 33 patents but all of them when working for someone else. I always wanted to be my own boss and certainly not an engineer.

You studied computer science at ETH. Why did you choose to study at ETH?

I wasn't sure whether a foreign languages course or studying at ETH would be right for me. Ultimately, it was my curiosity and interest in technology and the natural sciences which got the upper hand. At the time I also liked the idea of being able to make money through computer science even when I was still at uni so I was able to gain my independence faster.

3) How did your degree from ETH help you get onto the career ladder?

It brought me an infinite number of opportunities - all avenues were open to me and that was fantastic. Even though I found making the transition from an easy-going student life to the world of work really unpleasant, it was great to be welcome and head hunted wherever I went. At the end of my time at university, I was totally skint and very much appreciated being taken out for lunch by interested companies. ETH prepares its students perfectly for the future and that pays off in the long term.

You are now the founder and CEO of ti&m. How did you end up founding the company?

I very much value the freedom that entrepreneurship brings and love taking control and full responsibility for driving forwards ideas and products with excellent people. Before founding ti&m, I was CEO of a successful IT company. But despite this, I wasn't happy with the lack of content value and long-term vision. The only thing that large companies were able to offer me was a means of making money. I was also bored with the offshore and IT commodity hype around at the start of the millennium. Back then, as today, I wanted to develop complete, innovative solutions and products with vertical integration here in Switzerland and to distribute them around the globe. So for better or worse, I needed to found my own company and turn my IT vision into reality.

What impact is the current corona crisis having on your company?

As a result of the corona crisis, we need to act faster and with greater agility. Being able to plan is a thing of the past, now and in the future, we are having to play by new rules. However, agility and quick decision-making suit me and are just two of the corporate values at ti&m. In the medium term, the current corona crisis is speeding up the pace of digitalisation. The crisis is very dangerous and is having a huge negative impact on our society. This is deeply regrettable and I feel for everyone affected personally. But in the long term, there will be positive aspects for IT. So far, as a company ti&m has put on a brave face, we are operating flat out and will grow again in 2020 by double digits, even if it’s a low double digit number. Because independence is very important to me, there is no borrowed capital in ti&m. This is hugely beneficial in such unpredictable times and makes us more resistant to crisis situations.

What advice would you give anyone studying at ETH today?

Keep your cool in the first few semesters and be prepared for the time when you get to pick what to specialise in, that’s the icing on the cake of your course. And even when you are working hard, don't forget to make the most of student life every now and then and enjoy it. And after uni? As an ETH graduate, you are privileged and will have a huge choice of options awaiting you. Make the most of this, try something new and most importantly do something you are excited about. Because usually if you are excited about something, success will come naturally …