Regula Scheele: "For me, the chapter was a fantastic way of making new contacts and networking."
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ETH alumna Regula Scheele graduated in agricultural sciences. Even as a child, she was interested in the French language and agriculture. She has combined her two passions and after a lengthy stay in Welschland, today she and her brother manage a family-run business selling all conceivable wine cellar equipment and supplies. She has been a member of the board of the local Baden alumni group since 2018.
You graduated from ETH with a degree in agricultural sciences. Why did you choose to study at ETH?
I had two dreams: when I was at school, I just loved speaking French so I really wanted to study agronomics in Welschland, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Seeing as the only university course I could find in agronomics was at ETH Zurich, I studied in Zurich and made sure as many of my placements as possible were in Welschland. It was a good compromise. Obviously I wanted to seize the opportunity of studying at a renowned university like ETH seeing as I had the option of doing so. After all, ETH was virtually on my doorstep.
You spent six months at the Washington State University investigating grape resistance to the cold. What do you remember about this time?
It was brilliant, I learnt so much; all about everyday research work and working on projects. And at the same time, I was able to immerse myself fully in student life: I lived in halls with undergraduates and PhD students from all over the world. And straight away I got involved in activities in the small town: I was in the book club, went walking with others and was invited to plenty of BBQs. I spent six wonderful months there, learning lots and having plenty of fun and I came home with my dissertation written.
Grapes seem to be your thing. You spent a long time in Welschland working for a manufacturer of equipment for bottling and corking. Why are so taken with them?
Well, wine has played a huge and important role in my life. I was born into a family of traders and we have become a business specialising in equipment for wine cellars. After graduating, my brother and I took on the family business. We supply everything needed to produce wine, beer and juice. I’m still very happy with my life in agriculture: professionally by providing winemakers with the best possible service and as a consumer by buying local, regional produce and supporting agriculture in this way.
On your LinkedIn profile, you say that you are proud to have been able to incorporate your knowledge and ability into the family business. What does your job involve?
My brother and I are the owners and managers of our trading SME. My main job is to continually optimise processes and make sure that everything is running as smoothly as possible. I continuously question how we do things and look for better approaches. Digitalisation is, of course, a huge topic too and we are putting a lot of time into our online shop and automating processes. I maintain an overview of many different areas of the business and see when things go wrong.
In June 2018, you also became a board member of the local Baden alumni group. Why did you decide to volunteer for this role?
I moved to Baden at the end of 2013. For me, the chapter was a fantastic way of making new contacts and networking. I’m happy to get involved and talk about my experiences as a woman in a male-dominated working environment and how we have organised ourselves as a family.
