2025 was particularly special for our community, marked by the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the HEC Lausanne Alumni Association. Throughout the year, this symbolic milestone brought renewed energy to our initiatives, strengthening connections within the network and bringing together multiple generations of Alumni around meaningful, unifying, and inspiring moments.

Between June and December 2025, the HEC Lausanne Alumni Association offered a rich program of events, combining exclusive company visits, inspiring conferences, sector-specific meetups, and networking opportunities. Once again, this second semester highlighted the vibrancy and diversity of our community.

Here is an overview of some of the events we organized during the second half of 2025.

Alumni Evening 2025 – 50 Years of the Association

September 27th 2025 – Internef

We could not begin this retrospective without mentioning this milestone event: the 2025 Alumni Evening, which brought together more than 330 guests to celebrate the Association’s half-century of existence.

Did you miss it?

Read the special article retracing the highlights of the evening and the feedback from attendees. You will (almost) feel like you were there.

Read the full article

Charity Golf Challenge — Christophe Pralong Trophy – HEC Lausanne Alumni

October 3rd 2025 – Golf Club de Bonmont

The traditional “Christophe Pralong – HEC Lausanne Alumni” Golf Trophy brought together Alumni, partners, and friends for a sporty and convivial gathering.

This charity event aims to support student projects in emerging countries, while offering a day of exchange for golf enthusiasts.

A warm edition, marked by solidarity and shared motivation.

Read the full article

Forum des 100 – Le Temps

October 23rd 2025 – SwissTech Convention Center

Thanks to a partnership with Le Temps, contributing members benefited from privileged access to this edition of the Forum des 100, dedicated to the theme:

“Is Switzerland Stainless in the Face of Geopolitical Shocks?”

Leaders, experts, and personalities from political and economic spheres—including Joseph Deiss, Gelson Fernandes, and Anne Hassberger—shared their insights on Switzerland’s position amid global upheavals, diplomatic challenges, and its relationship with the European Union.

A high-level reflection on the country’s future in an increasingly turbulent world.

Christophe Pralong & Olivier Cadot Awards Evening

November 11th 2025 – Internef

As every year, the Christophe Pralong Association and the Olivier Cadot Prize rewarded impactful student projects with social, entrepreneurial, or academic value in emerging countries.

The evening brought together students, Alumni, professors, and partners, and celebrated the 2025 laureates:

• Marcela Carrasco Saucedo (Master in Management) – Forestry hope for a region of the Bolivian Andes

• Nina Emery (MD-PhD, FBM) – Tailoring IMPACT: Co-Designing digital health in Zanzibar

The presentations were followed by an inspiring conference by Steven Carr, co-founder of the Agripreneurship Alliance, on the economic, agricultural, and societal challenges faced by young African entrepreneurs.

The application process for the 2026 Pralong and Cadot Prizes was also presented.

The evening concluded with an aperitif offered by the HEC Faculty.

Watch the replay

Read the full article

Company Visit – Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS), Geneva

November 18th 2025

A group of Alumni had the opportunity to explore the behind-the-scenes world of RTS during an exceptional guided tour of the Geneva production centre.

The program included: exploring the image studio used for flagship shows such as Infrarouge, À Bon Entendeur, and C’est ma question; discovering entertainment sets like Tu Bluffes and 52 Minutes; visiting the decor workshops, the makeup and hairstyling studios; and a deep dive into RTS Sport—home of French-speaking Switzerland’s sports news

See more past visits

Conference — Investing in a Start-Up: Risky Bet or Future Opportunity?

November 24th 2025 – Internef
In collaboration with HEC Espace Entreprise.

This panel discussion brought together speakers from venture capital, entrepreneurship, and the Strategis Prize jury.

Parmi eux :

• Frédéric Loizeau, co-founder of Lightium

• Edouard Lambelet (HEC’89), tech entrepreneur and Chairman of Finity SA

• Marcel Egger (HEC’89), strategic finance expert

•  Diego Braguglia, General Partner at VI Partners

The event explored how to evaluate a start-up, how founders can inspire trust, and how to balance intuition and rationality in investment decisions.

A rich and insightful evening, concluded with a networking aperitif.

Webinar – The New Trade War 2.0: Tariffs, Early Effects, and Future Perspectives – Prof. Aurélien Eyquem

On December 1st 2025, HEC Lausanne alumni were invited to a webinar on one of the most sensitive economic issues of the moment: the new trade war initiated by the Trump administration last spring. Hosted by Professor Aurélien Eyquem, a specialist in economic policy and open economics, this online conference provided insight into the mechanisms and consequences of the new customs duties imposed by the United States.

During his presentation, Professor Eyquem explained why governments resort to tariffs, how they work in practice, and what their immediate effects are on trade flows, prices, and competitiveness. He also presented the impacts already observed since the first measures were introduced, as well as the possible consequences for Swiss businesses and consumers, in a context where Europe and Switzerland must adapt to rapid changes in international trade.

The webinar concluded with a lively discussion, allowing participants to explore the economic, political, and strategic issues related to this new phase of trade tensions in greater depth.

This conference is part of the HEC Lausanne Alumni Association's commitment to providing high-level insights into major transformations in the global economy.

See the replay

HEC Lausanne Alumni Club Events – 2nd Semester 2025

The HEC Lausanne Alumni Clubs once again contributed greatly to the richness of community life, offering thematic, cultural, professional, and social events in several regions around the world.

Here are some of the semester’s highlights.

HEC Lausanne Alumni Club – Lausanne

Festive Meetup at the Venoge Festival – August 15th 2025

To celebrate their respective anniversaries—50 years for the Alumni Association and 30 years for the Venoge Festival—the Lausanne Club joined an exclusive evening at one of French-speaking Switzerland’s most iconic music festivals.

Alumni enjoyed VIP access, a convivial aperitif, and a special meet-and-greet with the festival management, also HEC Lausanne graduates. The evening featured an electrifying lineup, including Jason Derulo, Bigflo & Oli, and Sens Unik.

Many thanks to our President, Haja Rajaonarivo for organizing this event!

Harvest at Domaine de Maison Blanche – September 13th 2025

An authentic and warm morning gathered the Alumni at Domaine de Maison Blanche in Mont-sur-Rolle.

Alongside Antoine de Mestral, participants discovered the vineyard work and took part in the grape harvest, followed by a convivial meal around a traditional cauldron fondue.

A unique opportunity to revisit the estate that provided the white wines for the 50th Anniversary Evening.

Many thanks to our President, Haja Rajaonarivo for organizing this event!

HEC Lausanne Alumni Club – Montréal

After-Party Following the Welcome Cocktail for Exchange Students – September 24th 2025

The Montreal Club hosted an after-party following the official welcome cocktail for Swiss exchange students.

The evening created a meaningful connection between Alumni and the new generation, in a warm and convivial atmosphere at Pub McKibbin’s.

Many thanks to our ambassador, Renaud Margairaz, for organizing this event!

HEC Lausanne Alumni Club – Geneva

Traditional Lunch – November 5th 2025

The Geneva Club brought together its members for a lunch at the Café de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, featuring local Lake Geneva perch fillets.

A delicious and authentic moment in the heart of the old town, perfect for discussions and reconnections.

Thank you to our ambassador, Jean-François Girard, for organizing this event!

Afterwork – November 6th 2025

The next day, Geneva Alumni gathered at Chez Bacchus for a warm and relaxed afterwork—an ideal setting to grow one’s network in an informal atmosphere.

Thank you to our ambassador, Bérénice Jaccard, for organizing this event!

HEC Lausanne Alumni Club – Data & Digitalisation

Afterwork/Conference – “From Data to User Experience: Nespresso’s Challenges” – November 5th 2025

The Data Club welcomed François-Benjamin Remazeilles, Head of Data Office at Nestlé Nespresso, for a fascinating talk on how data is transforming customer experience and internal processes.

Participants exchanged on governance, innovation, and performance challenges in a constantly evolving environment.

Thank you to our ambassador, Raphaël Menard, for organizing this event!

Afterwork/Conference – “Data is the new oil… myths and realities!” – December 3rd 2025

For its final event of the year, the Data & Digitalisation Club welcomed Hatem Hamza, Head of Data at Hublot, for a presentation on the myths and realities surrounding data.

Drawing from over 20 years of experience, he provided a pragmatic perspective on how to turn data into a true performance driver—and why many organizations fail to do so.

Thank you to our ambassador, Raphaël Menard, for organizing this event!

HEC Lausanne Alumni Club – Real Estate

Afterwork/Conference – Real Estate Opportunities & Rental Value – November 27th 2025

Led by Edouard Clerc, CEO of Inved SA, this event allowed Alumni interested in real estate to gain insights into current market opportunities and rental value dynamics.

 

The speaker shared his expertise in economic real estate assessment and investor advisory, offering both an operational and strategic vision of the sector.

Thank you to our ambassadors, Thibault Rhenter and Mathieu Nidegger for organizing this event!

Events Shared with the Alumni Community

In addition to the activities directly organised by the Association, we also relayed several external events during the second half of 2025, offering our members privileged access to enriching and complementary opportunities. Among these were the Annual ALUMNIL Evening at UNIL, dedicated to the history of Swiss television and the role of scientific communication; the Lucerne Dialogue – The European Economic Forum, which brought together European leaders and young talents to discuss key economic and geopolitical issues; and the conference “Navigating a New World Order – Switzerland and the United States”, hosted by HEC Lausanne and featuring former U.S. Ambassador Suzi LeVine. Through these initiatives, our Association continues to enrich the life of the network and highlight valuable opportunities for the entire Alumni community.

Conclusion

This second semester of 2025 showcased the breadth of activities offered by the HEC Lausanne Alumni Association: immersive visits, high-level conferences, charity events, thematic meetups, and informal gatherings.

A semester where everyone could find their place and strengthen their connection to the HEC community.