Michael Zehnder

Michael is Emerald’s Head of Digital Technology & Intelligence. He drives and orchestrates Emerald’s digital transformation. To help the business scale smartly, Michael oversees everything digital, including information technology and systems, advanced data analytics, and our digital channels and platforms. He defines and implements Emerald’s digital strategy, spearheading our digital product and service portfolio. In addition, he supports our portfolio companies and open innovation partners regarding digital transformation, data-driven business development, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.

Prior to joining Emerald, Michael has been working at the intersection of digital technology, AI, and customer success to transform business operations and drive innovation and financial returns at scale. Recently, Michael has served as the Chief Digital & Analytics Officer and Deputy Chief Marketing Officer for Switzerland Global Enterprise. Before, he co-founded a big data infrastructure-as-a-service company while incorporating a new business unit serving leading companies across industries with customer intelligence and marketing automation solutions. He started his career in the corporate finance divisions at EY and Sal. Oppenheim.

Michael holds a TRIUM Executive MBA, jointly awarded by HEC Paris, the London School of Economics LSE, and NYU Stern School of Business, a PhD in Economics from the University of Basel, and has graduated from the MAS MTEC at ETH Zurich. He has participated in digital transformation and venture capital programs for executives at Harvard Business School, INSEAD, IMD, IE Madrid, and Chicago Booth.