Behind the Scenes – Team interviews
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Behind the Scenes
In our “Behind the Scenes” section, team members of Radiate Engineering & Design introduce themselves personally and share some insights into their work and life. Have a good read and get to know the people who keep our company and client projects moving.
Massimo Brivio
MSc ETH ME, Mechanical Engineering
What does a typical working day look like for you?
A typical day for me is a sequence of challenging and stimulating tasks organized around a morning, lunch and afternoon coffee routine. I divide my time between working on high-end competitive bike wheels and a sustainable prosthesis for low income people in developing countries.
What is your background before you started working at RADIATE?
I was a Mechanical Engineer Master Student at ETH Zurich.
What motivates you?
My motivation comes from the possibility to test and put into practice my ideas. I always have the feeling of being part of something I can contribute to evolve. This is great.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I’m passionate about camping and van life. I often go together with my girlfriend. We explore many places and enjoy some time off the city.
What is your favorite design/engineering object or tool?
The Computer. It’s a universe fitting in a small box. Every day it enables me to optimize designs, evaluate performance, organize my work and learn everything that I could wish for.
Where do you find inspiration?
I’m a very curious person, therefore I read a lot on many topics, from science and engineering to novels. I always find something that makes me passionate and stimulates me.
What has been the most exciting moment at RADIATE for you so far?
The unplanned brainstorming with a colleague during our last team event hike. We were a volcano of ideas. This reminds me of how dynamic and full of opportunities my job is.
With whom would you like to switch roles for half a year?
With my colleague Mario. I would love to learn the practical skills he has.
Pascal Trachsler
BSC of Arts ZFH in Product and Industrial Design
What does a typical working day look like for you?
On a typical workday, my alarm clock rings at 6.30 am. Apart from that, everything else that follows is usually not typical at all.
What is your background before you started working at RADIATE?
After graduating as an Industrial Designer at Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), I worked for a while on a project in collaboration with ZHdK, ETH Zurich and Helvetas in Nepal. After co-designing a stair-climbing wheelchair for Scewo AG and some smaller projects, I was happy to join the team at RADIATE.
What motivates you?
Working in an exciting team and always completing a wide variety of tasks with new challenges and the potential to learn more.
What do you like to do in your free time?
There are many things. Whether I’m working on my own project, traveling, making music, or standing on one of my boards in the waves, snow, or in the streets – getting bored is never an option.
What is your favorite design/engineering object or tool?
The Moka pot, invented by Alfonso Bialetti.
Where do you find inspiration?
If I set my mind to it, practically everywhere.
With whom would you like to switch roles for half a year?
To gain the most knowledge about human nature, probably with the person who is most different from me.
Jonas Schmid
MSc ETH ME, Mechanical Engineering
What does a typical working day look like for you?
A typical working day is filled with in-depth project work, a lot of planning in terms of management tasks or simply brainstorming with other colleagues for the best ideas. It’s never the same and varies from day to day.
What motivates you?
The challenge of solving complex problems, when designing products. Our self-defined approach to work and develop. I am motivated by the ability that we define processes, approaches and how we solve complex problems by ourselves. We set the standard in best practice and try to constantly improve by always staying agile.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I like to go biking with my friends around Zurich – down the Uetliberg trail – or even better somewhere in the Swiss Alps. I’m spending a lot of time with my girlfriend in the mountains around Davos and we love to explore the beautiful nature of Switzerland.
What is your favorite design/engineering object or tool?
It’s impossible to pick one specific tool! For me, it’s the mixture and combination of all tools that we have at hand and, above all, the ability to use and combine all of these tools – be it digital tools or physical tools.
Where do you find inspiration?
In the shower! It is no joke. In the shower, I have peace for my thoughts and I am not distracted by other things. That’s how I then often come up with very good ideas on how to solve problems, an approach for an improvement, or a new flash of inspiration … Maybe we should install showers at Radiate soon 🙂
What has been the most exciting moment at RADIATE for you so far?
The moment when the British Mountain Biker Tom Pidcock won the Olympic gold medal in the XC race with the Silverton SL wheels that we developed. We were watching the race live here in our office together with all the colleagues from Radiate. It was really cool to see that a product that was developed at our company could achieve that. It was a moment where I felt strong gratification.
Melanie Kuhn
Assistant Workshop and Administration
What does a typical working day look like for you?
I get up very early in the morning and the first thing I do is go for a short walk with my dog Ayna. When I arrive at the office, I usually mold the previously built parts, clean the molds and laminate. After that, I vacuum and usually add something new to learn or refresh my knowledge. Since I haven’t been at RADIATE for a long time, the typical working day is just beginning to evolve.
What is your background before you started working at RADIATE?
I trained as a carpenter and have worked in that field in various jobs. Among those was a job in the early days of RADIATE, where I helped in the production of prototypes of the full carbon wheel OOCYCLE. I’ve also helped to set up a delivery service for regional products in the Seetal region near Lucerne.
What motivates you?
I like to learn new things and improve what I already know. At RADIATE, I have the opportunity to gain insight into exciting and novel projects and be part of a great team.
What do you like to do in your free time?
My most time-consuming hobby is definitely my dog Ayna, who came to me from Hungary from the animal shelter and still has a lot to learn. Together with my boyfriend, I like to spend time outdoors in nature. We also like to cook together or watch movies. A few years ago, I have discovered my passion for clay modelling. In between, I often have other small projects of my own, where I paint or make something for myself or my nieces or whatever else comes to mind.
Where do you find inspiration?
In nature, because there you can find an incredible number of refined and beautiful models.
With whom would you like to switch roles for half a year?
I think it would be incredibly exciting to swap roles with any person. Preferably with someone who has a lot of knowledge and can do things that I can’t, so that I can acquire some of that.
Frederic Poppenhäger
MA Communications, Head of Consulting and Business Development
What does a typical working day look like for you?
As I commute from Lucerne to Zurich, my day starts with breakfast and listening to podcasts on the train. When I arrive at the office, I usually have a tight schedule for the day. My work focuses on content production for our marketing channels and various administrative tasks.
What is your background before you started working at RADIATE?
I studied communication at the University of the Arts in Berlin and worked for over a decade in advertising agencies in different countries.
What motivates you?
I find it extremely motivating to see how a project starts from scratch with an idea and evolves with time to a concept, a prototype and finally into a tangible object that connects emotionally with people, such as a wheel, a prosthesis or a drone.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I love cycling. Be it with my road bike, gravel bike or mountain bike. Switzerland is full of possibilities and I still have some ground to cover where I’ve never been.
What is your favorite design/engineering object or tool?
My favorite object is obviously the bicycle 🙂
Where do you find inspiration?
I like to think that inspiration rather comes from the ordinary than the extraordinary. That means that you don’t have to go to a museum or read a special book in order to be inspired. As I’m often on the train I like to out of the window, watching the landscape pass by. That often inspires me.
What has been the most exciting moment at RADIATE for you so far?
The most exciting moment so far was right at the beginning of our journey in the early days of the company. We just had given some of our first full-carbon wheels to pro cyclists who were participating in a cycling competition here in Switzerland. They were keen to use our prototypes and shared our enthusiasm – that was a great feeling!
Jan Schenker
MSc ETH ME, CFD Simulations and Structural Engineering
What does a typical working day look like for you?
This depends a lot on the current project and tasks I am working on. I could be running simulations, analysing results, doing design work or thinking about new concepts. From time to time it also includes testing or manufacturing of parts in our own workshop.
What is your background before you started working at RADIATE?
I studied mechanical engineering at ETH Zurich and then worked in Formula 1 as an aerodynamicist.
What has been the most exciting moment at RADIATE for you so far?
Getting my hands on the first prototypes of the bicycle wheels that I have been working on. It is nice to see how an idea evolves into a product with all the work that went into it from running simulations to optimising the shape, testing in the wind tunnel to designing tools and jigs for manufacturing.
Mario Tischhauser
Head of Prototyping Lab
What does a typical working day look like for you?
As I’m responsible for the workshop, the first thing I do is take a look at what there is to do – and most of the time this is a lot. Then I start, for example, sanding parts, filling, sanding again, cleaning and then I apply spray filler. Or I trim parts with the Dremel and rasp. Time flies and suddenly it’s already late afternoon!
What is your background before you started working at RADIATE?
I have already worked in very many different areas and am a real all-rounder. After my apprenticeship as a forester, I completed a second apprenticeship as a wood sculptor. After that, I made a living as an artist for a while. During this time, I worked for a 3D factory to deepen my knowledge of digital production.
What motivates you?
Firstly, I want to get better and better as a craftsman. That takes a lot of practice. Secondly, I study archaeology at the University of Zurich alongside my work. I always want to continue my own education!
What do you like to do in your free time?
At the moment I am doing an anatomy course for artists. Otherwise, I read a lot about sculpture and prehistoric life. I need the rest of my free time to study archaeology, which is also one of my hobbies.
What is your favorite design/engineering object or tool?
My favourite tool is the rasp. You can work quickly and precisely with it. But the best thing is that there are so many different rasp shapes.
Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration when I look out into the world. As a curious person full of drive, I am rarely bored. There are always new challenges to master.
What has been the most exciting moment at RADIATE for you so far?
The introduction to the use of our great coffee machine 🙂
Juan Ignacio Navarro Mañes
MSc RWTH ME, Mechanical Engineering
What does a typical working day look like for you?
It involves three main ingredients, namely: some interaction with my colleagues, some concept development and some testing. This workflow works best for me to produce innovative ideas.
What is your background before you started working at RADIATE?
I have moved around quite a bit. Upon completion of a Bachelor and a Master degree in mechanical engineering in my hometown (Valencia) I moved to Germany where I did a second Master in product development at the RWTH. Thereafter I worked for a year in the electronics industry for an American company in the Netherlands. Finally, I worked at Thömus, a Swiss bicycle brand in Bern, before moving to Zurich to join RADIATE.
What motivates you?
I really like bringing new ideas to life. Furthermore, the satisfaction is even greater if I notice other people appreciating in the same way something that I have put work on.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Sports such as climbing, mountain biking or pingpong; listening to music and trying to play some with my guitar; cooking and eating; hiking and camping; riding my motorcycle; playing chess; traveling to discover new places – the list goes on and on. Luckily it feels like there is always something enjoyable to do.
What is your favourite design/engineering object or tool?
CAD software. It is both powerful and fun.
Where do you find inspiration?
In nature. Natural selection is in a way a long-term testing process and the ideas that prevail are worth paying attention to. In the words of Richard P. Feynman “…nature’s imagination far surpasses our own…”
With whom would you like to switch roles for half a year?
With Ayna, our company dog here at the office. It would be very relaxing to have such a simple life for a while.
Timothy Habermacher
MSc ETH ME, Mechanical Engineering
What does a typical working day look like for you?
I like to start in the morning by planning my day — I need this to get self-organized. During the day, I work on projects for our customers as well as on other tasks as part of the management. Having both is very important for me. It is like flying at different altitudes. My perspectives & challenges change constantly, which makes my day interesting.
What motivates you?
The freedom to innovate and work with people. I find this in projects for our customers, but also in the development and implementation of structures and processes within RADIATE. What motivates me is when I have the space to follow-up thoughts that are greater than the “now”. What also motivates me is that I am part of a great team – this is definitely the case at RADIATE.
What do you like to do in your free time?
A lot of time of my free time I spend with my wife and with friends. I like to be in nature, love hiking, especially in the mountains, and spend nights outside. I started to like arts such as concerts and visuals. Likewise, I do read — often about topics and opinions which I would not agree to, but it lets me challenge my assumptions and lets me rethink.
What is your favorite design/engineering object or tool?
Simplification. I believe that the notion of “reduction of complexity” is at the core of many improvements. Ironically, sometimes the road to simplification is more complex. But the art is to see the result—which is simple. I also like my TI-82.
Where do you find inspiration?
Definitely in nature. Ideas come to my mind by daydreaming — typically during walks in solitude. Sometimes also during concerts, where thoughts can wander all around.
With whom would you like to switch roles for half a year?
Maybe not for half a year, but for a short moment in time it would be great to switch roles with one of our customers and to see in his eyes how it is to work with RADIATE. I do think that the capacity of putting oneself in another person’s place can be very helpful for self-reflection.
What has been the most exciting moment at RADIATE for you so far?
There have been many exciting moments! Most of them are certain milestones. Possibly the most exciting milestone in the past few years was when I got my hands on the first and brand new Silverton SL wheels in a factory in Taiwan. It was a long journey to arrive at the point when the design was completed and infrastructure was set up to start manufacturing.