Thibaud Nolf, 35: product manager, Logitech

Thibaud Nolf, who is Belgian, moved to Switzerland just over a year ago to work as one of the managers for Logitech's computer mouse products. Nolf was drawn to the country by the prospect of outdoor activities. He enjoys socialising, but jokes that he was warned during his job interview that it is not always the easiest place to meet the locals. Thibaud Nolf is a technophile with a big 'T'. As he shows off his company’s latest array of (computer) mice - which come in many shapes and sizes, with or without wires - he cannot hide his excitement. Nolf has intricate knowledge of his products – that goes with the job – but he is also capable of emulating the enthusiasm that a prospective customer might display while looking at a mobile mouse that turns itself off and clips neatly onto the outside of a laptop, or can be used from mid-air.
Luckily, he points out, the computer mouse is known as a "retail pointing device" at Logitech. “Otherwise there's the risk that I get called the mice man, which can sound like a “nice man,” he jokes. 
Originally from the French-speaking part of Belgium, Nolf lived in Munich, Germany, until July 2007 and worked for the electronics giant Siemens. Another passion brought him to Switzerland – the outdoors. He says doing outdoor leisure activities enables him to get his energy levels up for the week ahead.
 
While he was searching for a new job, he found Switzerland very attractive, "as it has the true Alps”. It marked a change from Munich, although he found the scenery around the German city very pleasant. Now he is based at Logitech’s offices in Morges, alongside Lake Geneva. The company has just under 100 employees located there. Nolf cycles the 15 kilometres or so into work, and back again in the evening.
The 35 year-old Belgian also enjoys hiking as well as cross-country skiing in the winter, but doesn’t regard himself as an expert sportsman. “For me it’s more about contact with nature than performance. I wouldn’t say I have great technique but I have fun when I ski down," he explains. "For people here, skiing is in their genes. Not in mine, as I come from a flat country!”.
 
Nolf joined a mountain club in Morges and that enables him to meet others. However, he believes that overall, there are not enough social gatherings and says he underestimated how difficult it would be to integrate in Switzerland, especially for someone who is single. Although the country meets his expectations in many respects - it is clean, and has people who are very polite and helpful - Nolf feels there is a lack of warmth and finds it hard to get close to people. His current boss pointed this out during his job interview.

Thibaud Nolf, who is Belgian, moved to Switzerland just over a year ago to work as one of the managers for Logitech's computer mouse products. Nolf was drawn to the country by the prospect of outdoor activities. He enjoys socialising, but jokes that he was warned during his job interview that it is not always the easiest place to meet the locals. Thibaud Nolf is a technophile with a big 'T'. As he shows off his company’s latest array of (computer) mice - which come in many shapes and sizes, with or without wires - he cannot hide his excitement. Nolf has intricate knowledge of his products – that goes with the job – but he is also capable of emulating the enthusiasm that a prospective customer might display while looking at a mobile mouse that turns itself off and clips neatly onto the outside of a laptop, or can be used from mid-air.
Luckily, he points out, the computer mouse is known as a "retail pointing device" at Logitech. “Otherwise there's the risk that I get called the mice man, which can sound like a “nice man,” he jokes. 
Originally from the French-speaking part of Belgium, Nolf lived in Munich, Germany, until July 2007 and worked for the electronics giant Siemens. Another passion brought him to Switzerland – the outdoors. He says doing outdoor leisure activities enables him to get his energy levels up for the week ahead.
 
While he was searching for a new job, he found Switzerland very attractive, "as it has the true Alps”. It marked a change from Munich, although he found the scenery around the German city very pleasant. Now he is based at Logitech’s offices in Morges, alongside Lake Geneva. The company has just under 100 employees located there. Nolf cycles the 15 kilometres or so into work, and back again in the evening.
The 35 year-old Belgian also enjoys hiking as well as cross-country skiing in the winter, but doesn’t regard himself as an expert sportsman. “For me it’s more about contact with nature than performance. I wouldn’t say I have great technique but I have fun when I ski down," he explains. "For people here, skiing is in their genes. Not in mine, as I come from a flat country!”.
 
Nolf joined a mountain club in Morges and that enables him to meet others. However, he believes that overall, there are not enough social gatherings and says he underestimated how difficult it would be to integrate in Switzerland, especially for someone who is single. Although the country meets his expectations in many respects - it is clean, and has people who are very polite and helpful - Nolf feels there is a lack of warmth and finds it hard to get close to people. His current boss pointed this out during his job interview.

“You are invited to their place, you get to their back door, but they don’t let you inside the house. Maybe it’s just a matter of time,” Nolf says.
 
Yet, Thibaud Nolf believes that there is no better place in Europe to bring up a family than Switzerland. He enjoys a great quality of life, despite sometimes feeling he is in a 'golden cage'.
“Even the weather is great though I find it surprising that many people complain about it,” he quips.