Boris Gussen

Interview

Could you tell us about your professional background and what led you to your current role at SMG Swiss Marketplace Group

Originally from the Cologne region of Germany, I hold a degree in Business Administration from University of Applied Sciences Aachen. In 1999, I completed an MBA at Newcastle University Business School. Prior to pursuing my postgraduate studies, I gained three years of professional experience in Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) and public accounting. I made the decision to pause my career and relocate to Newcastle to both further my education and broaden my international perspective.

Following my MBA, I began my career in in-house consulting with Deutsche Post DHL, transitioning into business development. Over five years, I played a key role in establishing a new business unit, which led me to take on the role of Head of Finance for a subsidiary I had helped build in a consulting capacity. From there, I progressed into a series of Head of Finance positions at eBay, both nationally and internationally – a journey that brought me to Switzerland 12 years after completing my MBA, where I now live with my family.

Over the years, I have also held senior finance leadership roles at Coca-Cola, the media company Ringier and Scout24, further broadening my experience across sectors. In my current role as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of SMG Swiss Marketplace Group , a leading joint venture in Switzerland’s digital marketplace space,  I have been serving for the past three and a half years.

Most of my career has been in finance with an excursion to in-house consulting and business development, which helped me a lot.

Looking back, is there a particular decision or opportunity that proved to be a game changer?

One of these decisions was certainly my MBA. Often, you go to a local university and find your first job somewhere around where you were born. That was initially true for me as well, and I could have progressed that way. It was a pivotal conversation with my best friend, that led us to embark on the journey to Newcastle together – seeing it as an exciting adventure that could significantly shape our personal and professional growth. Leaving everything behind wasn’t easy, but this decision marked the beginning of a more mobile and international professional life.

Taking the first step is often the hardest – but without it, the journey may never begin. I encourage every young person to study abroad if possible, or even if you only move within your country, as it widens your horizon. The MBA really was a game changer for me, and I am incredibly grateful and always look back to that time.

Thinking about the MBA, were there any specific projects or relationships that you were able to develop during your studies that helped impact your leadership approach or your approach to the corporate world?

As I mentioned, my first degree was in Business Administration. Before my MBA, I thought I had a good understanding of all business-related matters, but I quickly realised I had a lot more to learn. The MBA really pushed me and took me to a whole new level professionally. It was more strategic and had a strong international focus. Courses like organisational behaviour were broad, practical and well-rounded, and that really helped me move forward in my career. An MBA is not just a repeat of your undergraduate degree – it really sets you up for leadership and your next big step.

I remember working on a project for a small local oil trading company where we sat down with their team, did some proper analysis, and shared actionable recommendations. Another project was with a local bus company – we looked at the competitive landscape and gave them insights they could use. That hands-on collaboration with real businesses was a new, exciting and valuable experience for me, especially compared to my first degree where I mostly studied at home.

For my dissertation, I explored the cruise industry, doing marketing stats and analysis. It was great preparation for the data work I later did at eBay as it really sharpened my analytical skills.

Do you have any insights on the journey to becoming a strong leader and developing your own leadership style?

When you start your career, you are usually focused on your own department, reporting to a team lead and working within a relatively defined space. But as your role evolves, you gain visibility across the broader business and start collaborating with people from different functions, units and backgrounds. That shift is something I grew into over time.

As a CFO, for instance, you report to a CEO who may not be a finance expert. You’re part of a leadership team that includes marketing, HR, business heads, and you are also engaging with investors and other stakeholders. It’s essential to understand the unique needs of each counterpart and how to align on strategy. That requires listening, sharing perspectives, and being willing to learn what you do not yet know.

Over the first 15–20 years of my career, I was developing into a well-rounded leader. I started by managing a small team, then moved into leading departments with other managers reporting to me. Along the way, I shifted from being a hands-on instructor to more of a coach and mentor,  focusing on empowering others and building strong, capable teams.

Do you think that your time working in consulting helped you to develop new skills that propelled you into more leadership roles?

I think that can be said to be the case. Stereotypically those working in the finance industry tend to be very numbers-minded and sometimes lack the communication skills they need to simplify concepts to the level required. As a consultant, however, you need to visualise and present complex information, communicate effectively and truly understand your client. No two projects or clients are ever the same, and you need to be able to learn and adapt quickly.

Therefore, working outside of Finance still helps me to this day. I recommend everyone to move outside of their core discipline for a period to gain such transferable skills.

When you are looking to bring talent in, are there skills or mindsets that are non-negotiable?

That is a great question, because your view on talent and workplace hiring evolves over your career. Personally, I am somewhat traditional in some areas. When hiring, I do pay attention to academic track records – strong grades, additional degrees, ongoing training. It often reflects discipline and rigor, which makes me take a closer look at the CV and is a good starting point for a deeper conversation.

I also value perseverance. If someone has stayed with an organisation for a few years, worked through challenges, and earned promotions, that tells me a lot. It shows commitment and the ability to grow within a team.

And finally, I am always interested in candidates with international experience, who studied or worked abroad, speak multiple languages, or hold diverse academic backgrounds. It shows openness and adaptability – qualities I really appreciate because they’ve also shaped my own journey.

How has internal networking supported your career journey?

Looking at the past ten years of my career, I moved from a parent company into a subsidiary, and from a group management role into a CFO role.  This wouldn’t have been possible without the support of my then-manager, who also served on the board of that subsidiary. That was a classified business and was later merged with another one. Of course, I also wouldn’t have gotten that role if I had not done a respectable job before and had people who recognised my work.

As a matter of fact, many career steps happen within your network, and if you always start from scratch, you may miss opportunities. That’s why I believe in nurturing relationships, not only with external stakeholders, but also within your organisation, with colleagues and especially with decision-makers. Be present, stay engaged and contribute actively to your environment. You don’t always have to look far afield,  sometimes the next step is right where you are, if you’ve helped shape the space around you.

Thinking about industry trends, are you seeing any emerging themes or shifts that you think MBA students should be aware of?

Artificial intelligence will certainly become much more important in the future. In Finance and Accounting, this involves working with predictive models and highly automated tools generating reports on their own. At SMG, we also work closely with our IT developers who are beginning to incorporate AI into daily workflows – with more and more code now being generated by AI tools.  This is fundamentally changing how people work and how roles are defined.

There is a lot going on in the market side as well. I’m not sure whether Google will look the same in a few years and how classified businesses will develop. This puts pressure on every leader, as things are changing so fast, and that itself is a challenge when you want to provide stability for your team.

Interview conducted May 2025