Posts Tagged ‘Volunteerism’

Doing Well by Doing Good, Part 3 of an Occasional Series

Monday, June 22nd, 2009
Swiss Puppets in Heimatwerk

Swiss Puppets in Heimatwerk

Research shows that longevity is positively correlated with having a purpose in life. For many people, the current recession is a challenge to re-examine the purpose and meaning of work. After reading an article in the Wall Street Journal about professionals performing volunteer work to transition into new careers, I thought I would share my own experience of merging my interests in the non-profit sector with my corporate career to start my own business. As an investment banker working with insurance industry clients, I was given the opportunity to join one of them. I relocated to Zurich, Switzerland to become a senior executive of the Swiss Reinsurance Company. This photograph, by the way, is one I took of a shop window in Zurich. It is Heimatwerk, a shop of hand-crafted Swiss goods. While working at Swiss Re, I continued to volunteer my time and business experience for charitable projects, including working with Opportunity International. I served on its Board of Governors, helping with fundraising and other needs. Opportunity International is a non-profit organization sponsoring microfinance operations in 25 developing countries. Microfinance is the provision of small-scale loans to poor people to allow them to start their own businesses and work their way out of poverty. Opportunity International was my introduction to microfinance. I could see the connection between the work I was doing for Swiss Re and the need for broader social insurance protection for the poor who are employed in the informal sector.