Diploma Ceremony Sales Professionals 2015: 327 successful graduates honored

GRADUATION CEREMONY On Friday, September 4, 2015, the Federal Sales Specialist Certificates were presented at the Grand Casino Lucerne. 327 young talents were able to receive their brevet, which distinguishes them as practical specialists.

Nicole Beck-Taubenest, head of examinations; Corina Wermelinger, best of the year; Hans-Jürg Gehri, president of the examination board (from left to right)Around 500 people from all over Switzerland and neighboring countries took part in the national graduation ceremony for new sales specialists with a federal certificate last Friday at the Grand Casino in Lucerne. A total of 484 candidates took the challenging examination, 67.6 percent of whom passed. The overall grade average for 2015 was 4.3. Never since 2010 have more candidates passed this demanding examination, which underlines the high status of the sales specialist title - both for young talent and for companies.Human component remains importantIn his speech, Hans-Jürg Gehri, Chairman of the Examination Board, pleaded for the human element in sales: "You have acquired more knowledge, and knowledge is power. But don't forget that greater knowledge not only gives you more power, it also means you take on more responsibility." Responsibility for larger budgets, but also for employees. The focus is always on people, said Gehri, and those who internalize this can expect to have excellent opportunities on the job market: "Capable sales specialists are in great demand!" Examiner Nicole Beck-Taubenest expressed her appreciation of the candidates' commitment: "You have invested months to years of your life in your further training. A very good decision! You have dealt intensively with the core topics of your professional training and acquired new skills, new knowledge and new confidence."Excellence honoredAs in the previous year, a more comprehensive award was presented to the best graduates. Corina Wermelinger was honored with a Swiss Marketing Junior Sales Manager Award as the best graduate of the year. Other top performers in the written subjects were Suzana Jovanovic (sales planning), Ivan Spataro (sales promotion/advertising), Oliver Trinca (marketing), Lukas Nick (distribution), Maria José da Silva and Livia Zuberbühler (accounting/controlling), Andrea Roggenmoser (business statistics) and Dervish Aliu, Stefanie Buchser, Benjamin Guyer and Raphael Hadorn (legal studies for salespeople): Nicolin Camenzind (presentation and sales techniques/sales talk), Miriam Keiser (personal leadership skills), Romy Bollinger (market research), Michele Iosca (rhetoric/presentation of goods and merchandising), Robert Giesch (self-management) and Valentino Zampino (sales process).Festive and livelyThe graduation ceremony for sales professionals in 2015, hosted by the best-known Swiss TV personality Kurt Aeschbacher, provided a worthy conclusion to the training cycle. As in previous years, keyboard virtuosos Chris & Mike set the mood. A successful graduation ceremony that will live long in the memory in terms of festivity, liveliness and visitor interest.