“It’s about finding the courage to take the first step”
Alumna Petra Ehmann studied Mechanical Engineering at ETH Zurich. Today, she works for the Ringier media group as Chief Innovation and AI Officer. Her technical understanding helps her to act as a bridge builder between engineers, senior management and the market.
Born in Germany but raised in Bolivia, Petra Ehmann was confronted with technical challenges from an early age. “Many of our holidays were spent in a jeep exploring the Andes, the lowlands and the Atacama Desert, which is the driest place on Earth,” says the 39-year-old engineer. “Whenever something broke, like an axle, my father would explain how it worked and show me and my sister how to fix it.” That hands-on experience – combined with an impressive aptitude for her favourite subjects of mathematics and physics – ultimately led her to pursue a mechanical engineering degree at ETH Zurich.
Ehmann could have attended any number of leading institutions, but ETH’s stellar reputation tipped the balance. “I was determined to go to the very best university I could find, and the excellence and rigour of ETH’s curriculum ticked all the boxes,” she says. Looking back, she still remembers her initial doubts as to whether she had chosen the right degree programme. The transition from school to ETH was tough, she says – not just the sheer volume of material, but also the heavily theoretical foundations. “Fortunately, my parents convinced me not to give up,” she says. As her studies progressed, the work gradually became more hands-on: “I ended up tutoring first-year students in mechanics and taking the lead role in our focus project.”
Globe A winning formula for education
This text appeared in the 25/02 issue of the ETH magazine Globe.
When Ehmann reflects on her time at university, it’s the people she remembers most. “Some professors gave me invaluable advice that I’m still grateful for today,” she says, noting that others taught her to communicate more succinctly and to speak her mind. In 2008, she completed her Bachelor’s degree at ETH, shaped not only by role model professors, but also by her membership in the Academic Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Association (AMIV). “The enriching thing about the whole AMIV experience was how it helped me build a network beyond mechanical engineering,” she says.
ETH didn’t just provide Ehmann with technical expertise; it also instilled a particular mindset that, even today, helps her break down problems and analyse them systematically in order to piece together solutions. As Ringier’s Chief Innovation and AI Officer, these skills are essential to her role in product development, strategy design and decision-making. With her solid technical background, she is also good at building bridges between engineers, senior management and the market. “I don’t need to understand every detail, but I can confidently join the conversation, which makes all the difference,” she says.
Ehmann’s message to the next generation of ETH graduates is simple: believe in yourself and take initiative! “This is your time,” she says. “Nobody has more in-depth technical knowledge, and nobody else has grown up with such a natural affinity for digital tech.” She encourages graduates to take responsibility, to take on leadership roles and to shape the future of existing com?panies; or, better still, to launch their own. And she urges them not to rest on their laurels and wait to be dis?covered: “You make your own luck by knocking not just on one door, but on ten!” But perhaps Ehmann’s most important advice is to take the plunge even when you’re not ready: “It’s not about coming up with the perfect idea. It’s about finding the courage to take the first step – and then to learn as you go.”
About
Petra Ehmann was born in Germany and raised in Bolivia. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from ETH Zurich and a Master’s degree in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University. Ehmann honed her expertise at Bosch in Mexico, Hilti in China, Kekanto in Brazil and Google in Switzerland before joining Ringier AG. In 2024, the World Economic Forum selected her as one of its Young Global Leaders, and she has been recognised three times as one of Switzerland’s Top 100 Digital Shapers.