For a second time, Swiss Deluxe Hotels — in partnership with Audi Switzerland and Prestige Magazine — organised a talk series Circle of Progress. This time, on a sunny afternoon at the Dolder Grand Hotel in Zurich, Circle of Progress brought together entrepreneurs and visionaries from various lifestyle and business areas to start conversations on the topic of transformation within the luxury sector.
The event’s speakers included Markus Kramer (MD, Brand Affairs AG and Visiting Professor, Bayes Business School London), Dieter Jermann (Brand Director, Audi Schweiz), Oliver Brunschwiler (consultant, entrepreneur, and member of the Board of Directors of Freitag AG), and Heiko Stahl (General Manager of Vitra International AG).
Adapting to changing values, luxury brands are now aligning with new societal priorities — particularly sustainability and ethics — to appeal to conscious consumers seeking authenticity. As such, the luxury sector offers valuable lessons and insights that other industries can learn from.
Inspired by the talk series’s theme of “The New Workplace Purpose,” Heiko Stahl backed the notion that hybrid work arrangements are here to stay. He also touched on how offices of the future would evolve to reflect the changing demands, becoming more than just a physical space but rather a reflection of the evolving culture and norms.
Dieter Jermann, Brand Director, Audi Schweiz, took the opportunity to talk about the challenges facing the automotive industry in becoming more sustainable. Always a proponent of quality, he said that ‘today, producing beautiful or fast cars is no longer enough. We must evolve from a vehicle manufacturer to a mobility and ecosystem provider with maximum customer focus.’
Audi’s new charging hub concept brings just that innovation to the table. A fusion between an electric car charging station and a lounge, it aims to turn charging time into something more enjoyable, productive, engaging, and social for users. Featuring lithium-ion batteries from retired Audi test vehicles and fast-charging infrastructure, it also puts less strain on the local power grid.
Photos: Fabian Wyttenbach
