Clocking on
Clocking on
Lauren Owen CA, Tax Accounting Senior Manager at EY, Zurich, talks to Rachel Ingram about working in Switzerland before and after Brexit and why, despite the obstacles, she keeps coming back to the land of milk and honey
With an exhilarating outdoor lifestyle, stunning scenery, easy access to much of Europe and a thriving finance sector, Switzerland should be top of many expats’ bucket lists. But it isn’t the easiest European country for which to arrange a secondment. Before Brexit, CAs looking to work there may have worried about the high cost of living and the language barrier (many local companies use German as their first language). Now, though, visas are the biggest hurdle.
Following Brexit, immigrants from the UK must undergo a stringent application process and receive company or spouse sponsorship to gain a work visa. Luckily for those working with an international firm, the process is still relatively straightforward – and the reward is worth the effort.
Lauren Owen CA has made her home in the heart of Switzerland’s banking sector. Initially moving over from Leeds in 2018 for a secondment with EY in Zurich, she enjoyed her experience so much that, on returning to the UK, she set her sights on a longer-term move. She achieved her goal and is now happily settled and working as Tax Accounting Senior Manager at EY in Zurich.
As Owen prepares to extend her visa once again, she opens up about her journey and reveals what keeps her coming back to Switzerland.
“Before university, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do career-wise. Maths was my strongest subject at school, so I chose it for my degree, but I developed a spark for accountancy after meeting the Big Four at a careers fair. I added an accountancy module to my degree and did my placement year at EY. I started my CA qualification during that year and, after graduating, rejoined EY and completed it.
“I’ve always had a desire to teach, so after three years, I left EY to teach accountancy for a year. It was a great experience, but I missed the international aspect of my previous role. So I rejoined my team at EY and asked my team leaders about potential international experiences. They came back to me with an opportunity in tax accounting in Zurich.
“At the time, the limit of my experience of Switzerland was passing through Geneva on my way to a ski holiday in the French Alps, but I went into it with a very open mind. The initial agreement was to stay for a minimum of six months, but once I got here and settled in, I decided to stay longer.”
First impressions
“I wasn’t sure if I would be limited to working in countries where English is the main language, but a European country was a better fit [than places such as the US or Australia] because my now-husband was staying in the UK and I could easily travel back and forth.
“Before coming, I did a lot of research around where I might live and how much it would cost. The rental prices were shockingly high, but salaries are also high so it balances out.
“I’d heard a lot about the Alps and skiing but not much about the city itself, so when I came to Zurich I was surprised how lively and vibrant it is. Most weekends there is something going on, especially in the summer when there are lots of pop-up events – at the moment there’s an open-air cinema. There’s always a mix of traditional events, such as the end of summer carnival, and more modern music festivals and parties. Food trucks also pop up in various locations and in winter the Christmas markets are really nice.
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“There’s a big focus on hobbies and people like to exercise a lot, which makes for a nice culture. Even at work, people are encouraged to take time for their activities outside the office. You can swim in the lake and the rivers, which are amazingly clean. Since I’ve been in Switzerland, I’ve started cross-country skiing – in the winter, I can go from the city to the tracks in about an hour and a half. The public transport in Switzerland is very good, even in the tiny villages in the mountains, and it’s easy to travel to other countries. A few weeks ago, I went to Lake Como for a weekend.”
Take two
“The first time I came to Zurich was for 18 months. When I moved back to the UK, the Covid lockdowns started a few weeks later, so my experience was tainted, but even so, I realised I hadn’t been ready to leave Zurich. I felt my experience had been cut short. My husband also felt he had missed out on the opportunity to live elsewhere. We considered taking a risk and going somewhere else, but we knew we both liked Zurich and there was still a lot more to explore, so we came back after just two years in the UK.
“The surprising thing about our return was the immigration process. The first time was pre-Brexit; when I came back post-Brexit everything was noticeably more difficult. Now, it requires employer sponsorship to get work permits, which involves a much lengthier application process. Previously, it was almost automatic.
“I was able to transfer with my company, but for my husband it was more of a challenge to find a job without having the local language. We were lucky because once we were married, provided my income met certain requirements, he was able to come over without a company sponsorship, which gave him more options. For non-international firms, there’s not much motivation to go through the sponsorship process if they have someone they can recruit from within the EU. He managed to find something and is now learning German to give him more opportunities.
“Another benefit was my CA qualification. A lot of people in Switzerland do a master’s degree, which I didn’t, so having the CA on my CV as a post-degree education definitely helped me. It’s also a good skillset to have because in Switzerland it’s not common for a tax person to have an accountancy background.”
Work life
“Switzerland is a small country and market, so there’s opportunity to take ownership and get involved in more things because there aren’t such huge teams covering everything separately. I chose to get involved in mentoring and won an Inspiring Mentor award this year through EY, which was a really positive experience.
“Office life here feels more formal than back home, especially with the dress code, which, in the UK, had been relaxed if you weren’t meeting clients by the time I left. On the upside, everyone takes timekeeping more seriously and is punctual. And people take lunch breaks and often sit together as a team instead of at their desks. There’s also a formal mentoring scheme which I’ve benefited from and used to meet female leaders in the sector.
“The ICAS network is another support system. Our Ambassador, Rosie [Clark CA], organises events every quarter or half-year and it’s always nice to meet up with people from your home country to share stories. Most people I’ve met have made a real success out of moving to Switzerland, which is reassuring to hear.
“I’d strongly recommend living abroad because it gives you a fresh perspective and an opportunity to work with people from different cultures. Before I came, I thought the way things are done in the UK was the best, but when you open yourself up to doing things differently, in both work and personal life, you can surprise yourself.
“Being open-minded is key. When the opportunity in Switzerland came up, I didn’t have much knowledge of the country or how the move would impact my career, but I gave it a go and it paid off. My secondment was scheduled to end in April 2025 but I’m in the process of extending it already – and I’ll keep staying for as long as I’m enjoying it.”
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