YES Alumni turns 20!

On October 11th, YES Alumni celebrated far more than just an anniversary: it celebrated 20 years of ambition, unforgettable encounters, and projects that have changed lives.
Around a shared meal, Alumni from the Company Programme, Youth Debate, and the Economics-Olympiad came together… like one reunites with family.
An evening to remember, but above all, to look ahead.

Dive into 20 years of YES history… and at the bottom, relive the evening in images!

2005 – The Starting Point: An Idea from the North

It all began in Oslo. Inspired by an Alumni network she discovered there, Nicole Heim (now Meier) returned to Switzerland with a strong belief: YES must have its own community, beyond the programs.
A few months later, in the winter of 2005, YES Alumni was born.

1st Era – Building the House

In 2006, Ruedi Noser, president of YES at the time, laid the foundation stone: involving Alumni directly in the Company Programme. Coaching, business plan reviews… Alumni became mentors.
2008 marked another turning point: the very first Alumni Weekend was born. It was no longer just about networking but about cohesion and about lasting connections.
Then came 2012: YES professionalized with the appointment of its first Alumni Coordinator, Bastian Zarske Bueno, and a dedicated budget. The network took shape, an organization was born.

2nd Era – The Network Expands

The YES Alumni network, up until then independent from YES, officially joined the association in 2013. Engagement increased, and so did the projects.
YES now rewarded involvement: the most active Alumni was offered a spot at the European Conference in Tallinn.
A new medium appeared: the YES Alumni Magazine.
And in 2016, a decisive alliance was formed with Accenture, the new partner with whom the Digital Award was launched. YES Alumni entered the era of impact.

3rd Era – Opening Up and Gaining Recognition

2018: Youth Debate joined the Alumni family. The network grew and enriched itself.
In the same year, for the first time, a Swiss person became president of JA Alumni Europe: Donald Aebi. A national pride.
Also born that year was the Moonshot Award—daring, visionary and led hand in hand with Accenture.

4th Era – Diversity and Sustainable Innovation

YES welcomed the Economics-Olympiad. New voices, new talents.
Once again, a Swiss, Silvan Vifian, took the helm of JA Alumni Europe, a testament to the growing influence of the network.
The Youth Debate committee launched an annual Signature Event.
And with the Sustainability Innovation Challenge, YES turned its gaze to the future, eyes focused on global challenges.

20 Years Later… and This Is Just the Beginning

YES Alumni is not just a network.
It is a community of visionaries, entrepreneurs, and thinkers.
A place where ideas grow, where generations meet, where you return… because you’ve found something truly unique.

20 years of history. An infinity of futures.