What friends tell about Gabi:

Diana pageDiana: How did you get to know and since when you know gabi?
I know her from a job interview at TBWA in 1990. She hired me as an advertising assistant despite the fact that I wasn’t experienced at all and her boss wasn’t convinced. However, I though it was a brilliant idea ;-))
What was the funniest or most exciting experience with her?
We have been together on an absolutely unforgettable trip through Costa Rica at the time. But there was this incident: one morning we we’ve been in the restaurant for breakfast and placed our order. Comfortably sitting there we were waiting for our food. But then all of a sudden Gabi changed her color. Her face turned red and swollen. Her lips became huge and she could hardly see anything anymore as her eyes were nearly closed. We had to leave immediately. I had the presence of mind running to the street and high-jacking the next best car. The family in the car wanted to drive in the opposite direction but I was very convincing in telling the driver that he had to drive us NOW into the hospital. He followed my request! On our way to the hospital Gabi suffered more and more shortness of breath, I’d had to tell her to breath. In the hospital the next obstacle was the waiting area full of patients. Of course I couldn’t care less and I grabbed the first man with a white coat. Then everything happened really quickly: Gabi got an antihistamine injection. And it was like a little wonder: after a few minutes only she got better and after a while it felt like nothing had ever happened.
Another memory stems from the time when Gabi came back from London: my brother and I gave her a place to stay in our apartment as she didn’t have a place to live yet. The dining room was quickly changed into a sleeping room for her. A bit quirky, but it was a good solution – at least a roof over one’s head. And the three of us had a great time – the mood was very easy going.
How would you describe her character (nature, strengths/weaknesses)?
Lively, eloquent, widely read, humorous, sometimes also hard-headed (though this what she tells about me as well), empathetic, imaginative, generous, reliable, and and and … just a wonderful friend, I value extremely with all her qualities.
Would you travel with her for 3 months around the globe as a backpacker?
Anytime. Important to know though is that she never should be hungry if you are on the road with her. Smart guys always carry some food with them to be able to react immediately to Gabi’s hunger attack. This is the best way to avoid bitchiness 😉 Gabi really becomes a pain in the neck when she is hungry.
What travel tips you have for her?
Take it easy. Stay relaxed even in annoying situations and do not waste energy on things you cannot change. Staying calm will definitely be her biggest challenge.

Beni pageBeni: I met Gabi 30 years ago (oh yes, we are that old!), when she did her first steps into advertising. She started as a trainee in the advertising agency in Kilchberg I was working for as well. We had great fun despite the very dictatorial owner of the agency. Nevertheless we found the time to have a snug Jass afternoon here and there. Even back then her laugh was so catching.
We lost sight of each other for some years until we met again at EURO RSCG. I didn’t remember but Gabi reminded me in her frank, fresh and open way. It was at that time when I met Peter as well with whom I get on really well. That they become a couple wasn’t clear for me at the time (but I am anyway bad with such things).
Our paths again went separate ways. But not for ever. And again it was the job which re-united Gabi and me: the last 11 years she worked with me at UBS.
But there is more that’s connecting Gabi, Peter and me – our passion for motor biking. Several times Gabi and Peter invited me to join their yearly autumn bike tour; the last 3 years it did work out well and did some wonderful trips together.
They will see and experience a lot in the future as well during their extensive travels with their extraordinary vehicle. Enjoy it! I will definitely be a heavy user of their website.

maria  änggi pageMaria & Änggi: We think we can count ourselves as one of the oldest friends of Gabi – over 30 years – which also resulted in her being the godmother of our son Mischa.
One of our memories:
After an exhausting, but wonderful day out skiing in Meiringen, Gabi wanted to pamper us with a nice and perfect “Schümli Pflümli”. Unfortunately she grabbed the wrong can and sweetened the coffee with salt instead of sugar – what a fantastic taste!!!
With Gabi we’ve chosen the best godmother you can imagine – and she expanded her role to Mischa’s twin sister Deborah as well. And even when our younger daughter Vanessa was born, Gabi was there helping with words and deeds. A lot with deeds: it’s the right time now to say thank you; we always enjoyed it and leaned back when you visited us.
To sum it up: we are really glad to have you Gabi as our best friend and godmother. You always have an open ear for us and you are at our side supporting us when we need it.

ThommyThommy: Gabi, do you remember what we’ve done that weekend so many years ago? Was it more about having drinks in the evening or more about driving bikes? Peter was nearly falling asleep already in that little bar in Lugano.
You were so clever: first you put a jinx on my monster, so that we caught a sun burn on the Simplon pass. The culmination point though was your self-violation; you gave us men the chance to demonstrate how solution oriented we are. Oh yes the hormones got going – unforgettable.
I was always impressed how you live your emotionality and by your sensitivity. You allow your feelings verbally to be in the open yard. You get involved and engaged, you take a center stance and you like to approach people.
But you also like to nag. I remember a dinner in Sörenberg where you did give the servants of the restaurant a hard time because of a badly cooked piece of meat.
Well, where you are convinced to be right your rhetoric is activated and flourishes; you can be very persistent and therefore a challenge in discussions.

Anke pageAnke: Actually I feel like I know Gabi already my entire life, but in fact I only met her at her father’s funeral where she held an impressive speech. Later I met her from time to time at her mother’s home, who was my neighbor and surrogate mother. We got along straightaway. Gabi became a friend and sister for me. Sadly we had to say goodbye to her mother in October 2010. Together we dissolved the household. The personal contact is not that often apart from our skype sessions, but if we skype it’s a longer thing: with a cup of coffee or a glas of wine and a cigarette. No matter what’s happening then, we take our one or two hours! With Gabi I can chat about everything. She is funny, cosmopolitan, authentic, can give advice most of the time and builds me up again.
Regards the questions:
Would I travel around the world with her for 3 months? Of course I would, every time without hesitation.
What she’s good at: managing, listening, supporting others.
My advice for her: stay the way you are. Enjoy your future journeys and don’t let you stop in doing so.

Marc pageMarc: After I got to know Peter, we arranged a dinner with the 4 of us – and there Peter brought the thunder with him: Gabi!
Gabi takes care that Peter comes across best; she sets the last point on his comments; she ensures that the thunderbolt is more than a short flashlight in the sky. Gabi and Peter – though two completely different elements – do not compete with each other, but rather complement one another. None of them is in the way of the other, together they achieve the biggest effect. Bolt with thunder is just a short spark, thunder without bolt only loud rumble.
What Gabi whips in the kitchen is vigorous and formidable, what Peter serves from the wine cellar is illuminating and elegant.
The travel reports from Peter are the chapter headlines the add-ons from Gabi the action copy. Peter gives the facts, Gabi the emotion.
Sometimes refreshing, sometimes awesome, always different and for sure never boring.
We hope for many further thunderstorms, even when the Globi age has begun.

irene pageIrene: Since March 2003 we have been working in the same team. During these 11 years we’ve done so many projects, worked so many overtime hours and were such a great team. So much time we spent in the office our partner couldn’t even spend with us.
What she’s really good at is stop smoking (i am still extremely puzzled how she did that) – just mental strength ;-). What she’s missing though somtimes is the patience.
With her friends she appreciates most reliability, honesty, smartness, humor and high spirits.
Over the next few years you will hopefully enjoy many trips, impressions and experience a lot of funny and interesting stories and post them on your blog – or share in person with us whenever you are in Switzerland!