Yonedys Ramirez: aiming high – on the pitch and in his career

Yonedys, how did you end up in your current profession?

After finishing school, I started a two-year apprenticeship as a building cleaner (EBA) at ISS. During my first year of the apprenticeship, I worked at Jowa in Volketswil (now the Fresh Food & Beverage Group), and during my second year at Sihlcity. After that, I continued my training to become a building cleaner with an EFZ certificate - another two years. In my third year of apprenticeship, I worked in the building maintenance department in Schlieren, mainly cleaning stairwells, and in my fourth year, I worked at the Schaffhausen Cantonal Hospital and also gained experience in various nursing homes.

And what happened after your apprenticeship?

My EFZ diploma, which I earned in August 2021 with a grade of 5.3, was recognized by ISS with an award: I could choose between a continuing education voucher worth 3,000 francs or a two-month language study abroad program. I chose the latter and traveled to Malta in October. It was a great experience, and I was able to significantly improve my English.

Back in Switzerland, I started working in December as a specialist cleaner at the Tertianum in Winterthur, primarily handling deep cleaning. During that time - it was still the COVID-19 pandemic - I often filled in on short notice when someone was out.

In December 2022, I was promoted to Cleaning Site Manager. It was a major challenge and, at the same time, a unique opportunity: fresh out of my apprenticeship, with just one year of professional experience, I was suddenly responsible for staff, customer contact, work schedules, quotes, and orders.

I learned a lot through “learning by doing,” but I was also able to attend some training courses and received a lot of support, for example from Marc Fassbind (Time@ISS). ISS placed its trust in me, and I hit the ground running: I got my hands on reference books on management, organization, and leadership and pursued intensive professional development.

What has particularly shaped you along this path?

There were several changes in leadership - I had four different supervisors within a short period of time. My former supervisor, Roberto Campos, had a particularly formative influence on me. He recognized my potential and motivated me to take on responsibility.

Looking back, all those changes were also a valuable learning experience - especially when it comes to learning to take on responsibility early on and forge your own path.

Speaking of changes: You told me that you came to Switzerland when you were 14. What was that time like for you?

Yes, that’s right. I was born in the Dominican Republic and grew up in Madrid. My father received a job offer in Switzerland through his cousin at the time. My parents came first, and six months later, my two siblings and I joined them. At first, I was in what’s called a “reception class,” where I studied German intensively for a year. After that, I attended the second and third years of upper secondary school. My father, in particular, always encouraged me to actively integrate and make new friends - that made it much easier for me to settle in.

Besides work, you were also very active in sports, right?

I played basketball passionately for many years - at 1.96 meters tall, I clearly had an advantage. I started playing in the Dominican Republic, then later for a club in Madrid, and finally here in Winterthur. At first, I played purely as a hobby, but by the time I was about 15, I was playing at a higher level. I even trained and played with the men’s first team. It was very intense: training in the morning, then my apprenticeship, followed by more training. And that five to seven times a week, plus games on the weekends. It was a huge challenge and demanded a lot of stamina from me.

Why did you stop playing?

Unfortunately, I kept having knee pain - both during training and at work. And after a while, I had to make a decision: sports or my education. I wanted to finish my apprenticeship successfully and advance my career. Today, I only play for fun with friends.

Does continuing education seem like training to you - always staying on top of things and getting the best out of yourself?

(laughs) Yeah, that’s pretty much it. I’m currently completing a continuing education program to become a “Cleaning Technology Division Manager” with the Swiss Cleaning Association Allpura. I’ve already completed five modules, and the final exam is coming up in October. At the same time, I’m participating in our internal training program “From OM to FSM,” which is preparing me for the role of Facility Services Manager.

What will change for you with this new title?

In principle, I’m already performing many of those tasks today. I’m currently managing six contracts with four different clients and am responsible for everything related to cleaning: scheduling, staff management, client inquiries, quotes, quality control - it’s a very varied job. I also manage a team of 15 employees. But once I earn my diploma, I’ll have the formal qualification to back it up.

With all that, do you still have time for your personal life?

Yes, I do. I make sure I can really unwind on my days off - for example, on the weekends. That balance is important to me. I enjoy playing basketball and soccer, and I like reading books on management, leadership, and team management.