Caroline Guinchard

Present

Since 2025 : Administrative responsible to the Sustainability service
Since 2017 : Member of the GT-Admin (working.epfl.ch)
This working group meets once per month. The group is consulted on new IT applications, instructions or new administrative processes before their implementation within the institution. It acts as a testing ground. Lab administrative assistants of the School of life sciences can send me topics they would like to have debated within the working group.

Experience at EPFL

2021-2024 : Executive assistant for the Vice-Presidency for responsible transformation
- Administrative management of the Vice-Presidency to ensure it runs smoothly (accreditation, management of server access, service accounts, financial control, credit card management, processing of orders and invoices)
- Support to the Vice-President in managing her calendar and organising complex meetings
- Support to the administrative management of human resources throughout the employee lifecycle
- Checking documents for compliance
- Support to project managers
- Organising trips and team days

Specific projects:
- Administrative support for the harassment taskforce (2021)
- Coordination for the introduction of an electronic filing system (2022)
- Support for the "Towards a sustainable campus" e-learning project (2024)

2017-2020 : Executive assistant to the Dean, School of Life Sciences
- Assistance to the Dean
- Administration and operational management of the School of Life Sciences, including drawing up the annual schedule of meetings of the Dean's Office and its official bodies, organising meetings, preparing meeting files, convening meetings, drafting minutes, following up decisions and actions
- Administrative management of the Dean's Office, recruitment and induction of new recruits
- Minutes of the Faculty Direction, School Council and Faculty meetings
- Logistic related to these meetings
- Unit Administrator of the Deanship
 
Specific projects:
- Elimination of paper archiving and introduction of an electronic filing system with access management (2018)
- Participation in various faculty projects such as the "EPFL Open House" and "Travel Less Without Loss", aimed at reducing air travel within the faculty (2018, 2019)
- During the Covid period, setting up a network of assistants to encourage the exchange of best practice and generate collective moral support (2020)

2013-2017 : Executive assistant to the Rector of HES-SO

2010 to 2013 : European Grants Specialist at the Research Office, for projects entering into the 7th Framework Program (FP7)
- Postaward European projects
- Reporting of European projects for the Schools ENAC, I&C, CDH, SB, SV, CDM (Ideas, People, Cooperation, Capacities)
- Assistance/training to secretaries for the administrative management of the projects
- Website update for the postaward phase
- External audit organisation
- User support for the Research Participant Portal of the European Commission

2007-2010 : Secretary at the Global Health Institute
-Webmaster of the GHI website
-Assistance to new professors in the installation of their laboratory
-Secretary (a.i.) for Professors Melanie Blokesch, Nicola Harris and Christian Doerig
-Secretary for the Laboratory of Prof. Denis Duboule, ISREC
-Webmaster for the laboratories' websites

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2017-...       EPFL - see above
2013-2017 HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Delémont - Executive assistant to the Rector
2007-2013 EPFL - see above
2005-2007 Maersk Line, Geneva - HR & Administrative assistant
2005-2007 Danish Consulate, Geneva - Consular assistant
2004-2005 CR Equipement, Coppet - HR & Commercial assistant
2001-2004 International Committee of the Red Cross, Geneva - HR assistant
1995-2000 International Committee of the Red Cross, abroad - Database administrator
1994-1995 Carlson Wagonlit, Luxembourg - Accounting for the European Investment Bank
1991-1994 Amercian Express, Lausanne - Secretary & Group travel organiser 
1987-1991 Securit SA, Lausanne - Executive Secretary

IN PRIVATE

Member of the Swiss School of Stained Glass and Design