Resilient at Sea and in Everyday Life – The Portrait of a Successful Individual

Christian Nussbaumer: «Success Is Not an Elevator, It’s a Staircase»

Success without shortcuts, attitude instead of volume, and a life that proves endurance matters more than speed. Christian Nussbaumer is an entrepreneur, a family man—and someone who has consistently climbed the staircase all the way to the top. There are people who accompany you for decades. You grow together, stumble at the same time, get back up—and one day you realize that you haven’t just grown older, but also more composed. Christian Nussbaumer is one of those people. A companion since the mid-1990s. Someone who stayed.

Text: Zoran Bozanic

We both became self-employed around the same time. While others came and went, Christian steadily followed his path. Quietly, diligently, consistently. And above all: without shortcuts.

«There’s no elevator to the top—you have to take the stairs.» This sentence is not a marketing slogan. It’s an attitude. And most likely the common thread running through Christian’s life.

Quick questions:

What drives you?
«The joy of building something. Seeing something take shape, taking responsibility, and thinking long term.»

Looking back, what was the most important lesson?
«That setbacks are not stop signs, but signposts.»

What does success mean to you?
«Being able to decide freely—both professionally and privately.»

What advice would you give your younger self?
«Patience. And trust in your own path.»

From Restart to Growth
Christian grew up in Horgen. Down-to-earth, without much fuss. Today, his career reads like a picture-perfect story—but that would only be half the truth. Nothing was handed to him. His first step into self-employment led him to a small fiduciary firm. A lot of commitment, long days, great responsibility. Then came the break: an unexpected setback caused by his business partner at the time. A moment that would have knocked many people off course. Christian chose a different path. He started over—unprepared, but determined. Audit Treuhand AG. No safety net, no plan B. Just know-how, discipline, and the will to do things right.

Growth with Substance

Today, Christian is a partner at Aeberli Treuhand in Zurich’s Seefeld district—an established firm with around 70 employees. Taking over this company is undoubtedly one of his professional milestones. But titles and functions were never an end in themselves for him. Whether as a certified fiduciary expert, President of TREUHAND|SUISSE Section Zurich, or a member of the executive management of the national association: Christian is no loudspeaker. He convinces through competence, presence, and remarkable calm. Those around him see him as a doer. Someone who takes responsibility. And someone people enjoy having around.

Family as an Anchor

Despite all his professional success, there has always been something that took priority: family. Christian is married to Leticia, who comes from a family of doctors in Brazil. Together they have two sons—both of whom now work in the family business. A fact that clearly makes him proud. His wedding, the birth of his children—those are the true highlights. Everything else is secondary to this foundation.

Across the Atlantic—and Back to Himself

One chapter in Christian’s life stands out in particular: crossing the Atlantic in a small sailboat. Weeks in confined space. Sleep deprivation. Weather that shows no mercy. Physical exhaustion and mental boundary experiences. Anyone who goes through something like that returns changed. Perhaps even clearer. This experience is emblematic of much that defines Christian: resilience, focus, perseverance. Qualities that carry him not only on the open sea, but also in everyday life. Alongside his professional discipline, Christian keeps himself physically fit—he does as much sport as possible. For him, the old saying fits perfectly: «Mens sana in corpore sano» - a healthy mind in a healthy body.

A Man with Principles

What personally impresses me about Christian? His manner. Committed, hardworking, technically extremely solid—and at the same time always relaxed, approachable, positive. I’ve never seen him in a bad mood. Perhaps that’s exactly his recipe for success: seriousness without rigidity. Ambition without arrogance. Christian Nussbaumer is not a man of big words. But of action. Someone who took the stairs—step by step.

And that is precisely why he belongs here.

People in District 8—because true stories don’t have to be loud to leave an impression.