In the section Backstage, interesting personalities from the financial sector and beyond provide insights into their personal preferences every Wednesday.

What do you do first in the morning?

My morning routine is deliberately simple and efficient, exactly the way I like it. It consists of just a few essential steps: eating a light breakfast, getting ready, enjoying a good cup of coffee and setting my goals for the day. After that, I am ready to start the day.

What is the best thing about your job?

The opportunity to tangibly improve patients’ lives and sometimes even fundamentally change them.

A moment that changed your life?

I do not believe my life was shaped by one single defining moment. Rather, I see it as a sequence of moments – some small, others quite ordinary – that gradually shape who we become. Like building a Lego house, each experience adds another building block: some form a solid foundation, others require adjustments, and sometimes you have to take the bricks apart and rebuild. It is the sum of these moments, not a single turning point, that creates meaning, direction and growth.

What cars do you own? Which is your favorite?

I currently drive an Audi. I greatly value high-quality products and particularly admire German engineering as well as craftsmanship in automotive manufacturing.

What advice would you give to your 20-year-old self?

Over the years, I have developed three guiding principles that have never let me down:

• Dream big. Much is possible if you have the courage to believe in yourself and fight for it.
• Work hard. There is no substitute for hard work when it comes to success.
• Stay open. There is a great deal we do not know; openness creates opportunities and new possibilities.

What are you particularly proud of?

First and foremost, my family. And secondly, what we as a team at Oculis are achieving together.

My children’s success is largely thanks to my wife, who has always been the backbone of our family – supportive, caring and deeply dedicated. In French, there is a saying: «une main de fer dans un gant de velours» – an iron hand in a velvet glove.

At Oculis, I am proud of how far we have come together. Since 2018, we have developed the company from a venture-backed project with a single drug candidate based on an as-yet unproven technology into a publicly listed company in a late stage of development. Several key study results are imminent. None of this would have been possible without the exceptional commitment of our team, with whom I very much enjoy working.

What do you do when you have doubts?

I seek advice from leading experts in order to better understand the challenge, take time to reflect and then decide how to proceed.

What is your favorite wine?

I have a particular fondness for two wine regions: Argentina, where I lived for many years with my family, and Lavaux. Recently, I have increasingly been choosing wines from the region in order to support the local economy and Swiss winemaking expertise. We live here in an exceptional landscape, surrounded by vineyards, and I would like – however modestly – to contribute to an industry that is currently facing major challenges.

What projects are you currently working on?

We are focusing on three key objectives:

• The market launch of the first eye drops for the treatment of diabetic macular edema, a potentially blinding complication of diabetes that is currently treated with injections into the eye.
• The development of the first precision-medicine approach in ophthalmology for dry eye disease, with the aim of predicting which patients are most likely to respond to treatment.
• The advancement of neuro-ophthalmology and neurology through a truly novel drug candidate with broad potential for various neurodegenerative diseases.

What do you admire in other people?

Courage, expertise and integrity.

What would be the biggest surprise for someone who had to take over your job for a day?

The enormous variety of topics I have to deal with in a single day. And the ability to switch between them almost instantly, while either going into detail or maintaining the big picture, depending on what is required.

What is your personal drive?

As a trained physician, my greatest motivation is to help patients in a truly profound way. That is why I chose the pharmaceutical industry, because it enables me to potentially impact millions of lives. I also enjoy solving complex problems, especially when someone says something is not possible. For me, it is never about small, incremental changes, but about making a real difference.

What are you afraid of?

I have very few real fears – except when it comes to the health and well-being of my children. In that respect, I am no different from other parents.

Your favorite watch brand?

I greatly appreciate fine watches, and although there are many brands I admire, I have a particular fondness for the Geneva watchmaker F.P. Journe. It is known for its motto «Invenit et Fecit» as well as for its historic watchmaking tradition and its modern, avant-garde engineering.

Is there an unfulfilled dream you would still like to realize?

I am a passionate gourmet, enjoy cooking and like hosting friends and family. One day, perhaps in retirement, I would like to run a restaurant or acquire an olive grove and produce high-quality olive oil.

Your best investment?

Education and training. Building profound knowledge and a solid foundation is crucial. Without that depth, it becomes very difficult to make good decisions.

Dr. Riad Sherif joined Oculis as CEO in December 2017. Under his leadership, the company evolved from a hospital project with a single drug candidate into a publicly listed biopharmaceutical company with three clinical programs in ophthalmology and neuro-ophthalmology. Previously, he held senior leadership roles at Sanofi, Novartis and Alcon. He holds an M.D., an MBA from IMD and a Master’s degree in Medical Management.