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?

Brush my teeth, then do back exercises.

What is the best thing about your job?

The fact that you are constantly learning, which continually raises new questions. If you're curious, it's an amazing feeling.

A moment that changed your life?

Arriving in Los Angeles alone in August 2007 at the age of 25 and settling in. After completing my engineering degree, I experienced a triple culture shock: I had entered an unfamiliar industry at Capital Group, right in the midst of the financial crisis – all while earning a modest trainee salary, working long hours and receiving consistently tough feedback. It felt like a fight for survival, but at the same time it was incredibly stimulating.

What cars do you own? Which is your favorite?

In Switzerland, I only use Mobility car-sharing services alongside public transport. In LA, I had a Dodge Intrepid with plenty of scratches, dents and holes, which I bought for USD 1,000. For those familiar with the TV series: Al Bundy drove the same model in Married... with Children.

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

To take everything – especially myself – much less seriously.

What are you particularly proud of?

Pride is a strange concept…

What do you do when you have doubts?

I discuss them with people I trust on the subject in question and then try to find my own way.

What is your favorite wine?

I tend to drink champagne and Campari.

What projects are you currently working on?

We have just received our major FINMA license and are now primarily focused on scaling up.

What do you admire in other people?

When they work hard to make even more of their strengths and the best of their weaknesses, remain open-minded and are able to change their views. Many people consider themselves mentally flexible, but in my experience, very few actually are. Cultivating this ability is a real art, and something I struggle with myself.

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

How much administrative work there is to do every day and just how incredibly interesting our research is. You really can't understand it unless you've experienced it yourself.

What is your personal drive?

I think it's my curiosity about how the world works and why we exist.

What are you afraid of?

Murderers. I watch too many crime dramas.

Your favorite watch brand?

I don't know enough about watches. I do notice the old rectangular Cartier watches when other people wear them.

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

To make The Singularity Group's successful equity investment strategy the most widely used, including, for example, by the Swiss National Bank (SNB). That way, all investors would be wealthier and happier while taking less risk, and could invest more money in even more important things such as healthcare, space exploration or handbags. Perhaps we would then find out more quickly what happens after death or where the aliens live.

Your best investment?

The time I invest in my family, friends and The Singularity Group.

Evelyne Pflugi is CEO of The Singularity Group (TSG), a FINMA-regulated manager of collective assets based in Zurich. She founded TSG in 2017 to make applied innovation accessible to equity investors. Her career includes positions at Capital Research Global Investors (London), The Capital Group (Los Angeles) and GAM Investment Management (Zurich). She holds a Master's degree in Engineering Sciences, specialising in Food Science, Biochemistry and Biotechnology, from ETH Zurich.