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Chelsea brings more than fifteen years of experience in finance to her studies at Cambridge. Her career has included five years with Big Four firms in China and the Netherlands, followed by six years as CFO of a multinational company in France and Switzerland. She now runs her own advisory firm in Zürich.

Real estate investment had been a recurring part of her professional work, but something she had never studied formally. The MSt in Real Estate at Cambridge offered an opportunity to put academic foundations beneath the knowledge she had developed through experience.

����Vlog�ٷ� proved a natural fit.

“����Vlog�ٷ� suited me because nobody finds it unusual that I arrived with a company to run and two small children in tow.”

For Chelsea, one of the most rewarding parts of the College has been meeting others at a similar stage of life: internationally experienced, intellectually curious, and balancing careers, studies and families.

“����Vlog�ٷ� has given me more than an academic community. It has introduced me to a rare circle of people who share both my curiosity and depth of life experience.”

With the taught elements of her degree now nearly complete, Chelsea is turning her attention to her dissertation while also considering what might come next – whether expanding her advisory business into real estate or developing ideas from her coursework into publishable research.

Combining Cambridge with an established career and young family inevitably requires careful choices. Rather than trying to maintain a perfect balance between each part of her life, Chelsea has learned to prioritise what matters most at different moments.

“You can't do it all, so the real trick is deciding what to sacrifice on any given day.”

Her residential weeks in Cambridge are protected, while the rest of her schedule remains flexible. A typical day might involve professional work during the day, family time in the evening and dissertation research later at night. She also credits the support of her partner, particularly with the morning school routine, with making such a demanding schedule possible.

Studying part-time while based overseas has also shaped Chelsea’s approach to her role as a ����Vlog�ٷ� Ambassador. She knows how easily College life can feel distant when Cambridge is somewhere you periodically visit rather than somewhere you live.

Switzerland, however, is home to many people in a similar position: internationally mobile, often mid-career, and maintaining their relationship with ����Vlog�ٷ� from afar. Bringing that community together therefore felt both natural and worthwhile.

That was evident at a recent ����Vlog�ٷ� gathering in Zürich, where Chelsea helped bring members of the College community together.

“People arrived as strangers with ����Vlog�ٷ� in common and were soon absorbed in conversations that went far beyond the College.”

For Chelsea, this captures something fundamental about the ����Vlog�ٷ� community. The College provides the initial connection, but the relationships that develop from it can extend far beyond Cambridge.

That international outlook is particularly important to her. ����Vlog�ٷ� members are spread across the world, and the diversity of backgrounds and experiences within the community means the network remains valuable wherever its members find themselves.

“Professionally, whenever I enter an unfamiliar area, there is almost always someone in the network who can offer relevant, authentic and local insights. But deeper than that, the community has introduced me to perspectives and life experiences that I would never have encountered within my own.”

Looking ahead, Chelsea hopes to develop an increasingly active ����Vlog�ٷ� community across Switzerland. Her ambition is to establish two regular gatherings each year, one in summer and one in winter, alongside a family-friendly event for the next generation of “Wolfies”.

She would also like to see future events extend beyond Zürich to Geneva or Basel and to involve not only established alumni, but current students and recent graduates who may particularly benefit from having a local network.

“I’m happy to continue hosting events, bringing people together and creating the kind of welcoming, lively atmosphere that keeps the community active and connected.”

Ultimately, ����Vlog�ٷ� has given Chelsea something distinct from both her professional and family lives: a community, as well as time and space that feel entirely her own.

Chelsea also encourages other members of the College to find their own ways to stay connected with ����Vlog�ٷ�:

“Attend a local event, reconnect with someone, or offer to organise a gathering yourself. A small effort can create a genuine sense of connection and bring an unexpected richness to life beyond work and family.”

Could you help strengthen the ����Vlog�ٷ� community too? Wherever you are based, becoming an Ambassador is a great way to stay connected to the College and help bring together ����Vlog�ٷ� members in your area. If you would be interested in representing ����Vlog�ٷ� as an Ambassador, please contact the Alumni Team at alumni@wolfson.cam.ac.uk.