About us

Irenka Krone-Germann

co-Founder and PTO Director

Irenka Krone-Germann, Dr. oec. (University of Geneva), is the author of the book Part-Time Employment in Switzerland, Relevance, Impact and Challenges (Peter Lang, 2011), a book on part-time employment in Switzerland.

I.Krone-Germann founded the PTO (Part Time Optimisation) association with A. de Chambrier in 2013 and has been the managing director of the PTO association since 2016.

She is also co-founder and co-manager with Razvan Oprea of the match making platform We Jobshare Gmbh, which helps people find a job or topshare partner.

Since 2023, I. Krone has been co-director of cinfo, the Swiss competence center for international cooperation, with her topsharing colleague Urs Stauffer.

I. Krone has more than 15 years of experience in job and top sharing.

From 2018 to 2022, I. Krone co-head of networks, knowledge management and communication at cinfo Biel with her colleague Nina Prochazka. She was responsible for the further development of studies and trends on IC (International Cooperation), the moderation of networks, the design of conferences and workshops as well as communication.

In 2016, I. Krone co-edited with Prof. Alain Max Guénette, HEG-Arc, the anthology job sharing, published by L’Harmattan Paris. 34 authors from five countries participated.

In 2019, I.Krone has built the platform fri-access.ch with her daughter Anika Krone in Fribourg in collaboration with Pro Infirmis and Fribourg Tourism. It is a web platform that allows people with reduced mobility to access public places more easily.

2007-2018: Program Officer in the field of international cooperation in trade promotion for developing and transition countries at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO in Bern. There she was Focal Point Sustainable Tourism. During 9 years, she managed cooperation projects in job sharing with her colleague A. de Chambrier in ten countries, from Central Asia to Eastern European countries and the African continent.

2000-2007: Activity in the field of promotion of Switzerland as a business location (Location: Switzerland), as responsible for the publications of Location: Switzerland and moderator of seminars for foreign investors in Japan, India and Great Britain.

2000: Postgraduate University Diploma in “Business Administration” at UC Berkeley Ext., USA.

1995-1999: Swiss delegate and negotiator at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and at the OECD.

1988-1995: University studies in Fribourg and Geneva. Freelance journalist for Swiss daily newspapers. She is also the author of the novel “Sans Racine”, published by Fouqué in 2006.

I. Krone is married and mother of three adult children. She is socially engaged and has been an active member of Zonta (international service club and NGO, www.zonta.org) since 2004. She is currently job-sharing Vice Co-President of the Zonta Club of Fribourg, Switzerland with her colleague Sylvie Bise.