Several times a year, we take you behind the scenes at Sensile Technologies to meet one of our team members. Today, we invite you to meet Cédric Morel, Managing Director, who has just celebrated 25 years with the company.
A quarter century of growth
Cédric Morel joined Sensile Technologies in May 2001, at a time when it was still a start-up based at the EPFL Innovation Park. After earning a degree in materials science from EPFL and completing a research stint in Japan, he joined as project manager and quickly developed a keen interest in sales and customer relations. In 2004, shortly after starting an Executive MBA programme at HEC Lausanne, he was appointed Managing Director, sharing leadership with Jean-Marc Uehlinger, who took charge of operations and technology.
“Leading a start-up on your own is no small feat” explains Cédric. “Having a partner with complementary skills allows you to compare views and avoid feeling isolated when facing strategic decisions.” This strong sense of partnership and unwavering optimism has enabled our company to successfully navigate its critical years of growth. “A pessimist would probably lose sleep in a role like this. Our engineering mindset, focused on finding solutions, has always prevailed.” he adds. We achieved profitability in 2007 and moved from the Innovation Park in 2009 to establish ourselves in Morges, overlooking the lake—an important milestone that reflected our maturity without losing our spirit of innovation.
The acquisition by the German group WIKA in 2020 marked a new phase. “This integration gave us access to the group’s resources and highly specialised expertise, while preserving our independence,” notes Cédric. “Our start-up DNA endures, reinforced by the strength of a large organisation.”
A genuinely customer-focused philosophy
Cédric oversees sales, customer support, finance and human resources. He has delegated part of the business development but continues to manage long-standing clients. “We build long-term relationships, and that matters to me,” explains Cédric, who notes that his “long-standing knowledge of the company, clientele and market behaviour is particularly valued by our partners”.
His motto is unequivocal: “The customer always comes first. Everything else can wait.” This focus on people also extends to his teams. “Sensile wouldn’t be here without the skill and commitment of our staff. I do my best to make sure everyone feels at ease and to sort things out whenever necessary.”
Travel, risk management and a passion for the Alps
Cédric is originally from the canton of Vaud in Switzerland and has lived in the United States, Germany and Japan. Married to an Australian woman he met in the Land of the Rising Sun, and the father of two teenagers, he travels regularly between trade fairs and client visits, while also taking advantage of holidays with his in-laws to meet clients in Oceania.
On weekends, it is often the high mountains that beckon. As a trip leader for the Swiss Alpine Club, he practises mountaineering and ski touring at altitudes above 4,000 metres. He draws an illuminating parallel between his passion and his role as a manager: “In mountaineering, as in business, risk management is central. The aim is to bring everyone back safe, sound and satisfied. You have to find the right balance: ensuring sufficient safety effectively, without over-securing. Otherwise, the climb becomes too long and the summit unreachable.” A delicate balance that Cédric navigates successfully.