Advocacy in the spotlight: Meet Dave Spielmann, director IMBA Schweiz

Since October 2020, Dave Spielmann is IMBA Schweiz new director. Dave succeeds Martin Wyttenbach who did the preparatory work getting IMBA Schweiz started and now returns to the Zurich University of Applied Science to be in charge of the environmental engineering research group. Time to get to know a bit more about Dave who lives in the Engadin Valley (Graubunden) and has been riding bikes since he was a boy growing up in Davos.  What have you done before becoming IMBA Schweiz new director? Where could people know you from? I have a rather diverse CV. From training in a 5-star hotel to business studies and high finance in Zurich. For about 5 years I have been working hard to turn my passion into my profession. I have been intensively involved in guiding, MTB training, tourism, content creation and simply mountain biking. This as an independent entrepreneur, for Swiss Cycling, for tourism and with various partners. What motivated you to accept this role?  For me it takes my work to the next level. I love to help people grow with and on the bike. In skills sessions, training and more. With the opportunity to bring all my knowledge and network into the IMBA job, I aim to reach many more mountain bikers and help them to have better conditions and more fun. How did you experience your first weeks on your new job?  Interesting and challenging. I tried to get an overview as quickly as possible and to get fully involved in the project. But it is quite complex, we are still in the initial and development phase. I have very high expectations of IMBA Switzerland and myself. But I have to concentrate on the very simple principle: one step at a time. Could you tell us a bit about IMBA Schweiz vision and ambition? Or projects? IMBA Switzerland wants to be the voice of Swiss mountain bikers. We want to help the community grow and be heard by all stakeholders. We must build trust and work on all our responsibilities. We already have some big projects in the pipeline. But we need to focus on our base, that is, the mountain bikers out there. What’s needed in Switzerland to fully unlock the potential of mountain biking? Cooperation and community  How can local groups or individuals support or get involved in the work of IMBA Schweiz? We are working intensively on this network. It is so important. local groups can be members and individuals can become supporters. we are working on building up communication channels and information platforms so that this network has easy access to what you need. there is a lot going on in Switzerland. In 2021, IMBA Schweiz will ……..? Building trust and bringing the mountain bike community together.