Pascal Luther

I build and operate Gymplify and continue to develop LimmatBuddy and AareBuddy. DuckSocial is in development for an upcoming pilot. My work spans discovery, UX, implementation, app-store delivery and iteration.

Led product direction for an enterprise cloud orchestration platform across two DevOps teams and later an 11-person full-stack platform team. Turned user, stakeholder and architectural needs into product priorities, new capabilities and hands-on MVPs while owning roadmap, delivery and team development.

Planned transition I have resigned from Swisscom, effective at the end of October 2026, to focus on hands-on product building, discovery and rapid prototyping.

Zürich, Switzerland

• Led product direction and delivery first across two DevOps teams with 14 people and later an 11-person full-stack platform team; hired and onboarded six colleagues.
• Drove requirements, gap analysis and architectural topics for the NextGen Cloud Orchestration Platform, including security, IdP federation, IPAM, authentication, RBAC, CI/CD and testing.
• Built hands-on product foundations: MVP work for the next-generation Enterprise Service Cloud with Nuxt, Vue.js and TypeScript; led frontend development in the initial phase with Vue 3 and TypeScript.
• Communicated across stakeholders, engineers, architects and management, translating complex platform topics into priorities and decisions.
• Led people and team topics including reorganisation, hiring 6 colleagues, onboarding, training, performance assessments, salary rounds and general team administration.
• Owned roadmap, prioritisation, backlog, architecture alignment, quality, operations and stakeholder management for cloud orchestration, service broker and storage capabilities.
• Owned and shaped overarching platform capabilities on Large Solution level, including cloud orchestration, service broker capabilities and cloud storage services.
• Improved lean-agile collaboration, interdisciplinary work culture and ways of working within and across teams.
• Founded Swisscom’s internal Vue Community for employees working with Vue.js.

Product Leadership · Technical Leadership · Team Leadership · Platform Products · Cloud Orchestration · Service Brokers · SAFe · Jira · Vue · Nuxt · TypeScript · Spring Boot · Java · VMware vRealize · CI/CD · RBAC · IPAM · Stakeholder Management

Automated managed cloud services using VMware vRO/vRA, Python and CI/CD, held end-to-end responsibility for storage capabilities, and built platform documentation and API experiences with Vue and VuePress.

Zürich, Switzerland

• Developed orchestration components and workflows for managed cloud services including Kubernetes, Managed Oracle Databases, Managed Operating Systems and Cloud Storage Services.
• Worked with VMware vRealize Orchestrator and vRealize Automation to automate enterprise cloud service delivery.
• Held end-to-end responsibility as feature delegate for cloud storage services including SMB, NFS, iSCSI and S3.
• Handled troubleshooting, operations and on-call duties for developed and operated components.
• Designed and developed Swisscom Enterprise Service Cloud documentation using Vue.js and VuePress.
• Built customised API documentation for the vRA API.
• Developed and operated a VM scheduler in Python 3.
• Contributed to CI/CD improvements including GitLab Scheduler setup, Concourse pipelines and automated testcase execution.

Cloud Automation · VMware vRealize · vRO · vRA · VuePress · Python · CI/CD · Concourse · GitLab · Jira · API Documentation · Operations

Took an independent world trip before returning to product and technology work.

• Travelled independently, spent time in different cultures and deepened my interest in language, people, cities and how different communities work.

Led customer-facing agile delivery for enterprise cloud engagements and built Vue/Node dashboards and Python test automation.

Bern, Switzerland

• Served as Scrum Master, SPOC and developer for a deployed development team in an Enterprise Cloud IaaS project at a large Swiss telecommunications provider.
• Facilitated Scrum ceremonies including daily Scrums, retrospectives, backlog refinements and reviews, while supporting the Product Owner with backlog and stakeholder management.
• Acted as interface between Zühlke and the customer, organised steering meetings, represented the team toward customers and handled monthly team budget control.
• Maintained and extended the customer’s cloud platform test automation suite with Python.
• Built a management dashboard for migration and onboarding statistics of cloud solutions using JavaScript, Vue.js and Node.js.
• Conducted an IT landscape health check at a financial institution with focus on scalability, including stakeholder workshops, 360° review, deep dives, reporting and customer presentation.
• Supported the technical review of a merchandise management system at a catering company, including analysis, assessment, documentation and final recommendations.
• Created Zühlke’s “Engage” employee engagement programme from idea to company-wide implementation.
• Participated in the first Zühlke Innovation Academy in the Philippines with Aiducation, mentoring gifted young designers, and assisted in the creation of customer offers.

Business Analysis · Scrum Master · Stakeholder Management · Enterprise Cloud · Customer Interface · Vue.js · Node.js · Python · Test Automation · Consulting · Workshops · Community Building

Delivered requirements, migration, testing, data-quality and authorisation work for a major core-banking transformation.

Bern, Switzerland

• Served as data owner for the existing ZV-IS core banking application and introduced parts of the new TCS BaNCS core banking application.
• Created role and authorisation concepts, planned data cleanup for data quality and analysed parameter adjustments.
• Worked in the English-speaking Core Banking Transformation project for the introduction of TCS BaNCS.
• Reviewed requirements for parameterisation and migration objects in collaboration with PostFinance departments and external partners.
• Created test designs with Tricentis Tosca, executed reconciliation tests for data migration, logged defects in HPQC and performed retests.
• Analysed, defined and introduced system changes, including communication to affected users.
• Answered complex application questions from Product Management, Sales, Operations and IT.
• Participated in incident and taskforce meetings for analysis, prioritisation and resolution of incidents.

Business Analysis · Core Banking · TCS BaNCS · Data Migration · Data Quality · Requirements · Testing · Tricentis Tosca · HPQC · Stakeholder Management · Incident Management

Supported Swisscom Corporate Real Estate Management through process redesign, BPMN modelling, tooling administration, SAP RE-FX reporting and risk mapping. Helped modernise the process landscape and make operational real-estate processes more structured, transparent and reusable.

Bern, Switzerland

• Revised the existing process landscape and created a new process structure and process map for Corporate Real Estate.
• Supported the migration to ADONIS as the new BPMN process management tool and acted as ADONIS sub-administrator / system representative for Swisscom Group Business Steering.
• Analysed and optimised existing processes with process owners, then modelled and documented new processes according to BPMN 2.0 in ADONIS.
• Supported ADONIS implementation, administration, further development and internal training within Group Business Steering.
• Created risk mapping for operational properties and associated factsheets per contract.
• Prepared ad-hoc evaluations from SAP RE-FX and turned complex process and data topics into structured documentation, Excel/table-based analysis and decision material.

Business Process Management · Process Design · BPMN 2.0 · ADONIS · SAP RE-FX · Corporate Real Estate · Risk Mapping · Excel · Process Optimisation · Stakeholder Collaboration

Coordinated customer and site-owner communication for Swisscom mobile site projects, combining stakeholder care, contract handling, operational tickets and multilingual communication.

Worblaufen, Bern, Switzerland

• Acted as interface between internal project teams and owners of mobile sites and mobile properties.
• Handled complaints, feedback, contract topics and operational coordination with site owners.
• Managed trouble tickets around accesses, badges, keys and TRACcess.
• Wrote and sent project-specific standard letters in German, French and Italian.
• Collected data from different systems, updated owner/customer data in Swisscom systems and worked with SAP and Swisscom internal applications.

Customer Relations · Stakeholder Coordination · Contract Management · Operations · SAP · Multilingual Communication · German · French · Italian

Early role combining process design, SAP data, reporting, automation and internal community building within Swisscom Real Estate Management.

Bern, Switzerland

• Designed an automatic barcode-based scanning process to capture, scan and import documents into SAP.
• Supported framework and use contracts for property owners, process flows, contract creation and rental contract data in SAP RE-FX.
• Created SAP reports, statistics, serial letters and an MS Access based partner-management tool from multiple information systems.
• Created and operated a Ning social networking platform for Swisscom interns and organised intern networking activities.
• Automated recurring workflows with VBS/VBA scripts and created presentations in PowerPoint and process diagrams in MS Visio.

Process Automation · SAP · SAP RE-FX · MS Access · Reporting · VBA · VBS · MS Visio · Community Building · French

Militia army role with the Swiss Army Recruit Band, focused on food organisation, accounting and leadership.

Bern, Switzerland

• Completed education and practical leadership work in logistics, accounting and organisational responsibility.

I'm developing DuckSocial to explore how playful, lightweight product design can help people connect naturally around shared places and activities. The first pilot is planned for upcoming releases of LimmatBuddy and AareBuddy and has not launched yet.

• Rapidly prototyped social product concept for lightweight real-world connection.
• Reciprocal Quack interaction that can lead to a conversation, a shared laugh or more.
• Pilot planned for upcoming releases of LimmatBuddy in Zürich and AareBuddy in Bern.
• Expandable concept for more apps, places and ways to connect.

AI-assisted workflows accelerated exploration, prototyping, implementation and iteration. Product decisions, architecture, testing and final quality remained under my responsibility.

Rapid Prototyping · Product Experimentation · Community Products · Social Product Design · Trust & Safety · Geospatial & Location-Based Products · AI-Assisted Product Development · Nuxt · Vue.js · TypeScript

LimmatBuddy started as an idea to make swimming in Zürich safer and easier. I shaped the product, UX and technical implementation and took it from concept to production across web, iOS and Android. It combines live river conditions, safety information, maps and routing and reaches up to 400 daily users on sunny summer days. The next release is still in development.

• From idea to a live web, iOS and Android river companion used by local communities.
• Up to 400 daily users on sunny summer days.
• Clear mobile-first presentation of real-time water temperature, water level and discharge.
• Interactive map, route planner, alerts and warnings for safer river planning.

Originally built without AI, the project has used AI-assisted workflows since 2026 to accelerate implementation and quality improvements. Hands-on product and technical ownership remains unchanged.

0-to-1 Product Development · Product Discovery · Consumer Web & Mobile Products · Geospatial & Location-Based Products · Cross-Platform Mobile Development · AI-Assisted Product Development · TypeScript · Ionic Vue · Capacitor · Firebase

I founded and built Gymplify to connect everyday gym operations with branded member apps. From memberships and check-in to training plans and messaging, I own the product from discovery and UX through development, app-store delivery and continuous operation across web, iOS and Android.

• Founded and built a gym management app around the daily needs of gym teams and members.
• In live operation since 2021, with continuous use by staff and members.
• Up to 110 daily users and more than 3,500 registered members.
• Member management, check-in, training plans and progress tracking in one platform.
• Ongoing ownership and operation across iOS, Android and web, with a global rollout underway.

Gymplify was built and launched in 2021. AI-assisted workflows have supported implementation and iteration since 2026, alongside hands-on product decisions, testing and release work.

0-to-1 Product Development · B2B SaaS · Product Strategy · UX / Product Design · Cross-Platform Mobile Development · App Store & Google Play Publishing · TypeScript · Ionic Vue · Capacitor · Firebase

I created AareBuddy to help people prepare for swimming and Bööteln on the Aare. The product adapts the river-companion concept to local routes and conditions, bringing preparation, route planning and current river data into one practical web, iOS and Android experience. The next release is still in development.

• Live river companion adapted to the Aare and its local users.
• Clear, fast-to-scan real-time river conditions on mobile.
• Interactive map, route planning and warning flows tailored to Aare users.

Originally built without AI, the project has used AI-assisted workflows since 2026 to accelerate implementation and quality improvements. Hands-on product and technical ownership remains unchanged.

Product Development · Product Discovery · Consumer Web & Mobile Products · Geospatial & Location-Based Products · Cross-Platform Mobile Development · AI-Assisted Product Development · TypeScript · Ionic Vue · Capacitor · Firebase

I built luther.ch as a data-driven home for my CV, product work and professional profile. The goal was one fast, coherent experience that works for people, search engines and AI tools without maintaining parallel versions of the same story.

• Connected human-readable, ATS-readable and AI-readable CV content.
• Responsive Nuxt frontend with static-generation-friendly routing.
• Local, dependency-light design system for a focused personal site.

AI-assisted workflows accelerated exploration, prototyping, implementation and iteration. Product decisions, architecture, testing and final quality remained under my responsibility.

AI-Assisted Product Development · Product Design · Information Architecture · Responsive Design · Nuxt · Vue.js · TypeScript

I created CoinMoonbase to explore how crypto portfolio tracking, NFT collections and connected assets could feel more playful, visual and progression-driven than a conventional finance dashboard.

• Gamified portfolio tracking with progression and achievement-style UI patterns.
• NFT and crypto integration surfaces for connected asset views.
• Playful product direction that makes dense portfolio information easier to scan.

Crypto UX · NFT Integrations · Gamification · Vue · TypeScript

Koreanji combined gamified Korean practice, minigames and peer connection in a product created from scratch. It reached more than 100 daily active users at peak.

• More than 100 daily active users at peak.
• Minigame-led practice loops for vocabulary, recognition and recall.
• Repeatable short-session learning flows.
• Social layer for meeting fellow learners and staying connected.

Mobile UX · Learning Design · Community Features · Vue · TypeScript

Japanji extended the Koreanji product family into playful Japanese practice, guided study flows and learner-to-learner connection.

• Mini-practice experiences for Japanese vocabulary, kana and kanji.
• Guided learning flows balancing progression with short-session design.
• Community features for meeting and keeping contact with fellow learners.

Mobile UX · Learning Design · Social UX · Vue · TypeScript

Restdiensttage gives AdA of the Swiss Armed Forces a clear overview of completed and remaining service days, plus their current service badge, without repeatedly calculating everything from the service booklet.

• Completed, creditable and remaining service days in one overview.
• Current service badge and progress toward the next badge.
• Easy-to-scan history of completed service periods.
• Clearly identified as independent and not official Swiss Armed Forces software.

Mobile Product Development · iOS UX · Utility Design · Product Design · Swiss Armed Forces Domain · Swift · Xcode

Graduate exchange semester at Seoul National University focused on international business, global strategy and legal aspects of business.

Seoul, South Korea

• Exchange student in the Department of Business Administration, Graduate School / Master Course.
• Courses included Global Business Strategy and Legal Aspects of Business, conducted in English.
• Achieved A+ in Global Business Strategy and A0 in Legal Aspects of Business.
• GPA: 4.15, percentage equivalent: 97.50.

International Business · Global Strategy · Legal Aspects of Business · South Korea · Seoul · Cross-cultural Experience

Master’s degree focused on Business Information Systems, cloud software development, requirements engineering, digital business and IT management. Graduated with insigni cum laude and received an excellence award for a thesis on model-driven Platform-as-a-Service.

Bern, Switzerland

• Graduated with Latin honours: insigni cum laude; overall grade 5.56 / 6.00.
• Master thesis: “Software Development in the Cloud: Exploring the Affordances of Model-Driven Platform-as-a-Service”.
• Master thesis grade: 6.00 / 6.00, 20 ECTS.
• Received the VBW Excellence Award 2017, 3rd place / Bronze, for the Master thesis on cloud software development and model-driven Platform-as-a-Service.
• Focus areas combined Business Information Systems, E-Business, Requirements Engineering, IT management, analytics, privacy/security and Enterprise SaaS.

Exchange Semester: Sep 2016 - Feb 2017. Excluded from the duration above.

Business Information Systems · Wirtschaftsinformatik · Cloud Software · Platform-as-a-Service · Requirements Engineering · E-Business · SaaS · IT Privacy · IT Security · Business Analytics · Product Thinking

Exchange semester at Keio University combining Japanese language learning, Japanese management and East Asian business topics.

Tokyo, Japan

• Studied Japanese language, communication and grammar courses.
• Business courses included Cases in Japanese Management, Management in Japan and Competing in Emerging Markets and East Asia.
• All listed courses in the transcript were graded A.
• Strengthened international, cross-cultural and East Asia business perspective.

Japan · Tokyo · Japanese Language · Japanese Management · East Asia · Emerging Markets · Cross-cultural Experience

Bachelor’s degree combining business administration with a Computer Science minor. Built an early foundation in business processes, innovation, strategy, quantitative methods, databases, operating systems, human-machine interaction and programming.

Bern, Switzerland

• Graduated with Latin honours: magna cum laude; overall grade 4.81 / 6.00.
• Major in Business Administration, minor in Computer Science with 30 ECTS.
• Bachelor thesis: “Impacts of the Adoption of Application Platform as a Service on Software Development”.
• Bachelor thesis grade: 6.00 / 6.00.
• Already connected business and software topics through research on Platform-as-a-Service and software development.

Exchange Semester: Mar 2014 - Aug 2014. Excluded from the duration above.

Business Administration · Computer Science · Platform-as-a-Service · Business Process Management · Innovation Management · Databases · Operating Systems · Human-Computer Interaction · Programming

Federally recognised Swiss Matura completed at Kollegium St. Fidelis Stans, qualifying for university studies in Switzerland.

Stans, Nidwalden, Switzerland

• Issued on 12 June 2009 by the Canton of Nidwalden (Stans).
• Specialised focus: Biology and Chemistry; complementary subject: Music.
• Matura paper topic: energy saving at Kollegium St. Fidelis.

Chinese

Spanish

I grew up speaking Swiss German and use both Swiss German and Standard German at native level. Swiss German is part of my everyday life, while I also use Standard German confidently in conversation, writing and professional work.

English is an everyday working and social language for me. Years in English-speaking teams, living abroad and travelling widely have made me comfortable communicating across cultures. My proficiency is C2, supported by the Cambridge CPE.

I studied French for six years in high school and use it occasionally while travelling in France. I can manage simple, casual conversations and practical travel situations.

I studied Spanish through intensive courses in Peru and Cuba in 2012. My records include an Intermedio-level course certificate from Cuzco, and I describe my current Spanish as conversational.

I took five semesters of Chinese classes at Migros Klubschule (MKS) in Zürich from 2021 to 2023 and completed HSK Level 2 in 2023. My current level is beginner.

I studied Japanese during my 2014 exchange at Keio University in Tokyo and earned JLPT N5 that year. Starting in 2017, I took several semesters of Japanese at Migros Klubschule in Bern, with courses up to A2. Travels in Japan have also been part of my learning. My current level is beginner.

My Korean learning is connected to time in South Korea, including my 2016–2017 graduate exchange at Seoul National University. I earned TOPIK I Level 1 in 2016 and explored language learning through Koreanji. My current level is beginner.

Although software development teams increasingly use Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), a minimal amount is known regarding the impact of PaaS on software development. We explored the impact of PaaS on software development through a grounded-theory study, conducting 48 interviews in 16 teams. The data turned our attention to the affordances, or potentials for action, that PaaS provides to software development teams. Two key affordances emerging from our data analysis were self-organizing and triggering continuous feedback. Actualizing these affordances helped accelerate the collective learning processes that underlie software development, thus supporting software development teams in their quest for agility. Our emerging theory explains how, why, and when these affordances arise. The key contribution of our paper lies in unveiling how the use of cloud computing technology can transform technology-mediated collective learning activities by helping to remove barriers to rapid feedback. Our findings also imply that organizations can leverage PaaS to facilitate the transition to agile and continuous software development practices, in particular in conjunction with cross-functional team designs.

Volume 35, 2018 - Issue 3

Co-authors: Oliver Krancher

Software development teams increasingly adopt platform-as-a-service (PaaS), i.e., cloud services that make software development infrastructure available over the internet. Yet, empirical evidence of whether and how software development work changes with the use of PaaS is difficult to find. We performed a grounded-theory study to explore the affordances of PaaS for software development teams. We find that PaaS enables software development teams to enforce uniformity, to exploit knowledge embedded in technology, to enhance agility, and to enrich jobs. These affordances do not arise in a vacuum. Their emergence is closely interwoven with changes in methodologies, roles, and norms that give rise to self-organizing, loosely coupled teams. Our study provides rich descriptions of PaaS-based software development and an emerging theory of affordances of PaaS for software development teams.

Managing IS track

Co-authors: Oliver Krancher