Some change at the Staff Association secretariat

Following her studies, Jenni Suutala joined CERN on July 1st, 2016 as administrative assistant for the Staff Association (SA).

On September 1st this year, Jenni benefitted from internal mobility and joined the HR Frontline team. We warmly thank her for her commitment at the Staff Association and wish her a lot of success in her new role !

Jenni, what can you tell us about your two-year experience within the SA?

I had the opportunity to meet delegates from different professions, departments and nationalities. The work atmosphere was very good and the tasks varied. What I have particularly appreciated was the creativity when it comes to preparing posters, writing and translating the texts. I have also enjoyed organising the Christmas party for children of staff members, which required a lot of preparation but with visible results.

Lenka Thomas-Bajbarova was recruited and joined the secretariat of the Staff Association at the beginning of September where she took over the functions of Jenni.

Lenka, can you tell us about your experience before coming to CERN?

I come from Bratislava, Slovakia, but I have been living in France for about ten years. I have a master’s degree in International Relations specialised in project management within International Organisations, which I received from Lyon 3 University.

Before joining CERN, I have already worked in the field of international relations, more specifically at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Malta. At WIPO, I was part of the team dealing with the appeals of international civil servants.

What do you expect from your new position and how do you intend to build on this experience?

My experience at WIPO has given me a better understanding of the internal justice mechanisms and the employment conditions within international organizations that I would like to put to the benefit of this exciting project represented by the CERN Staff Association. It is a great honour to be able to contribute to a project whose main purpose is the wellbeing of colleagues in the Organization. Moreover, the Staff Association is a very rewarding place where we have the opportunity to meet colleagues from various departments and learn about the Organisation we work for.

We welcome Lenka and wish her all the best at CERN and within the Staff Association.

by Staff Association