1. Who we are
EXPERTsuisse is the expert, industry and professional association for audit, tax and fiduciary matters. The range of services offered by EXPERTsuisse includes training and further education, publications and work aids as well as the representation of interests, in addition to membership of the Association.
EXPERTsuisse – consisting of the Association, the 13 Section Associations and EXPERTsuisse AG – collects and processes personal data in order to fulfil its responsibilities within the scope of the applicable legal and contractual provisions. On behalf of the supporting organisations, EXPERTsuisse AG arranges the examinations for certified tax experts and certified auditors.
2. Purposes for which we process data
EXPERTsuisse and the supporting organisations collect and process personal data in order to fulfil their responsibilities for provision of the respective service within the scope of the applicable legal and contractual provisions. Depending on the purpose of data processing, EXPERTsuisse and the supporting organisations collect various types of personal data, including, under certain circumstances, personal data that may be particularly sensitive.
These various purposes of data processing by EXPERTsuisse and the supporting organisation(s) are as follows (the organisation(s) responsible in each case are shown in brackets):
- communication in connection with the different services – Association membership and member administration
- representation of interests – organisation and implementation of training and further education
- organisation and administration of examinations
- creation and sale of publications – marketing, including newsletter distribution
- operation, improvement and monitoring of the website and online shop
- security assurance, fulfilment of legal obligations, enforcement of claims
3. Erhebung und Bearbeitung von Personendaten
3.1 Service provision in general
For the purpose of providing its services and communicating with you, EXPERTsuisse and its supporting organisations process at least the following personal data.
- contact information such as your name, address and email address
Additional personal data is collected and processed for specific services or in the context of Association membership, if and insofar as this is necessary for the relevant service. The respective General Terms and Conditions of EXPERTsuisse also apply to orders, subscriptions and participation in training and further education. As at July 2019: as a rule, EXPERTsuisse and the supporting organisations receive this personal data directly from you when you make use of one of the services. Under certain circumstances, however, data may also be collected directly by third parties, e.g. by your employer. In addition, personal data may be transmitted within EXPERTsuisse organisations as well as between EXPERTsuisse and the supporting organisations (see section 5). The information you provide to EXPERTsuisse or the supporting organisations may also be made anonymous for purposes of statistical analysis.
3.2 Marketing and newsletters
For the purpose of sending information on seminars, events, publications, etc. organised by EXPERTsuisse or the supporting organisations (marketing purposes) as well as for sending the newsletter, EXPERTsuisse and the supporting organisations collect and process the following personal data:
- contact information such as your name, address and email address
You may object to the use of your personal data for marketing purposes with effect for the future or unsubscribe from the newsletter.
3.3 Association membership and member administration as well as the representation of interests
The following personal data is collected and processed for the purpose of membership administration in the EXPERTsuisse Association:
- personal data (such as first name, last name, address, date of birth, place of origin, telephone number, email address, etc.)
- information about the employer (company name, address, email address, length of employment, position, etc.)
- Academic qualifications (degree title, year of completion, etc.)
- extracts from criminal records and debt collection registers
- contact information for the various contact persons within the scope of the representation of interests
- payment information
EXPERTsuisse maintains a publicly accessible electronic member directory on its website (Article 3 para. 2 of the Articles of Association). By becoming an EXPERTsuisse member, you authorise us to make your personal details (first name, last name, address/registered office, academic qualifications, year of degree completion, date of admission) publicly available.
3.4 Organisation and implementation of training and further education
The following personal data is collected and processed for the organisation and implementation of training and further education:
- personal data (such as first name, last name, address, date of birth, place of origin, telephone number, email address, etc.) of participants and speakers
- information on the employer (company name, address, email address, etc.) of participants and speakers
- academic qualifications (degree title, year, place, grade, etc.)
- information on participation in training (e.g. attendance, absences, grades, etc.)
- payment information
Participation in training and further education is also subject to the General Terms and Conditions (GTCs) for training and further education.
3.5 Organisation and administration of examinations
The following personal data is collected and processed for the organisation and administration of examinations:
- personal data (such as first name, last name, address, date of birth, place of origin, telephone number, email address, etc.) of participants and speakers
- information on the employer (company name, address, email address, etc.) of participants and speakers
- criminal record extract
- requirements for taking the examination, e.g. previous academic qualifications (degree title, year, place, grade, etc.)
- information on participation in the examinations and results (e.g. attendance, absences, grades, etc.)
3.6 Preparation and sale of publications / online shop (EXPERTsuisse AG)
The following personal data is collected and processed for the sale of publications:
- login information for signing in to the online shop
- information about the order and the type of subscription (duration, addressees, etc.)
- payment information
For orders in the online shop, the General Terms and Conditions (GTCs) of the online shop also apply.
3.7 Operation, monitoring and improvement of the website, other electronic channels and the online shop (EXPERTsuisse AG)
- login information (when registered on the website)
- usage data and user activity on the website or in the app or newsletter (analytics data, see section 4 below)
- payment information
3.8 Security assurance, fulfilment of legal obligations, enforcement of claims (EXPERTsuisse and supporting organisations)
EXPERTsuisse and the supporting organisations may process the aforementioned personal data to the extent necessary to ensure security and assert their rights, and may also forward such data to third parties, such as courts or public offices.
4. Data processing during use of the website or other electronic channels
4.1 Cookies
If permitted by the settings of your device, we use cookies and similar tools to provide you with an optimal surfing experience on our website. Cookies are text files which are stored on your computer and which enable an analysis of your use of the website as well as automatic entry or login to the web shop.
This includes information such as your IP address, the website from which you visit us, the type of device you use, how you use our search function (search log) and other settings. Cookies also record which actions you perform when you receive the newsletter. Further details on the use of cookies can be found in the information on the use of web analysis tools.
It is also possible to visit our website on a completely anonymous basis. You can adjust your browser settings to prevent the storage of cookies. However, this may affect your options when using the website.
4.2 Google Analytics
This website uses the Google web analysis service “Google Analytics” provided by Google LLC, Mountain View, California, USA, under the responsibility of Google Ireland Limited (“Google”) in Switzerland. Google Analytics uses cookies, which are text files that are stored on your computer to analyse your usage of the website. The information generated by the cookies concerning your use of this website is generally transferred to a Google server in the US and stored there. However, if IP anonymisation is activated on this website, your IP address will be shortened by Google in Switzerland, within member states of the European Union or in other states that are party to the European Economic Area Agreement.
Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transferred to a Google server in the US and shortened there. On behalf of the operator of this website, Google uses this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity and providing other services to us relating to website activity and Internet usage.
Please note that on this website Google Analytics has been extended by the code “anonymizeIp();” in order to ensure the anonymised collection of IP addresses (IP masking).
The IP address transmitted by your browser as part of Google Analytics is not merged with other data from Google. You can adjust the settings on your browser to prevent the use of cookies; however, please note that if you do this you may not be able to use all features of this website.
You can also prevent the data generated by the cookie, relating to your use of the website (including your IP address), from being collected and transmitted to Google, and being processed by Google, by downloading and installing the browser plugin available at the following link: Download browser plugin
In addition, you can prevent data collection by Google Analytics by clicking on the following link. An opt-out cookie will be set to prevent future collection of your data when you visit this website: Disable Google Analytics
Further information on terms of use and data protection can be found at http://www.google.com/analytics/terms/de.html or at http://www.google.com/intl/de/analytics/privacyoverview.html.
4.3 Newsletter dispatch with MailChimp
The newsletter is sent via the dispatch service MailChimp, a newsletter dispatch platform of US provider Rocket Science Group, LLC, 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE #5000, Atlanta, GA 30308, USA. You can view the privacy policy of the dispatch service provider here: https://mailchimp.com/legal/privacy/.
The newsletters contain “web beacons”, i.e. pixel-sized files that are retrieved when a newsletter is opened. As part of this retrieval, technical data such as information on the browser and your system as well as your IP address and the time of retrieval are recorded initially.
This information is used for technical improvement of the services based on the technical data or the target groups and their reading behaviour in accordance with the retrieval locations (which can be determined by means of the IP address) or the access times. The statistical analyses also determine if the newsletters are opened, when they are opened and which links are clicked on. This information may be allocated to individual recipients for technical reasons. However, we only use this information to identify the reading habits of our users and to adapt the content so as to improve the newsletter.
MailChimp may use recipient data in anonymised form, i.e. without allocation to a user, to optimise or improve its own services, e.g. for technical optimisation of the dispatch and presentation of the newsletter or for statistical purposes. However, the dispatch service provider does not use the data of our newsletter recipients to contact them itself or to pass the data on to third parties.
4.3 Facebook-plugin
Our website uses social plugins (“plugins”) from the social network Facebook, which is operated by Facebook Inc, 1601 S. California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA (“Facebook”). The plugins are marked with a Facebook logo or the words “Social Plugin from Facebook” or “Facebook Social Plugin”. An overview of the Facebook plugins and what they look like can be found here: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins.
If you call up a page containing a plugin of this kind on our website, your browser establishes a direct connection to the Facebook servers. The content of the plugin is transmitted by Facebook directly to your browser and integrated into the page. As a result of this integration, Facebook receives the information that your browser has called up the corresponding page of our website, even if you do not have a Facebook profile or are not currently logged in to Facebook. This information (including your IP address) is transmitted by your browser directly to a Facebook server in the US and stored there. If you are logged in to Facebook, Facebook can assign your visit to our website directly to your Facebook profile. If you interact with the plugins, for example by clicking the “Like” button or making a comment, this information is also transmitted directly to a Facebook server and stored there. The information is also published on your Facebook profile and displayed to your Facebook friends. The purpose and scope of data collection and the further processing and use of the data by Facebook as well as your rights in this regard and settings options for protecting your privacy can be found in Facebook’s data protection policy: https://de-de.facebook.com/policy.
If you do not want Facebook to assign the data collected via our website directly to your Facebook profile, you must log out of Facebook before visiting our website. You can also completely prevent the loading of Facebook plugins by using add-ons for your browser.
4.5 LinkedIn-plugin
Our website uses functions of the LinkedIn network. The provider is LinkedIn Corporation, 2029 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. Every time you access one of our pages that contains LinkedIn functions, a connection is established to LinkedIn servers. LinkedIn is informed that you have visited our website via your IP address. When you click on the LinkedIn “Recommend” button and are logged in to your LinkedIn account, LinkedIn is able to link your visit to our website to you and your account. We would like to emphasise that we, as the provider of the website, have no knowledge of the content of the transmitted data or its use by LinkedIn.
Further information on this can be found in the LinkedIn privacy policy at: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.
4.6 XING-plugin
Our website uses functions of the XING network. The provider is XING AG, Dammtorstrasse 29-32, 20354 Hamburg, Germany. Each time one of our website pages containing XING functions is called up, a connection is established to the XING servers. To our knowledge, no personal data is stored. In particular, no IP addresses are stored and no usage behaviour is evaluated.
Further Information on data protection and the XING “Share” button can be found in the XING privacy policy at: https://www.xing.com/app/share?op=data_protection
5. Data transmission
EXPERTsuisse AG, the EXPERTsuisse Association and the supporting organisations may exchange data among themselves if this is necessary for provision of the respective service.
At the request of employers, EXPERTsuisse provides information on participation in certified auditor or tax expert training courses and examinations (including examination results). The participants expressly give their consent to this at the time of registration.
EXPERTsuisse may also forward personal data (in particular the relevant name and address and, if applicable, place of origin or date of birth) to its cooperation partners for comparison with master or customer data, if and insofar as this is necessary for service provision. These cooperation partners are contractually obligated to treat the data as confidential (see also section 5 below).
EXPERTsuisse may disclose personal data to third parties if they require the personal data in order to provide a service on behalf of EXPERTsuisse (e.g. IT support, website analysis services). These third parties commissioned by EXPERTsuisse are contractually obligated to comply with data protection regulations and to process the data only in accordance with the purpose specified by EXPERTsuisse. In exceptional cases, these third parties may also be located in countries outside Switzerland or the EU / EFTA which do not offer data protection equivalent to that in Switzerland. In particular, when using the website and/or the EXPERTsuisse app, third parties (e.g. Apple or Google) may receive data for use without EXPERTsuisse having any influence over this.
6. Data retention/storage period
Unless otherwise specified, personal data is stored until the intended purpose is achieved. For financial, tax and other legal reasons, EXPERTsuisse may be required to retain data, in particular your address, payment and order data. As a rule, the retention period is ten years from the end of the financial year.
7. Your rights
All individuals may request information on the data processed in relation to them. We will correct any information that is incorrect or no longer correct. Upon request, we will delete your data unless we have grounds for further retention.
If you wish to request information or a correction or deletion, please send us a letter (EXPERTsuisse AG, Stauffacherstrasse 1, 8004 Zurich, Switzerland) or an email to info@expertsuisse.ch.
SC/2019-08-08