There’s a defining moment every founder anticipates: the time when an organisation stands on its own and begins to thrive with its own steady rhythm. For NEOVIVA, this year marked that milestone. Changing Lives, once an aspiration, is now something clients say for themselves. It’s in the messages, the visits, the referrals, and the quiet gratitude that lingers after treatment ends.
As 2026 approaches, Chairman Oliver Neubert and CEO Fenina Erpf reflect on 2025 as a year that strengthened NEOVIVA in ways neither fully expected. It brought clarity, deeper trust, and proof, in both small and significant moments, that what they set out to do truly works.
The foundation beneath the foundation
To understand how Oliver Neubert and Fenina Erpf arrived at this point, you have to go back to when NEOVIVA was little more than an idea held by two people with the same instinctive vision. From the outset, there was an almost wordless understanding of where they wanted to go.
Having worked together for years, first meeting in the world of advertising, and later teaming up at a day clinic for addiction, they knew their skill sets complemented each other. Oliver is big-picture focused, while Fenina serves as the operational backbone: the one who identifies roadblocks, overcomes challenges, and makes things happen.
As the business grew and the team expanded, Oliver and Fenina had to adjust to new roles. “We went from the two of us to a team of people,” explains Fenina. It was during this transition that they realised they needed help.” A single coaching session proved pivotal, illuminating their strengths and deepening their appreciation for each other’s perspectives.
Oliver says, “I’m always chasing perfection. I have to tweak it, tweak it, tweak it. It sometimes drives others a little crazy.”
Fenina, in contrast, is driven by efficiency and pragmatism, always eager to put ideas into action. When discussing concepts and strategies, she quickly senses what is possible. “I’m the practical one; I connect the dots and transform ideas into action.” Realising that their differences worked well together became a turning point. She says, “We think differently, but in the end, we want the same thing.”
As the clinic has grown, their relationship has evolved, but the foundation of mutual respect and deep trust remains the same. Oliver describes it as “more than friends, less than lovers,” capturing the unusual and entirely functional reality of their partnership. “I never for a second questioned her,” he says, “That trust is just there.”
The year the team became the heartbeat
When they reflect on 2025, both keep coming back to one thing: their team. Despite strategic challenges, it’s the people around them who shaped the year more than anything else.
When asked about how they created such a team, there was no hesitancy in Oliver’s answer. “We hire human beings, not CVs,” Oliver says. “How someone fits into the team and carries our vision matters as much as qualifications.”
This approach has fostered a team that makes NEOVIVA feel like family for both founders.
“What feels most like home at NEOVIVA is the people,” Fenina says. “Everyone works with heart.”
In the early years, as newcomers opening a clinic at Lake Lucerne, they had no name recognition and few applicants. Now, professionals are drawn to NEOVIVA by its reputation and sense of purpose. As Fenina shares, “A new hire recently said coming here doesn’t feel like work. That’s so nice to hear.”
The team is united not only by expertise but also by a shared commitment to each client’s well-being.
As Oliver notes, “No one ever says ‘my client.’ The patient’s well-being is at the centre of it all.” This unity enables the team to resolve disagreements without ego, which both founders see as essential to client success.
A new confidence takes shape
The team’s strength now provides a safety net, and for the first time, both founders feel ready to broaden their focus.
I’m genuinely curious about the year ahead. Our core team is stronger than ever, and I can sense people embracing their roles with growing confidence. Their motivation and care for our clients and the business fill me with reassurance. As they step up and take on more responsibility, I find myself able to let go a little more, too. This new space allows me to show up more fully in the world — meeting new people, listening, learning, and staying closely connected to everything that is unfolding around us.
For Oliver, this year brought another realisation: “I’ve learned I’m pretty good on stage,” he says with a smile. “Many years ago, before NEOVIVA, I would stay up until four in the morning rehearsing.” Now, he doesn’t need to. He just steps up and speaks from the heart.
Perhaps it’s Oliver’s authenticity that captures attention. As he gains momentum on the speakers’ circuit, he plans to speak more openly about the challenges he sees in the industry. “We are now established, so we can get louder.” He is committed to driving change in a field he believes must improve: “I want to be a responsible loudmouth,” he says.
The moments that matter most
When NEOVIVA adopted the phrase “Changing Lives,” it was an aspiration, an ambition, a guiding north star. Today, it is backed by tangible results.
“We aspired to it,” says Fenina. “Now we can show the evidence.”
The most compelling signs of their work’s impact appear in unexpected moments, revealing the real difference NEOVIVA has made. Fenina recalls a client, a woman, who arrived anxious and uncertain, holding printed pages of questions and the homepage. After treatment, she returned home and referred another person with a simple message: Go there. They changed my life.
For Oliver, the most meaningful feedback comes as clients depart. “Clients call us their second family,” he says. They leave feeling energised and grateful, yet also sad. “They’re leaving the safety they have here. Going home feels like leaving a really good friend behind.”
Two visits from former clients, now as guests rather than clients, stand out for the founders as moments of lasting impact.
One was a male client who had been immensely challenging during his stay. When he visited two years later and met with the whole team, he openly shared how his experience at NEOVIVA had been, the challenges he had before and during treatment and how ultimately, the treatment changed his life. “It was so rewarding for the team,” says Fenina, “because they were able to see what happened after he left.”
Another truly unforgettable moment, Fenina says, unfolded when two former clients, each from different countries and backgrounds, visited NEOVIVA together, united by a bond formed during their treatment.
At NEOVIVA, individuals from all corners of the globe with differing lifestyles are brought together in an intentionally small group setting. The first days can feel strange, even uncomfortable. At first, clients are often cautious and anxious. But as they face the shared challenges of addiction and mental health together, those differences slowly dissolve and something more human emerges.
This was exactly the path those two clients walked. Over the weeks, they discovered unexpected similarities. Their connection became so meaningful that, despite their busy lives, they made a special trip back to NEOVIVA — not only to see the team, but also to relive the joy of being together again. Their story is a powerful testament to the deep, lasting connections that can flourish through NEOVIVA’s group work.
Another significant development in 2025, of which both founders are immensely proud, is the NEOVIVA Guarantee. “After the first couple of years, we saw remarkable outcomes in our clients. As a testament to our programme and to reinforce our commitment to long-term recovery, we developed this guarantee. It raised a lot of eyebrows in the industry; some people think it is unusually bold. But for us, it is important for us to show our clients that we are committed to their long-term success and will go with them along their journey.
We guide clients through some of their hardest times. The work is challenging, but witnessing real progress is deeply rewarding. It’s especially meaningful when clients leave and succeed on their own, even if they still need us by their side with our aftercare.
Oliver says he sees something at NEOVIVA he rarely sees elsewhere: “The team never gives up. They don’t have compassion fatigue. They truly care.”
A year of personal growth
This year brought progress in many ways: clearer processes, stronger recruitment, and a growing reputation, yet there were also meaningful shifts on a personal level. As NEOVIVA found its stride, so did the people within it.
For Fenina, the year settled into something steadier. “Operationally, things have never been better. We have a great team,” she says. “I’m more relaxed and no longer feel I need to control everything. Now, I’m confident things will turn out.” With trust in the team deepening, she’s been able to loosen her hold and let the team breathe on its own.
For Oliver, the change arrived as clarity. “We know exactly what we can and can’t do,” he says. “If a client needs something outside our scope, I’d rather refer them elsewhere.” That certainty has become its own kind of anchor and a reminder that strong leadership sometimes means knowing when to step back.
It has also been a year of watching others step up. In the clinical and medical departments, especially, those who have been with NEOVIVA the longest are now growing into confident leaders. For Oliver and Fenina, watching the people they hired years ago now guiding and mentoring others brings a deep sense of pride. It is a quiet affirmation that the culture they worked so hard to build has truly taken root within the team.
The purpose at the heart of it all
Looking back, both founders identify meaning as a central theme for the year.
“This job gives so much purpose,” Fenina says. “After working in advertising, where everything is for the dustbin, this is different. You do it for a greater good.”
For Oliver, meaning is evident in how effectively the team advances NEOVIVA’s vision. “We haven’t had to force-feed our vision,” he says. “If you put the right people together, the team pulls that vision forward.”
When asked to summarise the year in one word, they chose ‘surprising’ and ‘grateful,’ ultimately agreeing on “gratefully surprised.”
Looking ahead: Intentions for 2026
As they look toward the year ahead, there’s a quiet sense of momentum gathering around NEOVIVA. There’s an excitement that its growing reputation is opening new doors, inviting new conversations, and drawing the work further into the world.
“The reputation we’ve built is starting to show. Next year, we’ll have stronger partnerships, more people knowing about us, and more programmes,” says Fenina. “I have a great feeling about the future.”
Oliver feels the momentum, too, particularly with the collaborations that are taking shape. “We’ll form strong partnerships,” he says. Some providers do certain things exceptionally well, and we also have areas of unique strength. When we work together, we can help more people, more effectively.” It’s a vision rooted in the belief that the best outcomes come when strengths are shared.
He is also thinking about deepening the work itself: measuring outcomes more precisely, integrating more dimensions of clients’ lives, and speaking more boldly where addiction treatment is still overlooked. “The interconnectedness of everything is fascinating,” he says. “We will make great moves forward. I am sure of it.”
When asked to set intentions for the coming year, their responses reveal both the contrast and harmony that define their partnership.
“Make it a great one,” Fenina says.
“Get better,” Oliver says. “Even though we do a fantastic job,” he adds, “addiction treatment outcomes still suck. I want to change that.” He concludes, “We cannot rest.”
It is, fittingly, the line they choose to close the year on.
We will not rest.
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