Together!

Dr. Florence Gaub, futurist and experienced security and IR expert.

«Foresight without collaboration is like looking through a window onto a street - it might be a great angle but doesn't guarantee you the full picture.»

Dr. Gaub, a dual French-German citizen, is both, a futurist and an experienced security and IR expert, currently working as Foresight advisor at the European Council. In May 2022 she concluded her tenure as Deputy Director of the European Union Institute for Security Studies taken up in 2018 and founded futurate institute, a knowledge platform dedicated to all things future. Her career has taken her from conflict and war in the Middle East and North Africa to institutional change and geopolitical shifts. In 2019, she penned the 'Global Trends to 2030' report for the European Union's foresight network. In her work, she focuses on long-term trends, challenges and opportunities, and how to future proof societies for them. Previously employed at NATO Defence College, she holds a PhD from Humboldt University of Berlin, as well as degrees from Sciences Po Paris, the Sorbonne and the University of Munich.

Dr. Detlef Trefzger, Ex-CEO, Kühne+Nagel (2013-2022), Founder/ Chairman, Larix Equity AG

«Together / Miteinander klingt zunächst immer richtig und gut. (In der Unternehmens-Praxis wird dieser Ansatz wenig gelebt.) Voraussetzungen sind Respekt und Vertrauen. Miteinander lässt sich deutlich mehr erreichen als Alleine oder gar Gegeneinander. Nur Mut, Vertrauen sind vorab zu gewähren.»

As CEO of Kuehne+Nagel International AG Detlef Trefzger has shaped the Group’s strategic direction. Thanks to his leadership during the pandemic, Kuehne+Nagel has gained global recognition for its expertise in vaccine logistics and data-driven supply chain management. Before assuming the role as CEO of Kuehne+Nagel, Detlef joined the Management Board of Kuehne+Nagel International AG as Head of Contract Logistics (from 2013 to 2015).
 In earlier roles, he was Member of the Executive Board for Global Contract Logistics / Supply Chain Management at Schenker AG, Essen (between 2004 and 2012) and held the position of Executive Vice President Global Air Freight and Ocean Freight (in 2012); before, he was Member of the Board and CFO of the Region South East, at Schenker & Co AG, Vienna (from 1999 to 2003). At Roland Berger & Partner, he was the Principal in the Competence Center Transportation & Logistics (from 1994 and 1998). Detlef started his career as Project Manager in the Industrial & Building Systems Group at Siemens AG (1989 to 1993). After studies in Muenster, Kingston upon Hull, and Vienna, Detlef has been awarded a PhD in Business Management by the Vienna University of Economics and Business.

Jonas Dennler, Global Head Sustainability GTM, SAP.

«Der Klimawandel stellt uns alle vor Herausforderungen, welche wir nur zusammen lösen können.»

Jonas Dennler started his career in 2009 as the global environment manager of SAP. In this role, he was responsible for the corporate CO2 accounting, the roll out of a global environmental management system, and various CO2 reduction initiatives like the Green Cloud, e-mobility or introducing an internal price for carbon. He was also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Swiss Climate Foundation and a member of the investment committee of the Livelihoods Fund. After different positions in the regional Customer Advisory team, Jonas Dennler now leads the global Go to Market for SAP’s sustainability solutions and services. Jonas also holds a degree in Environmental Physics from ETH Zurich, as well as an Executive MBA in Business Engineering from HSG St. Gallen.

Dr. Steven Neubauer, CEO Adcubum AG.

«Erfolgreiche Kollaboration erfordert ein gewisses Mass an Demut: Die eigenen Schwächen zu erkennen und die ergänzenden Stärken der anderen zuzulassen.»

Dr. Steven Neubauer is CEO of Adcubum AG. Previously, he was CEO of Comparis, a member of the executive board of the NZZ Media Group and Managing Director of the "NZZ Medien" business unit, and Associate Partner and member of the leadership of the Telecoms, Media, and Technology Practice at McKinsey. Steven Neubauer studied marketing, finance and business informatics at the University of Bayreuth and earned his doctorate in innovation management at RWTH Aachen University.

Sandra Tobler, co-founder and CEO, Futurae Technologies.

«Together - a diverse environment and inclusive culture generates a better strategy, better risk management, more innovation and better performance.»

Sandra is an entrepreneur who worked in the IT space for over 16 years. She worked for IBM in various international roles. She then supported companies with internationalisation projects out of Zurich and later San Francisco. In 2016, Sandra co-founded Futurae together with two PhDs from the System Security Group of ETH Zurich. Futurae works on seamless end-user authentication, transaction confirmation and fraud detection securing millions of customers for many global banks, insurances, online retailers or also public institutions. Sandra is also in the board of Kick Foundation, Startupticker, the Swiss Startup Association and in the jury of various tech competitions. In that capacity, Sandra fights for better framework conditions for Swiss Tech companies, a more mature startup ecosystem and in particular to have more thriving cybersecurity innovation companies in Switzerland that will support Switzerland as a future-proof competitive economic location.

Florian Schütz, Federal Cybersecurity Delegate for Switzerland.

«Together bedeutet, dass jede Organisation ihre Verantwortung wahrnimmt und im Sinne übergeordneter Ziele ihren bestmöglichen Beitrag leistet – dies ist zentral für die Cybersicherheit.»

As Federal Cybersecurity Delegate for Switzerland, Florian Schütz is responsible for the implementation of the Swiss cyberstrategy and all cybermatters across government. He further acts as the contact person for the cantons, the economy, scientific communities and the population. In his function, he also heads Switzerland’s National Cybersecurity Centre (NCSC). Florian Schütz holds a Master's degree in Computer Science and a Master of Advanced Studies in Security Policy and Crisis Management from the ETH Zurich. He has over ten years of experience in the field of cybersecurity.

Prof. Dr. Peter Müller, Programming Methodology Group, ETH Zurich.

«In einem kollaborativen Verbund von ISPs bietet das SCION Internet Kommunikationssicherheit, Verfügbarkeit und Souveränität für unsere kritischen Infrastrukturen, Cloud und Geschäftsstellenanbindungen.»

Prof. Dr. Peter Müller is head of the Programming Methodology group at ETH Zurich since August 2008. From 2017 to 2020 he was head of the Institute for Programming Languages and Systems. His research focuses on languages, techniques, and tools for the development of correct software. His previous appointments include a position as Researcher at Microsoft Research in Redmond, an Assistant Professorship at ETH Zurich, and a position as Project Manager at Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt. Peter Müller received his PhD from the University of Hagen. He is a member and vice chair of the external pageIFIP Working Group 2.3 on Programming Methodology and a member of the IFIP Working Group 1.9/2.15 on Verified Software.

SCION (Scalability, Control, and Isolation on Next-generation networks): A highly secure internet architecture for the 21st Century. Today's internet connects billions of devices worldwide, which are exposed to many threats. Attacks lurk from all sides and the technologies used can no longer withstand the demands of an increasingly interconnected world. Today's internet has several kill switches that can prevent communication within a geographical area.

Over the past 12 years, research of the SCION internet architecture has been conducted to design a secure global network from the ground up that can fundamentally prevent the attacks. Their experience with internet providers and users shows that SCION can replace today's internet in the longer term and is likely to define new security standards.

Kristine Svinicki, Board Member, TerraPower and Southern Company.

«For me, the soul of collaboration is expressed in the African proverb that states: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.»

Kristine Svinicki is an internationally recognized policy expert and innovator with over 30 years of public service at the state and federal levels. She has a demonstrated record of success gathering diverse coalitions to move solutions to our most complex energy and environmental challenges from concept to reality. Appointed to her role by three successive United States presidents, Svinicki is the longest-serving member of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (U.S. NRC) in the agency’s history, having stepped down as Chairman in early 2021. Prior to her appointment to the U.S. NRC, Svinicki served as an expert and policy advisor for over a decade to members of the United States Senate on subjects ranging from energy to national security. She previously managed nuclear research and development programs at the U.S. Department of Energy and worked as an energy analyst for the State of Wisconsin. Svinicki holds a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Michigan, where she currently serves as Adjunct Professor of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences in the College of Engineering. She was selected as a Brookings Institution Fellow in 1997 and as a John C. Stennis Congressional Fellow of the 108th U.S. Congress. She sits on the boards of TerraPower and the Southern Company. She currently chairs the American Nuclear Society’s International Council.

Hans Hess, Chairman of the Board, Synhelion SA.

«Viele der heutigen Herausforderungen können wir wegen ihrer Komplexität nicht mehr allein lösen. Doch mit guter Vernetzung und enger Zusammenarbeit werden wir das schaffen - sei es als Personen, als Firmen, als Gesellschaft oder als Staaten.»

Hans Hess is an accomplished entrepreneur, manager, investor, and engineer. Over the course of his career, he has been chairman and board member of several industrial companies and Swiss organizations, such as Swissmem, economiesuisse, and the ETH Board. He was CEO of Leica Geosystems AG, which he successfully listed at the Swiss Stock Exchange SIX. In 2006, Hans Hess founded his own company, Hanesco AG, which provides international management services and invests in Swiss companies. Hans Hess holds a Master Degree in Material Science from ETH in Zürich and a Master Degree in Business Administration from University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

Prof. Dr. Annalisa Manera, Professor of Nuclear Systems and Multiphase at ETH Zurich.

«As we have learned from recent events, a stable energy supply is of fundamental importance for the well-being of our society. We need all solutions we have. My hope is that TOGETHER we can find a feasible, science-based path forward, free from dogmas and ideologies.»

Dr. Manera is Professor of Nuclear Systems and Multiphase Flows at ETH Zurich. Since July 2021 she is on a leave of absence from the University of Michigan, where she has been Professor in the Nuclear Engineering Department for the last 10 years. At the University of Michigan she has established a research and teaching program in nuclear systems thermal-hydraulics and is the co-director of the Experimental and Computational Multiphase Flow Laboratory (ECMF) and the High Resolution Imaging Lab. Her research group focuses on high-resolution experimental techniques and CFD-based high-fidelity multiphysics simulations of nuclear systems. She holds a M.Sc. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Pisa (110/110 summa cum laude) and a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from the Delft University of Technology.

Benedikt Loepfe, Director, Elektrizitätswerk der Stadt Zürich (ewz).

«Der Umbau des Energiesystems gelingt, wenn die fähigsten und motiviertesten Köpfe zusammenarbeiten.»

Prior to his appointment as Director in 2020, Benedikt Loepfe had held various positions at the company since 2014. For five years he headed the Networks division and subsequently the Energy division, and from 2015 he was also Deputy Director of ewz. Before that, he worked for various technology companies in Switzerland and abroad. From 2011 to 2014, he was Managing Director of CW Drive Technologie (Switzerland) and CW 3d-Radar (Norway), having previously spent 10 years managing various divisions of Belimo. After studying electrical engineering at ETH Zurich, he began his career in development and sales at ABB. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Swissgrid and a Member of the Board of the Association of Swiss Electricity Companies VSE.

Monika Rühl, Chairwoman of the Executive Board economiesuisse.

«In Krisenzeiten gilt erst recht: Die Welt braucht Kollaboration statt Konfrontation. Setzen wir auf das Gemeinsame und die Zusammenarbeit!»

Monika Rühl has been Chairman of the Executive Committee of economiesuisse since 1 September 2014. Following a degree in Romance languages at the University of Zurich, Monika Rühl successfully trained as a diplomat in Bern, Brussels and Geneva. Following posts in the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), she was the personal assistant to Federal Councillor Joseph Deiss and subsequently head of the Bilateral Economic Relations Division in the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) with the title of Ambassador and a member of the Executive Committee. In 2008, she was appointed Federal Council Delegate for Trade Agreements. From 2011 to 2014 she led the General Secretariat of the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER).

Maurice Dierick, Head of Market, Swissgrid AG.

«Kollaboration ist ein Schlüsselelement, um mit Innovationskraft Grosses zu erreichen, denn «Alleine sind wir ein Tropfen Wasser, gemeinsam ein Ozean.»»

Maurice Dierick is a mechanical engineer, who started his professional career in 1991 with E. I. Du Pont de Nemours S.A. in France. He then moved to General Electric Plastics in Germany. Between 1998 and 2004, he supervised various projects in di erent businesses within the scope of the liberalisation of the energy market. From 2001 on, after the completion of the rst phase of unbundling, he focused his attention on the structuring of asset management organisation, rst for Cap Gemini Ernst & Young in the Netherlands and as of 2004 as a consultant to various energy supply companies in Belgium, Germany, France, Switzerland and Australia. In Switzerland, he was also involved in the market liberalisation in 2008. Maurice Dierick joined Swissgrid in February 2015. Since June 2016 he has been a member of the Executive Board, initially as Head of Grid and since January 2019 as Head of Market.

Samir Brikho, Executive Chairman, Eurochem Group AG, Zug.

«Um Ernährungssicherheit sowie Biodiversität gewährleisten zu können, müssen alle Stakeholder gemeinsam neue Wege gehen.»

Samir joined the Board of EuroChem Group as Chairman in 2018, bringing with him a wealth of experience in industry and in leadership. In 2022 he was appointed as Executive Director. From October 2006 to 2016, Samir was CEO of Amec Foster Wheeler (formerly Amec), where he was widely credited with the company’s financial recovery. Prior to that, in 2003, he became CEO of ABB Lummus Global and in 2006, he was appointed to the Group Executive Committee of ABB Ltd, serving as Head of the Power Systems Division at ABB Group. His earlier career included senior management positions at Asea and ABB Power Generation between 1983 and 2000 after which he moved to Alstom, where he served as Chief International Operations Officer and Senior Vice President, as well as CEO of Alstom Kraftwerke in Germany. Non-executive experience Samir served as a non-executive director of Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) and is a member of the advisory board of Stena. Samir has served as a UK Business Ambassador, and was co-chair of both the UK-UAE CEO Forum and the UK-Korea CEO Forum. He is a member of the advisory board of LIFE Lebanon and a member of the advisory board of SOAS University of London. He was also the 2009 and 2016 chair of the World Economic Forum’s Engineering and Construction Board. He served as chair of the Forum’s Disaster Resource Partnership and was co-chair of the Forum’s Infrastructure and Urban Development Industries Committee. Qualifications: Samir holds a Master of Science degree in Thermal Technology from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm (Sweden). He received an Honorary Doctorate from Cranfield University in the UK. He is also a graduate of the Young Managers Programme at INSEAD and the Senior Executive Program at Stanford University.

Ron Pal, Founder, Group CEO and Chairman of the Board, Innoterra.

«Aus Klein wird Gross – Was uns als Individuen nicht möglich ist, schaffen wir zusammen» – angelehnt an das Zitat von Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen: «Was dem Einzelnen nicht möglich ist, das schaffen viele»»

Ron Pal is the founder of Innoterra, a Swiss-Indian food and technology platform company that aims to reinvent the food ecosystem to provide healthy food to the world. He currently serves as Chairman and CEO of Innoterra. A serial entrepreneur, Ron’s passion is to develop ventures that deliver consistent returns while making a positive contribution to the society. Before founding Innoterra in 2004, Ron served as CEO at Access Arena, where he led a consortium of private investors including the Kudelski Group, to implement the first large-scale multi-application chip-based access control system in Switzerland. Swiss-Indian by origin, Ron grew up in Hong Kong, India, Singapore, USA and Switzerland. He has studied hotel management at the EHL in Chur and business administration at the University of New Orleans.