Intellectual Property - A challenge for Industry and Culture

Melanie Winiger, actor. Melanie Winiger is a Swiss film actor, presenter, model and brand ambassador. Winiger’s film debut was in “Ready, Steady, Charlie!” (“Achtung, fertig, Charlie!”) in the role of recruit Michelle Bluntschi. She also made her mark in the German scene in the years 2015 to 2018. November 2018 saw the cinema release of Barbara Miller’s international documentary film “#Female Pleasure”, supported by Melanie Winiger as Executive Producer.

Dr. Karen Jane Huebscher, Member of the Executive Board SMG, CEO Solvias AG. Dr. Karen Jane Huebscher has been CEO of Solvias since spring 2014. Under her leadership Solvias is underpinning its focus on customer needs, its commitment to technological and know-how leadership, and a drive towards further international expansion. Prior to serving as CEO, Karen was a non-executive Board member of Solvias AG from 2013 to 2014. She spent more than 15 years with Novartis in senior leadership positions. Karen is a member of the Board of Directors of the Tecan Group. She holds a PhD from the Swiss Institute of Technology in Zurich and an MBA from the IMD in Lausanne.

Peter Stamm, writer. Peter Stamm studied English. psychology and psychopathology for a number of semesters and has pursued various careers in Paris, New York and elsewhere. He lives in Switzerland. He has been working as a freelance author since 1990. He has written more than a dozen radio plays. His debut novel “Agnes” (1998) has been followed by six further novels, five collections of short stories and a volume of plays, most recently the novels “Weit über das Land” (“Far across the land”) and “Die sanfte Gleichgültigkeit der Welt” (“The gentle indifference of the world”) as well as a collection of his Bamberg poetry readings under the title “Die Vertreibung aus dem Paradies” (“Expulsion from Paradise”). “Die sanfte Gleichgültigkeit der Welt” was awarded the Swiss Book Prize in 2018. His Christmas story “Marcia aus Vermont” (“Marcia from Vermont”) appears in October 2019. ©Portrait: Sophie Kandaouroff

Sarah Kreienbühl, Member of the Board, Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund. Sarah Kreienbuhl studied applied psychology at the University of Zurich and started her professional career in the Pilot Selection department of Swissair. This was followed by positions of increasing responsibility in Executive Search and Human Resources Management. From 2004 onwards she served at Sonova (formerly Phonak) as the Board member with global responsibility for HRM, adding the role of Head of Corporate Communication, Corporate Branding and Sustainability as of 2012. A concern also dear to her heart was her operational responsibility for the not-for-profit Sonova foundation “Hear the World Foundation”. In January 2018, Sarah Kreienbühl moved to the Official Board of the Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund, where she has taken over the role of Head of the HRM, Communication, Culture and Leisure Department.

Karin Salm, presenter. Karin Salm, arts editor with Radio SRF 2 for many years, is a freelance journalist and presenter. She has hosted conferences and panel discussions for institutions including: ETH Zurich, Forum Architektur Winterthur, Swiss Heritage Society, Bundesamt für Wohnungswesen, Swiss Alpine Museum Bern, Migros Culture Percentage, Amt für Kultur St.Gallen. She likes best to engage with the diversity of topics contained in art and culture policy, architecture and landscape architecture.

Jürg Halter, writer and performance artist. Jürg Halter is a writer and performance artist. He is one of the most famous Swiss authors of his generation and among the pioneers of the new German-language Spoken Word Movement. Studied fine arts at the Bern University of the Arts. Performs regularly all over Europe, in the USA, Africa, Russia, South America and Japan. Numerous book and CD publications, theatrical works. The autumn of 2018 saw the publication of “Erwachen im 21. Jahrhundert” (“Awakening in the 21st century”), Halter’s highly-regarded debut novel, which Jean Ziegler called: «An absolutely fascinating book.» Elke Heidenreich said of it: «That is great art.» ©Portrait: Rob Lewis, 2019