Board of the Greater Zurich Area Foundation

Carmen Walker Späh
Carmen Walker Späh (Chair)
Canton of Zurich, Government Councillor
Daniel Previdoli
Daniel Previdoli (Vice Chairman)
Zürcher Kantonalbank, Member of the Executive Board
Juan Beer
Juan Beer
Zurich Insurance Company, CEO Zurich Switzerland
Marcus Caduff
Marcus Caduff
Canton of Grisons, Government Councillor
Urban Camenzind
Urban Camenzind
Canton of Uri, Government Councillor
Paolo Di Stefano SwissLife
Paolo Di Stefano
Swiss Life, Head Real Estate Switzerland
Karin Hauser
Karin Hauser
Canton of Zurich, Department of Economic Affairs, Deputy Secretary General
Sibylle Jeker - Kanton Solothurn
Sibylle Jeker
Canton of Solothurn, Government Councillor
Michael Künzle
Michael Künzle
City of Winterthur, Mayor
Karin Lenzlinger, Zürcher Handelskammer
Dr. Karin Lenzlinger
Zürcher Handelskammer, President
Marianne Lienhard
Marianne Lienhard
Canton of Glarus, Government Councillor
Gianfranco Lot, Swiss Re
Gianfranco Lot
Swiss Re, Chief Underwriting Officer P&C Reinsurance & Country President Switzerland
Corine Mauch
Corine Mauch
City of Zurich, Mayor
Patrick O. Müller, UBS
Patrick O. Müller
UBS, Managing Director and Regional Director UBS Zurich
Hanspeter Rhyner
Hanspeter Rhyner
Zuger Kantonalbank, CEO
Gian Andrea Schmid
Dr. Gian Andrea Schmid
Canton of Zurich, Department of Economic Affairs, Secretary General
Elisabeth Stark
Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Stark
University of Zurich, Vice President Research
Petra Steimen-Rickenbacher
Petra Steimen-Rickenbacher
Canton of Schwyz, Government Councillor
Dino Tamagni
Dino Tamagni
Canton of Schaffhausen, Government Councillor
Silvia Thalmann-Gut
Silvia Thalmann-Gut
Canton of Zug, Government Councillor
Christian Vitta
Dr. Christian Vitta
Canton of Ticino, Government Councillor
Kaspar E.A. Wenger
Kaspar E.A. Wenger
Holcim Schweiz, Chairman of the Board of Directors
Vanessa Wood
Prof. Dr. Vanessa Wood
ETH Zurich, Vice President for Knowledge Transfer and Corporate Relations

News

AI + Environment Summit 2025: Shaping the future of sustainable AI from Greater Zurich
Hosted at Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich as part of the Zurich AI Festival, the AI + Environment Summit 2025 brought together leading scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to explore how AI is transforming environmental research and actio
RAI Institute strengthens robotics and AI research in Greater Zurich
On 15 September, the Robotics and AI Institute (RAI) celebrated the opening of its new premises in the Greater Zurich Area. Led by ETH professor Marco Hutter, the new 'RAI Institute Zurich' serves as the counterpart to the Boston institute, linking MIT and ETH as two global centers of excellence and opening new opportunities in robotics and AI for researchers, students, and startups.
Inside the Greater Zurich Biotech scene with Nicola Heffron from Alexion Pharmaceuticals
Nicola Heffron, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Marketing & Market Access at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, has spent more than 25 years shaping strategy, launches, and market access across the pharma and biotech industries. Originally from the UK, she moved with her family to Switzerland in 2015, drawn by the country’s position as a true hub for biotech innovation.
Zurich AI Festival 2025 - huge success: The international AI community gathers in Zurich
Greater Zurich is thus making it clear: innovation, cutting-edge research, and economic strength converge here at the highest level – and the region intends to shine on the international stage.

Meet with an expansion expert

Our services are free of charge and include:

  • Introduction to key contacts in industry, academia, and government
  • Advice on regulatory framework, taxes, labor, market, and setting up a company
  • Custom-made fact-finding visits, including office and co-working space