Greater Zurich Ambassadors

Greater Zurich Area Ltd (GZA) regularly awards entrepreneurs, executives and multipliers as "Greater Zurich Ambassadors". The award recognizes the outstanding achievements of these personalities as well as their merits for the Greater Zurich Area in Switzerland.

Does this describe you? Reach out and tell us why you should be our next Ambassador.

In addition to honoring outstanding achievements, the Greater Zurich Ambassador program has great value for GZA's activities. The Greater Zurich Ambassadors carry the excellence of Greater Zurich as a technology and business location out into the world and inform and support other companies interested in expanding into or within Europe in a credible manner.

Would you like to talk to one of these personalities about their experiences in the Greater Zurich Area? We will be happy to put you in touch.

Greater Zurich Ambassadors 2024

Dr. Daniela Marino, Cutiss
Dr. Daniela Marino
Cutiss AG, CEO
Marco Hutter
Prof. Dr. Marco Hutter
The AI Institute, Senior Director Research, & Robotic Systems Lab ETH Zürich, Director
Oliver Ullrich, UZH Space Hub
Prof. Prof. mult. Dr. med. Dr. rer. nat. Oliver Ullrich
UZH Space Hub, Director & University of Zurich, Full Professor and Chair of Anatomy

Greater Zurich Ambassadors 2023

Jeff Poulton Portrait
Jeff Poulton
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, CFO
Andreas Raptopoulos Portrait
Andreas Raptopoulos
Matternet, Founder & CEO
Ophelia Snyder Co founder and president 21.co
Ophelia Snyder
21.co, Co-Founder and President
Michael Vollmer
Michael Vollmer
Photon Medical Communications, Chief Business Development Officer & Managing Director Switzerland

Greater Zurich Ambassadors 2020/21

Joshua Aceves
Joshua Aceves
Xylem, Senior Director Global Tax Planning & Strategy
Sahel Assar
Sahel Assar
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, International Tax Counsel
Chris Bergstresser
Chris Bergstresser
Flexion Mobile, Board Member
Stefan Birrer
Stefan Birrer
Phenix Real Time Solutions, Co-Founder & Chief Software Architect
Fred Dorey
Fred Dorey
Cooley LLP, Special Counsel
Urs Hartmann
Urs Hartmann
INTEGRA Biosciences, CEO
John Kim Portrait
John Kim
GLOSIA, CEO
Jonathan Isenring
Jonathan Isenring
Art Basel, Director Innovation
Thomas Lackner
Thomas Lackner
Apellis, SVP & Head of Europe
Johannes Läderach
Johannes Läderach
Läderach, CEO
Sophie Lamparter
Sophie Lamparter
DART Labs, Founder & Managing Partner
Joy Loh, Align Technology
Joy Loh
Align Technology, Vice President Tax and Treasury
Alison Maxwell
Alison Maxwell
DLA Piper, Chair US Tax
Andreas Voll
Andreas Voll
fischer group, CEO
Tony Wyss Coray
Tony Wyss Coray
Stanford University, Professor Neurology and Neurological Sciences

San Francisco 2019

Liz Chien, Vice President of Global Tax, Ripple Labs
Liz Chien
University of California, Adjunct Professor of International Tax
Warren DeSouza, Chief Financial Officer, Sila Nanotechnologies
Warren DeSouza
Sila Nanotechnologies, CFO
Douglas Ebert
Douglas Ebert
Greater Zurich Area, Senior Advisor

Also with DKE Enterprises (President)

Connect on LinkedIn

Alexander Fries, Partner, Alpana Ventures
Alexander Fries
Digital Twins Capital, Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Raffael Marty
Raffael Marty
ConnectWise, EVP & General Manager Cybersecurity

(previously with Forcepoint)

Connect on LinkedIn

George Scangos, Chief Executive Officer, Vir Biotechnology
George Scangos
Vir Biotechnology, Former CEO
David Tucker, Vice President of Finance, Atara Biotherapeutic
David Tucker
Ancora Heart, Former CFO
Dean Zikria
Dean Zikria
Mind Machine, CEO

Zurich 2019

Mario Jenni
Mario Jenni
Bio-Technopark Schlieren-Zürich,

Co-Founder & CEO

Connect on LinkedIn

Mads Joergensen
Mads Joergensen
Georg Fischer, Group CFO
Andreas Lamprecht
Dr. Andreas Lamprecht
Drone Up, Vice President Systems Engineering
Annette Luther
Dr. Annette Luther
Roche, Head International Government Relations
Lorenz Meier
Dr. Lorenz Meier
Auterion, CEO
Kevin Sartori
Kevin Sartori
ETH AI Center, Entrepreneur in Residence
Prof. Dr. Sarah M. Springman
Prof. Dr. Sarah M. Springman
St Hilda's College, Principal

(previously at ETH Zürich)

Connect on LinkedIn

Lea von Bidder
Lea von Bidder
Expeerly, CEO & Founder

(previously with Ava)

Connect on LinkedIn

Andreas Wieland
Andreas Wieland
Hamilton Bonaduz, Chairman of the Board of Directors
Prof. Dr. Katherine Xin
Prof. Dr. Katherine Xin
China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), Associate Dean (Europe)

Boston 2018

Michael Hardgrove
Michael Hardgrove
MWH Consulting, Consultant
Roman Kern
Roman Kern
Swissnex, Head of Unit
Michelle Lock
Michelle Lock
Covis Pharma, COO & CMO
Orlando Oliveira
Orlando Oliveira
Mirati Therapeutics, SVP & Head of International
Gene White
Gene White
White Consulting Services, Managing Director

San Francisco 2017

Matt Atkin
Matt Atkin
Blue Lion Global, Operating Partner

(previously with Uber)

Connect on LinkedIn

Stewart Karlinsky
Stewart Karlinsky
Pacific Tax Policy Institute, Executive Director
Randy Knaflic
Randy Knaflic
storytelling with data, Head of Operations

(previously with Google)

Connect on LinkedIn

Philipp Stauffer
Philipp Stauffer
FYRFLY Venture Partners, Co-Founder
Friedemann Thomma
Friedemann Thomma
Venable LLP, Partner

Press releases

PDF (64.78 KB)
Nov. 6, 2023: New class of Greater Zurich Ambassadors
PDF (540.77 KB)
Sept. 10, 2019: Greater Zurich Area appoints Honorary Ambassadors for the global promotion of Zurich as a technology and business location
PDF (423.41 KB)
Oct. 18, 2018: Greater Zurich Area appoints Ambassadors on the U.S. East Coast
PDF (343.52 KB)
Oct. 12, 2017: Greater Zurich Area appoints Ambassadors on the U.S. West Coast

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