The Foundation Council welcomes two new members
The SNSF Foundation Council has elected two new members to enhance its expertise and strategic capabilities. With Anja Wyden Guelpa and Frédéric Herman, the Council will once again consist of nine members.
As the strategic governing body of the SNSF, the Foundation Council determines its long-term strategic orientation, supervises its governance, approves its budget and ensures the effective implementation of its funding mission. The newly appointed members will broaden the Council’s expertise and raise its profile.
The appointments were made at the recommendation of the Electoral Committee following a rigorous, multi-stage selection process and were subsequently confirmed by the Foundation Council. Anja Wyden Guelpa will take up her duties on 1 June 2026, and Frédéric Herman on 1 August 2026, both for a four-year term of office.
Experience from politics, science and public administration
Anja Wyden Guelpa brings extensive experience in politics, administration and innovation. She was the first female State Chancellor of the Canton of Geneva from 2009 to 2018 and has many years of management experience at the interface of public administration, business and society. Today, she is the founder and managing director of the think tank civicLab and a board member of numerous companies and foundations.
Frédéric Herman is Professor of Earth Surface Dynamics at the University of Lausanne and is one of the leading international researchers in the field of geosciences. He has been Rector of the University of Lausanne from 2021 to July 2026.
Balanced composition of the Foundation Council
With the new appointments, the Foundation Council maintains the gender balance stipulated in the Statutes. At the same time, they enhance the Council’s professional diversity and range of expertise. The new members will contribute complementary perspectives from science, university management, public administration and innovation to the strategic development of the SNSF.