Foundation Council

Jürg Stahl has been President of the Foundation Council since 2020. From 1999 to 2019, he was a member of the National Council (lower chamber of the Swiss Parliament), which he presided over in 2017. Between 2011 and 2015, he was a member of the Science, Education and Culture Committee (SECC) of the National Council. He has extensive experience of managing national associations and organisations.

Vested interests:

• Swiss Association of Druggists, Biel: President

• Personal website
• Press release: Jürg Stahl new President of the SNSF Foundation Council
• Jürg Stahl re-elected President of the SNSF Foundation Council

Nikola Biller-Andorno is Professor of Biomedical Ethics at the University of Zurich. She is also Vice Dean Innovation and Digitalization and President of the Equal Opportunity Commission of the Faculty of Medicine. Until the end of 2023, Nikola Biller-Andorno was Vice President of the Programmes division of the National Research Council.

Vested interests:

• Dialog Ethik foundation, Zurich: President of the Foundation Board
• European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies of the European Commission: Member
• Family Larsson Rosenquist Foundation, Frauenfeld: Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
• PMB GmbH, Heidelberg: Co-founder and Partner
• Swiss Medical Weekly: Deputy Editor

• Personal website

Astrid Epiney is Professor of Public International Law, European Law and Swiss Public Law at the University of Fribourg and was a member of the Research Council. She has extensive experience in academic autonomy and science policy bodies. In addition to other accolades, Astrid Epiney has received the National Latsis Prize, is a Knight of the French Legion of Honour and has the German Federal Cross of Merit.

Vested interests:

• Swiss Study Foundation: President of the Foundation Board

• Personal website

Matthias Essenpreis is Chief Technology Officer at Roche Diagnostics, Basel. After receiving a doctorate in medical physics, he pursued an international career at Roche, where he has held a variety of management roles. His responsibilities have included helping to shape research and innovation and collaborating with numerous research institutions and research funders.

Vested interests: None

Jörg Gasser is an independent entrepreneur and board of directors and foundation board member. After obtaining a degree in economics and international relations, he worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for more than ten years. He then held executive positions in the Federal Administration and in the private sector. Among other things, he was State Secretary for International Financial Matters and CEO of the Swiss Bankers Association.

Vested interests:

• AsyLex, Zurich: Member Global Steering Committee
• Brünig Mega Safe, Lungern: Board of Directors
• Elektrizitätswerk Obwalden, Kerns: Board of Directors

Urs Frey is the Medical Director at University Children’s Hospital Basel and Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Basel. He has received a number of awards, both for his research and his clinical activities, and was a member of the Research Council. Urs Frey will chair the National Steering Board of the Swiss Personalized Health Network (a federal initiative) until the end of 2024.

Vested interests: none

Personal website

Agnès Petit is a non-executive director in industrial companies and an independent consultant for technology start-ups. After studying geosciences at the University of Lausanne, she completed her PhD and a post-doctorate at ETH Zurich. She then pursued a career in private-sector companies, including Holcim and Creabeton. In 2018, she founded her own company in the area of construction sector digitalisation.

Vested interests:

• Cemex Innovation Holding, Brügg: Entrepreneur-in-Residence
• Innosuisse – Swiss Innovation Agency: Expert
• Innovation Committee of the Vaud Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CVCI), Lausanne: Member
• Sanu Future Learning AG, Biel: Member of the Board of Directors
• Think Tank Singularity Group AG, Zurich: Expert

Laetitia Philippe is Head of the National Research and Innovation Division and Deputy Director of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). Following a degree in materials science, she spent more than 20 years in research, teaching and innovation. Before joining SERI, she headed the Research Development department at the SNSF.

Vested interests: None

Lothar Thiele taught and researched at ETH Zurich between 1994 to 2022 as a Professor of Information Technology. He has received numerous international awards for his research and life's work. He was a member of the Research Council and President of the Steering Committee of BRIDGE, the joint funding programme of the SNSF and Innosuisse. From 2017 to mid-2024, he is the Delegate for Digital Transformation at ETH Zurich.

Vested interests:

• Federal Data Science Competence Center (DSCC) group of experts: Head
• Hasler Foundation, Bern: Vice-President
• SCION Association, Zurich: Chair of the Executive Board
• Foundation Technopark, Zurich: President

• Personal website