Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter is the President of the Swiss Confederation and has been the Head of the Federal Department of Finance (FDF) since January 2023. Before her election to the Swiss Federal Council in December 2018, she represented the canton of St. Gallen in the Council of States from 2011 until the end of 2018, serving as President of the Council of States from 2017 to 2018. Her political career began in 1992, and from 2000 to 2011, she was a member of the cantonal government of St. Gallen (Regierungsrat), where she held various senior positions, including leading the Justice and Security Department. Outside of government and politics and prior to joining the Swiss Federal Council, Ms. Keller-Sutter has held multiple board memberships, including positions at Bâloise Insurance Group, the Swiss Employers Association, and the NZZ Media Group. Notably, she also served on the board of trustees for the St. Gallen Symposium until 2018. Initially a trained translator/interpreter and secondary school teacher, between 1989 and 2000 she worked as a freelance translator and also taught at a vocational school. Hailing from the canton of St. Gallen, she holds a postgraduate degree in pedagogy from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland.

Philipp Navratil has been Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé S.A. since September 2025. Previously, he served as CEO of Nestlé Nespresso S.A. and brings over two decades of experience at Nestlé with a deep background in the coffee industry. Prior to his current role, Mr Navratil served as Senior Vice President of Nestlé’s Coffee Strategic Business Unit, where he was responsible for shaping the global strategy and driving innovation for the Nescafé and Starbucks coffee brands. Earlier in his career, he led Nestlé’s coffee and beverage business in Mexico and was Country Manager for Nestlé Honduras, after beginning his career at Nestlé in 2001 as an International Auditor. Philipp Navratil holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. He was a member of the 28th International Students’ Committee (ISC) and served as President of the 29th St. Gallen Symposium. He now serves on the Board of Trustees of the St. Gallen Foundation for International Studies, supporting the long-term vision of the Symposium.

Minister Emma Inamutila Theofelus is the Minister of Information and Communication Technology for the Republic of Namibia and serves as a Member of Parliament. Known for her policy-adjacent activism, Minister Theofelus has championed issues such as gender equality, children's rights, sustainable development, and the fight against youth unemployment. Earlier in her career, she held leadership roles as Deputy Speaker of the Youth Parliament of Namibia, a Board Member of the National Council of Higher Education, and the Junior Mayor of Windhoek. In recognition of her outstanding contributions, she was awarded the Laureate in the Individual Category of the United Nations Population Award in 2022. Minister Theofelus holds an LLB (Honours) from the University of Namibia, where she also served as Secretary General of the Student Union. She earned a diploma in Business Management from Amity University and a diploma in Afrikan Feminism and Gender Studies from the University of South Africa. She is currently a Master’s candidate in ICT Policy and Regulation at the University of Witwatersrand.

Kęstutis Budrys has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania since 2024. Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for shaping and implementing the country’s foreign and security policy within the EU and NATO frameworks. In his role, he oversees Lithuania’s diplomatic strategy, international partnerships, and security cooperation. Previously, he was Chief National Security Adviser to the President of Lithuania, Head of the National Security Group, Secretary of the State Defence Council, and Chairman of the Intelligence Coordination Group. He also served as Deputy Director of the State Security Department and as Presidential Advisor on intelligence and defence policy. Minister Budrys holds a BA in Political Science and an MA in International Relations from Vilnius University and completed internships in the United States and Canada.

Dr. Oliver Blume has served as Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG since September 2022. From 2015 to the end of 2025, he served as Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG, and since 2018, he has been a Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG. In his current role, he leads the strategic direction of one of the world’s largest automotive groups, overseeing global operations, innovation, and transformation. He has been with the Volkswagen Group since 1994, beginning his career in the international trainee program at AUDI AG and holding multiple senior leadership roles across production, logistics, and planning. Dr. Blume earned his Doctor of Engineering in Vehicle Engineering from Tongji University.

Clara C. Streit has been Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Börse AG since May 2024 and Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of Vonovia SE since 2013, Germany’s largest residential real estate company and a DAX 40 member. She also chairs the Government Commission on the German Corporate Governance Code since 2023. In these roles she advances corporate governance standards and oversees key board committees. Previously she spent over 20 years at McKinsey & Company, most recently as Senior Partner leading its Banking, Exchanges & Insurance practice. She has served as a non-executive director on the boards of UniCredit S.p.A., NN Group N.V., Jerónimo Martins SGPS S.A., Vontobel Holding AG, Deutsche Börse AG as well as on the advisory board of Fraport AG and other companies. She holds a master’s degree (lic. oec.) in Finance and Accounting from the University of St. Gallen, where she was part of the 21st International Students’ Committee of the St. Gallen Symposium in 1991. Continuing her engagement, she serves on the St. Gallen Symposium’s Board of Trustees.

Andres Sutt has served as Minister of Energy and the Environment of the Republic of Estonia since 2025. He is a former Member of the Estonian Parliament (Estonian Reform Party) and a former Minister of Entrepreneurship and IT, where he oversaw the development of the e-Estonia ecosystem, raised investments in cyber security, and launched the 5G rollout. Andres Sutt is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Tartu University Foundation and a Member of the Advisory Board of AI&Robotics Estonia. Prior to politics, he served as Member of the Board at Enefit, Head of Banking at the European Stability Mechanism, Senior Advisor to the Nordic-Baltic Executive Director of the IMF Board, and Deputy Governor responsible for financial stability at Eesti Pank. He holds a master’s degree in economics and finance (cum laude) from Tartu University and has studied management at INSEAD, France.

Bogolo Kenewendo has served as Cabinet Minister of Minerals and Energy for the Government of Botswana since 2024. In this role, she oversees national policy on minerals and energy and contributes her expertise in economic development and public policy. Prior to this, she served as Regionalization Director and Special Advisor to the Climate Change High-Level Champions and as Managing Director of Kenewendo Advisory, an economic and development consultancy focused on policy analysis and economic reform in Africa. Earlier in her career, she served as Botswana’s Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry and as a Specially Elected Member of Parliament in the National Assembly. In addition, she has held leadership roles including Chairperson of Bank Gaborone and is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Global Development. She previously worked as a trade economist with the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Ghana and as an economist and consultant in Botswana. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Botswana and a Master’s degree in International Economics from the University of Sussex and completed executive education at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Prof. Dr. Ivan Krastev is the chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies and Albert Hirschman Permanent Fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences, IWM Vienna. He is a founding board member of the European Council on Foreign Relations, a member of the Board of Trustees of The International Crisis Group and member of the Board of Directors of GLOBSEC. He is a Financial Times contributing editor and - among many others - the author of "Is it Tomorrow, Yet? How the Pandemic Changes Europe" (Allen Lane/Penguin, 2020) & “After Europe” (UPenn Press, 2017).

Jagdish Kharel served as Minister of Communication and Information Technology and Spokesperson of the Government of Nepal until January 2026. In this role, he focused on strengthening reliable public communication, improving digital access and connectivity, and fostering transparent coordination between state institutions, media, and citizens during a period of national transition. Prior to entering government, he spent more than 20 years in Nepali media across radio, television, and digital platforms, most recently as Editor-in-Chief and Executive Producer at Image Channel within Image Group. There, he led national broadcast and digital coverage, hosted the political interview program Hot Seat, and mentored journalists during major national crises. Jagdish Kharel holds a Master’s degree in Mass Communication from Tribhuvan University and is pursuing a PhD in International Relations and Diplomacy at the same institution.

Prof. Peter Sloterdijk is a German philosopher, cultural theorist, and writer whose work has deeply influenced contemporary European thought. In 2024, he delivered a widely noted lecture series at the Collège de France in Paris. From 2001 to 2015, he served as Rector and Professor of Philosophy and Aesthetics at the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design. His Critique of Cynical Reason became one of the best-selling works of philosophy of the 20th century and established him as a leading public intellectual. His years of independent writing were preceded by a formative period in India at the ashram of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and by his doctoral work at the University of Hamburg in 1976 on autobiographical writing in the Weimar Republic, following earlier studies in philosophy, history, and German literature in Munich and Hamburg.

Sergio P. Ermotti has been Group CEO of UBS Group AG and President of the Executive Board of UBS AG since 2023. He was also the Group CEO from 2011 to 2020. He re-joined UBS from Swiss Re, where he was Chairman of the Board of Directors until 2023. Prior to joining UBS in 2011, he was at UniCredit Group, where from 2007 to 2010 he served as Group Deputy CEO and Head of Corporate & Investment Banking and Private Banking, prior to which he served as Head of the Markets & Investment Banking Division. Before that, he held various positions at Merrill Lynch & Co. in the areas of equity derivatives and capital markets. He became Co-Head of Global Equity Markets and a member of the Executive Management Committee for Global Markets & Investment Banking in 2001.

Dr. Nicolas Peter has been Chairman of BMW’s Supervisory Board since May 2025. In this role, he chairs oversight of BMW’s corporate governance, strategic direction, and board decisions. Previously, he served as Chief Financial Officer (Board Member for Finance) of BMW from 2017 to 2023. He also held roles including Head of Europe, Head of Group Controlling, and leadership positions in BMW’s national operations (France, Sweden, etc.). He is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt. Dr. Peter completed his law studies at the University of Munich with the Second State Examination and received his doctoral degree from the same university.

Dr Thomas Schinecker has been Chief Executive Officer of the Roche Group since March 2023 and a member of the Corporate Executive Committee since 2019. Prior to assuming his current role, he served as interim CEO of the Pharmaceuticals Division in early 2023. For two years, he led Roche Diagnostics' largest business unit, including research and development, before taking over as CEO of the Diagnostics Division (2019–2022). Dr Schinecker joined Roche in 2003 as part of a management development programme. Over the course of his career at the company, he has held leadership positions across six countries and three continents. Before taking on more senior leadership roles, he served as Head of Marketing and Sales in Austria, Lifecycle Leader for Diagnostics' Sequencing Solutions in the United States, and General Manager of Roche Diagnostics in both Sweden and Germany. Alongside his work at Roche, Dr Schinecker serves as a member of the Innovation Board of Labor Berlin (Charité and Vivantes), Chair of the Biopharmaceutical CEOs Roundtable (BCR), and President of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), both since 2025. He was also elected to the Board of Directors of Chugai Pharmaceutical in Japan in 2025. He studied genetics in Salzburg, Austria, and earned a PhD in molecular biology from New York University.

Patrick Zhong is the Founding Managing Partner of M31 Capital and has over 20 years of experience in venture capital, private equity, buyout and public equity across diverse industries. Prior to founding M31, he served as Chief Investment Officer at Wanda Group, leading investments in technology & media, consumer and financial services. He was previously Senior Managing Director and Global Partner at Fosun Group. Zhong also led Fosun Lifestyle Brands, chaired Fosun Media Group and Forbes China, and earlier invested at Wellington Management, backing Tencent, Baidu, Alibaba and other major tech firms.

Thomas Gottschild has served as Managing Director of MBDA Deutschland GmbH since July 2016 and is Executive Vice President Strategy & Future Growth at MBDA. In this role, he is responsible for the Group’s overall strategic direction, business development, and product innovation, and serves as a member of MBDA’s Executive Committee. Previously, he led key efficiency and transformation initiatives as Executive Group Director Improvement. Prior to joining MBDA, he held various senior leadership roles at Airbus Defence and Space, including Corporate Secretary at executive management level and Head of Strategy for the Space Systems business. Beyond his corporate responsibilities, he was elected Chairman of the Security Committee of the Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie (BDI) in February 2025. Thomas Gottschild studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Siegen following his service in the German Air Force.

Tytti Tuppurainen has been a Member of the Finnish Parliament since 2011 and serves as Leader of the Social Democratic Parliamentary Group. She previously held national office as Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering from 2019 to 2023, following earlier roles including Second Deputy Chairperson of Parliament’s Grand Committee on EU Affairs. Before entering parliament, she worked in research and project management at the Oulu University of Applied Sciences. She has also held numerous leadership positions across regional, political and civil-society organisations. Tytti Tuppurainen holds a Master’s degree in Philosophy from the University of Oulu.

Bruno Le Maire served as France’s Minister of the Economy and Finance from 2017 to 2020 and subsequently as Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty until 2024. He currently serves as Special Adviser to the technology company ASML. In this role, he oversaw France’s economic, financial and industrial policy. Prior to this, he was a Member of the French National Assembly for the Eure constituency. Earlier in his career, he served as Minister of Agriculture and as Secretary of State for European Affairs. He also worked as Director of the Cabinet of the French Prime Minister and as political advisor within the French government. Earlier, he served in several advisory roles at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior. Bruno Le Maire studied at the École normale supérieure, Sciences Po and the École nationale d’administration (ENA).

Prof. Christoph Heusgen is the former Chairman of the Munich Security Conference (MSC), a position he held from 2022 to 2025. Before assuming that role, he served as Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations in New York from 2017 to 2021, chairing the UN Security Council in April 2019 and July 2020. From 2005 to 2017, Ambassador Heusgen advised Chancellor Angela Merkel on foreign and security policy. From 1999 to 2005, he headed the political staff of Javier Solana, then High Representative for the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy. Earlier in his career, he served as Head of the Europe Division at the Federal Foreign Office (1997–1999), following his role in the ministerial office of Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel (1993–1997). In 1988, he was appointed Personal Assistant to the Coordinator for Franco-German Cooperation, after previous postings at the German Consulate in Chicago and the German Embassy in Paris. Ambassador Heusgen joined the German Foreign Service in 1980. He studied at the University of St.Gallen, Georgia Southern College in the United States, and the Sorbonne in Paris, earning his doctorate at the University of St.Gallen, where he taught political science between 2021 and 2025. He serves as Conference Chairperson of the St. Gallen Symposium, fostering crossgenerational dialogue on leadership and global responsibility.

Hanneke Faber has been Chief Executive Officer of Logitech since December 2023 and also serves as a Board Member and Member of the Audit Committee. In her role, she has returned the company to growth and is leading its mission to extend human potential in work and play. She brings more than 30 years of global business leadership experience across consumer, B2B, and e-commerce businesses, with a strong focus on innovation and sustainability. Prior to joining Logitech, she held senior executive roles at Unilever, Ahold Delhaize, and Procter & Gamble, driving growth and large-scale transformations across multi-billion-dollar organizations. In addition, she has served as a board member at Tapestryand previously as a member of the Supervisory Board of Bayer. Hanneke Faber holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Houston, C.T. Bauer College of Business.

Dr. Steven A. Altman is Director of the DHL Initiative on Globalization and Senior Research Scholar at the Center for the Future of Management at NYU Stern. The DHL Initiative fosters research on globalization, cross-border strategy, and international management. In his role, he leads research on globalization and global strategy, teaches courses like Global Strategy, and publishes academic work in international business. He holds a B.S. in Economics (Wharton), an MBA (Harvard Business School), an MPA (Harvard Kennedy School), and a PhD in International Business & Strategy (University of Reading).

Martin Blessing has served as the Foreign Investment Commissioner of the Federal Government of Germany since 2025, acting as the government’s key representative for promoting and managing international investment in Germany. He also serves as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Danske Bank A/S (since 2022). He also serves on several advisory boards, including the fintech firm Unzer Group GmbH. From 2016 to 2019, he held senior leadership roles at UBS. Between 2008 and 2016, he was CEO of Commerzbank AG, where he guided the bank through its post-crisis restructuring and return to profitability. He holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of St. Gallen and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Prof. Manuel Ammann is the President of the University of St.Gallen and a Professor of Finance. He previously served as Dean of the School of Finance at the University of St.Gallen and Director of the Swiss Institute of Banking and Finance. Known for his expertise in derivatives, asset management, financial markets, and risk management, Prof. Ammann has made substantial contributions to the field of finance. Before becoming President, Prof. Ammann was Chairman of the Board of Directors at Algofin AG and Neue Bank AG, and he also served on the Board of Directors of St. Galler Kantonalbank. He earned his master’s degree in computer science from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia and a PhD in Finance from the University of St.Gallen. Additionally, Prof. Ammann has held visiting professor positions at New York University and the University of California, Berkeley.

Benedetta Berti has served as Secretary General of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. From 2018 to 2025, Benedetta Berti directed Policy Planning in the Office of the NATO Secretary General. She serves as a Visiting Professor at the College of Europe and has held fellowships at the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). She has been recognized as a TED Senior Fellow and an Eisenhower Global Fellow. She holds a PhD and an MA in International Security Studies from The Fletcher School at Tufts University, and a BA in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Bologna.

Prof. Martin Kocher is Governor of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank and member of the ECB Governing Council since September 2025. He held the positions of Austrian Federal Minister of Labor from 2021 to 2022 and Federal Minster of Labor and the Economy from 2022 to March 2025. Previously, he was Scientific Director of the Vienna Institute for Advanced Studies, President of the Fiscal Advisory Council and Chairman of the Statistics Council. He is Full Professor of Economics at the University of Vienna and has held academic positions at universities in Munich, East Anglia, Amsterdam, Göteborg, Brisbane and Innsbruck, where he obtained his doctorate.

Khaled El-Enany has served as Director-General of UNESCO since 2025. In this role, he leads the United Nations agency responsible for international cooperation in education, science and culture. An Egyptologist and professor at Helwan University in Cairo for more than three decades, he has held several academic leadership roles including Vice Dean of the Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management and Head of the Tour Guide Department. Prior to his current position, he served as Egypt’s Minister of Antiquities and subsequently as Minister of Tourism and Antiquities from 2016 to 2022. Earlier, he was Director General of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. He is also active internationally, including as Special Ambassador for Cultural Tourism of the World Tourism Organization and patron of the African World Heritage Fund. El-Enany holds a PhD in Egyptology from Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3 and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Tourism Guidance from Helwan University.

Alejandro Cacace has served as Secretary of Deregulation for the Government of Argentina since 2025. In this role, he contributes to implementing structural reforms aimed at reducing economic distortions and fostering a fair and competitive market environment. He works on deregulation policies, government reform initiatives and legislative coordination designed to promote economic freedom and job creation. Prior to this appointment, he served as Undersecretary for Structural Reforms and was previously a Member of the National Congress of Argentina as well as Parliamentary Secretary for the Minority in the Chamber of Deputies. Earlier in his political career, he served as Representative of the Province of San Luis in the provincial Chamber of Deputies. In parallel, he has been Associate Professor of Constitutional Law at the Universidad Nacional de San Luis for over 16 years and is also Senior Partner at Estudio Cacace, Estrada y Asociados. He holds a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a Master in Law and Economics from the University of Bologna.

Sebastian Kurz is former Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria and Co-Founder of DREAM since 2023. DREAM is an AI-cybersecurity company protecting nations and critical infrastructure against advanced digital threats, with operations in Tel Aviv, Abu Dhabi and Vienna. In his current role, he works globally as an entrepreneur, investor and advisor, supporting the international expansion of technology-driven ventures. Previously, he served as Austria’s youngest Foreign Minister and twice as Federal Chancellor, becoming the youngest head of government in the world at the time. Beyond this, he supports organisations such as GLOBSEC, the International Democrat Union and the Abraham Accords Peace Institute on a voluntary basis.

Peter Voser has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of ABB since 2015, having previously led the company as Chief Executive Officer . Prior to this role, he held senior executive positions at Royal Dutch Shell, serving as Chief Executive Officer from 2009 to 2013 and as Chief Financial Officer from 2004 to 2009. Beyond his executive career, he holds a range of leadership and board mandates, including Chairman of the Board of Directors of PSA International and member of the Board of Directors of IBM Corporation, and has previously served on the boards of UBS AG, Roche Holding, and as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Catalyst Inc. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the St. Gallen Symposium.

Sabrina Soussan is a member of the Board of Directors of Henkel and Continental. She served as Chairman and CEO of SUEZ and was a member of the Board of Directors at Boeing until 2025. Prior to these roles, she was CEO of dormakaba and held senior leadership positions at Siemens, including serving as CEO of Siemens Mobility. She has also previously served on the Boards of ITT Inc. and Schaeffler and is engaged in various industry associations, including the French Business Confederation (MEDEF). Ms Soussan holds a degree in Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering from ENSMA and an MBA from the University of Poitiers. We are delighted that she also serves on the Board of Trustees of the St. Gallen Symposium.

Patrick Gauchat is Major General of the Swiss Armed Forces and has served as Head of Mission and Chief of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) since October 2021. In this role, he oversees UNTSO’s mandate to monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, and support UN peacekeeping operations across the Middle East. In December 2024, he was additionally designated Acting Head of Mission of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan. Previously, he headed Switzerland’s delegation to the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission on the Korean Peninsula and held senior command roles within the Swiss Army and NATO’s KFOR mission. Earlier in his career, he also worked in leadership positions at Swiss Federal Railways(CFF/SBB), alongside assignments at United Nations Headquarters and in field missions. He holds a Master of Science in Engineering from EPFL.

Prof. Scott D. Anthony is a Clinical Professor of Strategy at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and a Senior Advisor at Innosight. At Dartmouth, his research and teaching focus on the adaptive challenges of disruptive change. Harvard Business Review Press will release Scott’s ninth book Epic Disruptions: 11 Innovations That Shaped Our Modern World on September 16, 2025. Before joining the Tuck School of Business, Prof. Anthony spent over 20 years at Innosight, a growth strategy consultancy founded by Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen. He became a Senior Advisor in 2024 after serving as Managing Director of Innosight Consulting Asia-Pacific from 2009 to 2022, where he built out Innosight's presence in the region. Additionally, between 2012 and 2018, he served two terms as Global Managing Partner, a period during which Innosight doubled its global business, expanded to Europe, and was acquired by Huron. An internationally recognized expert and dynamic keynote speaker on navigating disruptive change, Scott has been at the forefront of strategic transformation. He has helped major global organizations navigate tumultuous changes, held board roles at public and private companies, delivered keynote addresses on six continents, and worked closely with CEOs at numerous global organizations. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Dartmouth College, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and an Executive Master in Change (EMC) from INSEAD.

Jessica Anderen is the CEO of the IKEA Foundation, an independent philanthropy focused on tackling poverty and climate change. With more than 30 years of experience across IKEA’s global value chain, she has held senior leadership roles in Sweden, India, Singapore, China and Australia. Before joining the Foundation, she served as CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer of IKEA Switzerland, following earlier positions including Global Market Support Manager, Deputy Country Manager at IKEA Retail Sweden, and Trading Area Manager for South Asia. She has served on the boards of companies, universities and social organisations, and has acted as a senior adviser and coach to Inter IKEA’s Social Entrepreneurship programme, with an academic background in economics from Sweden.

Lord Brian Griffiths of Fforestfach is a member of the House of Lords in the UK Parliament and the former Vice-Chairman of Goldman Sachs International. In his roles in finance and public policy, Lord Griffiths has shaped economic strategy at the highest levels, including advising on domestic policymaking in the UK. Previously, he taught at the London School of Economics, became Professor at City University, and later served as Dean of its Business School. He also served as a Director of the Bank of England, as Head of the Prime Minister’s Policy Unit, and was the special advisor to the Prime Minister for domestic policy making. He has been recognised for his long-standing contributions to economic policy and public service. Lord Griffiths serves as one of three Conference Chairpersons of the St. Gallen Symposium.

Prof. Zhang Jun is Dean of the School of Economics at Fudan University and Director of the China Center for Economic Research as well as the Fudan-Ping An Macroeconomic Research Center. He is a senior professor in Fudan’s Faculty of Liberal Arts and a recipient of several national talent programs and the State Council special allowance. His research focuses on China’s structural change and economic reform. Prof. Zhang has published around 200 academic papers and more than ten books. He received the China Economic Theory Innovation Award in 2015 and the ACES Bergson Prize in 2018. He holds BA, MA, and PhD degrees in Economics from Fudan University.

Egils Levits served as the President of Latvia from 2019 to 2023. From 1989 to 1991, President Levits participated in the restoration of Latvia. Later in the 1990s, he represented the Republic of Latvia as an Ambassador to Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Hungary. He also held positions as the Minister for Foreign Affairs and served as a Conciliator at the Court of Conciliation and Arbitration within the OSCE. Between 1995 and 2004, President Levits served as a judge at the European Court of Human Rights, followed by a tenure as a judge at the European Court of Justice from 2004 to 2019. He is a graduate in law and political science from the University of Hamburg and has co-authored significant draft laws, including the Law on the Constitutional Court of Latvia and the Law on the Structure of the Cabinet of Ministers.

Gerald Knaus is the founding chairman of the European Stability Initiative (ESI), a Berlin-based think tank working on democracy, migration, human rights, and European stability. He was closely involved in shaping the EU-Turkey Statement on Migration (2016), a landmark in European migration policy, and his work at ESI also helped uncover the “Caviar Diplomacy” corruption scandal at the Council of Europe in 2017. Alongside his role at ESI, he is a regular lecturer on Southeast Europe at the NATO Defence College in Rome and has held fellowships at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna. His books include Can Intervention Work? (2011, with Rory Stewart), the Spiegel bestseller Welche Grenzen brauchen wir? (2020), Wir und die Flüchtlinge (2022), and most recently Welches Europa brauchen wir? (2025, with Francesca Knaus) on Europe’s future and the challenge of defending democracy against authoritarian threats. Born in Austria in 1970, he studied in Oxford, Brussels, and Bologna, and lives in Berlin.

Georg Maier has served as Minister for Internal Affairs and Municipalities of the Thuringia since August 2017. In this role, he oversees internal security, municipal affairs, and civil protection, and currently chairs the Conference of Interior Ministers while serving as a member of key federal committees. Prior to this appointment, he was State Secretary in the Thuringian Ministry of Economy, Science, and Digital Society. Earlier in his career, he held various senior positions at KfW Banking Group, ultimately becoming Head of Start-up and SME Financing. Beyond his governmental functions, he has been a member of the SPD since 2009 and is active within party and policy advisory bodies. Georg Maier holds a degree in Business Administration from universities in Mannheim and St. Gallen and completed the Management Program at Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Georges Kern has served as CEO of Breitling SA since 2017 and currently also leads Universal Genève and Gallet as Chief Executive Officer. He introduced the House of Brands, aligning Breitling, Universal Genève and Gallet under a unified vision. Previously, he held senior leadership roles at Richemont, including CEO of IWC Schaffhausen and Head of Watchmaking, Marketing and Digital, after earlier experience at TAG Heuer and Kraft Foods Switzerland. Beyond his executive roles, he serves on the Board of Directors of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce. He holds degrees in Political Science from Strasbourg and Business Administration from the University of St. Gallen.

Jens Petter Olsen is the Chair of the Board at Telenor Group and Vice Chair of the Board at DNB Bank. He brings extensive experience from the financial sector, having spent a decade at Danske Bank between 2008 and 2018, where he held senior positions including Head of Capital Markets, Head of Danske Bank Markets Norway, Head of Institutional Sales, and Chief Strategist. Prior to that, he worked at Norges Bank Investment Management from 1998 to 2008, serving as Head of the New York Office and Senior Portfolio Manager. Olsen holds a Master of Philosophy in Finance from London Business School and a degree from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH).

Prince Michael of Liechtenstein is Executive Chairman of Industrie- und Finanzkontor Etablissement, a leading trust company with a tradition and expertise in the long-term and multi-generational preservation of wealth, family values and businesses. Furthermore, he is the Founder and Chairman of Geopolitical Intelligence Services AG, a geopolitical consultancy company and information platform headquartered in Liechtenstein, as well as founder and publisher of the German print and online media DER PRAGMATICUS. In addition, Prince Michael of Liechtenstein serves on the Advisory Board of the Foundation for Economic Governance and Public Law in Vaduz, is a member of Liechtenstein Finance e.V., a member of the International Institute of Longevity as well as Chairman of the liberal think tank European Center of Austrian Economics Foundation.

Dr. Paul Morland is an author and broadcaster who writes and speaks about population and major demographic trends worldwide, past and present. He is the author of four books: No One Left, Tomorrow’s People, The Human Tide and Demographic Engineering translated into nine languages. He has contributed to and been featured in outlets such as the Financial Times, Sunday Times, Telegraph, Toronto Globe and Mail, Der Spiegel and the Jerusalem Post, and has broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Morland is an Associate Research Fellow at Birkbeck, University of London and a Senior Member of St Antony’s College, Oxford. He holds a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) and MPhil in International Relations from the University of Oxford, and a PhD in Demography and Population Studies from Birkbeck / University of London.

Kai Diekmann co-founded Storymachine in 2017 after leaving Springer-Verlag, building it into a prominent communications platform. He later established Der Zukunftsfonds, a digital asset management company. He is the Chairman of the German Friends Association of the Israeli Holocaust Memorial Yad Vashem. For 15 years, he served as Editor-in-Chief of Germany’s largest circulated newspaper, BILD, with a daily circulation of over one million copies. From 2010 to 2022, Mr. Diekmann held the position of Non-Executive Director at Times Newspaper Holdings Limited, contributing to its strategic oversight.

Michael Bröcker is Editor-in-Chief of Table.Media since January 2024. Table.Media is a Berlin-based media company producing professional briefings for decision-makers. Previously, he was Editor-in-Chief of The Pioneer and the Rheinische Post. Bröcker sits on the board of the International Journalists’ Programmes (IJP) and jury panels for ajor media awards. He was named “Regional Editor-in-Chief of the Year” in 2017 and won a Lead Award in 2018. He studied economics at the University of Cologne.

Dr. Mo Ibrahim is the Founder and Chair of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, which he established in 2006 to strengthen good governance and exceptional leadership across the African continent. He also serves as the Founding Chairman of Satya Capital Limited, a private investment firm focused primarily on Africa, and is the Co-founder and Co-chair of the Africa Europe Foundation. Prior to establishing the Foundation, he built a distinguished business career, founding Mobile Systems International in 1989, a world-leading cellular consulting and software provider, and later launching Celtel International in 1998, one of Africa’s pioneering mobile telecommunications companies. Dr Ibrahim has received numerous honorary degrees and fellowships from leading universities, including Oxford University, Imperial College London and the University of Pennsylvania. He holds a PhD from the University of Birmingham in mobile communications.

Patrick Horber is President of the International Unit at Novartis, where he focuses on strengthening and growing the company’s business across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Canada and Latin America. In this role, he oversees regional strategy, performance and long-term growth across diverse healthcare markets. Previously, he joined Novartis from AbbVie, where he served as Senior Vice President and President, Immunology, leading the global immunology strategy and U.S. execution, including the successful launch of major therapies. Earlier in his career, he held senior leadership roles at Roche across multiple therapeutic areas and began his professional career in healthcare consulting at A.T. Kearney. In addition, he serves as a board member of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), where he is Vice-Chair of the Patient Access Committee, and as a board member of economiesuisse. He holds a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Zurich.

Prof. Richard David Precht is a German philosopher, author, television host, and podcaster. He remains Honorary Professor of Philosophy and Aesthetics at Hanns Eisler University of Music in Berlin, and until October 2023 served as Honorary Professor of Philosophy at Leuphana University of Lüneburg. His 2007 bestselling book “Who am I? And if so, how many?” was translated into 40 languages. Since 2012 he has been the host of the philosophy television series “Precht” on German TV channel ZDF and, since 2021, part of the popular podcast “Lanz & Precht” with journalist and talkshow-moderator Markus Lanz. Prof. Precht discusses current societal and political questions on both his television show and podcast. He holds a PhD in German literature from the University of Cologne.

Nick Studer is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Oliver Wyman Group, a position he has held since July 2021. He also serves as a Vice Chair of Marsh McLennan and is a member of its Executive Committee. Previously at Oliver Wyman, Mr Studer has held key leadership roles, including Managing Partner of the Consumer, Industrial, and Services Practice and the Financial Services Practice. A founding director of TheCityUK and advisor to the FICC Markets Standards Board, he has worked extensively with senior executives and government leaders on governance, strategy, and public policy. Mr Studer holds a degree in Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Cambridge.

Dr. Manfred Lütz is a German psychiatrist, psychotherapist, Roman Catholic theologian, Vatican advisor and bestselling author. From 1997 to 2019, he served as Chief Physician of the Alexianer Hospital in Cologne, a leading clinic for psychiatry, psychotherapy and neurology. There he founded the “Alexianer Therapy Forum” and helped shape modern psychiatric care. Previously, he worked as senior physician in several psychiatric hospitals and specialized in neurology, psychiatry and psychotherapy. Lütz is a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life and has advised various Vatican dicasteries. He has received awards such as the Corine Literature Prize and was named Knight of the Order of St. Gregory in 2010. He studied medicine, philosophy and Catholic theology in Bonn and Rome.

Dr. Ali Fathollah-Nejad is Founder and Director of the Center for Middle East and Global Order (CMEG), a transnational research network and think tank focused on geopolitical transformations in Iran, the Middle East and the evolving global order. In this role, he leads research initiatives and partnerships aimed at advancing analysis and policy dialogue on regional politics, international relations and development. He also serves as Lecturer in Middle East politics and international security at the Hertie School in Berlin and as Senior Fellow at the University of Bonn’s Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies (CASSIS). Previously, he held research and expert positions at institutions including the Brookings Institution in Doha, the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) and the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut. Fathollah-Nejad is the author of several acclaimed books and policy studies on Iran and the Middle East and has published widely in international media and academic outlets. He holds a PhD in International Relations from SOAS, University of London.

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Lars P. Feld has been Director of the Walter Eucken Institute and holds the Chair of Economic Policy and Ordinal Economics at the University of Freiburg since 2010. His research focuses on economic policy, public finance, new political economy, and the economic analysis of law. Before that, he studied economics at the University of Saarland, earned his doctorate in 1999 and his habilitation in 2002 at the University of St. Gallen, and held professorships in Marburg and Heidelberg. In 2017 he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Lucerne and was awarded the Gustav-Stolper Prize in 2021. Since 2003 he has served on the Scientific Advisory Board of the German Federal Ministry of Finance and has contributed to several government commissions on fiscal and financial reform.

Ryan Field is the CEO of Kernel, a neurotechnology company dedicated to building actionable insights from high-quality brain data. He has been with Kernel since 2018, previously leading the Kernel Flow team and serving as CTO, where he oversaw the concept, design, and development of the category-defining Kernel Flow brain-imaging system. Before joining Kernel, he spent three years at Quanergy, most recently as Director of ASIC Engineering. Prior to that, he worked as a Research Scientist at Intel Corporation. Ryan Field is an inventor with more than 20 granted US patents and a published researcher with over a decade of experience in complex sensing systems. He holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University.

Eckart von Hirschhausen is a German physician, science journalist, TV host and author. In 2020, he founded Healthy Planet – Healthy People (Gesunde Erde – Gesunde Menschen), raising awareness of the link between human and planetary health with a focus on climate action. He is known for his work with ARD - Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. In 2021, he published the bestselling book “Mensch, Erde! Wir könnten es so schön haben” on climate and health. He is an honorary member of Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, a member of the Club of Rome, and an honorary professor in Marburg. He studied medicine and science journalism in Berlin, London, and Heidelberg.

Martin Wolf has been Associate Editor and Chief Economics Commentator at the Financial Times in London since 1996. He joined the Financial Times in 1987 after serving as Director of the Trade Policy Research Centre in London. From 1971 to 1981, he worked at the World Bank, where he became Senior Economist in 1974. His distinguished commentary has earned him numerous accolades, including the Gerald Loeb Lifetime Achievement Award, the Overseas Press Club prize for international reporting and the Ludwig Erhard Prize. He has received honorary doctorates from leading institutions including the London School of Economics, KU Leuven and Macquarie University, and is an honorary fellow of several Oxford colleges and King’s College London. He holds a master’s degree in economics from Nuffield College, Oxford, and was appointed CBE in 2000.

James Heappey is a former UK Minister of State for the Armed Forces and Minister for Defence Procurement. He currently serves as Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at M&C Saatchi World Services and acts as Strategic Advisor to Serco and Senior Advisor to Helsing, AECOM, and HPO Technologies. Previously, he was a Member of Parliament in the UK House of Commons, representing the Wells constituency, and held several senior government roles, including Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Secretary of State for Transport. Earlier in his career, he was a commissioned officer in the British Army, reaching the rank of Major and serving in operational and staff roles with deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. He holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Birmingham.

Prof. Rüdiger Bachmann is Professor of Economics at the University of Michigan’s Department of Economics. In his role, he conducts research and teaches courses in macroeconomics, focusing on heterogeneous agents, uncertainty, and expectation formation. Previously, he held professorships at Notre Dame, Goethe University / SAFE in Frankfurt, RWTH Aachen, and was Assistant Professor at Michigan. Bachmann is also a member of the editorial board of Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik and is a member of the macroeconomics committee of the German Economic Association. He has advised the German federal government and members of parliament on a number of occasions. He earned undergraduate degrees in Economics and Philosophy from Mainz University and obtained his PhD in Economics from Yale University.

Veit Dengler is a Member of Austria’s National Council, representing the state of Styria and serving as spokesman for foreign affairs, Austrians abroad, and dual education. He is also Founder and Managing Partner of Draw.Solutions, a Zurich-based advisory firm focused on strategy, growth, and corporate transformation, and a Member of the Market Advisory Board of Chain IQ Group. Previously, he was COO of Bauer Media Group and CEO of NZZ Mediengruppe, following senior roles at Groupon, Dell, T-Mobile, and McKinsey & Company. He began his career as a journalist with Time Inc. Mr. Dengler holds an MPA in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Magister in Commerce from the Vienna University of Business and Economics.

Owen Matthews has been a leading historian and foreign correspondent since 1995, specialising in Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the wider post-Soviet region. He is noted for his incisive analysis of geopolitics shaped by over 25 years of reporting from Moscow. In his work, Matthews offers nuanced perspectives on conflicts in Chechnya, the Balkans and Ukraine, grounding current events in their historical context. Before his long-standing role with Newsweek, he wrote from Moscow for The Times, The Spectator and The Independent. Beyond journalism, he speaks widely on global affairs and contributes to major international publications. He is the award-winning author of Overreach, which won the 2023 Pushkin House Book Prize. Matthews studied Modern History at Oxford University.

Philipp Peyman-Engel has served as Editor-in-Chief of the weekly newspaper Jüdische Allgemeine since September 2023. Jüdische Allgemeine is Germany’s leading nationwide Jewish weekly, published in Berlin by the Central Council of Jews in Germany. In his role, he leads the newsroom and public voice of the paper amid intensified debate on antisemitism and Middle East coverage. Honours include “Editor-in-Chief of the Year” and the Ricarda-Huch Prize for Essay Writing. He studied philosophy and literature/media practice in Bochum and Duisburg.

Niddal Salah-Eldin is a manager and advisory board member for digital transformation and innovation. She has been a Member of the National Committee of UNICEF e.V. since July 2025. She is a former member of the Executive Board of Axel Springer SE. She left Axel Springer to engage in humanitarian aid in Sudan and now works with more than two dozen local and international organisations and foundations. From 2022 to the end of 2024, she was responsible at Axel Springer for global talent and HR, journalism and technology training, and the company’s AI initiative. She is a long-standing member of the board of trustees of Reporters Without Borders and serves as an advisory board member to Startup Teens. She holds a Master’s degree in Communications, Journalism, and Political Science from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.

Sebastian Ramspeck has been working for Swiss Television SRF as an international correspondent and host of the foreign affairs magazine "#SRFglobal" since 2020. He covers events such as meetings of the UN and NATO and regularly appears as an expert on global political issues. Mr Ramspeck studied international relations in Geneva, European law in Zurich, and is a graduate of the Henri-Nannen School of Journalism in Hamburg. He began his professional career in federal administration, initially at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) and later in a security policy staff unit of the Federal Council. As a journalist, Mr Ramspeck worked for various media outlets at home and abroad, including "Der Spiegel" and "Sonntagszeitung". He has been with SRF since 2012, initially as a reporter and from 2014 to 2020 as a correspondent in Brussels.

Prof. Dr. Alena Buyx is Professor of Medical Ethics in Munich and a fully licensed physician with additional degrees in philosophy and sociology. Her work spans clinical ethics, biotechnological innovation, medical research, and questions of justice in modern healthcare systems, following an interdisciplinary “embedded ethics” approach. From 2016 to 2024, she served as a member of the Deutscher Ethikrat, chairing the Council from 2020 to 2024. She was also a member of the WHO Expert Advisory Committee on Developing Global Standards for Governance and Oversight of Human Genome Editing. Previously, she held academic positions at the University of Kiel, the University of Münster, Harvard University, and University College London. Prof. Buyx completed her habilitation in 2013.

Prof. Dr. Michael Hüther has been Director and Member of the Presidium of the German Economic Institute since July 2004. He studied economics as well as medieval and modern history at the Justus-Liebig University in Giessen. Upon completion of his doctorate in economics, in 1991 he became a member of the scientific staff of the Council of Experts for the Evaluation of Macroeconomic Development. In 1995 he was appointed Secretary General of the German Council of Economic Advisers. In 1999, he joined DekaBank as chief economist and in 2001 additionally as Division Manger economics and communication. Since August 2001 Prof. Hüther is Honorary Professor at the EBS Business School in Oestrich-Winkel and since April 2019 Prof. Hüther is chair of the supervisory board of TÜV Rheinland AG. He has held multiple appointments as Gerda Henkel Adjunct Professor in the Department of German Studies at Stanford University, CA, USA.

Dietmar Grichnik has served as Vice-President for Innovation & Quality at the University of St. Gallen (HSG) since 2024. He is also Full Professor of Entrepreneurship and Technology Management and Director of the University’s Institute of Technology Management (ITEM). Earlier in his career, he completed a banking apprenticeship and worked in banking before moving into academia; he held professorships at the Universities of Witten/Herdecke and WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management before joining HSG in 2010. He is active as an investor and startup mentor, serves on boards such as Switzerland Innovation, and supports entrepreneurial initiatives through the HSG Center for Entrepreneurship. He holds a Dr. rer. pol. (PhD) in Business Administration and Business Education from the University of Cologne.

Nico Luchsinger has been Executive Director of Asia Society Switzerland since 2021. Asia Society Switzerland is an independent foundation fostering Asia competence and dialogue between Switzerland and Asia within the global Asia Society network. Luchsinger oversees strategy, programming and flagship events such as the STATE OF ASIA conference and the TOY Senior Fellowship. Previously, he was Co-Executive Director and Head of Programming, co-founded the global entrepreneurial community Sandbox, and worked as journalist at Neue Zürcher Zeitung and as Head of business development at Swiss startup Mila. He holds a master’s in history and economics from the University of Zurich.

Fabienne Kinzelmann-Opel has been Swiss Business Reporter at Bloomberg News since 2025. In this role, she covers the Swiss pharma and consumer sectors. Previously, she was international editor and correspondent at Handelszeitung, reporting on foreign affairs and macroeconomics, including the World Economic Forum and UN climate summits. She also served as foreign affairs editor at Blick Group and contributed to Der Spiegel and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, reporting from Washington, D.C., with Axios. She holds an M.A. in Religion–Economics–Politics from the University of Zurich.

Prof. Michael Wolffsohn is a Professor of Modern History, political scientist, writer, and commentator. From 1981 to 2012, he taught Modern History at the University of the German Armed Forces in Munich and has lectured at leading universities worldwide. He is regarded as one of Germany’s foremost experts on international relations, Middle Eastern and regional conflicts, military affairs, and the historical, political, and cultural dimensions of German-Jewish-Israeli relations. Earlier in his life, he served voluntarily in the Israeli Army. Prof. Wolffsohn has authored more than 30 books and 140 academic articles. His honors include the Konrad Adenauer Prize for Science and the University Professor of the Year award. He holds a PhD and studied History, Political Science, and Economics in Berlin, Tel Aviv, and New York.

Mehreen Khan is the Economics Editor for The Times of London. Her coverage focuses on the global and UK economy, geopolitics, and financial markets. Mehreen writes a weekly column and is a regular contributor to the BBC and Times Radio. She was the EU correspondent for the Financial Times in Brussels between 2017-2022.

Tristan Horx is Co-Founder and Spokesperson of The Future:Project, a platform dedicated to exploring societal change and future developments. As a trend and future researcher from Generation Y, he focuses on generational dynamics and the role of rebellion as a driver of social innovation and transformation. In his work, he addresses topics such as sustainability, mobility, digitalisation and the Conscious Economy from the perspective of younger generations. Alongside his international speaking engagements, he serves as lecturer at SRH University Heidelberg and at the University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt (Campus Wieselburg). He is also a columnist for the Kronen Zeitung and author of several publications on societal change. Horx co-hosts the podcast “Horx & Horx” together with his father Matthias Horx. He studied Cultural and Social Anthropology at the University of Vienna.

Dr. Tobias Reichmuth is Host of the Longevity Investors Conference and Founding Partner at Maximon since 2021. Maximon empowers entrepreneurs to build impactful, science-based and scalable companies providing healthy aging and rejuvenation solutions. In his current roles, he invests in and advises multiple technology-driven start-ups, often serving as a board or advisory member, and is a regular investor on the Swiss TV show Die Höhle der Löwen. Previously, he founded SUSI Partners, an infrastructure fund manager focused on climate change mitigation, following a career in strategy consulting at The Boston Consulting Group. Beyond this, he co-founded The Singularity Group and Crypto Finance Group and initiated the CFC St. Moritz conference. He holds a PhD in Business Administration from EBS Oestrich-Winkel.

Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook has served as Executive Vice President and Senior Adviser at Bertelsmann Stiftung since 2022. In this role, she is leading two of the foundation’s important initiatives: the German-American Future Forum and a high-level strategy group on Europe. Previously, she was Director and CEO of the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) and held senior leadership roles at Harvard University, including Executive Director of the Future of Diplomacy Project at the Belfer Center and of the Project on Europe and the Transatlantic Relationship at Harvard Kennedy School. In parallel, she serves on the Alumni Board of Directors at Brown University and is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Global Public Policy Institute. She was named a 2017 Eisenhower USA Fellow. She holds an MPA from Harvard University, an MSc from the London School of Economics, and a BA from Brown University.

Sunny Mann has been the Global Chair of Baker McKenzie since 2025, having joined the Firm in 2000. In his current role, he leads one of the world’s largest global law firms with offices in over 40 countries and around 13,000 professionals. He also led the Firm’s Geopolitical Risks Taskforce, advising companies on geopolitical disruption, trade and tariff wars, export controls, trade sanctions, investigations, and crisis management. Earlier in his career, he worked across Washington D.C., New York, Paris, Sydney, and Hong Kong. He is also a Visiting Professor at King’s College London and served on the board of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. He has been recognised for his expertise in sanctions, trade and geopolitical risk. He earned his Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the College of Europe.

Dr. Christian Mumenthaler was Group Chief Executive Officer of Swiss Re from 2016 to 2024, having joined the company in 1999 and subsequently held senior roles including Group Chief Risk Officer, Head of Life & Health, and CEO Reinsurance after starting his career at Boston Consulting Group. Since 2025, he has served as a Non-Executive Director on MetLife’s Board. MetLife is a leading global insurance company providing life, health, and retirement products. He also chaired The Geneva Association (2021–2024) and serves on the Board of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (since 2025). He has been recognized as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and was included in the “Top 100 Climate Leaders in Business 2023.” He holds a PhD in Physics from ETH Zurich.

Meline von Brentano is the Executive Vice President of Digital Transformation Strategy at Palantir Technologies. In this role, she leads the design, development, and implementation of data-driven transformation with a focus on applying data technologies to real-world contexts for tangible outcomes. Before joining Palantir in 2012 to help build its European business, Meline von Brentano worked as Managing Director of The Caedmon Group, where she supported the creation, financing, and scaling of ventures in technology and asset management. She has spent her career operating at the intersection of technology and entrepreneurship. Meline von Brentano is also active as a contributor at conferences on digital transformation, technology, and entrepreneurship. Meline von Brentano holds M.A.s in both Business and Public Administration from Harvard University’s Graduate Schools of Business and Government.

Dr. Jan Goetz is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of IQM Quantum Computers, a role he has held since 2019. In this position, he led the spin-out of IQM from Aalto University and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and has driven the company’s growth, including raising more than USD 600 million in capital. Prior to founding IQM, Dr. Goetz completed his doctorate on superconducting quantum circuits at TU Munich and worked as a Marie-Curie Fellow at Aalto University in Helsinki, where he holds the title of Docent. Beyond his executive role, he serves as an EIC Ambassador, sits on the Board of the European Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC), and is a member of the German Federal Economic Senate, the EIC Scaling Club Council, the Hall of Future, and acts as a Digital Leader and Global Innovator at the World Economic Forum. His work has been recognised by WirtschaftsWoche, which selected him as one of 30 executives shaping Germany.

Prof. Johannes Schöning is Professor of Computer Science at the University of St. Gallen, where he leads the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) group. At the University of St. Gallen, he heads research, teaching and innovation in HCI, geoinformatics and user interfaces. Previously he was Professor at the University of Bremen, where he founded the Bremen HCI research group under a Lichtenberg Professorship. He has also held visiting or affiliated positions at Hasselt University (Belgium), UCL (UK) and Portugal’s Interactive Technologies Institute (I-TI). He earned his PhD in Computer Science from Saarland University (2010).

Dr. Maximilian Rothkopf has been Chief Operating Officer (COO) and a Member of the Executive Board of Hapag-Lloyd AG since 2019. In this role, he is responsible for the company’s global shipping operations. Prior to joining Hapag-Lloyd, he spent over a decade at the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, where he became a Partner in 2014 and was a member of the global Travel, Transport and Logistics leadership team. During this time, he advised major liner shipping companies, airlines and globally operating logistics firms on strategy and operations. He holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich and a doctorate in Economic Sciences from the European Business School in Oestrich-Winkel.

Prof. Alyson Meister has served as Dean of Degree Programs at IMD since 2025 and is Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior. In this role, she oversees IMD’s portfolio of degree programs, including the MBA, EMBA, Executive Masters and Graduate Certificates, and is a member of IMD’s Leadership Team. Her work focuses on leadership development, high-performing teams, organizational culture and change management, and she designs executive education programs for global corporate clients. Prior to joining IMD, she was Assistant Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior at Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá. Earlier in her career, she worked at Melbourne Business School as a PhD Candidate and Executive Education Associate and as Client Relationship Executive, and began her professional career at IMD as Learning Manager for the Executive MBA. She holds a PhD in Organizational Behavior from Melbourne Business School, an HBA from the Ivey Business School at Western University and studied International Management at the University of St. Gallen.

Sungjoo Kim is Chairperson of MCM Holding AG, a position she has held since 2005, and Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of the Sungjoo Group, which she founded in 1990. Sungjoo Group is recognized as a leader in the Korean fashion industry and has launched and developed major global brands before acquiring the German luxury house MCM. In her current roles, she shapes long-term brand strategy, global expansion, and creative vision across luxury and lifestyle businesses. Previously, she also served as President of the Korean Red Cross and was the first female entrepreneur appointed to ABAC, representing Korea at APEC. Beyond her business leadership, she is deeply engaged in philanthropy and serves on boards and advisory bodies including Asia House, the Global Summit of Women, the Sungjoo Foundation, and the Fashion Council Germany. Her distinctions include an Honorary OBE, the Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy, and multiple global leadership awards. Sungjoo Kim holds an MSc in International Relations from London School of Economics and Political Science and three honorary doctorates.

Prof. Eri Bertsou has been an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of St. Gallen since 2022. At the School of Economics and Political Science, she leads the Swiss National Science Foundation project “Varieties of Expertise” on public demand for independent experts in democratic politics. Previously, she was a Senior Researcher in Comparative Politics at the University of Zurich. She also serves as an Associate Member of the Electoral Psychology Observatory at the London School of Economics and as an Associate Researcher at the European University Institute. She received her PhD in Government from the London School of Economics.

Prof. Damian Borth is Director of the Institute of Computer Science at the University of St. Gallen, where he holds a professorship in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. His research focuses on large-scale machine learning and the analysis of multi-modal data streams to enable trustworthy and accountable applications of deep neural networks. Previously, he was the founding director of the Deep Learning Competence Center at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence in Kaiserslautern and Principal Investigator of the NVIDIA AI Lab at DFKI. His work has received several awards, including recognition at NVIDIA GTC Europe, the ACM ICMR Best Paper Award and the McKinsey Business Technology Award. Prof. Borth serves on multiple boards and advisory committees in the fields of data science and AI. He conducted postdoctoral research at the International Computer Science Institute in Berkeley and earned his PhD from the University of Kaiserslautern and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, including a visiting research stay at Columbia University.

Michael Rauchenstein is News Anchor of the main edition of the SRF - Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen Tagesschau and Editor in the SRF foreign affairs department. In his current role, he covers international politics and European affairs and previously served as SRF’s EU and Benelux correspondent in Brussels. Earlier, he worked as a television journalist in Berlin and held editorial roles including Arena editor and video desk journalist. He began his career as a TV host and video journalist at Zentralschweizer Fernsehen Tele 1 AG and completed an internship at the Eidgenössisches Departement für auswärtige Angelegenheiten. Michael Rauchenstein holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from Freie Universität Berlin and a Bachelor’s degree from Universität Luzern.

Mato Njavro has served as Dean of the Zagreb School of Economics and Management since 2021, having previously held the role of Associate Dean since 2020. In this role, he oversees the academic and strategic development of the institution. He is also Professor at the Luxembourg School of Business and Senior Research Fellow at the University of St. Gallen. Previously, he was a Lecturer at Singapore Management University and a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science. Earlier in his career, he served as Assistant Professor at the Zagreb School of Economics and Management and as Research Associate at the Asia Research Centre at the University of St. Gallen. He began his professional career with an internship in Investment Banking at Nomura in London. He holds a PhD in International Finance from the University of St. Gallen, a Master in Corporate Finance from SDA Bocconi and a degree in International Economics and Management from Bocconi University.

Barbara Bleisch has been a philosopher and journalist at SRF – Swiss Radio and Television since 2010 and a columnist for the Tages-Anzeiger since 2018. In these roles, she contributes philosophical commentary and public discourse through broadcast media and print journalism. Alongside her media work, she has been active in academic research, including as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Zurich from 2014 to 2017. Previously, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bern and briefly served as Senior Researcher at Queen’s University Belfast. She is also active as a keynote speaker on philosophical and societal topics. Barbara Bleisch holds a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Zurich and studied at the University of Basel and the University of Tübingen as part of exchange programmes.

Dr. Florian Feltes is the CEO and Co-founder of Zortify, where he has spent over five years advancing AI-driven HR diagnostics to support HR professionals in talent selection, development, and team dynamics. His work focuses on equipping organisations with the tools needed to drive people-centred success. In addition, he serves as Professor of Digital HR and Leadership at XU University in Potsdam, where he mentors future leaders and innovators. Mr Feltes is the author of Revolution? Yes, please! When Old-School Leadership Meets New-Work Leadership, a book examining the transformation of leadership cultures towards change, diversity, and empowerment. He holds a PhD in the science of education from the University of Luxembourg

Rachele Focardi is the Founder of XYZ@Work and has been a leading global voice on generational diversity and the future of work for over two decades. XYZ@Work supports organizations in leveraging multigenerational collaboration to drive innovation and inclusion. In her current role, she advises companies, governments, and universities worldwide and pioneered DUO, a two-way generational exchange model. Previously, she served as Chief Strategy Officer at Universum and began her career as an anchor and international correspondent for CFN–CNBC. She chairs the Multigenerational Workforce Committee at AHDO, lectures for Duke Executive Education, Emeritus, and USI, is a MENSA member, and is the author of Reframing Generational Stereotypes. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin.

Axel Threlfall is Editor-at-Large at Reuters, based in London. Alongside his editorial duties, he hosts high-profile engagements and thought leadership events for, and on behalf of, Reuters and Thomson Reuters. He was previously Lead European Anchor for Reuters Digital Video. Prior to joining Reuters, Axel spent five years as an anchor for CNBC in London. Before that, he was an editor and reporter with The Wall Street Journal in New York, and a news reporter for Bloomberg in London. He has also advised businesses and NGOs on their dealings with international media. He holds a BA in History from Durham University and a postgraduate degree in journalism from City University of London.

Prof. Claudia Brühwiler has served as Academic Director of the St. Gallen Collegium at the University of St. Gallen since 2024 and is Professor of American Political Thought and Culture. In this role, she leads the academic direction of the Collegium while teaching and researching in the field of American political thought. She has been affiliated with the University of St. Gallen for more than a decade, previously serving as Senior Lecturer, Adjunct Lecturer, and as Personal Advisor to the Rector. In addition to her academic work, she is a guest columnist for the Tages-Anzeiger and previously wrote a regular column for NZZ am Sonntag. She has held several international fellowships, including at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and at the Nanovic Institute for European Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Prof. Brühwiler received her venia legendi in American Studies from the University of St. Gallen and completed further studies in Leadership and Governance at the University of Zurich.

Sabine Rennefanz is a German journalist and author, and formerly long-time political reporter at Berliner Zeitung. At Berliner Zeitung, she led the domestic affairs desk, worked as London correspondent, and produced award-winning reports and essays. Additionally, she writes for Der Spiegel and Tagesspiegel, and contributes a regular column “Neue Heimatkunde.” She has received several awards, including the Theodor-Wolff Prize, the German Reporter Prize, and the Goldener Prometheus. Sabine holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Hamburg, she also studied at the Free University of Berlin earlier.

Dr. Emil Kendziorra has been Founder & CEO of Tomorrow Bio since 2020. Tomorrow Bio is a European biostasis (cryopreservation) company providing human cryopreservation and advancing cryomedicine. As CEO, he drives R&D and European infrastructure for standby, transport, and long-term storage and chairs the European Biostasis Foundation. He is also Founding Partner of Lightcone Capital, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Life Summit/Longevity Partners, and serves on advisory boards such as Product People. Previously he founded and led tech and medical ventures including Medlanes (exit to ZAVA) and onFeedback (exit to QuestionPro). He holds an Doctor of Medicine from the University of Göttingen.

Prof. Leena Grover is a Canadian lawyer and Chair of Public International Law at the University of St. Gallen. In her role, she focuses on how legal frameworks can strengthen peace and security. Previously, she spent a decade in legal practice at the International Criminal Court, the UN Human Rights Committee, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and the Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression. She is also the author of two books published by Cambridge University Press. Her work has been cited by the Supreme Court of Canada, the ICC, and the UN International Law Commission. She holds degrees in law, international relations, and political science.

Prof. Dr. Sebastian Kernbach is Professor affiliated with the University of St. Gallen (HSG), Stellenbosch University and Stanford University. He researches, teaches and consults at the intersection of Life Design, career transitions, innovation, and responsible leadership. His work focuses on how individuals and organizations can navigate uncertainty, longevity, and rapid technological change with greater psychological resilience and purpose. He is the author of Design Your Future: The Innovative Career and Transition Guide, published by Cambridge University Press. He works with organizations such as NASA, the UN, ECB and others to support people at all ages and stages to proactively shape their future. He is the Academic Director of the HSG Mentoring Program, the Life Design Executive Programs and the first European mid-career transition program called NEXT. He holds degrees in Communications from the University of Lugano and Copenhagen Business School.

Dr. Wolfgang Gründinger is Chief Evangelist at Enpal, a leading European solar company, since 2021. Enpal offers solar rental and purchase solutions enabling private households to drive the energy transition. In his role, he shapes Enpal’s public positioning across politics, media, and society. Previously, he served as Communications & Strategic Partnerships Lead at the Cyber Innovation Hub of the German Armed Forces, as Policy Advisor for Digital Transformation at the German Association for the Digital Economy (BVDW), and as Spokesperson and Board Member at the Foundation for the Rights of Future Generations. He is also engaged with the Club of Rome, the World Economic Forum, and Scientists for Future. Dr. Gründinger holds a PhD in Political Science from Humboldt University of Berlin.

Prof. Oliver Gassmann is Full Professor of Technology Management and Director of the Institute of Technology Management at the University of St. Gallen, a position he has held since 2002. In this role, he focuses on innovation management, business model design, platform economy and R&D management, teaching across bachelor, master, MBA and executive education programs. Prior to joining academia, he led Corporate Research at Schindler Group until 2002. Gassmann is one of the most cited scholars in the fields of business models and R&D management and has published more than 800 academic and practitioner publications. His book The Business Model Navigator became an international bestseller. He has also served as visiting faculty at the University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University and Harvard Business School and sits on the boards of several international companies. He studied at the University of Hohenheim and the University of St. Gallen.

Dr. Thomas Stoffmehl has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Vorwerk Group since 2026, after previously acting as Speaker of the Executive Board from 2021 to 2025. In his current role, he leads the Group’s global strategy, market development and transformation agenda. He currently serves as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of La Mer Cosmetics AG and previously was a member of the Supervisory Board of Semper idem Underberg AG. Before joining Vorwerk in 2019, he was Chief Executive Officer and Speaker of the Management Board at LR Health & Beauty Systems. Earlier, he spent many years at bofrost*, most recently as Co-CEO and company spokesman with overarching responsibility for European operations. Dr. Stoffmehl began his career as a commercial lawyer and holds a Doctorate in Law (Dr. jur.) from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf.

Ilja Kaenzig has served as Chief Executive of VfL Bochum 1848 GmbH & Co. KGaA since 2018. In this role, he oversees the club’s strategic and operational management and contributes more than three decades of experience in international football. Prior to joining VfL Bochum, he served as Chief Executive of FC Sochaux-Montbéliard and BSC Young Boys, while also leading STADE DE SUISSE Wankdorf Nationalstadion AG during the same period. Earlier in his career, he held senior executive positions as Managing Director and Sporting Director at Hannover 96 and as General Manager at Bayer 04 Leverkusen. He began his professional career at Grasshopper Club Zürich as Assistant to the Sporting Director and Player Transfer Coordinator. In addition, he gained experience in media as Managing Editor for Sports at Ringier AG and founded a football investment and consulting boutique. He also possesses institutional experience at league level through engagements with UEFA, the Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL) and the Swiss Football League.

Amir Eldad is the Founder and Managing Director of A2E Partners, a role he has held since 2011. A2E Partners supports governments, corporations, and universities in harnessing entrepreneurship and innovation for economic and business growth. In his current role, Eldad builds entrepreneurial ecosystems and advises leaders on Deep Tech development across Israel, the US/Boston area, Switzerland, and Melbourne. Previously, he led Global Go-to-Market efforts for Israeli startups and served in Global Partnerships at MassChallenge, where he co-founded MassChallenge Israel and MassChallenge Switzerland. He holds a Computer Science degree from the Technion and completed Management Science studies at Tel Aviv University.

Stephan Lendi has spent two decades serving as a Moderator and Voice Over Artist, lending his voice to radio and TV commercials, movies, TV shows, image films, and corporate productions. Additionally, he moderates Raumkultur TV and Zff72 at the Zurich Film Festival. Stephan Lendi also shares his expertise as a rhetoric and moderating coach at Event Speaking and serves as an executive coach at Newbury Media and Communications Ltd. He holds an MBA from the University of Liverpool and received training in mediation at Harvard Law School and London School of Mediation, along with acquiring skills in conflict management and negotiations at the University of Cape Town.

Anna Erat is Medical Director at Klinik Hirslanden and Chief of Strategy for Preventive Medicine and Longevity at the Hirslanden Group. The Hirslanden Group is Switzerland’s largest private hospital network, focused on high-quality medical care and healthcare innovation. In her current role, she drives strategic initiatives in preventive medicine, longevity, and the integration of digital health and AI into clinical practice. Beyond her executive responsibilities, she is an entrepreneur, holds selected board positions in healthtech and AI, serves on the board of the Finnish-Swiss Chamber of Commerce, mentors at ETH Zurich, and is faculty at the University of St. Gallen Executive School. She also advises Forbes on health topics and speaks on sustainable and planetary health at international platforms including the UN and the World Economic Forum. Anna Erat completed the International Directors Program at INSEAD. She holds a PhD in epidemiology and health systems management from the University of Basel and studied medicine with research stays at Harvard and the University of Zurich.

Stephen Cornish has served as General Director of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders, MSF) Operational Center in Geneva since 2020. During more than ten years of field experience, Mr Cornish managed several major MSF humanitarian interventions in contexts such as Chechnya, Sierra Leone, Georgia, and Peru. He has successfully negotiated humanitarian access to vulnerable populations in conflict settings across the globe and has played a lead role resolving aid-worker abduction crises and other emergencies. From 2008 to 2012, Mr Cornish sat on the board of directors of MSF Canada, before serving as their Executive Director from 2012 to 2017. He also worked with the Canadian Red Cross as manager of programs for countries in armed conflict, for CARE Canada as a policy and advocacy advisor, and for other international organisations with a focus on humanitarian and environmental issues. Mr Cornish holds a Master’s degree in global risk and crisis management from the Université Panthéon Sorbonne in Paris and a post-graduate diploma in conflict resolution from the University of Bradford.

Damita Pressl is an award-winning journalist, moderator and public speaking trainer. Born and raised in Vienna, she worked as a news anchor and TV host on Austrian national television before moving to Zurich to join the renowned Neue Zürcher Zeitung. She has shared the stage with personalities ranging from Ursula von der Leyen to Jane Goodall, she works in English, German and French and is available as an MC or moderator for conferences and panels in Europe and beyond.

Brewster Kahle is the Founder and Digital Librarian of the Internet Archive, which he founded in 1996. The Internet Archive is one of the world’s largest digital libraries, serving over one million users each day and working with more than 1,400 library and university partners worldwide to provide free public access to knowledge. In his role, he oversees policy, strategic direction, and technological innovation, including the launch of the Wayback Machine, the only public archive of the web. Prior to founding the Internet Archive, he helped pioneer the early internet by creating the Wide Area Information Server (WAIS), co-founding Alexa Internet (later acquired by Amazon), and contributing to early supercomputing ventures. Beyond his organizational leadership, he is a prolific writer and global advocate for technology grounded in privacy, security, and accessibility. Brewster Kahle studied artificial intelligence at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and holds an honorary Doctor of Computer Science.

Hans-Willy Brockes has served as Managing Director of the ESB Marketing Netzwerk since 1995. The ESB Marketing Netzwerk is a leading business platform in the German-speaking region for decision-makers in sport, entertainment and marketing. In this role, he has developed the organisation from the original “ESB Europäische Sponsoring-Börse” into a major industry network with more than 550 partner companies and over 50 events annually. Through these platforms, he fosters exchange and collaboration across the sports, entertainment and marketing industries. Brockes studied at the University of St. Gallen (HSG).

Prof. Salvador Santino Regilme is Associate Professor and Program Chair of International Relations at the Institute for History, Leiden University. An interdisciplinary scholar of international relations and human rights, his expertise focuses on the politics of foreign aid and development, international human rights, and transformations in the global order, with particular attention to the United States, the Global Majority, and transnational authoritarian practices. He has held research fellowships at the Macmillan Center of Yale University, the Center for Global Cooperation Research at Universität Duisburg-Essen, the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity’s Comparative Constitutionalism Group, and the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in Amsterdam. His scholarship has been recognized by major international academic associations, and his forthcoming book, "United States and Chinese Foreign Assistance and Diplomacy: Aid for Dominance" (Manchester University Press, 2026), is co-authored with Obert Hodzi. He received his PhD in Political Science and North American Studies from the Freie Universität Berlin and previously studied at Yale University, Universität Osnabrück, and De La Salle University–Manila.