Markus Lanz has been moderating the TV Talk-Show Markus Lanz on the German public-service television broadcaster Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF) since 2008. In 2021, he launched a Podcast called Lanz + Precht with philosopher Richard David Precht, where they discuss contemporary societal and political topics. Previously, he was Moderator of the prominent Saturday evening TV-Show Wetten, dass..? from 2012 to 2014, for which he received the Golden Camera film and television award. Earlier in his career, he worked for Germany’s largest private television network RTL, where he moderated various shows from 1999 until 2008, becoming editor-in-chief in 2004 for the show Explosive – Das Magazine. He has taken part in both a North Pole and South Pole expatiation and holds a Communications degree from the Bavarian Academy for Advertising and Marketing.

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.

Sabrina Soussan is a member of the Board of Directors of Henkel and Chair of the Supervisory Board of 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.

Dr Hauschild is the managing director of BDSV - the German Security and Defence Industry Association. She gained her Ph.D. in natural science 1997, during this time she already dedicated her career to defence politics. She worked with the Bundeswehr Reserve Assocation and the Institute of Strategic Analysis, the Bundeswehr Academy for Information and Communication in Bonn and then at the Bundeswehr Military Intelligence Center in Strausberg as division leader. 2003 she switched over to industry, first to Rheinmetall Defence Electronics before joining the Diehl Company in 2004. In her position as Generalbevollmächtigte she is heading the Berlin and Brussels office. Dr Hauschild holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, Reserve. Among other positions she is President of the Air and Space Forum, Commission Chair at the American Chamber of Commerce, and Board Member of the Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein is President of the International Peace Institute and Perry World House Professor of the Practice of Law and Human Rights at the University of Pennsylvania. He was the UN human rights chief from 2014-2018. In 2019, he was elected to The Elders, an independent group of global leaders, founded by Nelson Mandela. He served twice as Jordan’s ambassador to the United Nations (in New York) and once as Jordan’s ambassador to the United States. In January 2014, he was president of the UN Security Council and earlier, in 2002, was the first president of the governing body of the International Criminal Court (until 2005). He also served as a UN civilian peacekeeper with UNPROFOR (from 1994-1996). He holds degrees from Johns Hopkins and Cambridge universities.

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.

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.

Since 2003 Ambos holds the Chair of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Comparative Law, International Criminal Law and Public International Law at the Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany. He is Acting Director of the Institute for Criminal Law and Justice of Georg-August-Universität Göttingen and also Director of the Centro de Estudios de Derecho Penal y Procesal Penal Latinoamericano (CEDPAL) of Georg-August-Universität Göttingen. He served as a Judge at the Provincial Court (Landgericht) of Lower Saxony in Göttingen from 24 March 2006 to 7 February 2017 (from January 2015 to 30 September 2015 delegated to the Appeals Court (Oberlandesgericht) Braunschweig). With his appointment as Judge at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC), The Hague, on 7 February 2017 he took leave from this judicial position. On 6 December 2017 he has been appointed as Advisor (Amicus Curiae) to the Colombian Special Jurisdiction for Peace. He is also list Counsel at the International Criminal Court and he has been appointed external member of the Law Faculty of the University of Lisbon (Portugal) on 19 May 2021. Kai Ambos studied law and politics at the Universities of Freiburg, Oxford (UK) and Munich from 1984 to 1990.

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.

Florian Schroeder, studied German and philosophy and began his stage career during his studies, gaining experience as a radio and television presenter and receiving numerous awards. Since 2005 he is on tour with his new show “ENDLICH GLÜCKLICH (Finally Happy)”. He is the winner of the 2021 German Cabaret Award. His satirical performance at a maverick’s demo in Stuttgart on the topic of freedom of opinion earned him great recognition in 2020. Schroeder was the host of various satire programs on ARD until the end of 2023. New TV projects are being planned. He has published several books, and he can also be heard regularly on the radio and all audio portals with his columns and podcasts. Schroeder is always up to date, analyzes, evaluates and questions. His trademark: precise observation of the political and social situation. Florian Schroeder moves his audience, he enriches and stimulates thought. Like no other, he combines the razor-sharp powers of observation of a comedian with the analytical acuity of a philosopher.