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Our Team

  • Dr. Peter A. Wuffli
    Founder & Chairman of the Board of Trustees

    Dr. Peter A. Wuffli
    Founder & Chairman of the Board of Trustees

    Peter Wuffli (born in 1957) is the Founder and Chairman of elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization. elea was established in 2006 and has the purpose to fight absolute poverty (i.e. less than USD 3 per capita daily income) with entrepreneurial means. elea is a philanthropic impact investor in the fields of agricultural value chains, informal retail and last mile distribution, and employable skill building.

    In addition, Peter is Honorary Chairman of IMD and a Member of the Advisory Board of the elea Center for Social Innovation at IMD. He also serves on the Board of Sygnum, a digital asset bank in Zurich and Singapore. Furthermore, he is Member of the Board of Trustees of BlueEarth Foundation and the Vice Chairman of the Zurich Opera House.

    Previously, Peter was Partner at McKinsey & Company, CEO of UBS Group, and Chairman of Partners Group and IMD respectively. Peter earned a Ph.D. in economics from University of St. Gallen based on a dissertation on Swiss Direct Investment in Mexico.

    He regularly publishes articles and books on themes of globalization, ethics, impact investing and leadership. His latest books are: "Inclusive Leadership – A Framework for the Global Era", Springer 2016, and "The elea Way – A Learning Journey Toward Sustainable Impact" (together with Vanina Farber), Routledge, November 2020.

    He is married and has three adult children.

  • Andreas R. Kirchschläger
    Founding Partner & CEO

    Andreas R. Kirchschläger
    Founding Partner & CEO

    Andreas R. Kirchschläger is Founding Partner & CEO of the elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization and President of the Max Schmidheiny Foundation.

    elea was established in 2006 with the purpose to fight absolute poverty with entrepreneurial means. elea is an active philanthropic impact investor in the fields of agricultural value chains, last-mile retail and services, employable skills, and climate and livelihoods.

    Since its inception in 1978, the Max Schmidheiny Foundation has advocated the promotion of a free economic and social order. It actively supports dialogue between business, politics, and society on key issues confronting Switzerland and open societies world-wide.

    In addition, Andreas serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Blue Earth Capital AG, an independent global impact investing firm, and as a Senior Advisory to Houlihan Lokey, a leading global investment bank. Furthermore, he is a member of the Board of Governors of the University of St. Gallen, a member of the Advisory Board of the elea Center for Social Innovation at IMD, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the St. Gallen Endowment for Prosperity through Trade and the HSG Foundation.

    As Managing Director and President of the St. Gallen Foundation for International Studies, he led the annual International Management Symposium St. Gallen for more than one decade. Andreas holds a Master’s degree in Law and Economics from the University of St. Gallen.

  • Stéphanie Abels
    Director

    Stéphanie Abels
    Director

    Stéphanie Abels graduated from the University of St. Gallen (HSG) in 2011 with a B.A. in Business Administration, after gaining initial professional experience at a textile machinery manufacturer in India. Prior to receiving her M.Sc. in Strategic Management and M&A at HEC Paris in 2015, she completed an internship in Strategy & Acquisitions at a leading Swiss industrial firm as well as an educational stay in Latin America. From 2015 to 2019 she worked at Credit Suisse as a financial analyst in the Corporate Development M&A department. Stéphanie Abels joined elea as an external consultant in Costa Rica in November 2019 and took up her position in Zurich in April 2020.

  • Adrian Ackeret
    Partner & CFO

    Adrian Ackeret
    Partner & CFO

    Adrian Ackeret graduated with an M.A. from the School of Management at the University of St. Gallen (HSG). From 2005 to 2009, he was with the St. Gallen Foundation for International Studies, where he shared responsibility for the thematic and strategic development of the annual St. Gallen Symposium. Subsequently, he worked as a research associate in the field of strategy and entrepreneurship with RISE Management Research at the University of St. Gallen and as assistant to the board of trustees of the Max Schmidheiny Foundation. Adrian Ackeret joined the elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization in September 2013.

  • Anna Blunschi
    Associate

    Anna Blunschi
    Associate

    Anna Blunschi holds a B.A. in International Affairs from the University of St. Gallen (HSG) and an M.A. in International Economic Policy from Sciences Po Paris. During her university studies, she spent exchange semesters in Beijing and Milan. A volunteering experience as an English teacher in rural China sparked her interest for development economics. Before graduating Anna gained initial experience in corporate communications at UBS and international business development at Planted, a Swiss foodtech startup. She joined the elea Talent Program as an Associate in September 2022.

  • Dagmawit Burki
    Assistant

    Dagmawit Burki
    Assistant

    Dagmawit Burki completed a vocational training in Business Administration, which included a traineeship with Schroders, a global investment manager. Today, Dagmawit pursues a Bachelor in Business Administration at the University of Applied Sciences Zurich. She joined elea as an Assistant in September 2022.

  • Dominik Candreia
    Head of IT

    Dominik Candreia
    Head of IT

    Dominik Candreia completed his M.Sc. at the University of Zurich where he studied Computer Sciences. After his graduation he worked at the IT service department of ETH Zurich. From there, he later lead the ETH spin-off Projekt Neptun, now a major IT equipment supplier for students in Switzerland. He also founded OpenCircle, an IT infrastructure management company, where he still serves on the board. In 2019 he earned a M.A. in Management and Economics from the University of Zurich. He joined elea as Head of IT in September 2022.

  • Greta Carioli
    Senior Associate

    Greta Carioli
    Senior Associate

    Greta Carioli completed a Master’s degree in Economics at the University of St. Gallen. She also holds a B.A. in Business and Economics from the University of Bologna, during which she spent a semester at the Technical University of Buenos Aires (ITBA). While pursuing her Master's studies, she contributed to the development of the ROSE Framework at START Global, focusing on the establishment of a sustainability and impact assessment for startups. Greta joined the elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization as an Associate in elea's Talent Program in September 2021.

  • Melody Chua
    IT Analyst

    Melody Chua
    IT Analyst

    Melody Chua holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Technology and a Bachelor of Music in Music Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Upon graduation, she received a Fulbright-Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship for the research and development of a sensor-augmented flute for use in interactive, multimedia performances. During this time, she worked as an audiovisual programmer in several interdisciplinary settings, including the Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology Immersive Lab and the Zürich University of the Arts (ZHdK) Immersive Arts Space. She is the Co-Founder of a music technology non-profit organization, Null-state, Inc., and is currently pursuing master’s degrees in Music Performance and Transdisciplinary Studies at ZHdK. Melody Chua joined the elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization as an IT Analyst in October 2018.

  • Benoît Demaurex
    Executive Director

    Benoît Demaurex
    Executive Director

    Benoît Demaurex started his professional career in consulting at Accenture Strategy in 2012. He later held positions in corporate strategy and as Head of Finance in mid-sized companies in the building material industry. Benoît holds a Bachelor degree in physics and a Master in Management, Technology and Economy (MTEC) from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) and Zurich (ETHZ) respectively. In 2021 he graduated with an MBA from IE Business School in Madrid and subsequently joined elea.

  • Lars Flükiger
    IT Analyst

    Lars Flükiger
    IT Analyst

    After his apprenticeship as a computer scientist, Lars Flükiger worked for several years as a Java Software Engineer at Siemens / ATOS. He then completed the Berufmatura and the general qualification for university entrance, while pursuing engagements in the social sector and in the airline industry. Today, Lars studies Philosophy and Political Science at the University of Zurich. His experience as a computer scientist and his interest in entrepreneurial, philosophical, and political topics led to his employment as an IT analyst at elea in July 2021.

  • Jacob Greil
    Associate

    Jacob Greil
    Associate

    Jacob Greil graduated from the University of St. Gallen (HSG) with a B.A. in Business Administration. During his bachelor studies, he spent semesters abroad in Barcelona and Medellín. Additionally, Jacob holds a First-Class M.Sc. in Philosophy from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), focusing on ethical questions in behavioral economics. Previously, he gained experience in venture capital and strategy consulting, notably at Arthur D. Little. He joined the elea Talent Program as an Associate in September 2022.

  • Candice Hitzeroth
    Assistant

    Candice Hitzeroth
    Assistant

    Candice Hitzeroth began her career at the South African Embassy in Berne, where she was involved in various projects, as well as in planning and implementing of international events. After seven years at the Embassy, she then changed the sector and found a new position as manager’s assistant at Crucell Switzerland AG which today belongs to the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. In 2010, she started working at the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) as an assistant to the Vice Director. After five years with FOCA in the Security Department, Candice Hitzeroth worked for the Department of Social Affairs of the City of Zurich before joining the elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization as an assistant in October 2018.

  • Lisa Jean-Mairet
    Executive Director

    Lisa Jean-Mairet
    Executive Director

    Lisa Jean-Mairet leads the elea Africa Hub in Johannesburg, South Africa, and represents elea on the board of several portfolio companies. She completed an M.A. in International Affairs at the University of St. Gallen (HSG) after gathering professional experience working with start-ups and for a social enterprise in India. Lisa started her career at UBS, completing the Bank’s Graduate Talent Program, where she held a position in the Impact Investing team at the Chief Investment Office. Lisa joined elea in Zurich in June 2018 and also serves as a board member for the Dalyan Foundation.

  • Stefan Kappeler
    Partner & COO

    Stefan Kappeler
    Partner & COO

    Stefan Kappeler completed his Master of Science at the University of Zurich where he studied Geography. After his graduation he worked for Esri Switzerland Ltd., both in Eastern Africa and in Europe. From 2006 until 2009 and in collaboration with a local university, he built up an office in Kigali and a flourishing business in Rwanda. Before joining the elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization in September 2011, Stefan Kappeler successfully completed his MBA at the University of St. Gallen (HSG).

  • Paul Kukuk
    Senior Associate

    Paul Kukuk
    Senior Associate

    Paul Kukuk graduated from the University of St. Gallen (HSG) and Sciences Po Paris with a double-degree in International Affairs and Governance. He put a particular focus on analyzing the development of the microfinance sector in emerging countries. Before graduating, he gained initial experience in financial services, interning notably for AXA. After graduating, he began his career with KPMG in Paris, working for a year and a half on consulting projects in the insurance sector. He joined the elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization as an Associate in elea’s Talent Program in September 2019.

  • Florin Lanz
    Executive Director

    Florin Lanz
    Executive Director

    Florin Lanz graduated from the University of St. Gallen (HSG) with a B.A. in International Affairs and Governance. From 2007 until 2017 he was working as a management consultant and a business builder for the international business and consulting company a-connect across Europe, the Middle East and the US. He received his MBA from IE Business School in Madrid in 2014. From 2017 until 2020 he was responsible for the Americas expansion of the Swiss software company Palisis. Florin is an active member of the Pioneers’ Club entrepreneurs network in Zurich. He joined elea in August 2020.

  • Beatrice Möckli-Bürge
    Assistant

    Beatrice Möckli-Bürge
    Assistant

    Beatrice Möckli-Bürge ensures the smooth running of all organizational and administrative matters in our office in Zurich. She joined our team as an Assistant in September 2023.

    Beatrice was with the St. Gallen Foundation for International Studies from 1994 to 1997, where she supported the activities of the Board of Trustees and was jointly responsible for the organization of the St. Gallen Symposium. From 2002 to 2004, she was Co-Director of “Estancia Colomé”, a luxury boutique hotel in the Northwest of Argentina. Before joining our team, Beatrice worked on her biodynamic farm in Salta, Argentina.

  • Ija Ogwang
    Senior Associate

    Ija Ogwang
    Senior Associate

    Ija Ogwang contributes to building elea’s presence and strategy on the African continent. She joined the global elea team in August 2023 and is primarily based in the elea Africa Hub in Johannesburg, South Africa.

    Ija completed a Bachelor of Business Science in Finance from the University of Cape Town. After gathering professional experience working in value-creation and venture building in an impact investing fund in Southern Africa, she completed an MSc in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. She has worked with multiple ventures across industries, including Waste Recycling, Fintech, and Edtech. She has co-founded two ventures and is also an author.

  • Tina Ruchti
    Executive Director

    Tina Ruchti
    Executive Director

    Tina Ruchti leads the elea Latin America Hub in Mexico City and represents elea on the board of several portfolio companies. After graduating from the University of St. Gallen (HSG) with a degree in International Affairs and Governance, she started her career in banking. At Credit Suisse, she worked in the Strategy and Business Development team for Latin America. Before joining elea in Zurich in February 2018, Tina completed a five-month assignment as an external consultant for one of our impact companies in Nairobi.

  • Romy Sauer
    Communications & Partnerships Specialist

    Romy Sauer
    Communications & Partnerships Specialist

    Romy Sauer gained a B.A. in Marketing and Accounting at the Saxion University of Applied Sciences in Deventer (NL) and a Master in International Business Management at the University of Applied Sciences Harz (D). After graduating, she started her career in marketing and communications, having spent most of her time within the healthcare sector. Most recently, she was Communications and Brand Manager at Sonova, a global leader in hearing care. She joined elea as Communications & Partnerships Specialist in September 2022.

  • Jutta Schläpfer-Elsässer
    Assistant to the Chairman and to the CEO

    Jutta Schläpfer-Elsässer
    Assistant to the Chairman and to the CEO

    Jutta Schläpfer-Elsässer studied economics at the FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany. Prior to that she had gathered professional work experience with KBC Fashion GmbH & Co., one of the most important textile printing companies in Europe, and, from 1986 to 1992, within Danzas Group’s Corporate Public Relations.

    From 1996 to 2010, she was with the St. Gallen Foundation for International Studies where she supported the activities of the Board of Trustees and shared responsibility for the programme design and the selection of the members of the faculty of the St. Gallen Symposia.

    Between 2011 and 2012, she worked for Wegelin & Cie. Private Bankers in its wealth management department and subsequently was entrusted with the task of building up Notenstein La Roche’s Private Bank’s academic platform Notenstein Academy as Programme Director, a position she held until June 2017.

    Jutta Schläpfer-Elsässer joined the elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization as Assistant to the CEO in November 2017.

  • Arnaud Schuele
    Senior Associate

    Arnaud Schuele
    Senior Associate

    Arnaud Schuele holds a B.A. in Economics and a M.A. in Quantitative Economics and Finance from the University of St.Gallen (HSG). During exchange programs at Columbia University and at ETH Zurich, he placed a particular focus on development economics and applied statistics. Prior to graduating, he worked with the NGO Terre des Hommes Suisse, with BlueOrchard Finance Ltd., and with the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI). Arnaud joined the elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization as an Associate in elea’s Talent Program in September 2021.

  • Pape Sène
    Associate

    Pape Sène
    Associate

    Pape Sène holds a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of St. Gallen (HSG). During his studies, he also spent a semester at ESADE Business School in Barcelona. His interest for emerging markets motivated him to lead the Africa Association St. Gallen and organize the Africa Summit 2021. Parallel to his studies, Pape gained professional experience in M&A and Corporate Finance, notably at KPMG Switzerland. Prior to his start at elea, he interned at a private equity fund in Dakar, Senegal. Pape joined the elea Talent Program as an Associate in September 2022.

  • Marcin Stryczek
    Senior Associate

    Marcin Stryczek
    Senior Associate

    Marcin Stryczek graduated with distinction from Kozminski University in Warsaw with a Bachelor in Finance and Accounting in 2017. While pursuing his bachelor degree, he studied for a semester abroad at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU) and completed an internship at a management consulting company in Warsaw. Most recently, he completed a master’s degree in Accounting and Finance (MAccFin) at the University of St. Gallen (HSG). He joined the elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization as an Associate in elea’s Talent Program in September 2019.

  • Isabelle Sun
    Senior Associate

    Isabelle Sun
    Senior Associate

    Isabelle Sun completed an M.A. in Quantitative Economics and Finance as well the CEMS Double Degree Master in International Management at the University of St. Gallen (HSG). During her university years, she spent exchange semesters in Medellín, Taipei, and Paris. Parallel to her studies, she gained insights into Management Consulting and the Media industry. Her strong interest in Impact Investing was sparked while volunteering for a Costa Rican project on climate change and while working with a student-run consultancy for sustainable startups. In September 2021, she joined the elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization as part of the elea Talent Program.

  • Elena Torresani
    Head of Communications & Partnerships

    Elena Torresani
    Head of Communications & Partnerships

    Elena Torresani started her professional career 2007 with UBS where she worked in Sports and Art Sponsorship both in Zurich and New York. In 2009, she joined the Hear the World Foundation and led the foundation’s strategic and operational management from 2012 to 2020. Under her lead, the foundation increased its funding from CHF 550’000 to 3.8 million and established programs in over 25 countries. In November 2021, Elena Torresani joined elea Foundation in the newly created position as Head of Communications & Partnerships. She holds a Bachelor in Business Administration at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and is currently doing a CAS program in Development and Cooperation at ETH.

  • Amanda Turner Ege
    Executive Director

    Amanda Turner Ege
    Executive Director

    Amanda Turner Ege graduated from Yale College in 2007 with a B.A. in history. After graduation, she obtained a fellowship to volunteer in Guatemala and stayed until 2011, managing a non-profit that works in remote rural areas in education. She received her MBA at the Yale School of Management in 2013. From 2013 until 2018, she served as the Head of Sustainability at an award-winning social enterprise that develops small-scale farmers in Latin America. She is a member of the Advisory Board of GreenBuzz Zurich. She joined the elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization in April 2018.

  • Gerald Weigl
    Executive Director

    Gerald Weigl
    Executive Director

    Gerald Weigl graduated from University of Cambridge with a MPhil in Finance after starting his career with KPMG in their Financial Risk Management Advisory function. From 2014 until 2017 he was Consultant at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Vienna, with particular focus on corporations in the Financial and Industrial Goods sector in Germany. Furthermore, he was active in BCG’s social impact practice and a mentor in an accelerator program of the Impact Hub in Vienna. He joined elea in June 2018.

  • Sarah Zuellig
    Associate

    Sarah Zuellig
    Associate

    Sarah Zuellig holds a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of St. Gallen (HSG) and an M.Sc. Management and Strategy from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Sarah already started working with impact entrepreneurs during her studies, having organized a large student-led conference focused on purpose-driven business. Prior to joining elea, Sarah gained experience in the private equity industry with LGT Capital Partners and in strategy consulting with Boston Consulting Group (BCG). She joined the elea Talent Program as an Associate in September 2022.

Our Board of Trustees

  • Dr. Peter A. Wuffli
    Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees

    Dr. Peter A. Wuffli
    Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees

    Peter Wuffli (born in 1957) is the Founder and Chairman of elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization. elea was established in 2006 and has the purpose to fight absolute poverty (i.e. less than USD 3 per capita daily income) with entrepreneurial means. elea is a philanthropic impact investor in the fields of agricultural value chains, informal retail and last mile distribution, and employable skill building.

    In addition, Peter is Honorary Chairman of IMD and a Member of the Advisory Board of the elea Center for Social Innovation at IMD. He also serves on the Board of Sygnum, a digital asset bank in Zurich and Singapore. Furthermore, he is Member of the Board of Trustees of BlueEarth Foundation and the Vice Chairman of the Zurich Opera House.

    Previously, Peter was Partner at McKinsey & Company, CEO of UBS Group, and Chairman of Partners Group and IMD respectively. Peter earned a Ph.D. in economics from University of St. Gallen based on a dissertation on Swiss Direct Investment in Mexico.

    He regularly publishes articles and books on themes of globalization, ethics, impact investing and leadership. His latest books are: "Inclusive Leadership – A Framework for the Global Era", Springer 2016, and "The elea Way – A Learning Journey Toward Sustainable Impact" (together with Vanina Farber), Routledge, November 2020.

    He is married and has three adult children.

  • Dr. Susanna Wuffli
    Founder and Member of the Board of Trustees

    Dr. Susanna Wuffli
    Founder and Member of the Board of Trustees

    Susanna Wuffli graduated from the University of Zurich with a Doctorate in Law. Subsequently, she was admitted to the Bar of the Canton of Zurich. Before founding her family, she worked at the district court and in different law firms. While raising her three children, she got involved with several organizations where she contributed her legal expertise. Since her youth, Christian ethical and social issues have been one of Susanna Wuffli’s main concerns. Today, she is a member of the Church Board in her home town where she takes responsibility for various areas of activity. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization which she co-founded with her husband in 2006.

  • Dr. Harold Grüninger
    Member of the Board of Trustees

    Dr. Harold Grüninger
    Member of the Board of Trustees

    Dr. Harold Grüninger, LL.M. is attorney at law, a certified specialist SBA in inheritance law, and a partner of Homburger AG. He is co-editor of successio, the Swiss journal for succession law, and commented on Swiss foundation law within the Basel commentary. He regularly publishes articles and lectures on topics of foundation and succession law. He is a founding member and vice chairman of proFonds, the umbrella organization for charitable foundations in Switzerland, and is a member of the legal council of SwissFoundations. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees of elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization since its establishment.

Our Comité de Patronage

  • Former Federal Councillor Pascal Couchepin
  • Lord Griffiths of Fforestfach
  • Marianne Haefner
  • Martin Haefner
  • Maria Haldner
  • Felix Haldner
  • Dr. Peter Maurer
  • Manuela Schaeppi
  • Jürg Schaeppi

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