Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) since 2012, is set to become a member of elea’s Comité de Patronage as he steps down as ICRC President in September 2022.

elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization, a Zurich based active philanthropic impact investor, is honored to welcome Peter Maurer to its Comité de Patronage as of the beginning of October 2022. In this role, Mr. Maurer will closely collaborate with elea’s Board of Trustees and its leadership team and thus contribute his leadership expertise in public policy and the humanitarian field as well as his extensive global network.  

“I am delighted to join elea’s Comité de Patronage. I have been a long-time admirer of elea’s work pioneering philanthropic impact investing and of its distinctive positioning and professionalism. I am convinced that entrepreneurship is an important key to sustainable social impact”, Peter Maurer, President of ICRC, says. “I see great potential in the entrepreneurial model and in building on the capacity and ingenuity of individuals to break the cycle of poverty and dependence in fragile settings“, Mr. Maurer adds. “It is an honor for elea that Peter Maurer has accepted our invitation: His unique expertise and perspective as a diplomat and an eminent global leader in the humanitarian field will be hugely valuable for elea’s impact investing practice and will help to strengthen the social impact ecosystem across private, civil society and public policy sectors”, Peter Wuffli, Founder and Chairman of elea, comments.  

Born in Thun, Switzerland, Peter Maurer holds a doctorate in history and international law from the University of Berne and has held various positions in the Swiss diplomatic service, including as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York and Secretary of State for foreign affairs. He became ICRC’s President in July 2012. Under Peter's leadership, the ICRC carries out humanitarian work in over 80 countries. The priorities for his presidency include strengthening humanitarian diplomacy, engaging States and other actors for the respect of international humanitarian law, and improving the humanitarian response through innovation and new partnerships. Since taking over the presidency of the ICRC, Peter has led the organization through a historic budget increase, from 1.1bn CHF in 2011 to 2.4bn CHF in 2022. 

The elea Comité de Patronage was created in 2010 and includes a small number of distinguished leaders and entrepreneurs. They all share a passion for elea’s purpose and long-term development and actively support and advise elea on a regular basis.  

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