Walter Thurnherr is the Federal Chancellor of Switzerland since January 2016. Previously, Walter Thurnherr has been Secretary-General of the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC), the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and the Federal Departement of Economic Affairs (FDEA). After studying theoretical physics Walter Thurnherr began his political affairs at the FDFA, working during his training in Bern and Moscow. Further postings were his work for the Foreign Policy Planning Staff in Bern and support for Ambassador Edouard Brunner in his role as Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General. In connection with the Chairmanship of the OSCE, he represented Switzerland from 1994 to 1997 in the mediation of the Nagorno-Karabach conflict. From 1995 to the spring of 1997, Walter Thurnherr worked at the Swiss embassy in Moscow with the rank of Minister. In the following two years he was personal advisor to Federal Councillor Flavio Cotti, subsequently serving as minister and deputy head of Political Affairs Division VI until he was appointed ambassador and head of the division in May 2000.

Burkhard Varnholt has been Chief Investment Officer at Credit Suisse Group AG since January 1, 2017. He had previously served as Head Investment Solutions Group (ISG) and Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of Bank Julius Baer as well as CIO and Head Asset Management and Institutional Clients at Bank J. Safra Sarasin. Burkhard Varnholt gained his doctorate at the University of St. Gallen and has taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Stern School of Business, New York University. He has published over 100 articles in academic journals as well as four books. In 2004, Burkhard Varnholt founded a charity called ‘Kids of Africa’ which runs an orphanage for homeless children in Kampala, Uganda (www.kids-of-africa.com). He was awarded the Swiss Re Civilian Services Prize for this commitment.

Former Senior Vice-President, head of Strategies and Performance at Nestlé global HQ, Valerio Nannini is a leading innovation enabler who offers his expertise to a broad spectrum of start-ups, agencies and consulting companies as they expand their businesses and offerings. Valerio has an exhaustive understanding of disruptive technologies, digital environments, and their commercial applications. A respected driver of innovation, he has a track record of engaging with academia, accelerators, VCs and start-ups, as well as with major strategic partnerships and alliances, to accelerate growth. His vast network, his drive to maximise corporate efficiency, his passion for innovation and for nurturing cross-functional corporate culture have allowed Valerio to deliver a number of business-relevant and innovative concepts, whilst leading change management. Valerio’s international business expertise extends across Europe, Asia, Africa, the US and Latin America. He has an MBA from the University of Wales and is the recipient of the Certificate in Lifelong Executive Learning from IMD Business School in Lausanne. Valerio holds British, Swiss and Italian citizenship.

Gerd Voith is the founder and chairman of SAVIDA AG, which is based in Basel and has offices in Shanghai and Miami. The firm offers consulting services and technical expertise for building technologies, lab design, energy concepts and sustainability in the areas of life sciences and green building projects. Gerd Voith’s goal is to find innovative solutions. As a consultant, he supports his partners end-to-end in their projects, from initiation and project development to implementation, support and training; but the main driver is encouraging and supporting for third parties to find and go with innovative solutions and accompany through the process, helping for implementation up to the end. His global lectures have brought him the offer of a professorship at the University of Hong Kong.

Frank M. Rinderknecht studied at the ETH Zurich and in 1979 founded his company Rinspeed Inc., which rapidly morphed from an importer of sunroofs and other accessories to a prototype manufacturer. 1981 saw the introduction of the first widely acclaimed Rinspeed concept car: the Rinspeed Aliporta, a VW Golf with gull-wing doors. Since 1991 Rinspeed has presented at least one new concept car each year and from 2001 onwards these vehicles have been powered by electricity or natural gas for environmental reasons. The latest creation is the “microMax”, the networked swarm car that was designed for the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.

Simon Heusser has a doctorate in economic history and is a communications expert with the Federal Department of Home Affairs. He moved to the FDHA from the position of Senior Strategic Communications Advisor at Novartis International AG in Basel and had previously spent many years working as a journalist in a variety of positions and departments for Swiss newspapers, most recently as Editor-in-Chief of 'Weltwoche“.

Dr Károly Christian Köpe

As a strategy consultant, Christian Köpe is constantly on the trail of answers to relevant questions in healthcare and in the fields of strategy and innovation. Having worked in the past initiator and head of Helsana’s Managed Care Division, as an entrepreneur at medi24, medix and FirstTuesday among others and as an interim and turnaround manager, he is now employed in a senior role at Galenica. As a self-employed entrepreneur, he has created more than 200 stable jobs. Christian Köpe has taught Corporate Finance/M&A at the University of Zurich for many years.

Patrick Zbinden is a journalist and graduate sensory analyst who has been concerned with dietary topics for many years. He attained his specialisation by pursuing a variety of courses in Switzerland and abroad and Germany and qualifying as an expert in nutritional communication. He is frequently asked to speak at international conferences and works as a consultant for industry, trade and the media.

Hlin Helga Gudlaugsdottir is a curator, experience designer and a consultant to companies on design thinking, innovation and creative leadership. She has, since 2009 been involved in education and research in Universities around the world out of her posts at the Masters Programmes at Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm, Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship and most recently the Iceland Academy of the Arts. Hlin focuses on facilitating, initiating and leading dialogues and interdisciplinary collaborations for meaningful innovation through design and often curates international exhibitions and conferences to that end.
Hlin has a Masters level Diploma in European Studies from the University des Hautes Etudes Europeennes, Robert Schumann University in Strasbourg, a BA in French and German Litterature from the Univeristy of Iceland and BA in Product Design from the Iceland Academy of the Arts.