Board of Trustee Members
Walter Schmid
President of HEKS/EPER (term of office 2024 to 2027), Winterthur
Walter Schmid, Dr. iur, Lawyer, is currently a lecturer and visiting lecturer at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and the University of Lucerne. In his professional career he has held the positions of Head of the Swiss Refugee Council, Head of the Office for Youth and Social Welfare of the City of Zurich (Amt für Jugend- und Sozialhilfe der Stadt Zürich), and Director of the Lucerne School of Social Work. He has also been honorary President of the Swiss Conference for Social Welfare, Vice-President of the Federal Commission on Aliens (Eidgenössische Kommission für Ausländerfragen). Chair of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles and Vice-Chair of the Migration Policy Group.
Daniel Rihs
Michèle Künzler
Vice President (Term of office 2024 to 2027), Vernier
Studied theology; active in politics for 25 years in Geneva, former State Councillor for the Canton of Geneva; former Member of Parliament and Municipal Councillor; formerly responsible for the Department of Business Taxation of the Municipality of Thônex, Vice-President of a Cantonal Foundation for Social Housing and a Foundation for Municipal Housing, currently active as a decluttering coach.
Daniel Rihs
Simone Fopp Müller
Vice-President (Term of office 2024 to 2027), Köniz
Dr. theol. at the University of Berne in Practical Theology; Pastor, Zollikofen Evangelical Reformed Church Parish; Trainer of pastors; CAS, Inter-Cultural Theology and Migration; Dipl. Movement Analysis iba; Founding and board member KARIBU Interkultureller Frauentreff [KARIBU Intercultural Women's Meeting]; President Schäferei 43 AG – a house for refugee projects and intercultural dialogue.
Simone Fopp Müller
Markus Arbenz
(Term of office 2024 to 2027), Winterthur
An agronomist with a postgraduate diploma in international development (NADEL), he is an expert in development cooperation and organic agriculture/agroecology at the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) in Frick and is also self-employed. After years of development work in Central Asia, he was Managing Director of Bio Suisse and IFOAM Organics International, the international umbrella organisation for organic agriculture.
Elisabeth Bürgi Bonanomi
(Term of office 2021 to 2025), Berne
Dr. iur., Lawyer; Lecturer in Law & Sustainable Development; Joint Head of Sustainability Governance Impact Area at the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), University of Berne; former Board of Trustee member at «Bread for All».
HEKS
Jean-Luc Dupuis
(Term of office 2024 to 2027), Semsales
Training in computer science and in crisis communication, Senior project manager of a major bank, Member of the Synod of the Reformed Evangelical Church of the Canton of Fribourg, former President of the Parish of Estavayer-le-Lac and la Broye fribourgeoise, former Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Dompierre Municipality.
Daniel Rihs
Barbara Hirsbrunner
(Term of office 2021 to 2025), Sharans
Registered nurse; Specialist teacher of religion; Church Councillor of the Cantonal Evangelical Reformed Church in Graubünden, responsible for ecumenism, mission and development cooperation; former Board of Trustee member of «Bread for All».
HEKS
Pierre Jacot
(Term of office 2024 to 2027), Lausanne
Graduate psychologist, University of Lausanne; Specialist in action methods; Head of Stiftung CEP, which is dedicated to practical training for public action. Pierre Jacot has designed support programmes for the development of organizations, teams and professionals. He had previously worked for more than ten years in vocational rehabilitation at the Invalidity Insurance Office of the Canton of Vaud; former Board of Trustee member at «Bread for All».
HEKS
Michel Rudin
(Term of office 2024 to 2027), Luzern
Founder and board member of Agon Partner Affairs AG; studied history and philosophy at the University of Bern; Master in Communication Management at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts; Diploma of Advanced Studies in Law at the University of Bern; Executive Master in Business Administration; former Co-President of glp Lucerne; former Co-President of "Pink Cross".
Christoph Sigrist
(Term of office 2021 to 2025), Zurich
Lecturer in Diaconal Studies, Faculty of Theology, University of Berne; Pastor, Evangelical-Reformed Church Parish of Grossmünster, Zurich; President, Zürcher Spendenparlament [Zurich Donors' Parliament]; President, Zurich Forum of Religions; Board of Trustee member, Evangelical Society of the Canton of Zurich; Board of Trustee member, Diakoniewerk Neumünster. Board member of the Zurich City Mission.
HEKS/Beni Basler