Our foundation Stiftung Zentrum Nachhaltigkeit is guided by our foundation board consisting of:
Professor Dr Rico Baldegger
President of the foundation board
Prof. PhD Rico J. Baldegger is Director and Professor of Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the School of Management Fribourg (HEG-FR), Switzerland. He has studied at the Universities of St. Gallen and Fribourg, Switzerland. His research activities concentrate on innovative start-ups, the entrepreneurial behavior of individuals and organizations, as well as the phenomenon of rapid-growth companies. He has published several books and articles and, since the beginning of the 1990s, he has been the manager of a business for company development. Moreover, he is a business angel and serial entrepreneur, as is demonstrated by the many companies he has created.
Beat Vonlanthen
Ex-Council of States CVP Fribourg (also Vice-President of the foundation board)
Beat Vonlanthen was born in 1957 in the canton of Fribourg. He holds a Ph.D. degree in law from the University of Fribourg and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Between 1986 and 1998 he worked in the Swiss federal administration, ultimately becoming vice-director of the State Secretariat for Education and Research. In 2004 he was elected to the government of the canton of Fribourg. At first in charge of the Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure department, he took responsibility of the economic affairs in 2006, a position he held until 2016. In 2010 and 2014 he was president of the Fribourg cantonal government. From 2015 until 2019 represented Beat Vonlanthen the Canton of Fribourg in the national Council of States.
Alisée de Tonnac
Co-founder and co-CEO of Seedstars
Alisée de Tonnac, is the co-founder and co-CEO of Seedstars, a Swiss investment holding on a mission to impact people’s lives in emerging and frontier markets through technology and entrepreneurship.
Alisée sits on several boards of companies and foundations and is also a member of the Swiss Innovation Council. She was nominated as a Social Entrepreneur Forbes 30 under 30, an Innovation Fellow of Wired UK, one of Europe’s most influential women in the startup and venture capital space, and one of the 29 Powerful Women by Refinery29.
Alexander Kaiser
HEG-Fribourg / Swinburne University Australia
Alexander Kaiser is an entrepreneurial personality with activities in financial services, primary resources and commercial real estate. He is visiting lecturer at the School of Management Fribourg and Director Industry Engagement in the Business of Business, Law and Entrepreneurship at Swinburne University Melbourne. Alexander Kaiser holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Accounting and Finance) from School of Management Fribourg (1999), an MBA from Monash University Melbourne (2008) and a Master of Commercial Law from Deakin University Melbourne (2008). He has a wealth of professional experience in the banking sector.
Dr.rer.pol. Hans Rentsch
Economist and Business publicist
Hans Rentsch (*1943) holds a doctorate in economics and is now a freelance writer on topics like energy and climate policies, democratic institutions, and political communication. After graduating, he worked in various positions in the private sector, later as an independent organizational and strategy consultant. Until 2008, he was Executive President of a software company for internet-based stock exchange platforms. Between 2002 and 2010 he managed several projects on behalf of the think tank Avenir Suisse, mainly topics of economic growth, institutions, corporate taxes and agricultural policy. In February 2017, his book entitled "How Much Market Does the Political System of Switzerland Allow?" was published by NZZ Libro. He is a member of the Carnot-Cournot network, which primarily deals with energy and climate policy issues. He has authored or co-authored various books and reports and writes regularly for journals and newspapers.
