Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, Switzerland
Chairman of World Climate Foundation, Chairman of the Advisory Board of Leonardo Centre on Business for Society at Imperial College, Chairman of the Aviation Research Center Switzerland, Vice-Chairman at Global Infrastructure Basel, executive on-call consultant to NACO’s Aviation Advisory team, former CEO at Genève Aéroport, an experienced leader with a deep experience in developing and implementing strategies, especially in sustainable development Global aviation and sustainability leader with a proven track record of transforming complex infrastructure ecosystems through strategic vision, stakeholder diplomacy, and technological innovation. As CEO of Genève Aéroport, drove the creation of a Net Zero 2037 roadmap, maintained operational and financial resilience during the COVID-19 crisis, and expanded the airport’s global connectivity. Recognized internationally for shaping industry-wide sustainability agendas as Chairman of the World Climate Foundation, Chairman of the Leonardo Centre on Business for Society at Imperial College, Chairman of the Aviation Research Center, Vice-President of Global Infrastructure Basel, and leader within Airports Council International. Combines board-level governance expertise with deep technical knowledge gained from early career roles at IBM and CERN, a PhD in Computer Science, and leadership at the World Economic Forum, having been instrumental during his 12 years in creating the world’s leading global multi-stakeholder platform and finally globalizing this concept by expanding it around the world. Bridges public and private sectors to deliver long-term value, aligning environmental responsibility, economic performance, and passenger experience. Brings multicultural fluency, based also on his career start as a musician in leading orchestras, global policy insight, and the ability to mobilize cross-sector coalitions for impact.
Embark on a transformative academic and professional journey with the Master of Business Administration in Air Transport Management—an esteemed joint program offered by the University of the Aegean and the Democritus University of Thrace. Designed for emerging and established professionals seeking leadership roles in the global aviation sector, this program provides a rigorous and comprehensive exploration of the air transport industry. Over the course of 18 months (three academic semesters), students will engage with advanced topics including strategic planning, operational efficiency, regulatory frameworks, and emerging technologies shaping the future of aviation.
Switzerland, unlike other European countries, did not have a national competence center for aviation research until mid-2017. The Swiss aviation sector, though, requires greater innovation if it intends to further improve its efficiency, safety and environmental performance. That’s why the Swiss Federal Council, in its aviation policy report published in 2016, called for the creation of such a center that would work in close cooperation with the aviation industry and public authorities. The ZHAW School of Engineering’s Center for Aviation (ZAV), the University of St. Gallen’s Center for Aviation Competence (CFAC) and the Chair of Management of Network Industries (MIR) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) founded the Aviation Research Center Switzerland (ARCS) on June 30, 2017. The University of Zurich (UZH) joined the organization shortly thereafter, and ARCS today is open to other colleges and universities that are capable of providing scientific contributions.
Impact & Achievements • Guided national aviation R&D agenda, promoting projects that enhance efficiency, safety, and environmental performance. • Facilitated university–industry cooperation, ensuring research results are implemented in real-world aviation operations. • Facilitated a project to define the Net Zero Path for the Swiss Aviation (Swiss Road Map Sustainable Aviation, https://www.arcs.aero/en/node/250). Switzerland, unlike other European countries, did not have a national competence center for aviation research until mid-2017. The Swiss aviation sector, though, requires greater innovation if it intends to further improve its efficiency, safety and environmental performance. That’s why the Swiss Federal Council, in its aviation policy report published in 2016, called for the creation of such a center that would work in close cooperation with the aviation industry and public authorities. The ZHAW School of Engineering’s Center for Aviation (ZAV), the University of St. Gallen’s Center for Aviation Competence (CFAC) and the Chair of Management of Network Industries (MIR) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) founded the Aviation Research Center Switzerland (ARCS) on June 30, 2017. The University of Zurich (UZH) joined the organization shortly thereafter, and ARCS today is open to other colleges and universities that are capable of providing scientific contributions. Switzerland’s Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) supports the activities and projects undertaken by ARCS and is a guest member of the ARCS Innovation Board. The ARCS Innovation Board ensures cooperation between academia and industry. It discusses all projects and grants them authorization to proceed. It monitors ongoing research and development projects and evaluates new topics and priorities. The dialogue cultivated by the Innovation Board ensures that research projects enjoy broad support and that their findings get put into actual practice.
SolarStratos is not only promoting renewable energy, but also rewriting the future of aviation. Our objective is to demonstrate that yesterday’s impossible is today’s possible, by pushing back the boundaries of solar and electric-powered aviation. We aspire to prove that clean technologies can not only equal but surpass the potential of fossil fuels. Our solar electric aircraft, designed to conquer the stratosphere, is not just a 21st century technical challenge — it’s a flying manifesto for greener, cleaner skies and a sustainable future.