Who we are
Structure and team
At the Wyss Academy for Nature, we work on developing, testing, and scaling up innovative solutions that advance nature conservation and human wellbeing at the same time. Our organizational structure reflects our belief that the disruption we seek can be unleashed by a new and innovative form of organization. We have the opportunity to bring together research and innovation teams, policy shapers, and action at our regional hubs on four different continents. All units are encouraged to collaborate directly, with flat hierarchies and in role-based ways. Together, we strive to become a role model in terms of corporate governance.
Structure
Team
Board
Prof. Dr. Christian Leumann
President of the Board and Rector of the University of Bern
André Nietlisbach
Vice-President of the Board and Secretary General of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Energy and the Environment of the Canton of Bern
Dr. h.c. Hansjörg Wyss
Board member, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist, Wyss Foundation
Johann Schneider-Ammann
Board member, Entrepreneur and Politician, Former Federal Councilor
Dr. Molly McUsic
Board member and President of the Wyss Foundation
Prof. Dr. Peter Messerli
Board member and Director, Professor for Sustainable Development
Management
Advisory Comittee
Valérie Courtois
Vice-chair of the Advisory Committee. Specializes in indigenous issues, forest ecology, and ecosystem-based management and planning
Brian O’Donnell
Leading land and wildlife conservationist
Dr. Maja Göpel
Political economist and advocate of sustainable transformation
Dr. Adrienne Grêt-Regamey
Environmental scientist and landscape planner
Dr. Sofia Heinonen
Vice-chair of the Advisory Committee. Activist for nature and Executive Director of Rewilding Argentina
Dr. Nathalie de Noblet
Research Director at CEA (France) and Lead Author of the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land
Dr. Roland Siegwart
Chair of the Advisory Committee. Professor of Autonomous Systems at ETH Zurich and Founding Co-Director of Wyss Zurich
Dr. Youba Sokona
Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Specializes in issues of energy, the environment, and sustainable development