Alex Bristol, who is a Swiss-British dual national, earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Exeter and completed the Advanced Management Programme of INSEAD Fontainebleau and Singapore. From 1992 onwards he held various functions with NATS (the UK’s air navigation services provider) including air traffic controller, Head of Operations and ultimately Head of Development & Investment Strategy. He joined skyguide as Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Executive Board in September 2011, and took over as CEO in July 2017.
Francis Schubert is a qualified air traffic controller and holds a doctorate in law. He joined the company in 1982 and has been a member of the Executive Board since 2001. He also teaches aviation law at the Institute for Air & Space Law at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and at the law faculty of Lausanne University.
Klaus Affholderbach is a Doctor of Science, and has worked and researched in high-energy physics at CERN in Geneva. He joined skyguide in 2001 and has since held various positions within the company including Head of Air Traffic Management Geneva, Head of International Airports (i.e. Zurich and Geneva) and, most recently, Head of Virtual Centre, with responsibility for all upper airspace areas. He became a member of the Executive Board at the beginning of 2018.
Hans Bracher, who is a qualified attorney, can draw on over 20 years of experience as an HR specialist. He assumed his duties as skyguide’s Head of Human Resources in 2012. Prior to this, he had been Head of Corporate Human Resources and a member of the Executive Board of RUAG Holding AG. He also held various functions during many years with Ascom, ultimately serving as Head of Corporate Human Resources and a member of the Extended Executive Board. He joined the skyguide Executive Board in January 2015.
Jeannette Haus has served skyguide in various capacities (flight advisor, instructor, AIM officer, Head of Requirements Engineering) since she joined the company in 1994. In parallel with her work, she also studied business IT and earned an Executive MBA from the University of St. Gallen. She has been the CEO’s Chief of Staff on the Enlarged Executive Board since 2009, and is also Secretary to the Board of Directors.
Myriam Käser studied political science, international law and Arabic language and culture, and has worked as a journalist, an editor and a public affairs, PR and branding consultant. In 2015 she was appointed Chief Communications Officer of the NZZ Media Group. She assumed her present duties as skyguide’s Chief Communications Officer and a member of the Executive Board at the beginning of 2018.
Urs Lauener served as an air traffic controller and process expert at Switzerland’s air navigation service provider before moving to the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) as an air navigation services specialist. He returned to skyguide in 2003 and went on to hold a number of management roles in both military and civil air traffic management. He holds an Executive MBA from HEC Paris. He has been Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Executive Board since July 2017.
t fonctions. She then served as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of KBA-NotaSys for over 10 years, where she was a member of the company’s executive management and also headed the IT, Personnel and Infrastructure departments. Nicole Leyre became CFO and a member of skyguide’s Executive Board in June 2018.
Klaus Meier has been skyguide’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) since 2014. Prior to joining skyguide, he served as CIO Americas for the Schindler corporation, based in the USA. He is also well familiar with the aviation world through his years with Swissair, where he promoted process enhancements and technological innovation in various executive capacities. Klaus Meier is a qualified electrical engineer, and also holds a PhD from Zurich’s ETH.
Walter T. Vogel holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the ETH Zurich and business administration qualifications from the HSG and INSEAD. He served eight years as CEO and later as Chairman of the Board of the Aebi-Schmidt Group. He is Chairman of the skyguide Board of Directors, chairs the Board’s Compensation & Nominations Committee and is a member of its Finance & Audit Committee. He is also Chairman of the Board of St. Gallen-Appenzell Power Stations, a member of the boards of Kardex and FAI Air Sports Marketing & Events AG and a member of the Central Committee of the Aero Club of Switzerland.
Major General Bernhard Müller has been Commander of the Swiss Air Force since 1 January 2018. After completing teacher training and studying history and philosophy at Zurich University, he went on to hold various senior functions within the Swiss Air Force. He was elected to the skyguide Board of Directors as its Deputy Chairman in 2009. He also chairs the Board’s Safety Committee and is a member of its Projects Committee. Further mandates held: member of the Executive Committee of Aerosuisse (as the Swiss Air Force’s representative).
Anne Bobillier holds a degree in information technology from the University of Geneva. She is the Managing Director of Bechtle Suisse Romande, and previously served in further executive functions with various well-known companies. She was elected to the skyguide Board of Directors in 2014. She also chairs the Board’s Projects Committee and is a member of its Safety Committee. Further mandates held: member of the boards of Romande Energie Holding, Romande Energie SA, SkySoft-ATM and the Franco-Swiss Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
Jean-Yves Bonvin is an attorney who holds degrees in law (from the University of Geneva) and economics (from the University of St. Gallen). A partner in a law firm, he was elected to the Board of Directors in 2012. He chairs the Board’s Finance & Audit Committee and is a member of its Safety Committee. Further mandates held: member of the Board of Directors of IRMC; President of the Valais Aero Club; President of the 2017 Sion Air Show; Deputy President of the Sion Airport Users’ Association; Treasurer of the Association Sion Airport Technology Center.
Dominik Hänggi joined skyguide in 1988, and currently serves as a Geneva-based air traffic controller/watch supervisor. He was Deputy President of the Association du Personnel de la Tour de Contrôle (APTC) staff association, and was actively involved in several collective labour agreement negotiations in this capacity. He was elected to serve as the employees’ representative on the Board of Directors in 2015. He is also a member of the Board’s Projects and Safety committees.
Cristina Feistmann is an attorney and the holder of an M.B.L. degree from the University of St. Gallen. After a number of years as an external lawyer and legal advisor, she entered the aviation sector in 1998 – initially joining the Swissair Group, and later becoming General Counsel to Swissport. In 2007 she moved into the insurance sector, where she is currently Company Secretary to the Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd. She was elected to the skyguide Board of Directors in 2015. She is also a member of its Compensation & Nominations Committee. Further mandates held: member of the Board of Trustees of the Swissair Staff Foundation for Children in Need.
Res Schmid is a Government Councillor for Canton Nidwalden and a Swiss Air Force, aviation and safety policy expert under the Chief of Staff of the DDPS. He spent over 20 years as a military pilot with the Swiss Air Force and Armasuisse, rising to chief test pilot and project manager for the evaluation for the partial replacement of the F5-E Tiger. He is a member of the Board’s Compensation & Nominations and Finance & Audit Committees. Further mandates held: chairman of the boards of Bergbahnen Beckenried- Emmetten and of INSILVA AG; president of the ch-x Swiss Federal Surveys of Adolescents Committee, the Schindler Arts Foundation and the Winkelried House Foundation; trustee of the Höfli Foundation in Stans and various further foundations.