Executive board & Board of directors

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 2011, and became CEO in July 2017.

Klaus Affholderbach is a Doctor of Science and previously worked and conducted research at CERN. Since joining skyguide in 2001 he has held various functions including Head of Air Traffic Management Geneva, Head of International Airports (i.e. Zurich and Geneva) and latterly Head of the Virtual Centre with responsibility for all upper airspace. He joined the Executive Board as Head of Safety, Security, Quality 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 Group 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 Executive Board in January 2015.

Myriam Käser studied political sciences, international law and Arabic language and culture, and has worked as a journalist and editor and as a consultant in branding, PR and public affairs. From 2015 onwards she served as Head of Communications of the NZZ Media Group. She joined skyguide as 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 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 and an Advanced Certificate in Aviation & Aerospace from HEC Paris. He has been Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Executive Board since July 2017.

Nicole Leyre spent 14 years with Schneider Electric in various management capacities. She then served for more than ten years as Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Executive Board of KBA-NotaSys, where she also bore responsibility for IT, human resources and facility management. She joined skyguide as CFO and a member of the Executive Board in July 2018.

Klaus Meier has been skyguide’s Chief Information Officer since 2014. Prior to this 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. A qualified electrical engineer, he holds a Doctorate from Zurich’s ETH.

Götz Ardey has been with skyguide since 2012, most recently as Head of the Communication, Navigation and Surveillance Division. Prior to this, Ardey, who holds a doctorate in engineering and an additional master’s degree in business administration, spent ten years with the Lufthansa Group in various roles. Götz Ardey has joined the Executive Board as Chief Business Development Officer at the beginning of December 2019.

Peter Dietrich is a lawyer and holds an LL.M. in international business law. He has held various positions as a lawyer in courts, a cantonal department and in industry. He was CEO of Swissmem – the Swiss Industry Association – for 10 years. He then worked for two years as a consultant for a consulting company, for which he accompanied companies and their managers in change processes. He is skyguide’s General Counsel and Head of Legal & Compliance since December 1, 2019.

Walter T. Vogel holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the ETH Zurich and business administration qualifications from the University of St. Gallen and INSEAD Fontainebleau. He most recently served for 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 Directors of St. Gallen-Appenzell Power Stations, a member of the Board of Directors of Kardex and a member of the Central Committee of the Aero Club of Switzerland.

Bernhard Müller has been Commander of the Swiss Air Force since 1 January 2018. After completing teacher training and studying at the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences 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 Master’s degree in computer sciences from the University of Geneva. She is Corporate Project Manager at Bechtle Management AG, and previously served in further executive functions at various well-known companies. She was elected to the Skyguide Board of Directors in 2014. She chairs the Board’s Projects Committee and is a member of its Safety Committee. Further mandates held: member of the Boards of Directors of Romande Energie Holding, Romande Energie SA, SkySoft-ATM and the Franco-Swiss Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Cristina Feistmann is an attorney with a Master’s degree in law from the University of Zurich and an Executive M.B.L. from the University of St. Gallen. After a number of years in the legal profession she entered the aviation sector in 1998 – initially joining the Swissair Group, and later becoming Group General Counsel to Swissport. In 2007 she moved into insurance, where she is currently Company Secretary to the three divisions of Swiss Re. She was elected to the Skyguide Board of Directors in 2015, and is also a member of its Compensation & Nominations Committee. She is also a trustee of the Swissair Staff Foundation for Children in Need.

Dominik Hänggi joined skyguide’s predecessor 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) air traffic controllers’ union. He was elected to serve as the employees’ representative on the Skyguide Board of Directors in 2015. He is also a member of the Board’s Projects and Safety committees.

Res Schmid is a Government Councillor for Canton Nidwalden. He spent over 20 years with armasuisse and the Swiss Air Force as a military and test pilot, rising to chief test pilot and project manager on the partial replacement of the F5-E Tiger. He was elected to the Skyguide Board of Directors in 2017 and is a member of the Board’s Compensation & Nominations and Finance & Audit committees. Further mandates held: Chairman of the Board of Bergbahnen Beckenried-Emmetten and of INSILVA AG; President of the ch-x Swiss Federal Surveys of Adolescents Committee and the Winkelried House Foundation; Board Member of the Schindler Arts Foundation.