Board
JÜRG SCHWEIZER
SNOW AND AVALANCHE RESEARCH
President
Jürg Schweizer has been Director of the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF and a member of the WSL Directorate since 2011. He teaches as a titular professor at ETH Zurich. After studying environmental physics, he completed a doctorate in glaciology at ETH Zurich before joining the national team of snow researchers on the Weissfluhjoch in 1990. He has been conducting research at the SLF for over 30 years, interrupted by a research stay in Canada, focussing on snow and fracture mechanics, avalanche formation and avalanche forecasting.
PHILIPP WILHELM
VICE PRESIDENT, MUNICIPALITY OF DAVOS & CULTURE
Philipp Wilhelm has headed the Davos Presidential Department as mayor since 2021. He grew up in Monstein and attended the SAMD in Davos. He then completed a Master's degree in architecture at ETH Zurich. He also represents the SP in the Grand Council in Graubünden and was President of the SP Graubünden from 2016 - 2020. Philipp Wilhelm is involved in various foundations and is strongly committed to cultural life in Davos.
WALTER O. FREY
MANAGING DIRECTOR SPORT & HEALTH
Dr. med. Walter O. Frey has been working at the Hirslanden Clinic in Zurich since 2021.
He was a sports doctor for the Swiss Army until 2010 and has been Swiss Ski's first chief medical officer since 2015. Walter O. Frey has a family and professional connection to the region: After often spending his holidays in Davos as a child, he lived in Davos for several years, first as an assistant doctor and later as a senior physician at the Thurgauer-Schaffhauser Höhenklinik, where he was responsible for setting up and managing the Sports Medicine Center of the Swiss Olympic Association in Davos and the rheumatology/physics department at the clinic
KATJA BÄRENFALLER
LIFE SCIENCE
PD Dr Katja Bärenfaller has been a group leader at the Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF) in Davos since 2017. She previously worked as a scientist at ETH Zurich, where she completed her habilitation in the field of functional genomics. Her research focusses on the molecular basis of biological processes, she is enthusiastic about science and has something against pseudoscience. She grew up in Brig in Valais and is glad that she was able to settle in Davos with her husband and two children, following in the footsteps of the old Walser people.
LOUISE HARRA
SOLAR SCIENCE & AWARENESS
FOR MINT
Louise comes from Northern Ireland and has lived in Davos since 2019. She is Director of PMOD and Professor at ETH. She researches the activities of the sun and is involved in the development and construction of instruments for space probes. She is convinced that everyone can enjoy science and that all children have the chance to become scientists and engineers. She lives in Davos with her husband, who is a space engineer.
(MINT = mathematics, information technology, natural and engineering sciences and technology)
Barbara Hofmänner
EDUCATION & EVENTS
Barbara Hofmänn is vice-rector at the Swiss Alpine Middle School in Davos and teaches mathematics. She grew up in Davos, graduated from SAMD and then studied biology and mathematics in Zurich. As a high school teacher, she returned to Davos in 1999 after a short trip to the Engadin. She is married and her three children study in Zurich.
She is committed to ensuring that everyone can receive the right training at the Davos educational center and that everyone can optimally develop their potential.
FRANCO ITEM
LITERATURE & HISTORY
Franco Item, born in 1961, is a TV editor and publicist. In the 1990s, he made TV documentaries about the history of Davos and reworked and reissued old (silent) films about Davos. He wrote the book "Davos - zwischen Bergzauber und Zauberberg", which was published by the Neue Zürcher Zeitung in 2015.
R. GEOFF RICHARDS
Prof R Geoff Richards has worked at the AO Research Institute Davos (ARI) in the field of fracture healing research and development since 1991. Since being appointed as its Director in 2009, Prof. Richards has strengthened its academic credibility by continuously improving the quality of publications, acquiring national and international project funding, and being at the forefront of organising high-quality international conferences and serving on editorial boards and societies. Since 2020, he has also been Director of Research and Development at the AO Foundation. He currently holds three professorships at Cardiff University (UK), Guangzhou University Hospital (CN) and the University of Freiburg (D). He is a Fellow of several international societies. He holds the highest Fellowship of the Learned Society of Wales, the national academy of arts and sciences.
Both he and his wife and three children have Davos as their home town. He grew up in Wales, UK, and also has Scottish roots. His wife is Belgian, which means that their three children are growing up multilingual.
Members
URS GREDIG
COMMUNICATION & MEDIA
Urs Gredig from Davos has worked as a journalist since studying history and journalism. After stints in print, online and radio media, he joined SRF in 2003, where he presented the main edition of the Tagesschau news programme as well as various election and special programmes.
From 2017 to 2020, he was editor-in-chief of the channel "CNNMoney Switzerland" before returning to Swiss television to develop the new talk programme "Gredig direkt" alongside his work at 10vor10. In this role, Urs Gredig takes on important tasks such as moderating public events. However, Urs Gredig is not involved in day-to-day business and operational tasks.
Administration
SABINE MAROLF
WEBSITE & ADMIN
Sabine Marolf has been working as an assistant to the mayor of Davos since 2022. In her role, she is responsible for the Davos City of Knowledge website and organises various events and meetings for the association.
Extended Members
VALÉRIE FAVRE ACCOLA
Valérie Favre Accola is the Head of Regional Development for the Prättigau Davos region in Graubünden and in this role works closely with the Science City of Davos.
BARBARA HALLER RUPF
Barbara Haller Rupf is Director of Academia Raetica and supports scientific research and teaching in the canton of Graubünden. In this role, she works closely with the Science City Davos.
Advisory Board
Prof Dr Cezmi Akdis
Director, Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research SIAF
Maria von Ballmoos
Dipl. phil. II Biologist
Katharina Beisiegel
Director, Kirchner Museum Davos
Adrian Dinkelmann
CEO Infra Suisse
Brigitta Gadient
Former National Councillor, lawyer
Prof. Jürg Kessler
Rector of Graubünden University of Applied Sciences
Dr Rudolf Minsch
Chief Economist economiesuisse
Dr Georg Schäppi
CEO Children's Hospital Zurich Board of Trustees aha! Allergy Centre Switzerland
Alois Zwinggi
Managing Director World Economic Forum
Honorary Members
Prof. Dr. med. Peter Matter
Maria von Ballmoos