The Governing Board

The General Assembly, composed of the association’s members, is Public Eye's ruling body. The members of the Governing Board and the chairperson are elected by the General Assembly for a renewable term of 2 years. The maximum term of office is 12 years. Positions on the Governing Board are unpaid.

The Governing Board is the body that decides Public Eye's strategy. It is composed of a minimum of 9 members and a maximum of 13 members. Wherever possible, the board is formed with a representative balance of genders, ages, professional experience and linguistic regions. As such, it is ensured that French/Italian-speaking Switzerland and German-speaking Switzerland are each represented by at least four members. Each gender is also represented by at least four members. The current board was elected at the most recent general assembly on 18th of June 2022.

Chair

  • Alessia Jemetta, nurse, member of the Berne regional group. Joined the Governing Board in 2018, member of the Committee for personnel matters. Chairwoman since 2022.
  • Fred Sommer, Masters degree in public administration, University of Lausanne. Executive Finance Manager at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) until 2014. Joined the Governing Board in 2015, member of the Committee for personnel matters. Chairman since 2022.

Vice-chairs

  • Zineb Bekhelifa, BA in literature, assistant director of the Swiss association of stage performers (SBKV) and representative of the Mayor of the City of Zurich for the Equality of Persons with Disabilities. Joined the Governing Board in 2015.
  • Christophe Siegenthaler, degree in political economics, diploma (DAS) in managing non-profit organisations (VMI), head of service at the Swiss Federal Office for Statistics. Joined the Governing Board in 2012, member of the financial commission.

Other Board Members

  • Sarah Burgess, lawyer, Master of Laws, legal officer at the Directorate of International Law of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Joined the Governing Board in 2023.
  • Claudia Frick, lawyer, trained in human rights, lawyer for the Vaud Protestant Social Centre since 2000. Joined the Governing Board in 2016.
  • Aline Gavillet, Bachelor in Social Work and Master of Advanced Studies in Social Action and Policies, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland, degree in sociology from the University of Strasbourg; social counsellor, programme on prevention and support in relation to consumption of psychotropic drugs during adolescence at Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV). Joined the Governing Board in 2020.
  • Beata Hochstrasser, BA in literature, trained in management and organisation and communications consultancy. Director of the Züriwerk Foundation (Zurich) since 2008. Joined the Governing Board in 2016, member of the financial commission.
  • Thomas König, professor and doctor of natural sciences, teacher and chair of the working group on psychiatric neurophysiology of the psychiatry and psychotherapy clinic at Berne University. Joined the Governing Board in 2018.
  • Yann Lenggenhager, Bachelor of Arts from University of Neuchâtel, former ICRC delegate for the Middle East and North Africa, secondary school professor of history in Zurich, human rights activist (Lead Educator, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Switzerland). Joined the Governing Board in 2020.
  • Fabrice Lauper, Master's degree in physics (EPFL), Technology Advisor at the ICRC. Joined the Governing Board in 2023.
  • Philipp Meyer, electronics engineer, MAS in management, technology and economics (ETHZ), business development at SBB Energy. Joined the Governing Board in 2023.
  • Jan Tschannen, Master's degree in theology and minor master's degree in interreligious studies (University of Bern); Master of Advanced Studies in development and cooperation (EPFZ). Head of the East Africa programme for a development organisation in Zurich, and pastor in Aegerten (BE). Joined the Governing Board in 2023.