SIPPO-Advisory Board

The advisory board of SIPPO comprises seven experienced professionals in leading positions in the Swiss economy. With their knowledge of the international business world and their network, they provide precious advice and information to SIPPO on topics such as;

• matchmaking between exporters from the focus countries and importers from Switzerland and the European Union.
• strategic thinking for the design and implementation of market -oriented development cooperation programmes.
• networking at an international level.

The members of the advisory board meet at three annual board meetings. Two members of the SECO WEHU team join the meetings as guests. Content of the meetings are strategic outlook, annual planning, special topics (e.g. concrete measures in the SIPPO programme during the global economic crisis) and networking. In Addition to the three annual meetings, the advisory board is in regular contact with the SIPPO programme managers for sector-specific advice, study tours, buying missions and trade fair participation.

The members of the advisory board of SIPPO:

• Kurt van Schellenbeck
  He has been a member of the SIPPO advisory board since 2000 and President of the advisory board since November 2007.
• Kaspar Engeli
  He has been a member of the SIPPO advisory board since 2006, with responsibility for import business, sector and import associations as well as communication.
• Kurt Frischknecht
  He has been a member of the SIPPO advisory board since 2009 and is responsible for the sector home and garden furniture.
• Matthias Leisinger
  He has been a member of the SIPPO advisory board since 2010, representing the tourism sector.
• René Dörig
  He has been a member of the SIPPO advisory board since 2008, representing the fish and seafood sectors.
• Rolf Jaus
  Rolf Jaus has been a member of the SIPPO advisory board since 2002 and looks after the technical products, supply industry, software and plastic products sectors.
• Stefanie Schmid
  She has been a member of the SIPPO Advisory Board since April 2010 for the sectors textiles, fashion and accessories.
• Boris Rafalski
  He has been advising SIPPO in the sector Natural Ingredients since the beginning of 2012.
• Nikolai Knecht
  His assignment as an advisor for the technical wood sector within the SIPPO Advisory Board started in 2012.
• Roman Füglister
  He has been a member of the SIPPO advisory board since early 2012, representing the fruit sector.
• Beat Brunner
  He very recently joined the SIPPO Advisory Board for the sector metal processing, machine building and electrical components.

Guest of our Advisory Board

• Martin Saladin
  Since 2011, Martin Saladin has represented the Trade Promotion Department WEHU of SECO at the SIPPO advisory board.

• Olivier Bovet
  He is the new contact partner within SECO for programme and project implementation of SIPPO. Since 2010.