Jeannine Pilloud becomes the new president of the ETH Alumni Association

Jeannine Pilloud (1964) has been a board member of the ETH Alumni Association since May 2021. She graduated from ETH in 1990 having studied architecture. She also holds an MBA and has completed the “Directors Program” at INSEAD. She is currently studying for a Master's in Business Law at the University of St. Gallen and holds various positions on boards of directors and advisory bodies within Switzerland and abroad. She is also a consultant and advisor on change processes for various organisations. The delegates who were present unanimously elected Jeannine Pilloud as the new president of the ETH Alumni Association.

Jeannine Pilloud is delighted with the result: “It is a huge honour for me to take on this position. I can draw on all the experience I have gained over my lengthy career for the benefit of our members, the office staff and also the ETH. I firmly believe that together we can create a community, that will continue to enable lifelong links with our university. And this gives me great pleasure!” Working in close collaboration with the board and ETH Alumni Association office, the newly elected president hopes to gradually further develop the ETH Alumni Association over the next few years. She plans to expand the range of services provided and increase the association’s membership. Jeannine Pilloud is convinced that “securing the ETH Alumni Association a strong position also helps make the ETH an attractive university in the face of global competition.” The key features of these developments are still being fleshed out and will be put into practice from late summer onwards.

Felix Graf and Hana Disch were also unanimously elected to the board. Felix Graf (1967) has been the CEO of NZZ since 2018. He graduated from ETH in 1998 with a PhD in physics and has held many executive positions, most recently as CEO of the CKW and as a board member of the Axpo Holding Inc. In addition, he is a member of the Board of Directors of Swissgrid and on the Board of the Swiss Management Association. Felix Graf is also a member of the WEF's Young Global Leaders and has, among other things, been on an Executive Leadership Program at Harvard. This year, he is participating in the Advanced Management Program at INSEAD. Explaining why he wants to join the board of the ETH Alumni Association, Felix Graf says: “Having gained from my own valuable and informative time at ETH, I would like to give something back by contributing to the ETH Alumni Association and thus support the ETH.”

Hana Disch (1981) graduated from ETH with a Master’s in architecture. She also has a Master's in urban design from Harvard University. She is currently completing an Executive MBA Program at IMD. Hana Disch works as a consultant in strategy design and transformation. Speaking about her election, Hana Disch says: “As part of the ETH alumni community, I am convinced that we can compellingly and authentically communicate the values of ETH to the outside world and, working with a strong team, guide the ETH Alumni Association towards a new future. I firmly believe in the link between people, collaboration and establishing a strong network.”

Walter Gränicher has been a member of the board of the ETH Alumni Association for twelve years and been president for ten of these. During this time, Walter Gränicher has shaped the ETH Alumni Association. In particular, he has driven forward integration of the individual groups to form one common association. Over the last few years, Walter Gränicher has furthermore placed the association on a solid financial footing. The board, the new president and the managing director would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his valuable work and wish him all the best for the future. Regula Meili, who has served on the board since May 2019, has resigned from the board with effect from May 2023. She also deserves a big thank you for her commitment.