Speakers 2026
Prof. Ph.D. Patrik Aspers
Patrik Aspers is Full Professor of Sociology (Chair) at the University of St.Gallen. His research focuses on uncertainty reduction, economic sociology, organizational theory, sociological theory, phenomenology, labor, and qualitative research. He is since January 2026 Directors of the IIDM.
Previously, he held professorships at Uppsala University, Stockholm University, and the Swedish School of Textiles, as well as research positions at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies and the London School of Economics. He regularly teaches courses in sociological theory and economic sociology, especially markets, institutions, and uncertainty reduction.
Aspers currently leads the long-term project Being and Order (2005–2035) and has previously served as Principal Investigator on several projects, including an ERC grant.
Dr. Miriam Baumgärtner
Miriam Baumgärtner is Team Lead for Inclusive Learning at the University of St.Gallen. She is an expert in diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), and mental health. As a psychologist, a PhD in Economics, and an Integral Development Coach, she combines academic best practice with strategic insight and a deep interest in people. With more than twelve years’ experience at the University of St.Gallen in research, teaching and corporate projects, she has supported companies as a project lead in designing evidence-based, people-centered HR strategies and transformation processes. Prior to her current role, she worked as a Senior Manager at a Big 4 company, where she led health management and sustainable performance. She was also responsible for cross-functional, global culture and change projects.
Prof. Dr. Stephan Alexander Böhm
Stephan Böhm is Professor of Diversity Management and Leadership and Director of the Institute for International Management and Diversity Management at the University of St.Gallen (IIDM-HSG). His research focuses on leadership, human resources and diversity management. He is particularly interested in occupational inclusion and the health effects of digitalization and flexibilization of work. Stephan Böhm has published numerous articles in leading scientific journals and has won a number of important research awards. He works as a consultant and keynote speaker for organizations in all sectors, advising them on topics such as the development of agile, inclusive and healthy leadership.
Dr. Anna Brzykcy
Anna Brzykcy is Senior Project Manager DE&I at the CCDI and a systemic therapist. She previously worked as a Learning & Development Expert at the Institute for LifeLong Learning at the Technical University of Munich. There she led trainings on the role of leadership in active diversity management. This was also a core topic of her dissertation, which she completed at the Center for Disability and Integration at the University of St.Gallen. Her research on stigmatization and mental health at work appeared in top-tier journals (e.g., Journal of Applied Psychology, Human Relations).
Betty Business
Betty Business is the drag persona of Andreas Oberholzer, who holds a degree in Business Innovation from the University of St.Gallen (HSG) and works as a Growth Strategy Consultant at a leading consultancy.
During his time at HSG, Andreas took several gender studies modules and founded the “Pride Month at HSG” initiative to raise LGBTQ+ awareness. In 2022, as part of a newcomer drag workshop, he created Betty Business with the mission to bring more pink & glitter to the business world.
As Betty Business, Andreas explores the business potential of drag. He delivers keynote speeches for corporate and NGO audiences and transforms corporate talents and leaders into drag queens. His pioneering work has been featured in publications including Tagesanzeiger, Coopzeitung, and Attitude Magazine.
Dr. Nilima Chowdhury
Nilima Chowdhury is a lecturer in psychology at the University of St.Gallen and the University of Lausanne. In her research, she explores the socio-cultural dimension of how we think, feel and behave with a focus on psychological health and well-being. As a trainer/ speaker for Leaders for Equality she supports organizations in developing a gender-inclusive culture. Her new podcast In-Sayn looks at the links between psyche and society and she is currently developing the Game of Sayn, a mix between workshop and immersive theatre, that thinks together individual and cultural change and draws on her long-standing artistic practice.
Jérémie Fleury
Jérémie Fleury is a project manager at the Competence Center for Diversity, Disability and Inclusion (CCDI) at the University of St.Gallen.. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration with a focus on Public and Non-profit Management from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. His master’s thesis focused on how Swiss public administrations can address their D&I challenges through intersectional measures. At the CCDI, Jérémie Fleury manages various company projects and is responsible for diversity benchmarking processes.
David Frey
David Frey leads various projects at Arbeitgeber Banken (the Employers Association of Banks in Switzerland) — including the association’s DE&I activities as well as the Diversity Benchmarking, conducted in close collaboration with the Center for Diversity, Disability and Inclusion (CCDI). On this topic, the association acts as an industry platform and a driver of impulses. The focus lies on raising awareness and on connecting member institutions through events, publications, and knowledge sharing.
Deana Gariup
Deana Gariup is Managing Director of the SBB Digitalisation Fund – a joint initiative by SBB and its social partners aimed at understanding and actively shaping the digital transformation of work at an early stage. In this role, she leads research projects and pilots at the intersection of technology and people.
Currently, under her leadership, the fund is supporting two projects focusing on diversity and AI: one examines gender and age differences in the use of AI, while the other explores how AI-related communication can be designed in a diversity-inclusive way. She studied Political Science in Zurich and Geneva and has since worked in political communication as well as in various roles at SBB, including innovation, real estate, and HR.
Dr. Ines Hartmann
Ines Hartmann is Director of the Competence Center for Diversity, Disability and Inclusion and is responsible for the HSG Diversity Benchmarking together with Nicole Niedermann. She leads other company-specific projects on inclusive leadership and D&I, such as in-depth D&I analyses (quantitative and qualitative) or the development of D&I strategies. She gives workshops, holds lectures and teaches at universities and other schools on the topic of D&I as well as Strategic Management. She publishes on topics such as diversity management and inclusive organizational culture. She holds a PhD in Social Sciences and a Master’s degree in Strategy and International Management from the University of St. Gallen.
Celina Heiniger
Celina Heiniger is a specialist in Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the University of St.Gallen. As a sociologist and communication scientist, she has increasingly focused on supporting people with disabilities or chronic illnesses and on promoting inclusive workplaces. In this role, she has contributed to various studies on barriers in everyday working life as well as to inclusion campaigns. For her, diversity and inclusion are ultimately reflected in the way we interact with one another. Her aim is to create environments in which differences are not only accepted but actively valued.
Dr. Anna-Katrin Heydenreich
Anna-Katrin Heydenreich is a member of the Diversity, Equality & Inclusion team and a lecturer in climate psychology at the University of St.Gallen. Holding a degree in economics and a doctorate on stakeholder engagement processes, she works at the intersection of sustainability and psychology. In her role as a diversity specialist at HSG, she focuses on the social dimension of sustainability and is responsible for, among other things, inclusive language, the protection of personal integrity, and awareness-raising measures to promote a respectful campus culture. Most recently, she coordinated the nationwide campaign and designed the overarching programme for the Sexual Harassment Awareness Day at Swiss higher education institutions.
Dr. Mahshid Khademi
Mahshid Khademi is a senior researcher at the Competence Center for Diversity, Disability & Inclusion, at the Institute for International Management and Diversity Management at the University of St.Gallen. Her work focuses on inclusion, leadership, and mental health in the workplace, exploring actionable strategies for leaders and employees to foster an inclusive work environment. In addition, she leads various corporate projects on diversity and inclusion topics.
Prior to that, she completed her studies in Management and Industrial Engineering. In 2020, she obtained her Ph.D. in Management from HEC Lausanne School of Management, and in 2021 she took up her position as a postdoctoral research fellow at ETH Zurich.
Dr. Wangui Rose Kimotho
Rose Wangui Kimotho is a seasoned scholar practitioner in business and human rights, combining extensive field experience with rigorous academic research. She recently earned a Ph.D. from the University of St. Gallen and is currently a researcher at the Institute for Business Ethics (St. Gallen) where she also helps coordinate activities of the Competence Center for African Research. Her earlier career includes advisory roles at the Danish Institute for Human Rights, and the Institute for Human Rights and Business, and protection work with the United Nations and Kenya’s National Commission on Human Rights, giving her deep expertise in human rights and a strong commitment to advancing human rights centred business practices in Sub Saharan Africa.
Dr. Florian Krause
Florian conducts research and teaches at the Institute for Business Ethics at the University of St. Gallen and at the Institute for Interdisciplinary Work and Employment Studies at the Leibniz University Hannover. With philosophical and economic perspectives, he is particularly concerned with ethical challenges of digital transformation processes, sustainability, and questions of diversity and identity.
Prof. Dr. Mascha Kurpicz-Briki
Mascha Kurpicz-Briki earned her PhD in energy-efficient cloud computing at the University of Neuchâtel. She then worked in the private sector in open-source engineering, cloud computing, and analytics. Today, she is a Professor of Data Engineering at the Bern University of Applied Sciences in Biel and co-head of the Applied Machine Intelligence group and the Generative AI Lab. She is an author of books for adults and children on AI, and founder of Makubri Technologies Sàrl.
Sabine Lehner
Sabine Lehner heads the Diversity & Inclusion division at SBB. She is responsible for the strategic development and systematic integration of D&I across the organisation. Her work focuses on diversity and inclusion, equal opportunities, work-life balance, and organisational culture.
Before joining SBB, she worked in HR and organisational development, including a role with functional responsibility for Diversity Management at the Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS). She holds a degree in Work and Organisational Psychology from the University of Applied Sciences (FHNW) in Olten.
Marc Maurer
Marc Maurer is founder of XCulture and supports organizations on company culture, leadership, and inclusive collaboration. He also leads a mentoring program with the University of St. Gallen, connecting international professionals with companies to strengthen visibility and labor market integration.
Dr. Caroline Morbach
Caroline Morbach is a cardiologist and senior consultant at Würzburg University Hospital. She heads a research laboratory specialising in cardiovascular imaging and works at the German Centre for Heart Failure. Her areas of expertise include heart failure, echocardiography, amyloidosis and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. She also researches early forms of cardiac dysfunction and the role of the immune system in heart disease.
Prof. Dr. Julia Nentwich
Julia Nentwich is an associate professor for psychology. In her research she is interested in questions of inclusion, identity and change. Together with Dr. Gaby Schambach, she supports companies in the inclusion of male managers with “Leaders for Equality”. At the Research Institute for Organisational Psychology she leads the research area on gender and diversity. She has many years of experience in interdisciplinary research in organizational research and especially with qualitative research methods.
Nicole Niedermann
Nicole Niedermann advises organizations across industries on the strategic design of future‑ready people strategies, with a focus on culture, leadership, and inclusive processes. Working at the intersection of science and practice, she supports companies in building sustainable talent structures and managing workforce change. Her expertise covers inclusive leadership, HR process design, and the integration of demographic considerations into business and talent strategies, with particular attention to life phases and transitions at work.
Karin Peer
TBD
Alkistis Petropaki
Alkistis Petropaki has been the Managing Director of Advance Gender Equality in Business since 2015. She has more than 20 years of management experience with international consumer goods companies such as L’Oréal, Nestlé, Mövenpick and Lindt. Before joining Advance, she was Country Manager Switzerland at Yves Rocher. With her involvement at Advance, she wants to support women in becoming the architects of their own careers. Alkistis holds a Master’s degree in Management from ESCP-Europe and a degree in German and Psychology from the University of Athens.
Alexandra Rhiner
Alexandra joined Advance in 2017 and leads the communication team. She has longstanding experience in the corporate, consulting, and education sectors and holds a Master of Arts from the University of Zurich and an Executive Master of Science in Communications Management from the University of Lugano and the University of Los Angeles. She has been a co-author of the Gender Intelligence Report since its inception and a co-publisher of the Advance whitepaper series.
Alexandra is passionate about advancing gender equality and inclusive leadership. «For me, becoming a truly inclusive leader starts with oneself. By being brutally honest with yourself, your own patterns, beliefs, and decisions.» Alexandra lives in Zurich with her teenage son.
Michel Rudin
Michel Rudin is a communicative, versatile person with experience as a managing director, public affairs manager, lecturer and politician. Michel Rudin studied and graduated in history, philosophy, business administration and law. Michel Rudin likes to get things done, make progress and achieve goals, but also in hectic at times – Michel Rudin is not easily flustered.
Christina Sandau-Jensen
TBD
Prof. Dr. Gudrun Sander
Gudrun Sander is a professor of business administration with a special focus on diversity management, director of the Institute for International Management and Diversity Management (IIDM-HSG) as well as director of the Competence Center for Diversity, Disability and Inclusion CCDI. Her research focus is on fairness and equity, DE&I as a leadership task and a matter of strategy and culture. She is an academic expert in various international and national committees and a sought-after speaker.
Dr. Gabriele Schambach
Gabriele Schambach is co-leader of the project “Leadership for Equality” at the University of St.Gallen. She works as a consultant, trainer and speaker at Genderworks. For more than twenty years she has been working on gender and diversity for more equal opportunities in companies. As a trained industrial clerk and political scientist with a doctorate, she combines her knowledge of systemic organisational development and transactional analysis with scientific findings and corporate practice.
Christina Sontheim-Leven
Christina Sontheim-Leven is a speaker, former SDAX board member, supervisory board member, and career mentor. She combines many years of leadership experience in corporations and mid-sized companies with expertise in transformation, leadership, HR, and artificial intelligence. As co-author of “Machtgebiete”, she is committed to making structural barriers for women visible and driving change in organizations. She is regarded as one of Germany’s most prominent voices for female empowerment and supports women in leadership in becoming more visible, effective, and courageous leaders.
Dr. Damiano Urbinello
Damiano Urbinello leads Market Access and External Affairs at Merck (Switzerland) AG. In this role, he deals with various health policy issues at the intersection of science and politics. He represents the company in several working groups. Previously, he held various positions in the pharmaceutical industry in the areas of Policy & Communications, worked at the Federal Office of Public Health in crisis management and health policy, and spent several years in research at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute at the University of Basel. Damiano Urbinello studied biology in Basel and earned his doctorate in epidemiology at the Universities of Basel and Ghent.
Bettina Weiguny
Bettina Weiguny is a journalist, author, and speaker. For many years, she has written her column “Balance Act” in the business section of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung. She has published several books, including the bestsellers “Die geheimnisvollen Herren von C&A” and “Machtgebiete – Was Managerinnen erleben und wie sie gegenhalten”, which she co-authored. She is involved in film productions about the major economic scandals of our time (Wirecard, René Benko) and has hosted podcasts such as “Chasing Marsalek”.
Vera Wemmie
Vera Wemmie leads the Programme Management for the Aiming Higher Programmes at the HSG Executive School.
With a strong passion for creating meaningful and engaging learning experiences, Vera is dedicated to designing and delivering programmes that support the growth of female leaders and aspiring professionals. Her work focuses on empowering participants to thrive in their careers while fostering welcoming and positive workplace cultures.
Vera holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of St.Gallen (HSG), where she specialised in finance and accounting. Her professional journey spans international and domestic roles as a marketing executive in FMCG companies, along with leadership positions in advertising and communication within the retail sector.
Dr. Xiaoxu Zhang
Xiaoxu Zhang a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer at the Institute for International Management and Diversity Management of HSG. She is Chinese and has been studying and working in Europe in the past 12 years. Her research lies in the intersection of strategic leadership and international management. She is especially interested in how people, especially those in minority groups – e.g., women and foreigners, build their careers towards top-rank positions in multinational corporations, and how their organizations could facilitate their career development. She teaches international management and strategic management on bachelor’s and master’s levels.