Marc Savary
(President)

Marc Savary was a professional journalist with heart and soul and still is today as a pensioner. After studying literature at the University of Geneva, he did a journalism internship in Bern. He continued his career at La Liberté in Fribourg, then at Radio Suisse Romande and at SSR’s General Directorate. In the context of the signing of the Swiss Music Charter, he focused part of his activities on the musical field, which finally led him to join the Foundation.

Zeno Gabaglio
(Vice-President)

Member of the Board of Trustees since 2017. Zeno Gabaglio studied music teaching, free improvisation and philosophy (in Lugano, Basel and Florence) and began his work as a composer and cellist in the field of contemporary music before moving towards improvisation and experimental electronics. Also very active in the composition of soundtracks for film and theatre, he has performed throughout Europe, America and Asia, recorded five of his own records and composed more than forty soundtracks.

Susanne Abbuehl

Member of the Board of Trustees since 2014. Susanne Abbuehl has been a member of the SUISA cooperative since 1996. Studied jazz at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague. As a singer and composer, she has been recording for the ECM label since 2001, giving concerts internationally and has won several awards, including the Prix du Musicien Européen, the Swiss Music Prize and an Edison Award. Abbuehl has been teaching and researching at higher education institutions specialising in music since 1999, most recently at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague.

René Baiker

Member of the Board of Trustees since 2008. René Baiker is a guitarist, songwriter, producer, sound engineer and book author. In addition to his work at FONDATION SUISA, he is Vice-President of the Swiss Performers’ Cooperative Society SIG and a member of the board of SWISSPERFORM.

Bernard Cintas

Member of the Board of Trustees since 2015. Bernard Cintas studied architecture at the University of Geneva, then founded his own architectural office in Nyon. Cintas began making music (drums) as a 10-year-old and since then has been playing folk music, rock and contemporary music as an amateur in various formations. Cintas also chaired numerous cantonal music associations and ones in French-speaking Switzerland – including a music society and its school in Geneva and the Association romande des musiques populaires (Association of folk music for French-speaking Switzerland).

Patrick Dehmer

Member of the Board of Trustees since 2017. Patrick Dehmer studied law at the University of Zurich. From 1997 to 2004, he worked as a freelance lawyer in the field of intellectual property law. He has held management positions for the Swisscom Group since 2004 and has been General Counsel since 2013. Patrick Dehmer was a member of the band Betterworld. As a lawyer, he advised many artists on copyright issues.

David Johnson

Member of the Board of Trustees since 2008. David Johnson studied law at the University of Neuchâtel. He represents the Swiss Cooperative Society for Performing Artists SIG and SWISSPERFORM in French-speaking Switzerland and informs performers, producers and users about the collective exploitation of related proprietary rights and issues relating to their performances/uses. He also advises titular musicians of several professional orchestras. As a musician, he was active as a DJ and beatmaker before founding his own label. He was a member of the Suisseculture board from 2011 to 2022. Johnson also coordinates the representatives of the music industry in the dialogue body created within the framework of the Swiss Music Charter.

Francine Jordi

Member of the Board of Trustees since 2021. Francine Jordi first graduated from the French-speaking business school “Ecole supérieure de Commerce” in La Neuveville, then from 1997 onwards studied classical singing at the Conservatory in Neuchâtel (soloist diploma with distinction). In 1998, she won the International Grand Prix of Folk Music in Vienna, followed by a successful and long-lasting career as a singer, presenter and composer in German-speaking Europe. In her career now spanning some 25 years, Jordi has been awarded gold, platinum and double platinum several times and has been honoured with various public awards, including the Prix Walo six times.

Beat Ernst Erich Lüthi

Member of the Board of Trustees since 2016. First piano lessons at the age of six. Attended schools in Burgdorf/BE and Neuchâtel, followed by training as a music dealer and publisher. In 1977, he acquired Müller & Schade AG, a music company and publisher, in Bern. He expanded the company over a period of 42 years, with an emphasis on publishing for composers in Switzerland. In 2019, he sold the company and retired. From 1984 to 2011, he was a member of the Executive Board of the SUISA Cooperative, Management and Finance Committee.

Laurent Mettraux

Member of the Board of Trustees since 2013. Laurent Mettraux studied at the conservatories of Fribourg and Geneva. His career as a composer has received various awards and his works have been performed in over 30 countries by numerous performers, including Riccardo Chailly, Tibor Varga and the Talich Quartet. He is also on various committees where he supports Swiss musicians and regularly writes articles, including for the Schweizerische Musikzeitung.

Kathrin Renggli

Member of the Board of Trustees since 2015. Kathrin Renggli is a trained primary school teacher, teacher of a basic music course, choir director, music school director and cultural manager (MAS Basel). Since 2002, she has been director of the European Youth Choir Festival in Basel. In addition, she directs the vocal ensemble “I Canterini” Basel, is a member of the board of the “Schweizerische Kinder- und Jugendchorförderung” association, played a major role in the development of the federal “J+M” programme and chaired the federal award commission for nationwide music projects in the youth sector.

Andreas Wegelin

Member of the Board of Trustees since 2010. Andreas Wegelin studied law, musicology, art history and piano. Graduated as a lic.iur. from the University of Bern. He has been working for the SUISA cooperative since 1987 and as its CEO since 2010. Since 2016, he has been the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the subsidiary Mint Digital Services AG. During the course of his professional career, he has served on the management boards of the Swiss Music Council and the Board of Trustees of the Schweizerischer Jugendmusikwettbewerb (SJMW), among others.