Silvan Wildhaber is economiesuisse president

(CONNECT) Silvan Mäder is the new president of economiesuisse. According to a statement, Christoph Mäder handed over the position to the CEO of Filtex AG in St.Gallen on this year’s Economy Day.

Wildhaber aims to work toward improving Switzerland’s trade relations amid the current trade and customs conflicts. He says he wants to advocate for free trade agreements with Malaysia and the South American trade bloc Mercosur, as well as for the Bilateral Agreements III with the EU. At the same time, he wants to make the economic contribution of the business sector to society more visible to the public. “A strong economy is in everyone’s interest. It guarantees jobs, quality of life, and security in the country,” he said.

Christoph Mäder served two terms as president of economiesuisse. In his speech, he called on Switzerland to rediscover the ability and resolve to undertake genuine reforms. “We want to be a country that ranks among the wealthiest in the world – a country that offers the best educational opportunities, has the most sustainable pension systems, ensures the most stable and affordable energy supply, and has the most free trade agreements,” he said.

The economiesuisse members also elected 15 men and one woman to the Executive Board, according to a second statement. Four of the newly elected members will also serve on the Executive Committee: Andreas Christen (President of Swiss Textiles), Giorgio Pradelli (President-elect of the Swiss Bankers Association SBA), Markus Ronner (representative of the Swiss Bankers Association SBA), and Roman Stein (Vice President of the Swiss Insurance Association SVV).

The ASGN Swiss healthcare networks alliance, the Swiss Association of Wealth Managers (VSV), and Ziegelindustrie Schweiz have also joined the umbrella organization representing the business community. ce/ug