Felix Senn has been President of the Board of Trustees of the Usthi Foundation since January 2020. Senn retired at the end of 2012 as a captain with Swiss. He works as a flight instructor and is a member of the community council of his home town of Maur. As a young pilot, he met Kurt Bürki almost 40 years ago in a Swissair cockpit. The then newly founded charity Usthi and the dedication with which Kurt and Edeltrud Bürki ran the organisation impressed Felix and his wife Vreni Senn so much that they have supported Usthi ever since. So when Senn was asked by Kurt Bürki in December 2019 to join the Usthi Board of Trustees, it was a matter of course for him to get involved. In his free time, he spends a lot of time with his grandchildren, enjoys flying in an old airplane or hiking with his wife in the Arosa mountains.

Dr. Urs Jaisli joined the foundation in 2020 as a member of the Board of Trustees. Jaisli has worked for 30 years in the Roche Corporate Legal Department, particularly in the areas of compliance and sustainability. During these activities he also had contact with India and learned about the country’s diverse cultures and fascination, but also about the enormous social challenges in India. He is convinced by the activities of the Usthi Foundation, which are geared towards sustainable progress, and this is the reason why Jaisli gladly decided to support the foundation with his knowledge and wide experience. Jaisli is convinced that the sustainable support of children and young people is extremely important; he is therefore also a member of the board of “El Refugio”, a foundation that supports a children’s charity in Honduras, and a proud father of two grown-up sons.

Claudia Bodmer-Furrer has been a member of the Board of Trustees since January 2026. She completed her initial training at ETH Zurich as a qualified natural scientist and later obtained a Bachelor of Arts from the Zurich University of Teacher Education (PHZH). Bodmer-Furrer has worked as a project manager in various SMEs, most recently advising municipalities in the fields of demography and education.

In addition, she has been politically active since 2010 and has held elected office since 2018. She currently serves as a municipal councillor in Maur and as a member of the Cantonal Council of Zurich. Bodmer-Furrer greatly values working on the interdisciplinary Board of Trustees and is pleased to contribute her experience in strategic and political matters.

“The fascinating fifty-year history of Usthi, its focus on sustainability, and the values it represents impress me greatly. That is why I am delighted to be involved with Usthi.”

Gabriela Bürki, who grew up with Usthi as she is the daughter of the founding couple, joined the Board of Trustees in 1999. After the death of her mother Edeltrud, it was important to her that a woman from the founding family should continue to be involved with Usthi. The well-being of children and young people is very important to Bürki, who originally completed a degree in linguistics, be they in India or in her care at the day nursery where she works. She is also a passionate motorcyclist.

René Graber is the expert for the motion picture in the Usthi Foundation Board. He is a video producer and has been travelling the world as a professional film maker for over 30 years. As a conceptionist and director for events, he accompanies a wide variety of businesses in Switzerland. In addition, he Graber working for a children’s home in the canton of Solothurn for many years already. Within his commitment to socially disadvantaged children, he wrote the script for the film “40 Years of Usthi” in 2016 and, as a cameraman, was responsible for the video recordings of the various Usthi projects in India. Travelling is his passion, the cities of Europe his fascination, books open the world to him and his children mean the whole life to him.

Daniel Kempter is a member of the Usthi Foundation Board and part of the Usthi film crew as a photographer and cameraman. Since 2012 he has been involved in volunteer projects for various NGOs in different regions of the world. He is an adventurer, explorer and owner of two small businesses. In the context of the movie “40 Years of Usthi” he contributed significantly to the creation of a documentary film and valuable footage showing how Usthi has developed over the last 40 years. Due to this intensive India experience, his heart was open to participate in the Usthi Foundation. Kempter’s passion is to take people and organisations on a sustainable and effective path. In addition, he practices sports every day and often travels around the world to learn from foreign cultures and interesting people. He loves the culinary arts as a hobby cook and bon vivant and is happy to capture impressive moments of life with his camera.

Matthias Manz joined the Board of Trustees in 2020. After completing his education with a doctorate in history, Manz held the positions of State Archivist of the Canton of Basel-Landschaft, Political Secretary of the Socialist Group in the Swiss Parliament and Head of Strategy and Controlling in the Department of Economics and Internal Affairs of the Canton of Aargau. He also looks back on the implementation of international projects in Slovenia and Eritrea. What convinces him about Usthi is the clear focus on project responsibility on site. Manz hopes to be beneficial to Usthi with his experience in strategy and concept work as well as finance and controlling. His hobbies are reading, writing, hiking, watching “Schwingen” (Swiss wrestling) and playing “Jassen” (a card game popular in Switzerland).

Annette Schär has been a member of the Board of Trustees at Usthi since January 2026. As a consultant with her own company, she advises municipalities, political bodies and associations on communication matters. Schär studied psychology at the University of Zurich, where she also completed her doctorate, but has worked in communications throughout her career. She gained extensive experience in journalism (including at NZZ and Tages-Anzeiger). Her professional career has also taken her into PR agencies, corporate communications at an international company, and the role of Head of Communications at a Swiss NGO. She is married and has two sons of school age.

Schär is convinced of the importance of civic engagement and is herself actively involved in numerous organisations and associations. What appeals to her about Usthi is its entrepreneurial mindset and its long-term, sustainable commitment to education and equal opportunities.

Dr. Christa Vollrath is a member of the Usthi Foundation Board since 2021. As an ophthalmologist, she brings her knowledge and experience in medical matters to Usthi. The avoidable blindness of the poorer population, for example, is also a major issue in India. On her trekking trips in the north of India, Christa experienced how infinite luxury and extreme poverty live side by side. This experience has shaped her and she sees it as her opportunity and responsibility to work with Usthi to improve the living conditions of young people. Therefore, Vollrath accepted the invitation to join the Foundation Board with joy and out of conviction.

Vollrath enjoys spending her free time with her family and doing sports outdoor: hiking, cycling, skiing and sailing. Her violin also gives her a wonderful balance to her busy everyday life.