On Saturday, June 15, The members of VSF-Suisse were invited to the annual General Assembly. This year the event was held at the Zoo in Basel. After a behind-the-scenes tour of the Zoo’s own veterinary clinic and the visit of some of the many animals, the 50 attendees gathered for lunch and informal exchanges, followed by the statuary part of the General Assembly.
In this last part, the VSF-Suisse Executive Management Team looked back at the past year and gave insights into the financial situation, organizational development as well as current and past projects. The members unanimously approved the Annual Report 2023 as well as the financial report.
The most defining part of this year’s event was undoubtedly the election of the board. As all the board members were unanimously re-elected by the attending members, there was a big change awaiting VSF-Suisse in regards to its presidency. As announced beforehand to the members, this year’s General Assembly would be the last one under the presidency of Prof. Dr. med. vet. Ueli Kihm. After 19 years of dedicated service, Ueli Kihm has decided to step down as the president of the board of VSF-Suisse.
Ueli Kihm has been a remarkable leader and a visionary for VSF-Suisse. He joined the board in 2005 and became the president in 2009. Under his guidance, VSF-Suisse has grown significantly in terms of its scope, impact, and reputation. He has fostered a culture of innovation and collaboration. He has also been a strong advocate for animal welfare and One Health, and has represented VSF-Suisse in various national and international platforms. VSF-Suisse thanks Ueli Kihm for his outstanding service and commitment. He will remain close to the organization in an advisory role however, as he was awarded the title of Honorary President.
The members elected Dr. med. vet. Hans Wyss as their new president. We are very fortunate to have Hans Wyss assuming this role. Hans is a well-known and respected figure in the Swiss veterinary sector with over 30 years of experience in managing teams and leading various organizations and projects. Hans Wyss was appointed Director of the Federal Veterinary Office in 2003. Following the founding of the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) in 2014, he was appointed Director and has led the FSVO since then. He has been a long-time supporter of VSF-Suisse and a board member since 2023. VSF-Suisse looks forward to working with him to continue our important work for the well-being of animals, people, and the environment.
