«If we want to actively shape the future, we must focus on education for children and young people both at home and abroad.»
Martin Bachofner
Chief Executive Officer
Staff
Allow us to introduce ourselvesOur staff consists of approximately 140 employees in Switzerland and twelve countries around the world who take a dedicated, compassionate stance towards children and youths. Get to know our teams.
Management Board
Modern and sustainable 
«I attach great importance to the transparent and sustainable allocation of resources.»
Daniel Ambord
Director of Support Services
Member of the Management Board
«I am pleased that we are able to represent the Swiss humanitarian tradition.»
Miriam Zampatti
Director of International Programmes
Member of the Management Board
«Our education programmes are aimed at today’s multicultural society in Switzerland.»
Damian Zimmermann
Director of Programme Switzerland
Member of the Management Board
«I would like to extend my warmest thanks to our benefactors for their generosity.»
Katharina von Allmen
Director of Fundraising and Communications
Member of the Management Board
«There is a long-standing tradition of holding exhibitions in the Children’s Village. It's great to be able to continue to build on this and, in so doing, bring the spirit and purpose of the Children's Village to life.»
Marcel Henry
Project Manager Theme Park
«When you visit a Children’s Village, you truly experience the work of the Foundation.»
Denise Martenet Perone
Project Manager Events
Support Services
Cultivating Swiss tradition
«We offer interesting jobs with attractive employment conditions in a multi-cultural environment.»
Conny Pöltinger Zwicker
Director of Human Resources
«Running a Children’s Village is not easy by any means. But it is wonderful all the same.»
Hans Rechsteiner
Head of Technical Services
«A reliable IT infrastructure is needed to ensure the transparent and best possible use of the donations. »
Marcel Zettner
Head of IT
«Per noi è importante che i nostri ospiti si sentano come a casa e ritornino.»
Larissa Ronsiek
Head of Hospitality Services
«The kitchen team and I are responsible for providing meals for the children all year round.»
Hans Inauen
Head of Kitchen
International
Education across four continents
«Our child-friendly books improve reading and writing skills.»
Lucia Winkler
Programme Director East Africa
Do you have any questions or suggestions about our work in East Africa?
l.winkler@pestalozzi.ch
«The schoolbooks we produce improve education for children and teachers alike.»
Serapia Minja
Country Representative of Tanzania
s.minja@pestalozzi.ch
«We embed traditions and pastoralist culture into our education projects.»
Mehret Tesfay
Country Representative of Ethiopia
m.tesfay@pestalozzi.ch
Ariana Lins
Country Representative of Mozambique
Do you have any questions or suggestions about our work in Mozambique?
a.lins@pestalozzi.ch
«We enable children in our refugee camps to go to school regularly.»
Brigit Burkard
Programme Director South East Asia
Do you have any questions or suggestions about our work in South East Asia?
b.burkard@pestalozzi.ch
«An organised school life enables children to forget some of the terrible things they experienced while fleeing.»
Swe Swe Myint
Country Representative of Myanmar/Burma
s.myint@pestalozzi.ch
«Because education is a source of power, we provide an access to quality education for disadvantaged children in remote areas.»
Khamseng Homdouangxay
Country Representative of Laos
k.homdouangxay@pestalozzi.ch
«Thanks to the projects, the children can attend school, and the indigenous culture and knowledge are taught to indigenous children in schools.»
Suraporn Suriyamonton
Country Representative of Thailand
s.suriyamonton@pestalozzi.ch
«We build bridges between children from different cultural backgrounds.»
Argine Nahapetyan
Programme Director South East Europe
Do you have any questions or suggestions about our work in South East Europe?
a.nahapetyan@pestalozzi.ch
«Traumatised children need our support.»
Natalia Balta
Country Representative of Moldova
n.balta@pestalozzi.ch
«Knowing its own rights it’s essential for a child to have a self-determined life.»
Slavica Kijevcanin
Country Represantative of Serbia
s.kijevcanin@pestalozzi.ch
«Joint lessons for Macedonian and Albanian children help to eliminate these prejudices.»
Azbija Memedova
Country Representative of North Macedonia
«With alternative educational opportunities we show girls and boys new perspectives and empower them to graduate from school.»
Gisela Wattendorff
Programme Director Central America
Do you have any questions or suggestions about our work in Central America?
g.wattendorf@pestalozzi.ch
«Children who learn to face challenges and uncertainties in life and society with solidarity, joy, knowledge and courage, is our greatest achievement.»
Marlene Grajeda
Country Representative of Guatemala
m.grajeda@pestalozzi.ch
«Our leisure activities offer a safe environment for youths whose everyday lives are dominated by violence.»
Florencia Garcia
Country Representative of El Salvador
f.garcia@pestalozzi.ch
«Our projects enable perspectives afar from violence and poverty.»
Magda Sofía Pérez
Country Representative of Honduras
m.perez@pestalozzi.ch
Switzerland
Culture and dialogue at the Children’s Village
«The exchange teaches youths the norms and values of other cultures.»
Susan Schellknecht
Head of Intercultural Exchange Projects
«My team and I give children a voice by running the radio station.»
Florian Karrer
Head of Radio Projects
Would you like to participate in a radio project with your class or group?
+41 71 343 73 45
f.karrer@pestalozzi.ch
«We offer children and young people in the Children’s Village a diverse range of participatory leisure activities.»
Lukrecija Kocmanic
Head of Leisure
Marketing and Communications
Transparent and practicalThe Marketing and Communications Department maintains close relationships with the Foundation's benefactors. The donations ensure that we are able to carry out our projects in Switzerland and around the globe. We share the achievements and results of our work in a transparent manner.
«Together we are building a world for children where they can learn and laugh freely and in peace.»
Christoph Ottiger
Head of Public Fundraising ad interim
