The Federation | Committee
President
Alfred E. Wyser, was born in Paris. Grew up in Spain, France and eventually Switzerland. Worked for many years in the Hotellerie and Food Industry in Europe, Caribbean and United States. Arrived in the UK in 1974 in pursuit of new challenges in the Food Manufacturing Sector. He is at present Hon Treasurer of the Edinburgh Swiss Club.
Vice President: Alfred Zbinden, born in Fribourg/Switzerland in 1944. After a commercial apprenticeship in Fribourg joined Swiss Bank Corp. in Zurich. Subsequently moved to London (where I met my wife Lydia) then to Hong Kong, back to Switzerland. Then to Chicago and Houston in the US. Back again to Hong Kong and then to London. Finally after another long stay in Zurich moved back again to London, this time to stay and retire after 44 years with the SBC/UBS group. We have 3 children, two girls, both married and a son, about to be married, and also a grandson. I have been involved with the Swiss communities in Hong Kong and the US as well as here in London for many years, serving in various functions in different clubs/organisations.
Committee Members / Representatives
Giuseppe Broggini, 1940, born in Losone/TI of Swiss parents. As a qualified architect he left Switzerland in 1965 to widen his professional, cultural and linguistic horizon in West and North European countries. In London since 1967, married with two daughters, Joe has been a member of Swiss Clubs since 1976. On behalf of FOSSUK he has been on duty as a UK-Delegate to the OSA in Bern since 1981 and retired from that function in 2009.
Erika Farwell-Meier, Hon Treasurer Swiss Review UK Pages, was brought up as a true 'Auslandschweizer' in London. With her parents Walter and Mariann Meier having invested much into Anglo-Swiss matters, it was meaningful for Erika to take on the role with the Swiss Review in 1998, and was subsequently also appointed a FOSSUK Committee member. She now lives in Devon with her husband, from where they commute to Bristol, Surrey and London to see ever-growing family!
Dr Yves Guisan, born 22nd July 1941 in Lausanne VD, Switzerland. Married with 4 children. Schooling in Lausanne. Medical School, University of Lausanne, Glasgow and Malta. Swiss Federal Diploma of Medicine (1967). 1967 – 1971 worked in Quebec as an intern, junior resident and research fellow, completing an MSc in Experimental Science at McGill University, Canada. Resident Surgery, University Basel (1970 – 1975), Doctorate in Medicine University of Lausanne and Diploma of General Surgeon (FMH) (1975). From 1975 – 2005 General Surgeon and General Practitioner, Hospital of the Pays-d’Enhaut, Delegate Physician of the Public Health Service Canton Vaud. Elected at Central Board of the Swiss Medical Association (1987), Vice President of Swiss Hospital Association (1994 – 2005), Member of the Swiss National Parliament (1995 – 2007) and appointed Honorary Consul of Switzerland in Gibraltar September 2008.
Margrit Lyster, was born and educated in Zurich, graduating in Social Work before moving to London after her marriage. She and her husband have two daughters. Margrit was a Social Worker at the Swiss Benevolent Society, a Delegate to the Commission for the Swiss Abroad.
Alain Meyer, was born in Lucerne and spent his childhood in Küssnacht am Rigi, Canton Schwyz, before moving to St.Gallen to start his studies. He received his bachelor of finance and service marketing from the University of Applied Science in Lucerne, Switzerland in 2004 (Eidg. Dipl. Betriebsökonom FH). Alain moved to London in 2006 to work for Goldman Sachs Asset Management. In September 2009 he took on a new relationship and sales role at Wellington Management where he is covering the German-speaking markets. The broad cultural offering and the large circle of Swiss and international friends are just two of the various things he is enjoying in London.
Daniel Pedroletti, Hon Treasurer, was born and educated in Switzerland. After studying business and working for a health insurance fund in Lausanne, he moved to the UK in 1968. In 1969, he briefly worked in the City for an insurance broker and underwriters at Lloyds. He joined the staff of the Embassy of Switzerland in London in January 1970. After 33 years at Montagu Place, he took up a managerial post with the Federal Department of Finance, Swiss Compensation Office, in Geneva as Head of the Contributions Section. He retired in February 2008. He is a long-standing member of several Swiss clubs and is currently a member of the Unione Ticinese Executive Committee, co-chair and secretary of the Swiss National Day London Committee and President of the New Helvetic Society.
Ané-Mari Peter, was born and educated in South Africa. After obtaining a BA (Hons) Communications she worked in media sales at StudentWise Media Services and was later headhunted by Grey Worldwide (Johannesburg) as strategic planning manager working on the Mazda-Mitsubishi, GlaxoSmithKline, 3M and Mars accounts. Ané moved to London in 1998 completing an MA in Interactive Media at the University of the Arts where she continues to lecture. Ané co-founded on-IDLE Ltd with her now husband, Marc, a design and web development agency in 1999 where she is now the Managing Director.
