
People and faces
The Swiss Foundation for Social Tourism is backed by dedicated individuals. Our team of architects ensures sustainable, functional buildings for the operation of the Swiss Youth Hostels. And the Board of Trustees is responsible for the strategic direction. Together, they are committed to ensuring that our buildings remain economical, environmentally conscious and socially accessible.
Our team
Eight architects ensure that our construction projects are successfully implemented in line with our strategic principles.
From left: Christian Hochstrasser, Petra Schibler, Noemi Jenni, Ralph Nicotera, Matthias Spörri, Tobias Haug, René Dobler, Hans-Urs Häfeli.
René Dobler, CEO
since 1993
Hans-Urs Häfeli, Deputy CEO
since 1996
Matthias Spörri
since 2007
Ralph Nicotera
since 2009
Petra Schibler
since 2013
Tobias Haug
since 2024
Christian Hochstrasser
since 2026
Noemi Jenni
since 2026
The Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees is our supreme governing body and consists of at least five members. The Chair, Vice-Chair and the first three members were originally elected by the founder; today, the Board of Trustees constitutes itself.
It is responsible for the Foundation as a whole, sets the strategic direction and ensures it is implemented effectively at an operational level.

Andreas Wyss
President

Yves Schneuwly
Vice president

Mathias Gallo
Member

Gian Marco Juon
Member

Thomas Kulcsár
Member

Frank Reutlinger
Member

Stephanie Tauber Gomez
Member

Daniel Thaler
Member

Nico Züllig
Member
