On 14 November 2023, the Board of Directors of Genève Aéroport appointed Gilles Rufenacht as its next CEO. Gilles Rufenacht is currently General Manager of the Hirslanden Clinics in Geneva, as well as President of the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services (CCIG). The Board of Directors has chosen this experienced manager with a strong sense of dialogue and a thorough knowledge of Geneva’s economic, political, and associative ecosystem, to achieve the ambitious goals set for Genève Aéroport. He will take office in autumn of 2024, following the retirement of André Schneider, CEO since 2016, to whom the Board expresses its sincere gratitude.
After graduating from the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) in 1995, Gilles Rufenacht began his career at Manor in Fribourg, where he spent two years as catering manager. After gaining experience in the events sector in Geneva, Gilles Rufenacht joined Clinique des Grangettes in 2000 as deputy manager. Eight years later, he was appointed General Manager, a position he still holds today. In 2019, he also took over as General Manager of Clinique La Colline.
Under his leadership, Cliniques des Grangettes and La Colline have become key players in the region's private healthcare sector. They now play a leading role in a number of medical specialties and are renowned for the excellence of their care and the quality of their service.
An active promoter of closer cooperation between public and private players in the healthcare sector, Gilles Rufenacht has contributed to the creation of an outpatient surgery centre in partnership between the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) and the Hirslanden Group, which is due to open in 2025.
Gilles Rufenacht has always been active in the associative sector, as President of the Association of Geneva Private Clinics, Genève-Cliniques, from 2012 to 2020, and has been involved throughout his term in cantonal, regional, and cross-border health policy issues. His work on behalf of Geneva's economic landscape is recognised by the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services (CCIG), of which he has been President since 2020. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Fédération des Entreprises Romandes (FER), as well as a member of the Selection Committee of the FONGIT Innovation Support Fund (FIF).
Having played an active role in the development of Geneva's healthcare system, with the interests of both patients and healthcare professionals at heart, Gilles Rufenacht will be putting his expertise and skills at the service of Genève Aéroport, an institution which also operates in a highly regulated environment and faces major transformation challenges.
"At a time when Genève Aéroport needs to reinvent its business model and diversify its activities to ensure its economic sustainability, Gilles Rufenacht will be an asset in the implementation of the institution's vision for 2040, as defined by our Board of Directors," said Pierre Bernheim, President of the Board of Directors of Genève Aéroport. "In his current role, he has demonstrated his ability to win the confidence of economic, political, associative and social partners, and to unite people around common goals. He will also make a valuable contribution in terms of customer experience," adds Pierre Bernheim.
For his part, Gilles Rufenacht welcomes his appointment with enthusiasm: "Genève Aéroport is of paramount importance to our canton and our region, particularly in regard to its contribution to our economy and its mission in serving international Geneva. It must continue to play its role as a gateway to the rest of the world, while at the same time achieving the ambitious goals set by the Board of Directors in terms of infrastructure development, environmental transition, and harmonious integration in the local community. It is therefore a very stimulating challenge that I am delighted to take up with the staff of Genève Aéroport.”
Deep gratitude to André Schneider
Gilles Rufenacht will take over as CEO in autumn 2024, following the retirement of André Schneider. André Schneider joined Genève Aéroport as CEO in 2016 and has shown remarkable commitment since then. The Board of Directors wishes to express its sincere gratitude and to reaffirm its confidence in him until his retirement.
The appointment of the next CEO of Genève Aéroport marks the conclusion of a process initiated in 2022 by the Board of Directors, which is pleased to have completed this project before the renewal of the Board on 1 February 2024.