2026 General Assembly & Global Compact Dialogue

On 10 June 2026, we welcomed over 70 guests — business leaders, representatives from government, civil society and international organizations — to our General Assembly and Global Compact Dialogue at the premises of dsm-firmenich in Satigny. We look back on a day of candid exchange and learnings on what it takes to build resilient organizations in an increasingly uncertain world.

General Assembly UN Global Compact Network Switzerland & Liechtenstein (GCNSL)

The General Assembly was opened by GCNSL President Dr. Ruth E. Blumer Lahner, and Executive Director, Antonio Hautle, who guided the participants through the formal proceedings and strategic outlook. Looking back on a busy year of activities, events and milestones, they also outlined what lies ahead — from our Accelerator Programmes and new Academy e-learnings, to upcoming peer learning groups and further training and engagement opportunities. For an overview of upcoming activities, visit our event page.

As in previous years, the GCNSL presented its 2025 financial report and statements, the 2026 budget, and the findings of an independent financial audit — reflecting our continued commitment to transparency and accountability. The annual report, financial report, 2026 membership fees and budget were all approved by the participants present.

Board Election: Welcoming New Members and Thanking Departing Ones

This year's assembly also marked a significant moment for our board. We re-elected eight board members and welcomed four new ones:

• Karin Reiter | SVP Sustainability & ESG | The Adecco Group

• Hallvard Bremnes | Global Head of Sustainability | Givaudan International SA

• Barbara Vrede | VP, Social Impact & Sustainability | Novartis International AG

• James Rawson | Finance Director | Kaizen Institute Ltd

We look forward to benefiting from their expertise and fresh perspectives in the years ahead.

At the same time, we had to say goodbye to three board members. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Vice-President, Dr. Jérôme Barra, Carrie Scott, and Nick Bell for their valuable contributions and dedication over the past years.

• Dr. Jérôme Barra | Vice-President, Taste Global Marketing and Business Development | dsm-firmenich | appointed 2021 | Vice-President 2023- 2026

• Carrie Scott | Head, Sustainability and ESG Office | Novartis | appointed 2023

• Nick Bell | Global Head of Marketing Communications | Trafigura | appointed 2019

We were also pleased to share the stage with our long-standing partners from the Federal Administration — the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), and the Peace and Human Rights Division (FDFA) — who are also represented in our Programme Committee. Our thanks go to Roland Widmer (SDC) and Rémy Friedmann (EDA) for taking the time to attend our General Assembly and for sharing the latest updates from their respective offices, and to all our partners for their continued engagement.

Lastly, this year's General Assembly also carried a special significance. After years of dedicated leadership, Antonio Hautle will be stepping down as Executive Director, making this his last General Assembly. His succession is currently being planned, and we will be taking the opportunity to celebrate his contributions to the GCNSL properly during the 2027 General Assembly. We are grateful for everything he has brought to this organization and to our network.

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Global Compact Dialogue

Following the General Assembly, the doors opened to our Global Compact Dialogue — our public afternoon event, and a chance to bring voices from business into the conversation. This year's theme could not have felt more timely: how can organizations navigate geopolitical uncertainty responsibly, while upholding trust, protecting stakeholders, strengthening resilience and preserving long-term value.

Following a short welcome from Antonio Hautle, Katharina Stenholm, Chief Sustainability Officer at dsm-firmenich, set the tone for the afternoon with an inspiring input on "Sustainability as a Value Creation Opportunity." Drawing on dsm-firmenich's experience, she made a compelling case that sustainability is not a cost to be managed, but a genuine driver of innovation and long-term value — for business, for the world, and for customers, employees and stakeholders alike. It was a fitting opening for an afternoon dedicated to resilience, and a message that feels especially timely given today's landscape. Our sincere thanks to Katharina, both for hosting us at dsm-firmenich and for so generously sharing these insights with our network.

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Building Corporate Resilience amid Geopolitical Tensions

We had the honour of welcoming Livio Sarandrea, Business and Human Rights Global Policy Advisor at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). With his thought-provoking input "Human Rights vs. Competitiveness: A False Dilemma?", he set the stage for the panel discussion to follow, making the case that robust human rights due diligence is not a competitive cost, but a source of resilience, investor confidence and long-term advantage.

The centrepiece of the afternoon was a high-level panel on "Building Corporate Resilience amid Geopolitical Tensions." At a moment when fragmentation, shifting trade dynamics and growing pressure on multilateral cooperation are reshaping the operating environment for businesses everywhere, the panel offered a candid, wide-ranging discussion on what resilience really means in practice — and how commitment to sustainability and supply chain management can help safeguard trust, protect stakeholders and preserve long-term value even when the landscape keeps shifting.

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We would like to extend our warmest thanks to our three panellists, who took the time to share their experience and perspectives so openly with our audience:

• Alain Fournier | Chief Financial Officer | Contexa

• Ana Serbanovic Mendes | Sustainable Procurement Lead | Sonova Group

• Josie Lianna Kaye | Chief Executive Officer & Founder | TrustWorks Global

• Moderation: Alice Harbach-Forel | Head of Programmes | GCNSL

World Café: Turning Dialogue into Action

The panel set the stage for a series of World Café-style conversations — informal, rotating small-group discussions designed to carry the day's themes further and turn them into something more concrete. Our thanks go to the panellists, who stayed on to facilitate their own tables, as well as to Annie Burdzy from DCAF and the GCNSL team for facilitating additional discussion rounds.

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Acknowledgements

Our warmest thanks go to everyone who joined us for this year's General Assembly and Global Compact Dialogue, and made it such a rich and engaging day. A special thank you to our host, dsm-firmenich, for so generously welcoming us to their premises in Satigny and to Dr. Jérôme Barra for his support.

We are equally grateful to Katharina Stenholm, Livio Sarandrea, and to our three panellists, for taking the time out of their busy schedules to share their knowledge, experience and perspectives with us. It is this generosity — of time, insight and openness — that gives these gatherings their real value.

Finally, a big thank you to the GCNSL team, our President, all board members and participants for their continued engagement and support. We look forward to seeing how the ideas, connections and conversations sparked at this event will translate into greater resilience and collaboration in the future.

All photo credits: IKIGAI Media