Chairperson Scholarship Fund

In May 2023, Jacqueline Tschumi succeeded Philipp Saurer as the Chairperson of the Scholarship Fund and was appointed to the Board of the Swiss Japanese Chamber of Commerce (SJCC).

Mrs. Tschumi has extensive experience of working and living in Japan. Her Japan Journey started with a 2-month home stay with the Rotary Short Term Exchange Program in 2005, right before starting university. She then moved on to study Japanese and Chinese studies at Zurich University with an exchange year to Tokyo in 2009. During her last year before graduation, she obtained the SJCC Scholarship and pursued an internship at the Swiss Embassy in Tokyo in the political section, and later on in the Swiss Business Hub Japan, which is part of the Embassy and Switzerland Global Enterprise, the official trade and export promotion agency of Switzerland. After her successful internships, she decided to take on a full-time position at the Swiss Business Hub in 2013. In her role as Trade Advisor, she supported Swiss and Liechtenstein companies for their market entry and expansion in Japan. In 2016, Mrs. Tschumi took the opportunity to move to the private sector and joined the Nespresso Japan marketing team, where she was responsible for the well-known Swiss brand’s media and communication campaigns. In 2017, Mrs. Tschumi decided to leave Japan to pursue a consultancy role at Switzerland Global Enterprise, working again closely with the Swiss Business Hub Japan and the Swiss Embassy in Tokyo and supporting Swiss SMEs in the Japanese market. Mrs. Tschumi is currently overlooking the APAC offices of Switzerland Global Enterprise and is still very closely tied with Japan, both privately and professionally.

From 2018 to 2022, Mrs. Tschumi has served as President of the SJCC Young Professionals and was part of the Board and the Executive Committee of the SJCC.

Former Chairmen of the SJCC Scholarship Fund

Philipp Saurer
Chairman 2019 – 2023

In May 2019, Philipp Saurer succeeded Martin Stricker as the Chairman of the Scholarship Fund, having been a member of the board of the SJCC since November 2018.

After living and working in Japan for 12 years, Mr. Saurer is now heading the Group Digitalization & Group Marcom at LNS Group.

During his time in Japan, Philipp Saurer served as an advisor to the board of the SCCIJ in Tokyo.

Martin Stricker
Chairman 2016 – 2019

In January 2016, Martin Stricker succeeded Paul Dudler as the Chairman of the Scholarship fund after having been a member of the board of the Swiss Japanese Chamber of Commerce (SJCC) since June 2014.

On an honorary basis Martin Stricker served as the President of the Swiss  Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Japan (SCCIJ) from February 2010 to February 2013.

In 2004, he established Gaipro, Inc., a company dedicated to Executive Search and Management Consulting in Tokyo. In 2014, when G&S Japan acquired Gaipro, he became a Board Member and shareholder of G&S Japan.
He now lives in Basel, Switzerland with his family and works for the cantonal government of Basel-Stadt in the Economic Development Unit.

Martin Stricker is a Swiss born entrepreneur, who has spent over 20 years in Japan. After graduating with an MBA from the University of St. Gallen (HSG), Switzerland, he attended Sophia University in Tokyo.

Paul Dudler
Chairman 2001 – 2015

On the occasion of the SJCC Bonenkai on 7 December 2015, Mr. Paul Dudler gave his Farewell Speech looking back at 15 years as Chairman of the SJCC Scholarship Fund from 2001 – 2015. After his speech, Paul Dudler was awarded an honorary membership in the SJCC Alumni Organisation by Dominique Ursprung, president of the SJCC Alumni Organisation.

Paul Dudler has passed away on 7 February 2021.