Entrepreneur Silvan Wildhaber to be appointed the new president of economiesuisse
13.02.2026
At a glance
- The Executive Committee is unanimous in its proposal to the Board of Directors to appoint Silvan Wildhaber as the new president. The election will take place at the Board meeting in March.
- The new president will take office in mid-September, with the date set to coincide with the Day of the Swiss Economy.
- Silvan Wildhaber, an entrepreneur from the younger generation, will be taking over as head of the organisation. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of economiesuisse since 2014 and of the Board of Directors of the Swiss Employers’ Association since 2021.
- Christoph Mäder is stepping down as President of the Swiss economy’s umbrella organisation after six years. His term of office ends on the Day of the Swiss Economy.
After six years at the helm of the umbrella organization for the Swiss economy, Christoph Mäder has decided to step down as president at the end of his term in September. At its meeting on 12 February, the Executive Committee discussed the selection committee’s unanimous proposal to the Board of Directors recommending that Silvan Wildhaber be elected as the new president. The election of the new president will take place at the next Board meeting in March. Wildhaber will take office in mid-September, with the date set to coincide with the Day of the Swiss Economy.
Christoph Mäder had the following to say regarding the Executive Committee’s proposal: ‘I am delighted that Silvan Wildhaber has been nominated as my successor. He is ideally placed to lead economiesuisse successfully and further develop the organisation in the years to come.’
An entrepreneur at the head of the umbrella organisation
In Silvan Wildhaber, the Executive Committee is proposing a strong entrepreneurial personality for election. The 48-year-old Wildhaber has been CEO of the St. Gallen-based textile company Filtex AG since 2012 and Chair of the Board of Directors of its parent company, Emil Anderegg AG. Founded in 1919, Filtex, a family company, exports exclusive textiles and embroidery products worldwide. Wildhaber studied business administration at the University of St. Gallen (HSG) and worked at Credit Suisse (now defunct) before joining the family-run SME in 2006. Wildhaber lives in the city of Zurich, is married and has two children.
Wildhaber has been a representative of Swiss textiles on the Board of Directors of economiesuisse since 2014 and has first-hand knowledge of the relevant economic policy dossiers. He was also elected to the Board of Directors of the Swiss Employers’ Association in 2021. ‘I am delighted by the confidence that economiesuisse’s Executive Committee has placed in me,’ states Silvan Wildhaber following his nomination. ‘I want to highlight the political concerns of Swiss companies and their employees in plain terms and win over the hearts and minds of the Swiss people,’ Wildhaber continues, adding: ‘As an entrepreneur, I know we can only move forward when we do so together. This is why it is important to me to build bridges and make progress for Switzerland together.’
