Appointment of two new Directors to the Board of Basel-Mulhouse Airport
At its meeting on 18 March 2021, the Board of Directors of Basel-Mulhouse Airport welcomed two new Swiss members, Esther Keller and Kaspar Sutter, both State Councillors for the Canton of Basel-City. Ms Keller is Head of the Building and Transport Department while Mr Sutter is Head of the Department for Economic, Social, and Environmental Affairs.
The Board of Directors of Basel-Mulhouse Airport reflects the bi-national character of this unique entity: it is composed of eight French and eight Swiss Directors. On 1 March, Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga approved the appointment of the two new representatives of the Canton of Basel-City to the Board of Directors, as requested by the State Council of the Canton of Basel-City.
Ms Keller and Mr Sutter succeed Ms Ackermann and Mr Brutschin who stepped down from the government of the Canton of Basel-City on 2 February 2021. The Board of Directors has appointed both of them to the Tripartite Consultative Committee (the “Beirat”). The Beirat, a committee comprising 18 members, aims to establish ongoing consultation between the Airport and the authorities, economic bodies, public collectivities and other partners in South Baden. Moreover, Mr Sutter was appointed to the Airport Management Committee.
Ms Keller was a Member of the Parliament of the Canton of Basel-City from 2019 to 2021. She holds a degree in philosophy from Basel University and has in-depth experience in communication and public relations acquired with Telebasel and Novartis, and later in her own communication consulting firm.
Kaspar Sutter studied in Economics and international relations at Basel University, Sciences Po Paris, and at the University of Saint-Gallen where he graduated. Mr Sutter spent part of his career with the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF) in the railway freight sector, as project manager and communication consultant in particular. In 2009, he became Secretary General of the Department of Finance of Canton Basel-City, and then established his own consulting firm in 2017. Before joining the Government,
Mr Sutter was a member of the Parliament of the Canton of Basel-City.
Luc Gaillet, president of Basel-Mulhouse Airport, and Raymond Cron, Vice-President, stated that they were “happy to welcome two new Directors in the persons of Ms Keller and Mr Sutter. Their competencies and support will be of precious assistance to us in overcoming this unprecedented crisis and preparing the future”. The Board of Directors extends a warm welcome to them both and wishes them great success in their new assignments.
