American Swiss Foundation hosts alumni event at Lindt & Sprüngli

By AI, Created 5:12 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – The American Swiss Foundation brought alumni and board members to Lindt & Sprüngli in Kilchberg on April 30 for a program centered on leadership, culture, and the company’s global growth. The event featured former CEO and Executive Chair Ernst Tanner and underscored the foundation’s effort to connect Swiss and American leaders.

Why it matters: - The event put ASF alumni, board members, and advisers in direct conversation with a top Swiss executive about leadership, culture, and transatlantic business ties. - The gathering highlighted Lindt & Sprüngli’s role as a case study in Swiss innovation with U.S. market relevance. - The program also reinforced ASF’s broader mission to connect Swiss and American leaders through shared experiences and leadership development.

What happened: - The American Swiss Foundation hosted an ASF Alumni Event: Successful Stories at Lindt & Sprüngli on April 30 at Lindt & Sprüngli in Kilchberg, Zürich, Switzerland. - Ernst Tanner, former CEO and current Executive Chair of Lindt & Sprüngli and Vice Chairman of the Board at Swatch Group, led the featured discussion. - Alexander Pieper, an ASF Young Leader 2023, ASF board member and co-chair of the ASF Alumni Committee, and Deepak Mohan, ASF Young Leader 2022 and member of the Alumni Committee, hosted the program. - The event included a museum visit, a fireside chat and highlights from the Lindt Home of Chocolate. - Attendees included four ASF board members, two members of the U.S. and Swiss Advisory Councils, and five members of the Alumni Committee.

The details: - Tanner discussed his professional background, including early experience at Johnson & Johnson. - Tanner also reflected on more than 20 years as CEO and on leading a global premium brand over a long period. - The conversation covered Lindt & Sprüngli’s growth journey. - Tanner emphasized differences between American and Swiss corporate cultures, especially in leadership style, decision making and speed. - Tanner highlighted the United States and the global market as strategic growth drivers and long-term pillars for Lindt & Sprüngli. - Markus U. Diethelm, Co-Chair of the American Swiss Foundation and Chair of the ASF Swiss Advisory Council, praised the Alumni Committee co-chairs and thanked Lindt & Sprüngli for hosting the group and showcasing Swiss innovation. - Andrew F. Hutchinson, ASF Board Member and Co-Chair of the Alumni Committee, said the event reflected the Swiss and American commitment to the foundation’s mission and thanked his Swiss colleagues, Sprungli, co-chair Alex Pieper and the Alumni Committee for making the event possible.

Between the lines: - The event was as much about network-building as it was about business storytelling. - By centering a conversation on culture and leadership, ASF signaled that its alumni programming is meant to deepen ties between Swiss and American decision-makers, not just reconnect former participants. - Tanner’s remarks on U.S. market importance suggest Lindt & Sprüngli continues to view transatlantic scale as central to its long-term strategy.

What’s next: - ASF is likely to keep using alumni events to strengthen engagement across its network in the United States and Switzerland. - The foundation says its alumni community now includes more than 1,800 leaders from 35 conferences, which gives it a large base for future programming and cross-border connections. - The organization will continue building on its Young Leaders pipeline as part of its leadership mission.

The bottom line: - The Lindt & Sprüngli gathering doubled as a corporate leadership conversation and a reminder of ASF’s role as a bridge between Swiss and American elites.