We are delighted to share an update regarding the Swarovski Foundation’s Board of Trustees. We warmly welcome three distinguished individuals who have recently joined our board, further enriching our collective expertise and mission to promote sustainable livelihoods through education to reduce inequality. Meet our newest trustees below.

Ryan Gawn

‍Ryan Gawn is Head of the Positioning and Outreach Division for the European Central Bank’s Digital Euro Directorate, as well as Co-Founder of Stratagem International, an international public affairs consultancy. Formerly Director of The LEGO Foundation, he designed and led a $70m philanthropic initiative, and as Head of International Communications for ActionAid International, he provided senior leadership to a global team working across the federation’s 46 markets.

He has previously led international campaigns, served as a UK diplomat, and advised leading nonprofits and businesses. He is an advisor to the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, education charity Big Change, and former Council Member of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House). Educated in Scotland, Sweden, the United States, and Argentina, he is a Rotary World Peace Fellow (MA International Relations) and a Salzburg Fellow.‍

Lynda Mansson

‍‍‍Before founding LeaderLy, Lynda was the CEO of the MAVA Foundation, a family philanthropic foundation working on nature conservation and sustainable economy. For 13 years, Lynda led a team of 20 people to grant over €1.17 billion to over 500 organisations to support work in favour of nature and people.

Lynda has conducted training over the years in leadership, management, team building, negotiations, conflict within teams, motivation, and change management. She serves on the boards of ICF Coaching Education, Unearthodox, and Fondation Audemars Piguet, and is an advisor to the Sky Blue Leadership programme and to the Cartier for Nature initiative. Lynda is American and Swiss and has made Switzerland her home for over 30 years.‍

Heinz Fassmann

Heinz Fassmann, currently President of the Austrian Academy of Science, has an extensive background in education and research. He served as the Austrian Federal Minister of Education, Science, and Research from January 2020 to December 2021 and earlier from December 2017 to June 2019. Fassmann completed his studies at the University of Vienna, earning a PhD in social history and a habilitation in Human Geography and Spatial Planning. He became Director of the Institute of City and Regional Research at the Austrian Academy of Sciences in 1992 and was appointed Professor of Applied Geography at the Technical University Munich in 1996 and Applied Geography, Spatial Research and Regional Planning at the University of Vienna in 2000.

Throughout his career, Fassmann has held numerous leadership roles, including Dean of the Faculty of Geosciences, Geography, and Astronomy in 2006, and Vice-Rector positions for Human Resources and International Relations in 2011 and Research and International Affairs in 2015 at the University of Vienna. He has been involved in various advisory capacities, such as Chair of the Expert Council for Integration at the Austrian Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, and founding member of the Expert Council of German Foundations for Integration and Migration in Berlin. A permanent member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Academia Europaea, Heinz's contributions have been recognized with multiple awards.‍

Creating Positive Impact

We welcome the wealth of experience and expertise that our new trustees bring, which will greatly contribute to the Swarovski Foundation’s mission to promote sustainable livelihoods through education to reduce inequality, thereby fulfilling our commitment to creating a positive impact.