The American Swiss Foundation's mailing address has been updated. Please save the following address for all future correspondence:
American Swiss Foundation, c/o Marcum LLP, 730 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017.
AMERICAN SWISS FOUNDATION Staff
Staff
Dr. Vanessa Beary was appointed executive director of the American Swiss Foundation in 2023. Dr. Beary, who participated in the 2016 Young Leaders Conference hosted by Syngenta in Basel, began working for the Foundation in 2018.
As executive director, Dr. Beary works together with the Foundation’s Co-Chairs, Robert J. Giuffra, Jr. and Markus U. Diethelm, and the Foundation’s Board of Directors to strengthen the longstanding friendship between the United States and Switzerland.
Dr. Beary's background is in international education, development, and diplomacy. Prior to joining the Foundation, she served as a Senior Advisor for Youth Entrepreneurship in the Office of Commercial and Business Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and as an Adjunct Professor at American University’s Kogod School of Business. She began her career working for the U.S. Department of Defense and received the Outstanding Civilian Service Award, the third highest public honor that the Army can grant to a civilian, for her work in Iraq.
Dr. Beary holds an Ed.D. from Harvard University, an M.Phil. from the University of Cambridge, and a B.A. with honors from Brown University. She currently serves on the Board of the Harvard Alumni Association.
Director of operations and development
Stephanie brings over a decade of experience in fundraising and constituent engagement to her role as Director of Operations and Development at the American Swiss Foundation. In this capacity, she provides strategic direction, oversight, coordination, and priority setting in resource development and constituent engagement, while managing day-to-day operations of the ASF.
Before joining ASF, Stephanie served as the Assistant Director of Donor Relations at Harvard University, where she led initiatives to enhance donor engagement and drive fundraising success for the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Stephanie’s dedication to fostering cross-cultural connections aligns seamlessly with the ASF’s mission and she draws upon her extensive experience to advance the critical work of the American Swiss Foundation.
Stephanie holds a master’s degree in business from the University of Rhode Island and a B.A. from Bates College.
Director of Programs and Communications
Katie manages programs and communications for the American Swiss Foundation, ultimately advancing the mission of the ASF to connect and engage leaders from the United States and Switzerland. She manages existing programs, such as the Annual Gala in New York City, the annual Young Leaders Conference, quarterly ASF CONNECT virtual programs, the Gallatin Forum in Washington, D.C., semi-annual Building Bridges Conferences in both Switzerland and the United States, and the Great American Speaker Series in Switzerland. Katie also supports building a pipeline of new program opportunities for members of the ASF.
Prior to joining the ASF, Katie spent over 15 years in the private sector working for large corporations including UnitedHealth Group and Blackboard, Inc. Her background in project management, leading teams, and designing and executing programs is an asset to the ASF and its next phase of growth.
Katie holds a B.A. in English from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and resides on Capitol Hill with her husband and two sons.
Bella supports communications & marketing, event coordination, membership & development, and fundraising. She assists with writing and publications, including: social media, invitations, press releases, annual reports, and the weekly newsletter. Prior to joining the American Swiss Foundation, Bella interned for Bureau of Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
Bella holds an M.A. from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a B.A. from Bowdoin College.