Executive committee

Director general of the Geneva University Hospital (Hôpitaux universitaires de Genève - HUG) since September 1st 2024, Robert Mardini was previously Director general of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), from March 2020 to March 2024. At the head of the institution's executive, he oversaw the ICRC's extensive humanitarian operations, conducted by its 20,000 employees in over 100 countries and territories. Robert Mardini holds a Master's degree in civil and hydraulic engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). Full biography

Deputy Director general ad interim of the HUG since October 2024, Jean-François Pradeau also serves as the Director of information systems, a position he has held since 2016, after joining the department in 2014. For the past thirty years, he has worked across both public and private sectors, primarily for strategy consultants in healthcare and social services, as well as for governmental institutions. Jean-François Pradeau holds a degree in engineering with a specialization in healthcare management.

Chief medical and quality officer at HUG, Prof. Perrier oversees clinical research and postgraduate training as part of his role and endorses the medical and therapeutic practices of the hospital’s departments and medical units. He holds a federal medical degree and a doctorate from the Faculty of medicine at the University of Geneva.

Director of nursing at HUG since March 2017, Sandra Merkli’s mission is to ensure the quality and safety of care within the institution by leading one of its most strategic departments, which comprises 7,000 professionals and represents 56% of the HUG’s staff. She holds a postgraduate degree in healthcare management from the University of Geneva.

Director of education and research at the HUG, Prof. Geissbühler is a trained internist with a specialisation in medical informatics from Vanderbilt University (USA). Since 1999, he has held the chair in medical informatics at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva (UNIGE), recognized as a UNESCO chair for digital medical training. He also leads the HUG's Service of eHealth and telemedicine, a World Health Organization (WHO) collaborating centre.

Director of finance at the HUG since February 2020, Rémy Mathieu is responsible for maintaining the financial balance of HUG, developing the overall and detailed budgets for the medical departments, overseeing patient administrative management, coordinating pricing with the institution's economic partners, and conducting medico-economic analyses of medical activities. Rémy Mathieu holds an engineering degree from the École Spéciale des Travaux Publics in Paris and an MBA from the Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC) in Lille.

Director of human resources of the HUG, Patrick Nicollier is a respected contributor in the field of human resources. He holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and Development from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, an MBA Essentials from the London School of Economics (LSE), and a certification in Leadership in Ethics and Compliance from the Ethics and Compliance Initiative. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Applied and Professional Ethics from the University of Leeds.

Director of communications at HUG since October 2020, Frédérique Tissandier develops and leads, in collaboration with the executive management, the internal and external communication strategy of Switzerland's largest university hospital. She supervises the institution's communication channels and leverages her multidisciplinary background to promote the hospital through content that highlights the institution's expertise and innovations.