TEAM

The Board of Directors consists of the following members:

• Ms. Sandra Gojkovic-President

• Mr. Sascha Gojkovic-Vice President

• Ms. Patrizia De Nicoli- Communications

• Mr. Peter Waser-Secretary, Projects, Governance

• Mr. Dr. Patrick Sommer-Legal Counsel

• Mr. Raphael Bühler- Finance, Controlling

• Mr. Matthew Barrett- Strategy&Development

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Growing up in Switzerland, Sandra knew from a young age that she wanted to take her dedication to education and empowerment for the unprivileged to the places that needed it the most. She received her professional qualifications in Pharmaceutical Sciences and achieved a Commercial Baccalaureate followed by language stays in the western part of Switzerland, Italy and the UK. Her early career was in Regulatory Affairs for a Swiss Pharmaceutical company in Zurich. She moved on to the Pragma Group in Dubai where she worked in their Business Development and Marketing Department. It was from Dubai that Sandra took the leap to begin travels through India and Africa. Everywhere she travelled she engaged in volunteer work with local cultural groups. In 2012, she launched The India School Project, with her own financial resources. In 2013 while still working on a Psychology degree, Sandra completed a 3-month internship in Social Business and Microfinance with Nobel Peace Price Winner Muhammad Yunus in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Most recently, Sandra has launched a Chicken Farm Social Business as well as an Educational Support Program for children at public schools. She is back in Switzerland working for a Women’s Project and travels biannually to contribute to her initiatives in India.

SANDRA GOJKOVIC

PRESIDENT

PATRIZIA DE NICOLI

COMMUNICATIONS

Following her higher education in Marketing& Communications, Patrizia gained professional experience and knowledge, amongst others at Rod Communications, one of the leading Swiss advertising agencies. In order to be able to have an impact through her work, she recently took on a job as Head of Communications at ARUD, a not for-profit organisation that advises treats and supports people with addictions. She has been a board member of The India School Project since its foundation in 2013 and was jointly responsible for the organisation’s corporate design as well as communication strategy. She organised and took part in several fundraising activities such as the Zurich Triathlon and other marathons to raise awareness for the project. Aware of having been born into privileged circumstances, she feels committed to support those who are less fortunate. 

Peter Waser has over two decades of executive experience in IT/IS technology and telecommunication industry. Before transitioning to Microsoft Western Europe, he was acting as Country General Manager for Microsoft Switzerland for over five years. Prior to his various leadership positions at Microsoft he was responsible for several key strategic projects for the Swiss national telecommunication provider and also restructured and managed large customer contact centres whilst there. From 1988 to 1998 Peter Waser worked for IBM in national and international management positions, Peter started as an industry specialist for interbank and stocks exchange trading systems, later he took responsibility for the networking hardware and software product business unit. Today, he is acting as a Board of Directors and Investor in various Swiss and foreign companies. Peter has a BSc from City University of Bellevue WA, USA and has further management qualifications from the Open University, UK. He lives with his family in Feldmeilen and Andermatt, Switzerland.

Dr Patrick Sommer focuses on competition law, corporate law and M & A. Patrick has graduated from the University of St.Gallen in 1987 and was admitted to the bar in 1989. He has written his doctoral thesis on the relationship of Switzerland to the European Union and completed postgraduate studies at the Collège d’Europe in Brugues with the H.E.E. diploma. He then worked for seven years in the legal department of the Swiss multinational group Holcim where he has been promoted to the offices of General Counsel and Secretary of the Board of Directors. In 2000 Patrick Sommer joined CMS and is a partner since 2002. 

Raphael Bühler grew up in Switzerland and Colombia. During several years of his childhood, his parents established a school for children from economically underprivileged families. After a successful initial set-up, the project was transferred into local hands, the family moved back to Switzerland, where Raphael went to school. After secondary school in Luzern, he moved to Zurich, to complete his apprenticeship with Credit Suisse. As a financial expert, he has since proven himself with several employers and has completed his degree in Business Administration at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. At the moment, Raphael is responsible for the buildup of PKB Alasia SA in Zurich.Thanks to his childhood in Colombia, Raphael is fluent in Spanish and speaks three more languages, next to German, his mother tongue. As committee-member of several associations, he is knowledgeable in non-profit-accounting. Today, Raphael lives with his spouse and son in Nürensdorf, close to Zurich.

MATTHEW BARRETT

STRATEGY&DEVELOPMENT

PETER WASER

SECRETARY, GOVERNANCE

DR. PATRICK SOMMER

LEGAL COUNSEL

RAPHAEL BÜHLER

FINANCE&CONTROLLING

Born in the UK, Matthew completed his primary education in Jamaica before returning to Nottingham to complete his formal academic studies. Following this, he embarked upon a passionate quest for knowledge, embracing a wide range of self-taught subjects including theosophy, religious and cultural history, nutrition, yoga and meditation, and quantum physics. As well as bringing this diverse background to the project, Matthew also speaks four languages. More recently, Matthew has resided in Dubai, where he worked for over seven years as Vice President of Business Development for the Pragma Group. Throughout this period he was instrumental in the creation of the lifestyle and hospitality branch of the Roberto Cavalli Group, as well as being responsible for the introduction of other lifestyle brands to the Middle Eastern and Asian markets.Matthew has a keen interest in the wellness industry and is currently part of a team working to create a wellness fund for the Gulf region; this also involves plans to bring Yoga and Consciousness Studies to The India School Project curriculum. As the Head of Business Development, the dedicated philanthropist and humanitarian fully embraces the ethos of The India School Project.