An exceptional and prolific philanthropist, Hansjörg has funded many initiatives promoting innovative ideas, new tools, and unprecedented collaborations in areas of education, arts, science, engineering, conflict resolution and land conservation to tackle challenges on a global scale.
Currently, Hansjörg is an active member of the Board of Directors for several organisations including the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, The Grand Canyon Trust, The Wilderness Society, and the Center for American Progress. He is also on the Board of Dean’s Advisors of Harvard Business School.
In 1998, Hansjörg established the Wyss Foundation, a charitable foundation dedicated to supporting innovative, lasting solutions that improve lives, empower communities, and strengthen connections to the land by investing in conservation, education, economic opportunity and social justice. He also founded the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, and the Wyss Center for Bio- and Neuro-Engineering.
Hansjörg Wyss serves as Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Synthes Inc., a global manufacturer of medical devices, and is a founder and honorary member of the AO Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving the care of patients with musculoskeletal injuries and their sequelae.
Hansjörg has a background in engineering and a lifetime of experience in the field of medical science. He studied Engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and finished his MBA in1965 at Harvard University.