Dr. Ella Roininen is the Head of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DE&I) at the University of St. Gallen. With over 20 years of global experience in education on gender, diversity, and inclusion, Dr. Roininen has held leadership roles in both academia and business. Her work focuses particularly on organizational cultures and the concepts of norms, voice and awareness, examining how these elements interconnect with strategies, policies, attitudes, and practices to foster inclusion and a genuine sense of belonging.
Monika Hessemer is a specialist in Diversity, Equality and Inclusion. She is a psychologist with a Master of Science in Psychology from the University of Mannheim, specialising in cognitive and clinical psychology. She initially worked in the clinical field, but then shifted her focus to counselling students in the context of diversity, equality and inclusion. For Monika, creating an inclusive society is an ongoing process in which diversity is seen as an enrichment. Her work aims to shift the perspective, away from an orientation towards deficit to an orientation toward strength.
Dr. Anna-Katrin Heydenreich is primarily responsible for diversity monitoring, the protection of personal integrity, and inclusive language. The economist earned her doctorate researching dilemmas in societal collaboration. With over 15 years of teaching experience in higher education, she has also worked for a consultancy specialized in sustainability and contributed to a postdoctoral research project on excellence and equal opportunities in academia, before taking up her position as a specialist on the DE&I team. Anna-Katrin is passionate about making diversity a lived and enriching experience. She is committed to creating conditions that enable everyone to fully develop their potential.
Dr. Verena Witzig is a Diversity, Equality & Inclusion expert. Her areas of expertise are in balancing family, studies and career as well as in bias training in recruitment processes. Following her master's degree in International Relations, Verena completed a doctorate in Sociology. As part of her doctoral thesis, she examined the division of labour of separated parents. In her professional practice, Verena wants to contribute to an inclusive culture based on fairness, compromise and mutual understanding.
Lia Merk is the student assistant in the team. She completed her Matura in the city of Zurich and has been studying Law at the University of St. Gallen since the fall semester of 2022, where she is expected to complete her bachelor's degree in 2025. She supports the entire team in all areas and works on various projects. As a student, it is important to her to make it easier for other students to deal with challenging situations in everyday university life.