Corporate structure

The Sanitas Group is one of the leading health insurance companies in Switzerland. Sanitas health insurance (foundation) was founded in 1958 with the aim of providing insurance for the economic consequences of illness, accident, maternity, disability and death.

Structure and functions of the Sanitas Group

Today, the Sanitas Group comprises Sanitas Krankenversicherung (foundation), Sanitas Beteiligungen AG (holding company) and three operational joint-stock companies. Sanitas Grundversicherungen AG runs the basic health insurance business pursuant to KVG/HIA. Sanitas Privatversicherungen AG runs the supplementary health insurance business pursuant to VVG/IPA. The third company, Sanitas Management AG, is the service provider of the Sanitas Group. It takes care of the cross-group services of the other companies.

Ownership structure and governance

In its desire to act as a corporate role model, Sanitas has professionalised and strengthened the governance of the Sanitas Group in areas including transparency, independence and integrated risk management. Special attention is devoted to personal independence. Accordingly, every member of the board of trustees and board of directors must issue a public declaration stating his or her independence of any other organisation or company.

Sanitas Krankenversicherung (foundation) holds the entire shares of Sanitas Beteiligungen AG (holding company), which in turn holds all the shares of the operational companies. Additionally, Sanitas Beteiligungen AG (holding company) has shares in other companies, including a 33.3% share in Sanacare AG which specialises in managed care models. None of the shares of the above companies are traded on the stock exchange.
Board of trustees

Sanitas Krankenversicherung (foundation) holds the entire shares of Sanitas Beteiligungen AG (holding company). The Sanitas Krankenversicherung (foundation) board of trustees currently comprises 15 members. Members of the board of trustees are elected for a term of one year.

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Members of the Sanitas Krankenversicherung (foundation) board of trustees

Dr Luca Stäger

President since 2024

Nadine Balkanyi-Nordmann

Member since 2013*

Peter Burkard

Member since 2004

Ueli Dietiker

Member since 2008*

Joachim Eder

Member since 2015

Dr Patrick Gschwend

Member since 2004

Jürg Hafner

Member since 2004

Professor Dominique Jakob

Member since 2017

Ralph Jeitziner

Member since 1999

Dr Catrina Luchsinger Gähwiler

Member since 2015

Manfred Manser

Member since 2015

Michel Sudbrack

Member since 2019*

Monika Friedli-Walser

Member since 2013*

Peter Lüssi

Member since 2023*

Professor Christoph Kindler

Member since 2023*

*Member of the Sanitas Beteiligungen AG board of directors

Klaus Freitag, honorary president of the Sanitas board of trustees
Professor Felix Gutzwiller, honorary president of the Sanitas board of trustees
Kurt Wilhelm, honorary president of the Sanitas board of trustees

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Board of directors

Since 1 January 2017, the board of directors of Sanitas Beteiligungen AG (holding company) is identical with the board of directors of the operational companies Sanitas Grundversicherungen AG and Sanitas Privatversicherungen AG. The board of directors of Sanitas Management AG, newly founded in 2021, is also identical to the board of directors of the other companies. The board of directors consists of six members. These members are automatically also members of the Sanitas Health Insurance (foundation) board of trustees. Individual members of the board of directors of the Sanitas companies are recruited on a competency basis. The powers and responsibilities of the board of directors of the Sanitas companies include strategic management, appointing and supervising the executive board and approving the annual report and financial statement. Members of the board of directors of the Sanitas companies are elected for a term of one year.

Committees and their functions

The board of directors of the Sanitas companies has formed three committees from among its members: the Nomination & Compensation Committee, the Audit and Risk Committee and the Business Development Committee.

The Nomination & Compensation Committee prepares business to be decided by the full board of directors. Where necessary, it proposes motions regarding the definition of the processes for recruiting and evaluating the board of directors, CEO and executive board, the CEO’s annual performance appraisal, preparation and annual review of the remuneration model, and staff and succession planning.

The Audit and Risk Committee prepares business to be decided by the full board of directors. Where necessary, it proposes motions regarding the accounting set-up, the management of equity capital, financial controlling and financial planning, the consolidated financial statements of the Sanitas Group, budgeting, investment strategy and investment regulations, corporate governance, risk management, data protection and information security policy, and assessing the effectiveness of the control and risk management systems. The Audit and Risk Committee also fulfils the following tasks independently: management of the internal audit and co-operation with external auditors.

The Business Development Committee prepares business to be decided by the full board of directors. Where necessary, it proposes motions regarding all matters relating to the digitisation of the Sanitas Group.

Members of the board of directors of the Sanitas companies Sanitas Beteiligungen AG (holding company), Sanitas Grundversicherungen AG, Sanitas Privatversicherungen AG, Sanitas Management AG:

Nadine Balkanyi-Nordmann
Member since 2013

Ueli Dietiker
Member since 2008

Monika Friedli-Walser
Member since 2013

Prof. Dr. med. Christoph Kindler
Member since 2023

Peter Lüssi
Member since 2023

Michel Sudbrack
Member since 2023

Press images

A selection of press images are made available for media representatives to download free of charge.

To image pool
Executive board

Since 1 January 2017, one executive board is responsible for Sanitas Grundversicherungen AG and Sanitas Privatversicherungen AG. The executive board of Sanitas Management AG, newly founded in 2021, is also identical to the executive board of the other companies.

Chaired by the CEO, the executive board is responsible for managing the companies. It implements the strategy of the board of directors and ensures the target-oriented management and development of the Sanitas Group. The executive board is appointed by the board of directors and currently comprises six members. No member of the executive board is a member of the board of directors of the operational companies.