Thomas Zeltner, M.D.

Thomas Zeltner, M.D., served as the secretary of health of Switzerland for 19 years. He has been at the heart of the ever-changing architecture of global health and served as a coordinator of the dialog between industry, academia, government, NGOs and philanthropists—the five major actors on the global health stage. As a highly respected public health leader and health diplomat, Zeltner was the natural choice of the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) to serve WHO as special envoy and leader in the reform process of this UN organization from 2012 – 2014. He believes that the business sector must continuously adapt to current and new health challenges in the rapidly changing health landscape. As the list of newly emerging infectious microbes gets longer every month, their devastating potential for pandemic outbreaks constitute a high threat for national and international security and economies around the world. These challenges and the shift to market forces toward verifiable health quality and value represent enormous business opportunities for industry. As the Swiss health minister, Zeltner presided over changes to transform the regulated market model of the Swiss health care sector into a more value- and consumer-driven health care system. More than seven million Swiss citizens enjoyed better quality care than the U.S. for 60% of the cost over the same period. The Swiss model of health care, which guarantees access to a comprehensive benefit package to all residents, is becoming a model of great interest around the globe. Recognized for his leadership, Zeltner was a senior fellow, Harvard University Advanced Leadership Initiative (2010), visiting scientist, Harvard School of Public Health, and co-founder, the Global Patient Safety Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, a convening organization of a number of the world’s leading patient safety organizations. He also serves on numerous boards of directors, including the Interacademy Medical Panel (IAMP), the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences, and the most innovative Swiss health insurance company, KPT.