The core of oikos are our chapters. Each of them is a member of oikos International – a Swiss association that serves as an umbrella organisation. See the Constitution of oikos International.
Chapters are supported by an international management team based in St. Gallen. They also elect a board for oikos International which decides on the overall strategic direction of the organization together with the Board of trustees.
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Who are Board members?
Talented oikos members who are passionate about sustainable economics and management. They strategise and develop the oikos community, bring fresh ideas and implement new projects.
What do Board members do?
The oikos International Board governs and manages the departments of oikos International and governs strategic decisions for oikos to be a sustainable organization and have a sustainable impact. As representatives of the oikos community, the VPs have the opportunity to inspire and empower the network towards oikos’ purpose, mission and vision. Contributing to the organization’s development and sustainability, VPs work in dedicated departments and roles and collaborate with the oikos management team, the working groups, the community and the strategic partners with similar objectives.
Applications for the oikos Board 2019/2020 are now open, please for details click here.
Clementine Robert
President
International President
Clementine Robert
President
International President
Clementine joined oikos in 2012, as a local member of oikos Reims, France. She then became president of the chapter for a year. In 2014, at the end of her mandate she was elected Executive Board Member and was reelected in 2015. This same year she joined the first promotion of oikos LEAP program. In 2016, she became one of the French alumni ambassador as well as coach within oikos LEAP. In 2017, she worked as an oikos Outreach Manager and was based in Bangalore, India. She studied in Neoma Business School, and at the University San Ignacio de Loyola in Lima, Peru for an exchange. She got her Master in Management with a focus on social economy and industrial bioeconomy. She has working experience in both having worked in NGOs, co-operatives, foundations, governmental institutions, and working closely with social entrepreneurs in the field of green building and cleantech.
Wyatt Ball
Strategy
International Vice-President
Wyatt Ball
Strategy
International Vice-President
Originally born in Houston Texas, USA, I grew up near the beaches of Charleston, South Carolina, spending a majority of my childhood near the ocean or in the large expanses of nature which cover the south-east of the United States. At 17, I left home to study business in the United Kingdom, eventually moving on to pursuing an MSc in International Sustainability Management at ESCP Europe. I like to consider myself a citizen of the world, preferring not to limit my physical or mental ‘worlds’ by the concept of frontiers and borders. At the core of my being is the foundation of sustainable development, but I truly believe that to be successful, we must accrue knowledge, experience, and emotional intelligence from all corners of the world – corporate to grassroot. Straight-forward, motivated, yet silly, I tend to be a walking oxymoron. You can find me half the year in the thick of it in the world’s biggest cities, and the other half on a beach in the middle of nowhere with nothing but a sunrise, my guitar and a mask.
Sophie Charrois
Organizational Development
International Vice-President
Sophie Charrois
Organizational Development
International Vice-President
I joined the organization as a member of oikos Reutlingen in 2014. After 2 years of active participation, I took over the role of the chapter president and re-established our contact to oikos international. From 2016 to 2018, our chapter and its impact on campus multiplied and I’m proud to see how our projects evolved and how individuals from different faculties drive the organization. I got to know and love oikos as an international platform by participating in events like the Future Lab, the Spring Meeting and this year’s CEE Meeting – right after hosting the Germany Meeting with my incredible team. As a LEAP participant, I learned a lot about leadership and its deep relation to personal development.
The last years have been shaping my mindset towards a more holistic, systemic way of thinking with sustainability as a fundament. I currently contribute these skills and experiences to our new Governance Model.
Jakob Eberhagen
Finance and Fundraising
International Vice-President
Jakob Eberhagen
Finance and Fundraising
International Vice-President
Glad that you are interested in reading my biography! I was raised in a small town in southern Germany in the belief, that mankind has to work with, and not against nature. As it became clear to me, that finance is somehow the « funnel » through which our economic sphere is directed, I decided to undergo an apprenticeship at a local Savings Bank. As this experience has been unsatisfying from an intellectual point of view, I have continued my educational path at the University of Bayreuth with a Bachelors programme in „International Economics“. Fortunately, my paths crossed with this amazing students initiative called oikos, where I am stuck ever since then. Asides from being interested in topics related to putting the economy on a more sustainable trajectory, I have developed a weakness for French wine through some extensive bicycle tours through France. Therefore I am always in for sharing a glass and having a proper discussion!
Sarah Martin
Program Development
International Vice-President
Sarah Martin
Program Development
International Vice-President
My name is Sarah and I‘m 24 years old. I grew up in a small village with my family. We had a huge garden where I discovered nature as a child. Early I longed to get to know the world, so I did a High School year abroad, in Costa Rica and the US. After coming back I finished school in Germany. Subsequently, I stayed in Hungary for 10 months to be a volunteer working with mentally disabled people. After that, I did my Bachelors in Bayreuth studying Geoecology. Followed by my Masters in Environmental Sciences in Vienna and Copenhagen.
Benoit Pitsaer
Alumni
International Vice-President
Benoit Pitsaer
Alumni
International Vice-President
Benoît Pitsaer has studied at the ICHEC Brussels Management School. As the previous president of oikos Brussels, he is glad and proud to have revived oikos Brussels from dormancy. Part of that Brussels’ journey, he was very dedicated to promoting sustainability at a larger scale and to strengthen the network in his region. His fields of interest are change management, sustainable development, alternative energy and transportation. Based on his experience and his strong commitment, he wishes to continue making a positive impact and contributing to a more sustainable future through his involvement as an oikos board member.
Eva Spate
HR Development
International Vice-President
Eva Spate
HR Development
International Vice-President
My name is Eva, I am an Economics and Business Administration student at the University of Tübingen (Germany) and have been a member of my local oikos chapter for four years. From July 2017 to July 2018 I served as the co-president of oikos Tübingen. Originally, I am from Berlin where I also completed an apprenticeship in hotel business before my university studies. I am currently doing a gap year between my bachelor and master studies to get career insights into sustainable businesses. I would like to support businesses to become more sustainable in future.
Alexis Troup
Marketing
International Vice-President
Alexis Troup
Marketing
International Vice-President
I come from a farming background. Agriculture, gardens and animals have surrounded much of my life. As the farming faded away and I grew older, I became very involved within the community. I’ve helped with kids soccer, helped support other initiatives and donate food yearly. I took a huge leap heading to the big city of Edmonton, where I got my degree in Marketing and became heavily involved in oikos. Since my graduation, I’ve been able to work in my field while also putting on events educating others about sustainability as well as entrepreneurship.
Motivation Letter, Vision
Former oikos Boards
2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008,
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International Management Team
Lenka Kepkova, Curriculum Strategy Manager
Alexandra Horvath
Program Manager
Alexandra Horvath
Program Manager
Alexandra studied Environmental Systems Science with a major in sustainability management at the University of Graz. She joined oikos Graz in 2014 and is still engaged locally whenever they need help. In 2015 Alexandra joined the very first LEAP Advanced cohort and since then stayed engaged as a peer-coach until in 2018 she started to work for oikos International as a Project Manager mainly in charge of the LEAP but also part of the FutureLab team.
Mariam Patsatsia
Communications Manager
Mariam Patsatsia
Communications Manager
Mariam works on oikos communications and is taking the lead on streamlining all the updates from the oikos community. She studies International Relations with a focus on global governance and social theories at the University of Bremen and Jacobs University Bremen in Germany. She first joined oikos in February 2017 and has been part of the International Management team since January 2018. Before, she worked as a journalist covering political and social issues in Georgia.
J.Christopher Proctor
Curriculum Research Manager
J.Christopher Proctor
Curriculum Research Manager
J.Christopher Proctor is the oikos Curriculum Research Manager. He studied Economics, Political Science and History at the University of Tulsa, (USA) before enrolling in the Economic Policies in the Age of Globalization Master program (EPOG) at Kingston University London and the University of Paris 13. He is also a trustee of Rethinking Economics, and is a co-editor of the book Rethinking Economics: An introduction to pluralist economics. While at oikos, he published the oikos Guide to Pluralist Economics (which was translated into Italian!), and Mapping Pluralist Research. He is currently working to promote more research activities within oikos. His academic interests include economic history, institutional economics, transition economics, and Keynesian macroeconomics.
Clementine Robert
International President 2019&2020, Board 2019
Clementine Robert
International President 2019&2020, Board 2019
Clementine joined oikos in 2012, as a local member of oikos Reims, France. She then became president of the chapter for a year. In 2014, at the end of her mandate she was elected Executive Board Member and was reelected in 2015. This same year she joined the first promotion of oikos LEAP program. In 2016, she became one of the French alumni ambassador as well as coach within oikos LEAP. In 2017, she was an oikos Outreach Manager and was based in Bangalore, India. She also studied in Neoma Business School, and at the University San Ignacio de Loyola in Lima, Peru for an exchange. She got her Master in Management with a focus in social economy and industrial bioeconomy. She has working experience in both having worked in NGOs, co-operatives, foundations, governmental institutions, and working closely with social entrepreneurs in the field of green building and cleantech.
Adriana Troxler
Leadership Development Manager & Coach
Adriana Troxler
Leadership Development Manager & Coach
Adriana is the Leadership Development Manager & Coach at oikos. She has more than 17 years of professional experience in five continents in both private and non-profit sector organizations. She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from FAAP in São Paulo, Brazil, and an International Organization MBA from University of Geneva, Switzerland. She is also a certified coach and has completed her training at Newfield Network USA in 2015. She has co-created Leadership Programme (LEAP) in oikos and co-leads the programme with Alexandra. She is passionate about empowering and developing young leaders to create sustainable solutions for the world and is herself a mother of 2 daughters.
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What are the Working Groups?
Working Groups are highly autonomous and innovative teams composed of oikos members, alumni and supporters. They develop entrepreneurial approaches to organize the day-to-day operations of oikos.
Working Groups are chaired by the International Vice-Presidents and administered by the Management Team members.
Working Groups
Marketing and Communications Working Group
Marketing and Communications Working Group
The Marketing and Communications Working Group develops and carries out communications strategy of the organization. The group communicates about the work of the organization and related news. Currently, the main tasks include:
- overseeing the oikos website and social media
- developing relevant content for different communication channels
- developing the visual identity of the organization
Facilitator: Alexis Troup, VP of Marketing
Members: Mariam Patsatsia (Management Team), Asif Gurbanov (oikos Baku), Janina Hoffmann (oikos Reutlingen), Leticia Vargas (oikos supporter, University of St.Gallen).
Fundraising Working Group
Fundraising Working Group
The objective of the Fundraising Working Group is to ensure sustainable funding for the organization and provide innovative funding model of oikos.
Facilitator: Jakob Eberhagen, VP of Finance and Fundraising
Program Development Working Group
Program Development Working Group
The objective of the Program Development Working Group is to align oikos programs with the oikos vision, mission and strategic priorities. The working group is also responsible for setting up KPIs for programs and activities.
Facilitator: Sarah Martin, VP of Program Development
(Re)Structuring oikos Working Group
(Re)Structuring oikos Working Group
The Restructuring oikos Working Group is a special-purpose and task-oriented working group established by the oikos Board. Its objective is the further definition of the new governance modelthat was proposed by the Governance Working Group (WG) in 2018 by the means of the structures and processes of the network of oikos international, chapters and members. The group holds 6 committed participants from different regions and different oikos experience. It is jointly working towards an organizational structure that leverages the power of the community by strengthening interrelations on all levels. The WG started in December 2018 and presented an initial proposal during the Spring Meeting 2019 in Belgrade, Serbia. After receiving the confirmation of the community, the new system will be implemented as of Autumn 2019.
Facilitator: Sophie Charrois, VP of Organizational Development
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Alexander Barkawi, President, oikos Foundation; Founder and Director, Council on Economic Policies, Switzerland
Mathias Binswanger; Professor, University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland
Thomas Dyllick; Professor, University of St. Gallen, Switzerland
Gary Steel; Former Head of Human Resources, ABB
Mark Wade; Mark Wade, England