Prix de Lausanne Board and Committees
Portrait of the members of the executive committee
Charles Gebhard
After earning a business degree in 1960, Charles Gebhard began his career in banking and finance. He held various management posts and joined the General Management of Jacobs Suchard in 1975. Since 1994 he has been a member of the board of private and public companies. He was President of the board of trustees of the Schweizerische Ballettberufschule (SBBS) until October 2002, and is a member of the board of trustees of "Basel tanzt" and of the Foundation Heinz Spoerli. He was appointed member of the Prix de Lausanne board in 1996, vice-president in 1997 and President in 2005.
Beth Krasna
An American and Swiss citizen, Beth Krasna holds an MS in Chemical Engineering from the ETHZ, and an MBA from the Sloan School at MIT. She spent 5 years in development, 10 years in venture capital, 10 years turning around industrial companies, and 3 years heading up an IT start-up company before becoming an independent board member (BCV, COOP, ETH-Rat, Raymond Weil). Beth Krasna joined the Prix de Lausanne board in 1985, and was appointed to the executive committee as of January 2006.
Patricia Leroy
Born in Paris from artist parents, Patricia Leroy studied Philology and Company Management at Lausanne University and took dance lessons as an amateur for many years. After teaching languages for ten years at college level, she was hired in 1987 as the right hand of the Director of the Lausanne Stock exchange. After it closed down, she decided to use her competence in the dance world and was appointed Secretary General of the Prix de Lausanne in 1992.
Wim Broeckx
Wim Broeckx has a long history with the Prix de Lausanne. He was a finalist at the competition in 1980 and returned to take part in the entr'acte during the Gala Performance celebrating the 20th anniversary in 1993. He has, in recent years, served on three occasions as a member of the competition’s jury. He enjoyed a long and successful performing career with four international ballet companies, most notably Dutch National Ballet, where he rose to become Principal Dancer and, eventually, Assistant Artistic Director. In 2002, he was appointed Director of the Dance Department of the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. He is known and respected throughout the dance community for his commitment to the healthy and responsible training of young dancers, and his determination to promote ballet and ensure its recognition as a profession.