Osvaldo Bernales, Chilean and Swiss citizen, born 1957 in Chile, serves as Board Member of VEFI since May 2011. He holds an MBA diploma from the University of Dallas, Texas, U.S.A. and is graduate from the Catholic University, Valparaíso, Chile in Foreign Trade. Currently, he is Deputy Head of the Group Trade Finance Center at the Liechtensteinische Landesbank Switzerland Ltd in Zurich. Previously, he has hold various leading management positions in the areas Global Trade Finance and Credit Risk Management for Trade Finance at RBS Coutts Bank, Zurich; Credit Suisse, Zurich; Bank Austria Creditanstalt, Zurich and ABN AMRO Bank, Zurich.  Mr Bernales started his banking career in the field of Trade Finance and foreign trade in 1978 at Banco Sud Americano, Chile and he has more than 30 years experience in the fields of trade finance and foreign trade.
 

Sal. Chiappinelli, Swiss, born 1963 in Neuchâtel (Switzerland) serves as board member of the VEFI. He is Co-founder and CEO of SFC Swiss Forfaiting Company Ltd, Zurich (Switzerland). Previously, he was Senior Portfolio Manager at SEI Capital AG, Zurich, a wholly owned company of SEI Investments, Oaks (Pennsylvania/USA) after spending four years at Finanz AG Zürich, Zurich, the trade finance investment arm of Credit Suisse Group. Prior to that he spent five years with UBS, Zurich where he began as a credit analyst and held various positions in the Swiss domestic and international trade finance as well as corporate finance areas. He held positions as VEFI Chairman during 2003 - 2011 as well as was IFA General Secretary for the period 2003 - 2009. Mr Sal. Chiappinelli holds a diploma as Master of Science in Economics  from the University of Lausanne (HEC), Lausanne (Switzerland). 
 

Guelten Dikmen, Swiss, born 1975, serves as Treasurer of VEFI elected in May 2011. She started her career in UBS in 1995 in Trade Finance. In 2000 she joined the Trade Finance Syndication & Forfaiting and since July 2009 heading this department. Guelten Dikmen is a holder of a degree in Business Administration (Betriebswirftschaft HF).
 

Joaquín Fischer, General Manager of Mercantil Bank (Schweiz) AG, Zurich, Switzerland since 1993, serves as Board Member of the VEFI. Previously for six years at Deutsche Bank / Morgan Grenfell in New York and Frankfurt as Assistant Director in Mergers and Acquisitions, and for six years at Banco Mercantil, C.A. as Manager of International Trade Finance in Venezuela and Germany. MBA from New York University in Management and International Business in 1987 and Licenciate degree from Universidad Metropolitana, Caracas in Business Science in 1978. He is member of the Boards of the Latin American Chamber of Commerce and VEFI Association of Forfaiters in Switzerland. He has been member of the Export Finance Advisory Committee, Central Bank of Venezuela.

Claude Lauper, Swiss, born 1973, serves as Board Member of  VEFI and was elected in May 2011. He started his career in Zürcher Kantonalbank in the year 2000 as Credit Risk Officer covering Financial Institutions and Countries. In 2004 he became Relationship Manager for Financial Institutions in the Trade Finance Area and in 2005 took over the Representative Office of Zürcher Kantonalbank in Singapore. Since 2009 he is the head of the Trade Finance Syndication Team back in Zurich. Since 2011 he is also heading the Financial Institution Group in the Emerging Markets Department. Claude Lauper is holder of a Master Degree of Economics from the University of Basel.

Stefan Vögeli, Swiss, born 1965, serves as Deputy Chairman of VEFI. He started his career in Credit Suisse in 1995 in the Export Finance Department. In 2007 he joined the Trade Finance Syndication desk and since May 2008 heading this department. Prior to that, he worked for various financial institutions and a leasing company. Stefan Vögeli is a holder of the Swiss-Certified Banking Expert with Federal Diploma.