Our team

Frank Kumli has worked at Basel Area Business & Innovation since 2019.

Previously, Frank Kumli worked ten years for Ernst & Young in various global and local functions. Before that, he headed the business development efforts for health ingredients at Lonza and as Director of Marketing & Sales at Carbogen Amcis accompanied its development from start-up to a multinational enterprise.

Frank Kumli completed his PhD in organic chemistry at the Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium) and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Colorado State University (US), a Sales Management degree at the University of St. Gallen (CH) and an Executive MBA at the University of Rochester (USA/CH).

Lucas Scherdel has been working for Basel Area Business & Innovation in 2021.

Previously, he worked in a number of digital and strategic roles in global and regional functions, including the European and global offices of the World Health Organization and the UK’s National Health Service. He also led the Global Coalition for Value in Healthcare at the World Economic Forum.

Lucas Scherdel completed his BSc in neuroscience in the UK and has a Masters degree in politics, philosophy and economics of health from University College London. In 2020, Lucas Scherdel was named on the Forbes list 30 under 30 for science and healthcare in Europe for his contributions towards healthcare.

Cécile Tardy-Srinivasan has been working for Basel Area Business & Innovation since 2021.

Previously, she worked at big pharma companies like Novartis, where she held various roles at country, regional and global levels. She brings a background in finance from working with EY. As a healthcare innovation consultant, she focuses on patient centricity and co-creating solutions among stakeholders of the healthcare ecosystem.

Cécile Tardy-Srinivasan studied Design Thinking at the MIT Sloan School of Management and holds a Master’s in Management from the EDHEC Business School, France.

Florian Saner has joined Basel Area Business & Innovation in 2021.

Previously, he was one of the Corporate Business Developers at Straumann Group in Basel, a global leader in dentistry. His responsibilities ranged from assessing and valuing strategic collaboration deals to managing the transaction process and negotiating final agreements, with a focus on distribution and M&A activities. He is also a member of the Innosuisse jury at the Medtech start-up training, named Business creation course, and teaches a course of negotiation and business development at the university of applied science in Delémont.

Florian Saner completed his BSc in Economics at the University of Lausanne (HEC) and Mannheim, an MSc in Accounting & Finance at the University of St. Gallen (HSG), is a Chartered Financial Analyst I (CFA) and holds several certifications in negotiation and sustainable strategies from the London School of Economics and Harvard Business School.

Ursula Costa has been working for the Basel Area Business & Innovation since 2022.

Previously, she worked in different roles in the field of neurorehabilitation, ranging from clinical practice, academia, and med-tech, where she held global roles. She brings extensive experience in patient experiences and working with different stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem.

Ursula Costa studied Physical Therapy and completed her master’s and Ph.D. at the University of Barcelona. Her focus is on staying up to date and has completed her education with certifications in the fields of Change Management, UX/UI, healthcare economics, business, digital marketing, and Agile Methods.

Frédéric Nicolet joined Basel Area Business & Innovation in 2019. He is responsible for the development and management of technology projects in the Canton of Jura.

Previously, he was Lead Sales Specialist at Bently Nevada, and he held various sales and project management positions at BKW AG in Delémont. He worked as a hardware and firmware developer and as European sales manager in the field of electromagnetic compatibility.

Frédéric Nicolet studied electronic engineering at the Haute Ecole Arc in Saint-Imier and completed his education with a CAS in renewable energies and had further training in coaching.

Sina Kohlbrenner joined Basel Area Business & Innovation in 2021.

Sina Kohlbrenner has been in leading Marketing roles in the international medical device and healthcare sector for over a decade. Her experience ranges from Marketing Strategy, Clinical Education Programs, Product Management, Business Development, and Sales Support. Sina Kohlbrenner has helped develop a nationwide US subsidiary for medical device distribution and expanded the direct contact with hospitals and caregivers. Returning to Switzerland, she used her direct customer experience to drive customer-centric product development, marketing initiatives, and educational programs.

She holds the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration with a focus on Marketing and Controlling, advanced her Marketing knowledge through a post-graduate Marketing Executive Diploma at the University of St. Gallen, and recently obtained a certificate in Digital Transformation in Healthcare from the University of Manchester.

Anca del Río joined Basel Area Business & Innovation in 2022.

She is a thought leader in global health and innovation governance with a passion for multi-stakeholder engagement and digital capacity building. Anca holds an international Masters of Science in Public Health and Healthcare Management (MSPH) and is pursuing a doctoral degree (DrPH) in the same field; Furthermore she completed the joint EIT Health Stanford Biodesign Fellowship in need-led innovation with the University of Oxford and IESE Business School, and holds several certifications in Health Systems Innovation, Health Economics and Strategy from the Harvard Business School and Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

Throughout her global career across Europe, the US and Australia, Anca wore several executive, strategic, and operational hats in organisations such as the EIT – European Institute of Innovation and Technology and its Alumni Community, EIT Health, Tirol Kliniken, and supported new business ventures in medtech and digital health by validating, developing and scaling up innovation.