austria
switzerland
Bernhard Heusler is co-founder and partner of Heusler Werthmüller Heitz AG, headquartered in Basel and specializing in the provision of services in the fields of business consulting, sports and culture.
After studying law at the Universities of Basel and Davis (California) and completing his doctorate in the field of constitutional law, Bernhard Heusler practised as a business lawyer specialising in M&A and IT law, first in New York (1995) and then in Basel with Wenger Plattner. From August 2014 until autumn 2017, he was a consultant at the Basel office of Walder Wyss AG.
Bernhard Heusler: A team wins. Always.
Since 2003, Bernhard Heusler has increasingly devoted himself to FC Basel 1893. Initially drawn to FC Basel as legal advisor to the executive board, he was elected vice-president of the football club in 2006 and, as delegate of the board of directors, assumed responsibility for operations in 2009. Under his operational leadership, FC Basel won the Swiss championship eight times in a row in 1893, reached the UEFA Europa League ½ and ¼ finals and qualified for the UEFA Champions League six times. In the course of assuming operational management responsibility, Bernhard Heusler became the majority shareholder of FC Basel Holding AG. In 2012, Bernhard Heusler was elected President of FC Basel 1893 (club) and FC Basel 1893 AG (public limited company). Under his responsibility, FC Basel increased its sales from around EUR 40 million (2009) to EUR 100-130 million (2015/2016). In the summer of 2017, Bernhard Heusler – and with him the entire management – stepped down and transferred the shares in FC Basel Holding AG to a new owner. Bernhard Heusler became the second Honorary President in the history of the club.
Bernhard Heusler has assumed the following responsibilities in the field of football:
- Representative of the Swiss Football League on the Central Board of the Swiss Football Association;
- Member of the Swiss Football League Committee (2010-2017)
- Club Representative in the European Club Association (2010-2017)
- Representation of Switzerland in the UEFA Club Competition Committee (2014-2018), and referee at the International Court of Sport (CAS/TAS) in Lausanne.
- Since February 2018, Bernhard Heusler has been active as a consultant to the governing bodies of Legia Warsaw.
In autumn 2018, Bernhard Heusler and his consulting firm were commissioned by the Swiss Football Association (SFA) to carry out an analysis of the organisation, structure and processes surrounding the Swiss national team in preparation for the 2018 World Cup.
In recognition of his activities and achievements with FC Basel 1893, Bernhard Heusler received the following awards:
- Basler Stern (2013), awarded by the „Sternen Komitee“ for outstanding achievements for the city of Basel,
- „Award for outstanding Leadership and Teamwork“ (2016), presented by the „World Forum for Ethics in Sport and Business“ at the 2nd World Summit on Ethics and Leadership in Sports in recognition of the values-based leadership and teamwork at FC Basel 1893;
- „Ehrenspalebärglemer“ (2016), awarded by the „Sperberkollegium“ for outstanding services to the city of Basel (since 1976);
- Honorary President of FC Basel 1893 (2017);
- Honorary member of the Swiss Football League (2017)
- In addition to his activities in the field of (football) sport, Bernhard Heusler holds a number of directorships in Switzerland, including the start-up company Picstars, an online platform for sports sponsorship and support for athletes; he has also been Co-President of the Swiss Sports Aid Foundation since May 2018 and has been co-owner and honorary member of the Board of
- Directors of Sm’Aesch Pfeffingen AG, a Swiss women’s volleyball team (Vice Champion 2017), since summer 2017.
Bernhard Heusler is President of the „Foundation for Sick Children in Basel“. He is a regular speaker on corporate and team leadership at business events, management seminars and academic courses. Bernhard Heusler is married and father of two children.
