Ulrich Niklaus Willi Forster known as Ueli Forster (born 20 October 1939) is a Swiss businessman, textile manufacturer and majority owner of Forster Rohner AG, the worldwide leader of embroidery manufacturing, founded in 1904. He was a member of the Banking Council of the

Swiss National Bank The Swiss National Bank (SNB; ; ; ; ) is the central bank of Switzerland, responsible for the nation's monetary policy and the sole issuer of Swiss franc banknotes. The primary goal of its mandate is to ensure price stability, while taking econ ...

from 2002 to 2007 as well as the president of

Economiesuisse Economiesuisse is a Swiss corporate union, composed of the fusion of the Union suisse du commerce et de l'industrie ("Swiss union of commerce and industry") or Vorort, and of the Société pour le développement de l'économie suisse ("society ...

from 2001 to 2006.

Early life and education

Forster was born on 20 October 1939 in St. Gallen, Switzerland, to Willy C. Forster (1899-1964) and Doris (née Geret) Forster. He has three brothers. He studied economics at the

University of St. Gallen The University of St. Gallen (HSG) is a research university located in St. Gallen, Switzerland, that specialises in business administration, economics, law, international affairs, and computer science. It was established in 1898. It consistent ...

, where he graduated with a Licentiate.

Career

In 1963, Forster entered the family embroidery business, then known as ''Forster, Willi & Co.'' in St. Gallen. After the death of his father he took-over the management of the growing manufacturing company. In 1988, he became president and chairman of the group, after the family acquired Jacob Rohner AG, then the largest embroidery manufacturer in the Rhine Valley region, he was responsible for the merger to Forster Rohner AG, in 1992. Today, Forster Rohner AG, is known as worldwide leader in embroidery textile products. It is specialized in

lingerie Lingerie (, , ) is a category of primarily women's clothing including undergarments (mainly brassieres), sleepwear, and lightweight robes. The choice of the word is often motivated by an intention to imply that the garments are alluring, fashio ...

haute couture (; ; French for 'high sewing', 'high dressmaking') is the creation of exclusive custom-fitted high-end fashion design. The term ''haute couture'' generally refers to a specific type of upper garment common in Europe during the 16th to the ...

and

prêt-à-porter Ready-to-wear (RTW)also called ''prêt-à-porter'', or off-the-rack or off-the-peg in casual useis the term for garments sold in finished condition in standardized sizes, as distinct from made-to-measure or bespoke clothing tailored to a parti ...

. Their creations are used by several high-end fashion brands, as well as having been worn by officials, most prominently at the

Presidential inauguration A presidential inauguration is a ceremonial event centered on the formal transition of a new president into office, usually in democracies where this official has been elected. Frequently, this involves the swearing of an oath of office. Examples o ...

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

, where

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama ( Robinson; born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, being married to Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United Stat ...

has worn their embroidery. The group employs about 650 people in

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. Rohner stepped back from operative management on January 1, 2007, leaving the management to his children Emanuel and Caroline Forster. In 2009, Forster, his wife Erika Forster-Vannini and two partners, founded the carbon technology company Bionic Composite Technologies AG and has ever since served as its chairman. He was a former board member of Frisco Findus AG (frozen foods), Weavery Uznaberg and at Helvetia Insurance.

Economic policy

He was President of the ''St.Gallen Association of Commerce and Industry'' (1978 to 1986), member of the ''Chamber of Commerce'', 1987 to 1991, founding President of the ''St.Gallen-Appenzell Chamber of Commerce and Industry'' (1991 to 1997), long-standing President of the ''Association of Swiss Embroidery Exporters'', President of the ''Association of Swiss Yarn and Fabric Exporters'' and President of

(2001 to 2006). He was also a board member of the ''Swiss Textile Association'' (1994 to 2009) and a member of the Bank Council of the

(2002 to 2007).

Personal life

Forster is married to Erika Forster-Vannini (b. 1944), former member and president of the

Council of States (Switzerland) The Council of States is a house of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland, the other house being the National Council. As the powers of the houses are the same, it is sometimes called perfect bicameralism. It comprises 46 members. Twenty of t ...

. They have four children and reside in St. Gallen.Interview (personal) with Ueli Forster https://www.persoenlich.com/sites/default/files/interviews255.pdf

References

{{Reflist Swiss business executives 1939 births Textile companies of Switzerland Living people