Andreas Widmer
Andreas Widmer is an Associate Professor of Practice in Entrepreneurship at The Catholic University of America’s Busch School of Business, where he has been shaping minds since the fall of 2012. He also serves as the director of the Art & Carlyse Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship.
Andreas co-founded The SEVEN Fund, a philanthropic organization that promotes enterprise solutions to poverty. His extensive experience as a business executive spans high-tech, international business strategy, consulting, and economic development. He has held leadership roles at the OTF Group, Eprise Corporation, Dragon Systems, and FTP Software. His work has taken him across the globe, from the United States to Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, leading teams to bring over 100 leading-edge technology products to market.
As an author, Andreas has explored the intersection of leadership, entrepreneurship, and spirituality. His book, The Pope & The CEO: Pope Saint John Paul II’s Lessons to a Young Swiss Guard, draws from his experiences serving as a Swiss Guard for Pope John Paul II and his subsequent career in business. His latest book, The Art of Principled Entrepreneurship, Creating Enduring Value, released in April 2022 under the Matt Holt Imprint at BenBella Books.
Andreas’s contributions extend to various publications, including chapters in In the River They Swim: Essays from Around the World on Enterprise Solutions to Poverty and Free Markets and the Culture of Common Good in Springer’s Ethical Economy series. He has been featured in numerous media outlets, including The Financial Times, CNN, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and Bloomberg News.
His advisory roles include the Zermatt Summit, Transforming Business at the University of Cambridge, the Archbridge Institute, St. Jerome Institute High School, New Paradigm Fund, and SENT Ventures. He is also an advisor to the Rising Tide Foundation in Switzerland. In recognition of his contributions to the Church and society, Andreas was awarded an honorary doctorate by St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia in 2018 and the Pontifical Equestrian Order of Saint Sylvester Pope and Martyr by Pope Francis in January 2024.
A former Pontifical Swiss Guard (1986-1988), Andreas holds two business degrees from Switzerland, a B.S. in International Business from Merrimack College, and an M.A. from St. John’s Seminary in Boston. A dual citizen of Switzerland and the United States, he is fluent in English, German, Italian, and French.
Andreas argues that we have lost sight of the human person as the center of the economy, and that investing in employees is in fact the only opportunity with infinite returns. He considers his biggest accomplishment in life to have built a great marriage together with his wife, Michelle, and his greatest joy is seeing the character of their teenage son, Eli, develop and grow. He can be reached at andreas-widmer.com.
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