Office staff


	Gurdeepak Ahuja is engaged as the UIAA Office Manager. He has the responsibility for supervising the administrational staff and assisting the Board in all operational matters – including the work of commissions, budgeting & planning and communication. Gurdeepak comes from the town of Chandigarh in India. He obtained post-graduate training in Human Resources Management from the IMDR in Pune, India and an advanced Masters degree in Sports Management from the AISTS in Lausanne, Switzerland. He learnt about mountaineering at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi, India and is also a passionate mountain biker.
	Valérie Thöni is Coordinator for events and projects and is responsible the Safety Certification. She is French and Swiss, graduated in international law in Geneva and worked in fund raising, public relations, administration and project management for the UN and NGOs. Her first mountaineering experiences were in Chamonix . These days she is keen on outdoor/moutaineering activities whenever she has some time.

	Agnès Semelet is the UIAA Accountant. She was born in Geneva where she graduated in economics. Mountains have always been part of her surroundings and she still spends lots of her free time roaming the hills on skis or on foot. Her professional experience as an accountant has mainly been with medium-sized companies. Agnès lives in Bern with her husband and two children.
	Sophie Gérard is a Project Manager working in the team at the head office in Bern. She is responsible for managing multiple projects in accordance with the UIAA strategic development plans, with a view to expanding UIAA’s international activities. Sophie is from Strasbourg, France, where she graduated with a master in International Taxation. Currently, she is preparing a Certificate in Sports Management with IDHEAP in Lausanne, Switzerland. She enjoys hiking in the mountains and wishes to start climbing too.
	Alexandru Paun is the UIAA Webmaster based in Bucharest. His job is to look after website maintenance (IT) and development. As climber, he is actively involved in mountaineering activities in Romania with the national federation and the UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup. Alex's skills are in web programming. Phinjo Gombu is a Toronto-based digital media and strategic communications consultant focusing on the outdoors and urban affairs. As Digital Media Editor, his responsiblities include the UIAA website and building online presence. Phinjo has a lifelong association with mountaineering and his outdoor interests include canoeing, fly fishing, back country camping and hiking.