Events

The ECS Working Groups Investigation and Whistleblowing cordially invite you to the in-person event.

”Beyond the Zurich University Hospital Case: Whistleblowing, Investigation, and Practical Compliance Strategies to Prevent Failures”

Hosted by: ECS Working Groups Whistleblowing & Investigation

Location: FHGR Standort Zurich – Limmastrasse 21 – Zurich

Date/Time: September 29, 2026, from 5.30 to 7.30 pm

Speakers:

• André Plass, Whistleblower, formerly a senior physician in the Department of Cardiac Surgery at University Hospital Zurich
• Catherine Boss, reporter on Tamedia’s Investigative Desk, where she focuses on medical, economic and legal issues as well as other investigative topics
• Roland Gamp, reporter on Tamedia’s Investigative Desk. He focuses primarily on uncovering misconduct and shortcomings in the fields of medicine, the justice system and the environment.
• Anna Meyers, Executive Director of the Whistleblowing International Network.
• Patrik Mikolaj, Senior Group Investigator Manager at Holcim.

When conflicts of interest collide with patient safety, the integrity of an entire institution is at stake. The high-profile case at Zurich University Hospital exposed deep systemic risks, but what happens before and after the whistle is blown?

Join the ECS Working Groups Whistleblowing & Investigation for an insightful session as we look beyond the headlines. We will dissect the critical intersection of whistleblower protection, and the challenges and risks of journalistic investigations in comparison with corporate investigations.

Key Discussion Areas Include:

• Experiences with whistleblowing cases and how the narrative is often turned against the whistleblower.
• The Whistleblower’s Journey: How to effectively shield those who report cases in high-stakes corporate environments
• The nature and extent of the pushback faced by whistleblowers, and what advice would a whistleblower share with those considering blowing the whistle?
• The challenges and risks of conducting corporate and journalistic investigations
• Practical compliance strategies to handle whistleblower cases.

André Plass is a Swiss cardiac surgeon, entrepreneur and member of the Cantonal Parliament of Schwyz (SVP). He became a prominent whistleblower in the scandal surrounding the Department of Cardiac Surgery at University Hospital Zurich (USZ), raising concerns about serious misconduct and the use of unapproved medical devices. Despite being dismissed by the hospital, an independent investigation later largely substantiated his allegations, including findings of numerous preventable deaths. Today, he remains active in healthcare policy and the medtech sector and continues to speak publicly about shortcomings in Switzerland’s healthcare system.

Catherine Boss is a reporter on Tamedia’s Investigative Desk, where she focuses on medical, economic and legal issues as well as other investigative topics. Together with colleagues, Catherine Boss has received a Swiss Press Award and the Zurich Journalism Award twice, including for her investigation into the Nef case. She studied History at the University of Zurich, lived in the United States for more than two decades, and has worked in journalism since 1993. She has been with Tamedia since 2001.

Roland Gamp is a reporter on Tamedia’s Investigative Desk. He has worked in journalism since 2009. After studying multimedia production, he initially wrote for various local newspapers in Zurich. He subsequently trained in data journalism and spent several years as a news reporter at SonntagsBlick and SonntagsZeitung. Today, his investigative work focuses primarily on uncovering misconduct and shortcomings in the fields of medicine, the justice system and the environment.

Anna Meyers is the Executive Director of the Whistleblowing International Network (WIN). She is a United Kingdom lawyer originally trained and called to the Bar in Canada. She was Deputy Director of Public Concern at Work (now called Protect) and more recently worked at the Government Accountability Project in Washington DC. She also worked at the Council of Europe with the Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO).

Patrik Mikolaj is a Senior Group Investigator Manager at Holcim. He holds a degree in accounting and auditing from the Ekonomiká univerrzita v Bratislave in Slovakia with 13+ years of experience in leading corporate investigations and internal audit. Patrik has managed multiple high-profile internal fraud and misconduct investigations and breaches of physical security throughout Europe, Middle East, Asia and Latin America.