Roger Federer Foundation's CEO, Maya Ziswiler, on their New Strategy and Achieving Philanthropic Impact
- Admin
- Dec 14
- 3 min read
This episode explores the work of the Roger Federer Foundation through a conversation with Maya Ziswiler, Chief Executive Officer, focusing on early childhood education, prevention-focused philanthropy, and long-term systems change.
Maya explains how the Foundation works to give children a better start in life through early and foundational learning, with the majority of its work concentrated in Southern Africa and a growing portfolio in Switzerland. In Southern Africa, the Foundation partners closely with governments and locally rooted organisations across six countries to strengthen school readiness and early learning systems. In Switzerland, it is developing an approach that uses movement to strengthen body and mind, with an emphasis on preventing mental health challenges later in life.
A central theme of the discussion is the Foundation’s data-driven School Readiness Initiative, including tablet-based learning kiosks and the Child Steps assessment tool. These tools support teachers, simplify reporting, and generate actionable data for decision making at school, regional, and national levels. Key milestones include nationwide adoption of the assessment tool in Zimbabwe and the handover of programme implementation to government authorities in parts of South Africa.
The conversation also covers the Foundation’s strategic transition, with a new strategy to be launched in early 2026. Maya reflects on the shift from a single flagship solution towards an early learning continuum, the importance of partnerships, and the role of catalytic funding in strengthening an underfunded sector.
The episode also traces Maya’s leadership journey from the private sector to UNICEF, UBS Optimus Foundation, and now the Roger Federer Foundation, alongside the opportunities and challenges of leading a foundation associated with a global sporting icon.
Fun fact: The conversation is conducted by Alberto Lidji, former CEO of the Novak Djokovic Foundation, who interviews the CEO of the Roger Federer Foundation, offering a distinctive and collegial backdrop.
About Maya Ziswiler
Maya Ziswiler joined the Roger Federer Foundation as Chief Executive Officer in September 2024, channeling her passion for education and social impact into reshaping foundational learning in Southern Africa. The foundation leverages educational technology and a dynamic impact management system to significantly enhance school readiness for over 3 million children through close collaboration with governments and local partners.
Prior to her role at the Roger Federer Foundation, Maya was at the helm of the UBS Optimus Foundation, where she significantly expanded the foundation's reach and influence. By the end of 2024, the organization had benefitted over 34 million individuals and secured more than USD 1.5 billion in philanthropic capital. Under her guidance, the UBS Optimus Foundation transcended traditional grantmaking, emerging as a leader in innovative impact finance solutions that mobilize new resources to support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in education, health, and the environment.
Previously, Maya managed public-private partnerships at the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, to deliver essential treatment, care, and support for HIV/AIDS and malaria programs across Africa and the Caribbean. Her journey also includes valuable contributions at UNICEF in Peru, where she built partnerships to enhance early childhood development programs, and significant project management experience from her time at Procter & Gamble focused on development and export markets such as Iran and Tunisia, along with non-profit consulting in China.
Maya holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Development Management from McGill University in Canada, as well as an MBA specialized in International Organizations from the University of Geneva. Multilingual and multicultural, she speaks English, French, Spanish, German, and even some Mandarin Chinese, embodying the global spirit of her mission to foster educational equity and social progress.