Maja Hoffmann
Maja Hoffmann.
Photo: Courtesy of Will Ragozzino/ Patrick McMullan.

The Swiss Institute has named Maja Hoffmann its new chairwoman, elected by the board of trustees. Hoffmann will take over in June 2016, replacing Fabienne Abrecht, who has held the chair position since 2002.

“I had hoped for quite some time that Ms. Hoffmann would succeed me,” said Abrecht in a press release.

“A visionary international philanthropist, she is at home in both Switzerland and the United States. Swiss Institute is fortunate to have Ms. Hoffmann become its Chair, and I look forward to seeing the institution carry on and expand upon its mission through her unyielding dedication to the arts,” she continued.

Fabienne Abrecht, the soon-to-be former chair of the Swiss Institute Board of Trustees.
Photo: via Freunde von Freunden

Hoffmann, a collector, founder of the LUMA Foundation, and supporter of the Swiss Institute since 2008, has long been a force in the art world. Last year, artnet News named her as one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in Art, and included her on the list of the Most Influential Women in the European Art World.