Savannah Kessel (Lugano) is a senior development professional specialising in strategy, fundraising and institutional partnership for cultural and social-impact organisations. She holds a B.S. in International Trade and Marketing from the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, and an MBA Essentials certificate from the London School of Economics.

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From 2020 to 2024, she served as Development Manager at the Fondazione Lugano per il Polo Culturale, the Swiss municipal foundation supporting LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura, MASI Museo d'arte della Svizzera italiana and MUSEC Museo delle Culture. In this role she led strategic development, corporate partnership programmes and fundraising initiatives, reporting to the Cultural Division of the City of Lugano and the Board of Trustees.

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Since 2025 she has worked as an independent consultant, advising cultural institutions, nonprofits and social enterprises on programme design, partnership development and membership strategy across Europe and the United States.

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Savannah Kessel brings to the ARS Foundation Board a transversal understanding of the cultural sector across the Swiss, European and North American markets.