New ASIF Trustees
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the online ASIF Annual Meeting and AGM on 15 October. It was a great opportunity to update our members and sponsors about our recent activities and plans for the future. Thank you also to our members for voting for the Trustees. I am delighted to welcome two new Trustees, Simon Grosswiler from Switzerland and Geraldine Bonites from the Philippines. You can read more about them below.
Andri Phoka (Cyprus), Nadia Malliou (Greece), Prachee Bhosle (India), Julieth Buitrago (Colombia), René Bräm (Switzerland) and I were re-elected, and we continue to serve alongside Lillann Wermskog (Norway), Cassie Shafer (USA) and Tuncay Duruöz (Turkey). You can read about all our Trustees here.
Geraldine Bonites
I’m truly honoured to join the ASIF Board of Trustees and to contribute to a cause that is very close to my heart.
Living with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-AxSpA) — along with other chronic conditions that make everyday life more challenging — has shaped how I see the world. There are days when the pain can be overwhelming, yet I’ve learned to meet it with resilience and optimism. Each small victory, each day I can keep moving forward, reminds me why advocacy matters so deeply.
As a trustee of the Axial Spondyloarthritis Association of the Philippines (ASAPh), I’ve led awareness and community-building initiatives, including our World AS Day campaign, “Lace-up for AxSpA.” I also represented ASAPh at the ASIF Council Meeting in Colombia and currently serve on the new IMAP sub-committee.
Professionally, I lead Sage Business Solutions, an IT consulting and digital transformation firm — a role that has strengthened my leadership and organisational skills.
“My life has been a rollercoaster with more downs than ups, yet I am grateful for every dip, for they have taught me strength, patience, and hope.”
Through ASIF, I hope to amplify patient voices, foster collaboration across regions, and remind others that while life with axSpA can be difficult, it can also be filled with purpose, connection, and hope.
Simon Grosswiler
Simon is director of the Swiss Association of Ankylosing Spondylitis. His dedication to patient organisations spans more than a decade. From early on, he has been driven by the conviction that patient organisations can shape better care and empower individuals to live fuller lives. During his studies at the University of St. Gallen and University of California in Santa Barbara, he conducted research on performance measurement in patient organisations. This work deepened his belief that non-profits must use their resources with clarity, purpose and measurable impact.
Simon’s professional background extends beyond the patient organisation sector.
At PricewaterhouseCoopers, he specialised in healthcare auditing. Later, as a manager at the university hospital in Zurich, he was responsible for financial steering, negotiations with insurers, resource allocation, and strategic development projects. These experiences have equipped him with expertise in governance, finance, and international collaboration, paired with a personal commitment to patient empowerment.
Simon is highly motivated to contribute to ASIF’s mission of uniting organisations worldwide and amplifying voices of people living with axSpA.
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