Ursula Oesterle is Vice President (Industry) at the National University of Singapore (NUS). In this role, she builds industry connections and partnerships, advancing the University’s agenda in innovation and enterprise.

A seasoned leader in innovation and business transformation, Ursula has over 20 years of global experience in Silicon Valley, Europe and Asia. Throughout her career, she has built new business and driven growth by bridging academia, industry and startups to create scalable innovation ecosystems.

Prior to joining NUS, Ursula was Vice President for Innovation at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), where she led the university’s industry engagement and the EPFL Innovation Park, and oversaw the creation and growth of deep-tech and science spin-offs. Earlier, she served for two decades as Vice President for Innovation at Swisscom, heading the company’s global innovation and corporate venture outposts in Silicon Valley and Asia.

In both entrepreneurial and corporate contexts, Ursula has championed digital transformation and open innovation. She has designed and led programmes that help organisations embrace new mindsets, strengthen innovation capabilities, and balance operational excellence with long-term exploration.

Ursula holds a PhD in Physics from EPFL and a Master’s degree in Physics from ETH Zurich, complemented by an executive education at IMD Lausanne and the California College of Arts.