Willy Benz is a Swiss astrophysicist and Professor Emeritus of Astrophysics at the University of Bern. He is a world expert in exoplanet science, and his research focuses on the formation and evolution of planets, both in our Solar System and beyond.
He studied at the University of Neuchâtel, got his PhD from the University of Geneva, and then spent thirteen years in the United States, working at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Harvard University and the University of Arizona. In 1997, he returned to Switzerland to join the University of Bern, where he became a leading figure in the university’s space research and planetary science community, based at the Physics Institute.
He was the founding director of the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS, which brings together Swiss researchers in planet formation, evolution and habitability.
He was also Principal Investigator of ESA’s CHEOPS (CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite) mission, the first ESA “S-class” mission. CHEOPS was developed by the University of Bern in partnership with the University of Geneva and launched in December 2019. It measures the tiny dips in starlight that occur when an exoplanet passes in front of its star. This lets researchers determine planet sizes with high precision and study their atmospheres. Very soon, CHEOPS has contributed to more than a hundred scientific papers by a team of over a hundred scientists across Europe.
Beyond his research, Willy Benz has held senior roles in international science governance. He has served as President of the ESO Council and is currently President of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) for the 2024–2027 term. He is also known for his early computer simulations of planetary collisions, notably the giant-impact scenarios for the formation of the Moon and Mercury’s large metallic core.
For ISSI, Willy Benz has been, and will continue to be, a strong voice for international collaboration. His combined experience in leading missions, research networks and international organisations makes him well placed to guide ISSI’s Board of Trustees.
