Board
Mahi Klosterhalfen
President of the Board
Mahi Klosterhalfen first came into contact with Wolfgang Schindler, the founder of the Albert Schweitzer Foundation, as part of his commitment to animal welfare as a student.
After completing his business studies, Klosterhalfen built up the Albert Schweitzer Foundation – initially on a voluntary basis. Schindler placed his succession in the hands of Klosterhalfen, who first took on the role of Vice President and later that of President.
Mahi Klosterhalfen has good contacts with the international animal protection and animal rights movements. He thinks and acts with a strong focus on impact, which has contributed to the Albert Schweitzer Foundation playing a key role in achieving milestones in animal welfare. These include the abolition of cage farming for laying hens and the phasing out of beak trimming.
Ria Rehberg
Board Member
A key experience during her studies in Intercultural Communication prompted Ria Rehberg to dedicate her life to the protection of animals. Since then, she has worked for six years as Co-Executive Director of Animal Equality Germany, a non-profit organization that exposes the conditions in factory farming through research and public relations work. Since 2019, Ria Rehberg has been CEO of the international NGO and campaign “Veganuary” – an initiative that encourages people to come together and try a vegan diet as a New Year's resolution in January. Every year, millions of people and thousands of companies take part in this campaign.
Ria Rehberg also volunteers as a board member of Compassion in World Farming International and takes the dogs from the local animal shelter on walks through the countryside in her spare time.
Thorsten Dietz
Board Member
Thorsten Dietz is a fully qualified lawyer. He worked for several years as a lawyer and investment banker in New York. For more than 20 years, he has worked for a leading German financial services provider, where he held senior roles in sales, products, HR, compliance, operations and IT. He is currently Chief Operating Officer (COO) for an international business segment. He has been an activist for animals since his youth. Thorsten Dietz is vegan for ethical reasons. He has experience as a former member of the board of a non-profit association that supports seriously ill children and is a volunteer crisis counselor at a children's hospice.
