Curriculum vitae

As Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs (FDEA), Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard is one of the seven members of the Federal Council, Switzerland's executive authority. Doris Leuthard is President of the Swiss Confederation in 2010.

The FDEA is the competence centre of the Swiss Government for all core issues relating to economic affairs and trade policy. In her capacity as head of the FDEA, President Leuthard is responsible for the WTO Doha Round negotiations. While Switzerland places a priority on multilateralism in its foreign economic policy, it defends its special interests through bilateral free trade agreements. At a domestic level, the FDEA's goal is to create the regulatory framework and economic policy conditions that enable Swiss and foreign companies located in Switzerland to prosper.

The head of the FDEA is also responsible for matters relating to employment, vocational and professional education and training, technology and innovation. One of the main aims is to establish a favourable environment for creating jobs by establishing flexible labour market conditions. Another priority is to ease access to the labour market for young people, women and older workers.

The Federal Office for Agriculture and the Federal Veterinary Office are also part of the FDEA. Through its ‘Agricultural Policy 2011', the head of FDEA Doris Leuthard is seeking to make Swiss agriculture more competitive by gradually opening it up to free market requirements while respecting sustainable development.

Prior to assuming her position as head of the FDEA on 1 August 2006, Doris Leuthard had been a member of the National Council for seven years and President of the Christian Democratic People's Party from 2004. During her time in the National Council, she was a member of the committees for legal affairs, political institutions, judicial affairs and economic affairs and taxation.

President Leuthard was born in 1963 and is a lawyer by training. She is married to Dr. Roland Hausin, a research chemist.