Published on 17 October 2025

Organisation and senior management of the SDC

The SDC comprises a humanitarian division, a multilateral division, a thematic division and three geographical divisions. In addition, the following services support the SDC as a whole: Foundations and Quality, Financial Advice, Communication Management and the Consultative Commission Secretariat for International Cooperation.

Senior management of the SDC

The senior management consists of the director general, the deputy director general, five assistant directors and one senior management member. They discuss and decide on matters of importance to the entire SDC.

Patricia Danzi
Ambassador, Director General

• About Patricia Danzi

  Patricia Danzi studied in Lincoln (Nebraska) and Zurich, graduating with a master’s degree in geography, agricultural and environmental sciences. She then completed a postgraduate diploma in development cooperation at the University of Geneva. She began her career in international cooperation in 1996 at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), where she spent 23 years working on three continents. She served as a delegate in the Balkans (Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo), Peru, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola. At ICRC headquarters in Geneva, she served as deputy head of operations for the Horn of Africa and as political adviser to the director of international operations. From November 2008 to April 2015, she headed the ICRC’s operations in the Americas, before becoming regional director for Africa. She became the first woman to serve as director general of the SDC on 1 May 2020.

  Before embarking on a career in international cooperation, she moved from Zug, where she grew up as the eldest of six siblings, to Atlanta in 1996, where she represented Switzerland in the heptathlon at the Summer Olympics. She remains involved in Swiss sport and is a pro bono member of the central committee of Swiss Athletics. During her studies, she taught children with learning difficulties and, shortly after the election of President Nelson Mandela, she worked for a time as a teacher in a South African township. As the daughter of a Swiss-German secondary school teacher and a Nigerian diplomat, she was immersed in a multicultural environment from an early age. She speaks seven languages and has two adult sons.

Dominik Stillhart
Ambassador, Deputy Director General, Head of the Humanitarian Aid and Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) Division

• About Dominik Stillhart

  Dominik Stillhart holds a master’s degree in economic sciences from the University of St Gallen and a Master of Science in Social Policy and Planning from the London School of Economics. He worked for over 30 years with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Following assignments in Africa, Central Europe and the Middle East, he was appointed deputy head of the Assistance Division in Geneva from 2000 to 2003. From 2003 to 2006, he served as country director in Sudan, and in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. In January 2007, he took up the global role of deputy director of operations in Geneva, with a particular focus on security and crisis management. From 2011 to 2014 he led the organisation’s human resources transformation and was then appointed director of operations.

  In December 2022, the Federal Council appointed him as its new delegate for humanitarian aid and head of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA). He took up this role on 1 March 2023 and became also deputy director general of the SDC.

  He is married with four children.

Nicole Ruder
Ambassador, Assistant Director General, Head of the Multilateral Affairs and Non-governmental Organisations (NGO) Division

• About Nicole Ruder

  Nicole Ruder studied earth sciences at the University of Bern. Her master’s thesis in the Sultanate of Oman sparked her interest in international relations. In 2000, she joined the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), which, after an introductory period in Bern, led her to a secondment to the United Nations (UN) in Lebanon. This was followed by assignments for the Swiss permanent mission in New York and the Swiss embassy in Islamabad. In 2010, she joined the team of former Federal Councillor Joseph Deiss during his term of office as president of the UN General Assembly. She then took on management roles in Bern, as the head of the Humanitarian Aid Staff Office and as head of the Global Institutions Division. In 2019, she was posted to Kyiv as head of international cooperation.

  In 2022, she was appointed deputy director general of the SDC and head of the Multilateral Affairs and Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) Division. In this role, she is responsible for institutional partnerships with multilateral organisations and Swiss NGOs. As a member of the SDC’s senior management, she shares responsibility for the management of the SDC and the strategic positioning of Switzerland’s international cooperation.

  She temporarily paused her career a few years ago to complete a Master in Public Policy at Princeton University. She is very interested in imparting knowledge, has co-authored two books on the UN and regularly gives guest lectures at various universities. From her studies in geology, she still draws inspiration from nature and mountains.

Christian Frutiger
Ambassador, Assistant Director General, Head of the Thematic Cooperation Division

• About Christian Frutiger

  Christian Frutiger studied languages, translation and political science. He later obtained an MBA in Communication. After several years as an independent entrepreneur, he worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from 1994 to 2007 in the Caucasus, Latin America, West Africa and Afghanistan as well as at its headquarters in various management positions. From 2007 to 2019, he worked in the private sector for Nestlé, most recently as head of Public Affairs and Sustainability. In October 2019, he joined the SDC as head of Global Cooperation and from summer 2022 as head of the Thematic Cooperation Division.

  As deputy director general of the SDC and head of Thematic Cooperation, he is responsible for the SDC’s four global programmes: Climate, Disaster Risk Reduction and Environment; Health and Nutrition; Water; and Migration and Displacement, and for the two cross-cutting sections Economy and Education and Peace, Governance and Gender Equality. Thematic work is at the heart of Switzerland’s international cooperation in partner countries at the local, regional and global multilateral levels. It enables Switzerland to focus its contribution to the 2030 Agenda in keeping with its interests and Swiss added value.

  He grew up in Unteremmental. Today he lives in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. He is proud of his family’s sporting achievements. His wife Dalila is a cold water swimmer, his son Noah is a football goalkeeper and his daughter Noubia plays in the top Swiss handball league. He himself has played football all his life and still plays for FC Collex-Bossy and FC EDA. Balanced, efficient teams are also important to him in his work. Such teams can tackle complex issues in a concentrated manner, set priorities, overcome defeats and, of course, celebrate successes. Successful international cooperation makes complementary use of Switzerland’s various instruments. ‘Team Switzerland’ helps people in need, promotes long-term development and at the same time contributes to Switzerland’s prosperity and security.

Didier Chassot
Ambassador, Assistant Director General, Head of the Europe and Middle East Division

• About Didier Chassot

  Didier Chassot studied international relations at the Geneva Graduate Institute. He began his professional career as a delegate of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for missions in the former Yugoslavia and Angola. From 1996, he worked for the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) in Bern, Strasbourg, Sarajevo and Ankara. From 2016 to 2024, he served as Switzerland’s ambassador to Venezuela and to Tanzania.

  As head of the Europe and Middle East Division, he is responsible for implementing country and regional programmes and for the Swiss representations in the countries covered. As a member of the senior management, he shares responsibility for the management of the SDC and the strategic positioning of Switzerland’s international cooperation.

  As a generalist, his professional career has allowed him to discover different horizons, contexts, people and challenges. In doing so, he has always reaffirmed his commitment and convictions, which consist of openness, solidarity, humanism and his attachment to Switzerland. A basketball enthusiast, he also enjoys diving, hiking and, of course, skiing. In addition to the Swiss national languages, he speaks English and Spanish and has knowledge of Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Turkish and Swahili. He is married and has three children.

Valérie Liechti
Ambassador, Assistant Director General, Head of the Africa Division

• About Valérie Liechti

  Valérie Liechti holds a doctorate in economics and social sciences and a master's degree in political economy from the University of Fribourg. From 2001 to 2005, she carried out research in Burkina Faso for the Interdisciplinary Institute of Ethics and Human Rights as part of an SDC mandate.

  In addition to her work in the field of international cooperation, Valérie Liechti has experience in the private sector and the accreditation of Swiss higher education institutions. In 2010, she joined the SDC as a policy adviser for the education and training sector. In 2017, she was appointed head of the cooperation office in Benin, followed by a posting in 2020 as head of the cooperation office at the Swiss Embassy in Egypt.

  Valérie Liechti started her post as SDC assistant director general and head of the Africa Division on 1 September 2025. As a member of the SDC's senior management, she plays an active role in the running of the organisation. She oversees the SDC's development activities and humanitarian interventions in around twenty African countries, most of which are classed as fragile or affected by armed conflict.

  Thanks to her professional career, both in Bern and in the field, Valérie Liechti is well-versed in the African context as well as the multilateral system. She also served as an elected member of the governing board of UNESCO's International Institute for Educational Planning in Paris from 2013 to 2021.

  She is married with two sons.

Arno Wicki
Ambassador, Assistant Director General, Head of the Asia and the Americas Division

• About Arno Wicki

  Arno Wicki studied political science at the University of Lausanne and international relations at the University of Miami and Complutense University of Madrid. He began his career at the United Nations in New York and Haiti. From 1997, he worked as a diplomat for the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) in Bern, Madrid, Geneva and Washington. From 2007 to 2013, he headed the Government and Industry Affairs, Europe division at the Zurich Insurance Group. He then took on leading roles in Swiss Humanitarian Aid and served as Switzerland’s ambassador to Chile from 2018 to 2022.

  As assistant director general of the SDC and head of the Asia and the Americas Division, he oversees the Swiss representations and SDC programmes in these regions. As a member of the senior management, he shares responsibility for the management of the SDC and the strategic positioning of Switzerland’s international cooperation. He also represents the Swiss Confederation as alternate governor on the boards of directors of the Asian and Inter-American Development Banks.

  He has gained a wide range of experience at the United Nations, in diplomacy, in the private sector and in international cooperation, which he brings to his current role. He has shaped Switzerland’s humanitarian policy at the international level, particularly in its cooperation with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. On behalf of Switzerland, he is committed to a humane and sustainable world. He enjoys sports, is married and has three children.

Markus Schrader
Member of Senior Management, Head of the Foundations and Quality Division

• About Markus Schrader

  Markus Schrader studied law at the University of Freiburg in Germany, the University of Fribourg in Switzerland and De Montfort University in the United Kingdom. He discovered an early passion for international cooperation in the 1990s when he was a member of a youth organisation that was involved in producing and distributing fairly traded organic textiles. He later headed the organisation’s European office between 2003 and 2005. Between 2005 and 2025, he held various positions at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), where he was responsible for issues relating to market access for products from developing countries. From 2010 to 2015, he developed the South Africa economic development cooperation portfolio in Pretoria before moving to SECO’s Countries and Global Affairs Section where he was responsible for ensuring the coherent design of country portfolios.

  Since 2025, Markus Schrader has headed the SDC’s Foundations and Quality Division and staff office. In the capacity of head of the Foundations and Quality Division, he oversees the SDC’s processes. He also ensures that the SDC’s work is properly planned on the basis of reliable information and therefore that its international cooperation work is effective. In the capacity of head of the staff office, he is responsible for preparing and participating in decision-making by the SDC’s senior management.

  Markus Schrader is a keen long-distance cyclist and coffee lover. He is married with two children.

Documents

• Organisational chart of the SDC

  PDF88.65 kB8 January 2025

• Portrait Patricia Danzi © SDC

  JPG509.43 kB22 April 2025

• Portrait Dominik Stillhart © SDC

  JPG560.07 kB22 April 2025

• Portrait Nicole Ruder © SDC

  JPG1.19 MB22 April 2025

• Portrait Christian Frutiger © SDC

  JPG240.44 kB22 April 2025

• Portrait Didier Chassot © SDC

  JPG800.97 kB22 April 2025

• Portrait Valérie Liechti © SDC

  JPG755.15 kB17 October 2025

• Portrait Arno Wicki © SDC

  JPG946.88 kB22 April 2025

• Portrait Markus Schrader © SDC

  JPG1.15 MB17 October 2025