8 Pro-Business Politicians in Switzerland
Where do politics stop and where does business start?
The age-old question has not gotten easier to answer with time. Where members of government and parliament focus their entire career on political engagement, they often have little “real-world” experience. Those who maintain active business interests and management roles, sometimes open themselves up to suspicion of conflict of interest.
In Switzerland it is no different.
But for those who understand the fine line in between - and want to know who to engage with - these 8 Swiss politicans are known for their business engagement and influence.
Regine Sauter
Educated - like many business leaders - at the University of St. Gallen, Regine Sauter hails from Schaffhausen. Sauter (FDP) has served as a member of the National Council since November 2015.
Previously her extensive professional background includes roles as Executive Secretary of the Social Department of Winterthur, Executive Director of the Forel Klinik, and Director of the Zurich Chamber of Commerce since 2012. She also sits on the executive committee of the influential economic think-tank Economiesuisse.
In her role as president of H+, the association of Swiss hospitals, Sauter has been closely involved in the health industry.
Andri Silberschmidt
One of the younger faces among business-friendly politicians in Switzerland, Andri Silberschmidt, represents FDP in the lower house of the Swiss parliament. He is also Vice-President of the party.
Silberschmidt has served as a member of the Nationalrat since 2019, where he focuses on economic policies that support startups His dual experience in entrepreneurship and politics positions him as a significant advocate for Swiss businesses.
Himself an entrepreneur, Silberschmidt co-founded kaisin. AG, a company specializing in healthy fast food.
Ruedi Noser
A member of the FDP-Liberal party, Ruedi Noser is one of the more widely active Swiss politicians in the business scene.
He served as a member of the National Council from 2003 to 2015 and as a member of the Council of States from 2015 to 2023, representing the canton of Zurich.
Over his career, Noser served as board chairman at Esmertec AG (now Myriad, 2006–2008) and held board roles in tech and engineering bodies: Swiss Engineering, ICTswitzerland (president 2009–2017), Economiesuisse, and Zurich Chamber of Commerce.
In his political engagements, Noser has been known for his focus on liberal, low-regulation policies. Some have found fault with this stance in light of his role as a board member at Credit Suisse Asset Management.
Carmen Walker-Späh
Carmen Walker-Späh has been a member of the Government Council of the Canton of Zurich since 2015, leading the Department for Economic Affairs.
Besides leading the DEA for the most populous city in Switzerland, Walker-Späh has been highly engaged attracting business to the area, including through the development of the Innovation Park Zurich in Dübendorf, which boasts Starlab Space as one of its newest locators.
Walker-Späh also sits on several boards including: Flughafen Zürich AG, Axpo Holding AG, Technopark Foundation, Greater Zurich Area Foundation, Swiss Innovation Park Foundation, Swiss Blockchain Federation, among others.
Guy Parmelin
A He has been serving as a Federal Councillor since 2016 and currently heads the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education, and Research.
As Minister for Economic Affairs, Parmelin has played a prominent role in the finalization of two key trade agreements - between Switzerland and India as well as the so-called Mecrusor deal.
Prior to being responsible for the Swiss economy, Parmelin was more locally engaged, as a director for Fenaco, the local agribusiness cooperative in his native canton of Vaud.
Magdalena Martullo-Blocher
Magdalena Martullo-Blocher, daughter of SVP founder and patriarch Christoph Blocher is one of the leading “business voices” of Switzerland’s largest political party.
She is herself also a businesswoman as the CEO of Ems-Chemie Holding AG. She has served as a member of the National Council since 2015.
Despite her pro-business stance and direct engagement, Martullo-Blocher has also strongly defended her party’s anti-immigration policies, claiming that even EU workers coming into the country are “taking jobs from the Swiss.”
Eric Nussbaumer
On the left side of the political spectrum, there is Eric Nussbaume an SP member of the National Council since 2007 representing the canton of Basel-Landschaft.
As chair (and previously a director) at regional energy cooperative ADEV, Nussbaumer focuses on energy and economic policies that support sustainable development. He was part of the parliamentary group working Switzerland’s Energy 2050 strategic plan for energy transformation.
He is also a board member at Petrus Real Estate AG, SmartGridReady, Swiss e-Mobility, and Green Datacenter AG.
Jacqueline Badran
Also from socialist SP, Jacqueline Badran, is a member of the National Council where she has served for over 14 years. She represents the canton of Zurich.
In parliament, Badran sits on the influential Committee for the Economy and Tarrifs. She also helps represent Switzerland in the parliament’s delegation to the OECD.
Badran has been closely involved in the business of housing - a hot topic in the city of Zurich where apartments are a scarcity.
She is also the CEO of Zeix AG, a design agency which she founded in 2000.