Biography
Prof. Dr. Georges-Simon Ulrich was appointed Director-General of the Federal Statistical Office by the Federal Council on 1st October 2013. He studied Business Administration in Switzerland, the USA (University of Virginia, Darden Business School) and Australia, where he obtained his DBA at the University of Southern Queensland with a thesis on Stakeholder management and communication. He is also Professor in strategic management and research methods at the University of Applied Sciences in Business Administration Zurich. Between 1992 and 2010 Mr Ulrich worked in private enterprise, holding various management positions in market and opinion research. From May 2011 to September 2013, he was Director of the LUSTAT statistical office in Lucerne, and from March 2017 to March 2018, Mr Ulrich was Vice Chair of the UN Statistical Commission.
The Director is responsible for managing the FSO while ensuring that the ethical principles of official statistics are applied to every aspect of its work, ranging from specialist subjects to personnel and financial and organisational matters. He ensures that the Office works in line with the Federal Council’s objectives and is able to face the challenges of the future. By implementing targeted objectives, and together with the board of management and executive members of staff, he puts into practice the FSO’s vision and strategy. He is in charge of the Office’s seven divisions and represents the FSO in important national and international affairs. In the parliamentary Commissions, he is answerable to members of parliament.