Markus Mäder appointed State Secretary for Security Policy

Bern, 22.12.2023 - At its meeting on 22 December, the Federal Council appointed Dr Markus Mäder as State Secretary for Security Policy. The current head of International Relations Defence will become head of the new State Secretariat for Security Policy (SEPOS) on 1 January. The head of the DDPS, Federal Councillor Viola Amherd, also informed the Federal Council that she has appointed Pälvi Pulli as Deputy State Secretary. For this role, the Federal Council has conferred the title of ambassador on Ms Pulli.

In view of the geopolitical situation, the Federal Council decided to create a State Secretariat for Security Policy (SEPOS) within the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS). The Federal Council has now appointed Markus Mäder as State Secretary. He will assume his new role on 1 January.

Mr Mäder, 52, studied History, Geography and Swiss History and Constitutional Studies at the University of Zurich, graduating in 1999 with a lic. phil. degree. From 1997-2001, he worked as a research assistant at the Centre for Security Studies at ETH Zurich. During this time, he also worked as a research assistant in the General Staff of the Armed Forces, and as a staff and liaison officer in a KFOR peace support operation in Kosovo.

From 2001-2003, Mr Mäder was a visiting fellow at the Centre for Defence Studies at King’s College London. He received his doctorate (DPhil) from the University of Zurich in 2003. He then worked as a security policy advisor and was the Deputy Head of Forces and Armament Planning in the Directorate for Security Policy of the DDPS. He went on to serve as Deputy Military Representative for the Swiss mission to NATO in Brussels. During his career as a conscript officer in the Swiss Armed Forces, he held various command and staff positions, and commanded Armoured Battalion 14 from 2008-2010.

In 2010 and 2011, Mr Mäder underwent training to become a defence attaché. He then served for four years in Islamabad as defence attaché to Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. From 2015-2016, he studied at the National War College of the National Defense University in Washington DC, graduating with a Master of Science in National Security Strategy. After serving as personal assistant to the Chief of Defence International Relations, he was appointed Director of International Relations Defence by the Federal Council on 1 December 2016, and at the same time was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. He was employed by the Defence Group as a civilian employee in this capacity.

As State Secretary, Mr Mäder will have overall responsibility for SEPOS, the State Secretariat for Security Policy. He and his staff of around 100 will help strengthen Switzerland’s security by ensuring a coherent federal security policy.

Pälvi Pulli appointed Deputy State Secretary

The head of the DDPS, Federal Councillor Viola Amherd, has informed the Federal Council that she has appointed Pälvi Pulli as the Deputy State Secretary of SEPOS as of 1 January. The Federal Council has conferred the title of ambassador on Ms Pulli for as long as she holds this role. She already holds this title in her current role as head of Security Policy in the General Secretariat of the DDPS.

Ms Pulli, 53, in addition to deputising for the State Secretary, will head SEPOS’s Strategy and Cooperation unit. Ms Pulli majored in Swiss History and English and minored in Political Science at the University of Neuchâtel, graduating in 1998 with a licence ès lettres. In addition to her native Finnish, she is fluent in German, French, Italian, English, Swedish and Russian.

From 1999-2008, Ms Pulli held various security policy positions in the General Secretariat of the DDPS and in the Staff of the Federal Council Security Committee. She then worked as an advisor on foreign relations, security policy and federal police matters for the Federal Department of Justice and Police. In July 2017, she was appointed head of Security Policy in the General Secretariat of the DDPS.

Address for enquiries

Lorenz Frischknecht
Deputy Head of Communication / DDPS Spokesperson
+41 58 484 26 17