Director of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)
State Secretary Helene Budliger Artieda, born in 1965, has been director of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) since 1 August 2022. Prior to that, she was Switzerland’s ambassador in Bangkok, Thailand, with additional accreditations to Cambodia and Laos. Until 2019, she held the same position in Pretoria, South Africa, with cross-accreditations to Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mauritius and Namibia. From 2008 to 2015, Helene Budliger Artieda was head of the Directorate for Resources at the FDFA.
In 2000 State Secretary Helene Budliger Artieda graduated from the Universidad Externado de Colombia in Bogotá (Colombia) with a Master of Business Administration (MBA). After graduating from commercial school in Zurich with a Federal VET Diploma in Commerce, she completed internal training at the FDFA as a consular officer.
Foto: © SECO
Tuesday, 17. March 2026, 18:30 – 20:00 h
At the University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 71, 8006 Zurich, KOL-G-201 (Aula)
The global situation is tense. Switzerland faces challenges unlike anything it has ever seen before. Its competitiveness is at stake and must be strengthened on various fronts. Added to this are external and internal government demands. What risks need to be considered, and what opportunities are available?