1963–73
Lived in Tokyo
1967–73
Primary education at the German School of Tokyo
1973–78
Primary and secondary school in Winterberg and Grafstal, canton of Zurich
1979–82
Cantonal school in Winterthur, Academic Baccalaureate
1983–88
Master’s degree in law from the University of Zurich Thesis on ‘The welfare rights of foreign nationals in Switzerland’ under Professor D. Thürer
Worked during studies for Weber Cie. Zurich, responsible for developing the computerisation of vending machine repairs and accounting
1988–91
Legal clerk at the Horgen District Court with a focus on juvenile criminal law, inheritance law and bankruptcy law; chairperson of the arbitration service for tenancy disputes, chairperson of the arbitration service for labour disputes
1991
Joined the Swiss diplomatic service at the Federal Department for Foreign Affairs, internship in the International Law section
1992
Attaché at the Embassy of Switzerland in Morocco (Rabat)
1993–97
Deputy head of the Human Rights section (duties: developing a dialogue on human rights with China; author of the dispatch on the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women; member of the Swiss delegation to the 1995 World Conference on Women in Beijing)
1997–2001
Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Switzerland in Ireland (Dublin), with the title of Counsellor of the Embassy (position shared with husband)
2001–03
Head of the Human Rights Policy section (position shared with husband; focus on Asia)
2004
Staff position working for the head of the Human Security section (focus on communication and events)
2004–06
Vice director of the International Law directorate, head of the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law section
2007–09
Deputy director of the International Law directorate, with the title of Ambassador
2009–15
Swiss ambassador to Thailand
2015–18
Swiss ambassador to Germany
2018–22
UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Myanmar, with the title of Under-Secretary-General
2004–09
Secretary of the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission (IHFFC); head of the Interdepartmental Working Group on Combating Terrorism; member of the Swiss Coordination Unit against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (KSMM), an interdepartmental working group within the Federal Department for Justice and Police (FDJP); co-president of the International Conference on the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Dublin (2008).
Other information:
2000
Joint organiser of the Conference for Female Lawyers in Switzerland(Feministische Juristinnen-Tagung Schweiz)
2004–07
President of the Staff Association of the Swiss Confederation (Personalverband des Bundes PVB), FDFA Section
2005–08
Member of the parents’ council of Spitalacker School, Bern
2006–09
Violinist in the amateur orchestra ‘Instrumentalkollegium Bern’