Switzerland's top finance diplomat is leaving after just over two years in Bern. He had advocated for the Swiss financial center to more forcefully open itself up after banking secrecy was buried.
Joerg Gasser is leaving his job as state secretary for international finance in February, the government said in a statement on Wednesday. The 49-year-old is leaving government, the finance department said. It didn't disclose who would replace him.
Gasser stepped in two years ago when veteran diplomat Jacques de Watteville retired. His tenure was accompanied by Switzerland's adoption of data-swapping agreements – the result of abandoning its long-standing banking secrecy laws following massive pressure on Swiss banks.
Frequent Flyer
Together with finance minister Ueli Maurer, Gasser stood for a liberalization and opening of Switzerland's financial center, part of the alpine nation's efforts to reinvent itself after the fall of secrecy – for decades, its key distinguishing characteristic.
A skilled and experienced negotiator, Gasser was the top diplomat on several Swiss banking trips abroad, including visits to Asia and Saudi Arabia. He is also a vocal advocate for Switzerland's attempt to forge financial technology: he chairs a blockchain and digital asset group launched this year as part of Switzerland's «crypto nation» efforts.
