Photo: admin.ch
The Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) has appointed Mathias Gantenbein as the new Deputy Director of the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA), effective January 1, 2025. He currently heads the Strategy and Command Support division there.
Gantenbein succeeds Martin Schmid Ding. Mathias Gantenbein (46) has many years of experience in aviation and management. From 2006 to 2011, the holder of a doctorate in economics worked at Credit Suisse in the aviation finance division. From 2011 to 2013, he worked at the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) in the special financing division for air transport within the economic affairs section.
M. Gantenbein. Photo: private
From 2013 to 2015, he headed the Federal Travel Center. Following this, from 2015 to 2019, he served as CEO of Bern Airport, and from 2019 to 2022, he was Managing Director and a member of the Executive Board at ISS Switzerland, a building management company.
Since August 2022, he has headed the Strategy and Management Support department at the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA). In this role, he also serves as Chief of Staff and advises the Director. He supports the management in organizational and strategic matters, such as the AVISTRAT-CH program for the redesign of Switzerland's airspace and aviation infrastructure.
Michael Saurer will succeed Martin Schmid Ding as head of the Services department. He previously led the Economic Affairs section and will assume his new role in April 2025.
