Swiss National Bank (SNB) Enlarged Governing Board

Thomas Wiedmer was born on 23 September 1962 as citizen of Oberburg, canton of Berne. After his mandatory schooling in Muri-Gümligen, he completed the ‘Literargymnasium’ school in Berne-Kirchenfeld and obtained his school-leaving certificate (Matura). He studied economics and psychology at the University of Bern, completing his degree (Lizenziat) in 1990. In the following years, he was a research and teaching assistant at the Department of Applied Microeconomics in the Institute of Economics at the University of Bern and received his doctorate (Dr. rer. pol.) in mathematical economics. In 1994/1995, with a Swiss National Science Foundation bursary, he spent some time as a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of California at Berkeley (US).

After returning from the United States, Thomas Wiedmer was employed as a business analyst at Swiss Re. In 1997, he joined the Department of Finance of the Canton of Berne where he held the post of Deputy Secretary General and Chief Economist.

The Federal Council appointed him Alternate Member of the Governing Board with effect from 1 May 2000. As Chief Financial Officer, Thomas Wiedmer is responsible for Finance and Risk (Risk Management, Central Accounting and Controlling). From 2007 to 2012 he was a member of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, acting as a representative of the SNB, and co-chaired the Working Group on Liquidity.

In addition, Thomas Wiedmer is Chairman of the Foundation Board of the SNB vacation centre, hasli-zentrum, and a member of the Foundation Board of the Study Center Gerzensee. Both hasli-zentrum and the Study Center Gerzensee belong to the SNB. Thomas Wiedmer does not hold any board or consulting mandates outside the SNB.

Thomas Wiedmer has held a teaching position at the University of Bern since 2001, giving lectures on the topic of equilibrium, capital and growth. He has published a number of theoretical and empirically-oriented papers in renowned journals in different fields of economics. He was appointed to the position of Honorary Professor by the University of Bern with effect from 1 May 2012.

Thomas Wiedmer is married and has two children.