Annemarie Huber-Hotz (16 August 1948 – 1 August 2019) was a Swiss politician and senior public administrator who served as Federal Chancellor of Switzerland from 2000 to 2007. Nominated by the Free Democratic Party (FDP), she was elected to the office on 15 December 1999 and assumed the duties of the chancery at the start of 2000. Her tenure in that central government post spanned most of the first decade of the 21st century.

Life and career

As Federal Chancellor, Huber-Hotz led the Federal Chancellery, the administrative body that supports the Swiss Federal Council. The chancellor's office acts as a coordination and communication hub for Switzerland's executive branch: preparing Federal Council meetings, managing official publications and records, and advising on procedural and organizational matters. Huber-Hotz fulfilled these managerial and advisory responsibilities while representing the chancery in national and international settings.

Later roles and humanitarian work

After leaving the chancery in 2007, Huber-Hotz remained active in public life and in the nonprofit sector. In 2011 she became President of the Swiss Red Cross and, by virtue of that position, served ex officio as a vice-president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). In these roles she supported disaster response, public-health initiatives and volunteer mobilization both in Switzerland and abroad.

  • Federal Chancellor of Switzerland (elected 15 December 1999; in office 2000–2007)
  • President, Swiss Red Cross (from 2011)
  • Ex officio vice-president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
  • Nominated by the Free Democratic Party; worked at the intersection of administration, communication and policy coordination

For information about the institution she led in government, see the Office of the Federal Chancellor. Huber-Hotz was regarded as a pragmatic administrator who emphasized efficient government procedures and clear public communication.

Annemarie Huber-Hotz died on 1 August 2019 at the age of 70 from a heart attack. Her career spanned high-level public administration and humanitarian leadership, and she is remembered for bridging government operations and civil-society engagement during and after her time in office.