Boris Zürcher (*1964), Dr. rer. pol., Head of the Labour Directorate since 1.8.2013. Previously Chief Economist and Director of BAK Basel Economics AG, Basel. 2007 to 2012 Chief Economist and Deputy Director at Avenir Suisse, Think Tank for Economic and Social Issues, Zurich. 2002 to 2007 economic policy advisor to Federal Councillors Pascal Couchepin, Joseph Deiss and Doris Leuthard in the Federal Department of Economic Affairs. 1999 to 2002 Head of the Labour Market Policy Division in the SECO. After completing an apprenticeship as a technical draughtsman, studied for university entrance examination through evening classes in parallel with work, took economics and sociology at the University of Berne. Lecturer at the University of Berne since 2003.