Federal Councillor Johann N. Schneider-Ammann was born on 18 February 1952 in Sumiswald (BE). He studied electrical engineering at the ETH Zurich, graduating in 1977. Mr Schneider-Ammann is married and has two grown-up children.
In 1981 Mr Schneider-Ammann joined the Langenthal machine manufacturing company belonging to the family of his wife, Katharina. In 1990 he became president of the Ammann Group. From 1999 Mr Schneider-Ammann was president of Swissmem, the association of Swiss of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and metalworking industries; he has also been vice president of the Swiss Business Federation economiesuisse.
Election to the Federal Council
Johann N. Schneider-Ammann was an FDP National Councillor from 1999 to 2010. On 22 September 2010 the Federal Assembly elected him to the Federal Council. He has been head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) since 1 November 2010.
