Secretary-General and Treasurer
Maps are everything for me – in my profession and as my passion. As far back as I can remember, I have been using maps: to find my way, to travel with, to discover new places and people, to learn from, to imagine the unknown, to communicate the known (information) and also simply to make people happy. There is no greater means of communication that even has its own language! Where it gets difficult to read and interpret large information sets in tabular or textual format, maps come in, sort it all and offer the gateway through which information – and increasingly data – turn into easy-to-understand, visual and compact information objects. To make sure, that maps are relevant and based on facts only, this is my profession. For twenty years, after graduating with a university degree and later a PhD in cartography, I have been engaged with the Swiss Federal Statistical Office – first as a scientific collaborator, then as Head of the Thematic Cartography Unit, and until today as Head of the Dissemination and Publications Section. Working for the office provided me also the opportunity to elaborate and publish unique cartographic products, for which my heart beats: atlases! A past president to the Swiss Society of Cartography and an active member of both, the Atlas Commission and the Commission on the History of Cartography, have allowed me to get involved closer with ICA and share my passion with friends and map enthusiasts around the world. Serving for ICA as a Secretary General and Treasurer is a duty and a privilege – and a chance to help move our wonderful organisation forward and let everyone discover: maps are truly everything.
Federal Department of Home Affairs FDHA
Swiss Federal Statistical Office FSO
Espace de l’Europe 10
CH-2010 Neuchâtel
Switzerland
phone: +41 58 463 67 31
e-mail: secgeneral@icaci.org
