Bern, Press releases, 07.05.2010

Nicolas Bideau, head of the Film section in the Federal Office of Culture (FOC), will become head of Presence Switzerland (PRS) at the beginning of 2011. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) has appointed him to succeed Johannes Matyassy, who will take up an ambassadorship abroad in 2011.

Following the advertisement of the post and after careful consideration of several candidacies, the FDFA has appointed diplomat Nicolas Bideau as the new head of Presence Switzerland. Mr Bideau is currently head of the Film Section in the Federal Office of Culture, which is part of the Federal Department of Home Affairs. He will take up his new post at the beginning of 2011.  

Nicolas Bideau was born in 1969. After studies in Lausanne, Brussels, Paris and Beijing he obtained a degree in Political Science. He joined the FDFA in 1999. In  2002 he became diplomatic advisor to the head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs. From January 2003 he was advisor to the head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs during his presidential year. At the beginning of 2004 Bideau became head of the Competence Centre for Cultural Foreign Policy in the FDFA. In October 2005 he moved to the Film section of the Federal Department of Home Affairs. The appointment as head of PRS marks Nicolas Bideau's return to the FDFA.   

PRS is part of the FDFA and is responsible for Switzerland's image abroad, implementing the Confederation's strategy for Swiss national communication abroad. PRS fulfils these goals through projects abroad, invitations to Switzerland for foreign media workers and decision makers, the development and dissemination abroad of information about Switzerland and Swiss presentations at major international events such as Olympic Games and World Expos. PRS also co-ordinates Swiss national communication during crisis situations abroad.

For further questions:
Roberto Balzaretti, Secretary general FDFA, +41 31 322 30 03


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