Forging Stronger U.S.-Switzerland Economic Relations: A conversation between Ambassador Pitteloud of Switzerland and Congressman Beyer

On March 9, 2021 the Meridian Corporate Council partnered with ServiceNow to host a virtual conversation with H.E. Jacques Pitteloud, Ambassador of Switzerland to the United States and Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA, 8) for a discussion on their vision for the future of the U.S.- Switzerland economic partnership, moderated by T.H. Mark Gilbert, Fmr. U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa.

Ambassador Jacques Pitteloud was appointed as Ambassador of Switzerland to the United States of America in 2019. Prior to his appointment, Ambassador Pitteloud served as Director General of the Swiss FDFA and was Swiss Ambassador to Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, and the Seychelles from 2010 to 2015.

Congressman Don Beyer is currently the U.S. Representative from Virginia’s 8th District. He serves on the House Committees on Ways and Means, Science Space and Technology, and is a Co-Chair of the New Democrat Coalition's Climate Change Task Force. He was the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1998 and was Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein under President Obama.

Throughout the webinar, Ambassador Pitteloud and Congressman Beyer acknowledged that combating authoritarianism and protecting citizens’ privacy is essential to global security. Ambassador Pitteloud warned throughout his comments that the United States and Switzerland are not immune to the allure of authoritarianism, and he urged democratic societies globally to unite to uphold democratic values. Congressmen Beyer echoed this sentiment and called out the absence of technology regulations as major culprits to the growing spread of disinformation, posing a threat to democracy.