Who are we

Andrea Arcidiacono

Born in Bellinzona in 1966 Andrea Arcidiacono establishes himself in Bern in the nineties, where he develops a plurennial and versatile experience in institutional communication, public relations and media between Switzerland and Italy.

After completing his degree in finance and accounting at the University of Saint Gall HSG and gathering professional experience in the private sector, he converts his passion for writing into his profession.

He takes his first steps in the media world at the editorial staff of the newspaper Corriere del Ticino in Bellinzona and later as a parliamentary correspondent for Corriere del Ticino and National Swiss Television RSI in Bern.

The passion for the political system pushes him to embark upon the communication and media world as a spokesperson of the Federal Councillors Ruth Dreifuss and Pascal Couchepin at the Federal Department of Home Affairs in Bern.

He specializes in the management of complex projects such as the creation of the communication and media service at the Swiss Italian University in Lugano and the auditing of the internal and external communication at the Federal Administrative Court in Bern.

From 2011 to 2015 he works at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) in Bern as head of the public diplomacy program «Italy/Expo 2015»and as well as head of communication of the Swiss pavilion at the Universal World Exhibition Expo Milano 2015.

2016 he is the head of the public diplomacy program «Gotthard 2016» on the occasion of the opening in Switzerland of the world’s longest railway tunnel. The once-in-a-century project NRLA has allowed Switzerland to establish itself as an innovative and sustainable country at the heart of Europe.

From 2017 to 2018 he works in the health at the Federal Office of Public Health in Bern as a spokesperson and consultant with a communication mandate for a fix term in the health insurance branch.

From October 2024 to March 2025, he worked as vice-chancellor and spokesperson for the Federal Council and later resumed his activities as partner and director of the company Arcidiacono Consulting Partners.

Pascal Coullery

Pascal Coullery was born on the 6thof October 1963 in Bern, where he grew up. After completing his degree in law, he earned a doctorate in law with a dissertation on the right to social assistance. From 1994 to 2002 was initially specialized advisor in the social insurance’s sector and later personal advisor of the Federal Councillor Ruth Dreifuss.

After three years as Head of the Legislation and Basics Section in the health insurance and accident insurance sector at the Federal Department of Home Affairs, he joined the Health and Social Affairs Directorate of the Canton of Berne in 2006 , where he served as Secretary General until 2016 and was responsible for the Social Affairs Department.

After two years as Chief of Staff of the Federal Social Insurance Office, Pascal Coullery moved to the Berne University of Applied Sciences at the beginning of 2018, where he has been researching and teaching at the Department of Social Work ever since. He is married and has two children.

Felix Rickenbacher

Felix Rickenbacher was born and raised in Zurich. He studied Business Informatics at the University of Zurich.

At UBS, he was able to apply and further expand his IT knowledge in various areas of the major bank.

Specialities were web-based workflow solutions for areas such as credit, treasury or IT procurement. In the Corporate and Institutional Clients division, he was also responsible for business relations with Swiss banks.

With the founding and management of Valebit AG, Felix Rickenbacher moved into the consulting business to implement IT solutions in the financial sector. Through the partnership at addexpert, the consulting business was expanded in the recruitment of specialists and executives