RESUME
Mr. Robert HENSLER
State Chancellor of the Republic and Canton of Geneva
Personal Data
Mr. Robert HENSLER was born on March the 20th, 1952, in Geneva (Switzerland). He is
married and father of two adult children, a girl and a boy.
Studies
Mr HENSLER has obtained a Master of Law at the Geneva University in 1975. In has been
Attorney at Law at the Geneva bar since 1979. He also has a background in economy and
finance.
Career
1993
To-date:
State Chancellor of the Republic and Canton of Geneva. Mr. Hensler has
been appointed State Chancellor by the State Government on December the
6th, 1993, for one legislature (four years). He has been re-appointed every four
years, on December the 8th, 1997, December the 3rd, 2001, and December
the 5th 2005.
The State Chancellor has the rank of elected Minister. He is in charge of the
smooth functioning of State institutions. He attends the Government’s
meetings, enacts the decisions taken there and counsels the Government on
administrative matters. He is also in charge of organizing elections in Geneva.
1986-1993
Appointed as Director in the General Secretariat of the Geneva Ministry for
Economy. In this capacity, he was in charge of legal affairs, training,
relationships with trade unions and the supervision of Geneva Palexpo.
1981-1986
Head of the legal office of the Geneva Ministry for Economy.
1979-1981
Lawyer for the Geneva Business Union, the professional organization for the
Geneva industry, service and financial sectors.
1977
Attorney at Law at the Geneva bar.
Other activities
From 2009
Member of the Committee of the Geneva International Motor Show, the largest
annual car show in the world.
From 2008
Chairman of Palexpo Ltd, the Geneva congress center, exhibition and trade
show venue.
2003
Organizer of the first official internet-based ballot in Continental Europe. This
ballot was part of a pilot project of internet voting development in Geneva and
in Switzerland. The Geneva voters have strongly backed it on February the 8th
2009, when they accepted with a 70% majority to add this voting channel in
the Geneva Constitution.
1993
Coordinator of the winter session of the Swiss parliament in Geneva. This
session was the first ever to be held outside the federal capital Bern.
1
From 1991
President of the local organization committee for ITU Telecom World
exhibitions, held every four years in Geneva (with the exception of Hong Kong
in 2006) by the International Telecommunication Union, a United Nations
agency.
1990-1993
Member of the board of Palexpo Ltd and member of the Committee of the
Geneva International Motor Show.
Mr. Hensler is also member of various charities working in fighting poverty and incurable
illnesses.
Activities as of December 2009
-
Chairman of Palexpo Ltd, representing the State of Geneva.
-
Attorney at Law at the Geneva bar
-
Board member of various multinational and Swiss companies active in the field of
energy, watch-making, IT systems, electricity, construction.
**********
2