Executive Board of the FSVO

The FSVO Executive Board is made up of the Director and six Division Heads. They consult weekly on matters relating to policy, strategy and management support, and make joint decisions on them.

Laurent Monnerat, Director

From 2022 to July 2025 Laurent Monnerat was a cantonal veterinarian and Head of the Office for Consumer Protection and Veterinary Affairs in the canton of Jura. He held overall technical and administrative responsibility and managed the Animal Health, Animal Protection and Food Safety units.

From 2012 to 2022 he was CEO of Zoetis in Germany and Abaxis Europe and was also Vice-President for the Germany, Central and Eastern Europe region.

Prior to this, from 1998 to 2012, he held a number of international management positions at Merck Animal Health.

Laurent Monnerat is a veterinarian and holds a federal diploma from the University of Bern. He also holds a Master’s degree in economics and business administration from the University of St Gallen, and completed a PhD in bacterial genetics. He has been Director of the FSVO since August 2025.

Michael Beer, Deputy Director, Head of Food and Nutrition

After completing his degree in food engineering at ETH Zurich in 1989, Michael Beer undertook postgraduate studies in human nutrition, earning a PhD from the same institution in 1994. He then spent several years as a researcher in Canada.

After that, he held various positions in the private sector, latterly heading the nutrition research department of a multinational company.

In 2002, he became Head of the Food Science Division at the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) and was Head of the Food Safety Division there from 2006. Since 2014 he has headed the FSVO’s Food and Nutrition Division and is also Deputy Director.

Lionel Bertholet, Head of Animal Health and Welfare

From 2025 to 2026, Lionel Bertholet served as Cantonal Veterinary Officer for the Republic and Canton of Jura, where he was responsible for animal health, the coordination of veterinary services and crisis management. Prior to this, he worked at Zoetis Switzerland GmbH as Product Manager and then as Sales Manager in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, with responsibilities in the areas of marketing, business development and team management.

For over 15 years, Lionel Bertholet ran a veterinary clinic as CEO and Medical Director, developing both his clinical and entrepreneurial skills. During this time, he also gained experience in the regulatory field as a Border Veterinary Officer for the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO), then known as the Federal Veterinary Office (FVO).

Lionel Bertholet holds a degree in veterinary medicine from the University of Bern and an Executive MBA from the International Institute for Management Development IMD in Lausanne. He has extensive expertise at the intersection of animal health, management and public policy. Since May 2026, Lionel Bertholet has headed the Animal Health and Welfare Division at the FSVO.

Edith Honegger, Head of Staff Unit

After studying political science and economics at the universities of Bern and Prague, Edith Honegger worked as a research associate at the Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration (IDHEAP) in Lausanne.

She then moved to the Parliamentary Services of the Federal Assembly, where she remained for over ten years, mainly in the secretariat of the Economic Affairs and Taxation Committees.

In 2015, Edith Honegger moved to the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA, where she was responsible for staff and communications as Secretary General from 2018. She has headed the Staff Unit at the FSVO since November 2024.

Philippe Ankers, Head of International Affairs

After graduating from the University of Bern with a degree in veterinary medicine in 1989, Philippe Ankers worked as a researcher at the International Trypanotolerance Centre in West Africa. During this time, he completed a PhD in tropical veterinary medicine at the University of Bern.

He returned to Switzerland in 1997 and worked as a rural vet in the canton of Vaud until 2001. He then spent several years working for the NGO Veterinarians without Borders.

From 2008 to 2023, he worked for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in the areas of animal production and animal health, and more recently as Head of the North Africa office in Tunis and as FAO representative for Tunisia and Libya. He has been Head of the International Affairs Division of the FSVO since summer 2024.

Katharina Stärk, Leiterin Wissensgrundlagen

Katharina Stärk studied veterinary medicine in Fribourg and Zurich, earning a doctorate in 1991. She obtained a PhD in epidemiology at Massey University in New Zealand.

She gained further experience abroad as a project manager at the Danish pig producers’ association. From 2000 to 2006, she was Head of the FVO’s Monitoring Division and a member of the Executive Board.

She then became Professor of Veterinary Public Health at the Royal Veterinary College in London. She returned to Switzerland in 2010, working as a private consultant on international issues relating to animal health and food safety.

From 2019 she headed up the Animal Health Division at the FSVO, becoming Head of the Knowledge Foundations Division in summer 2023.

Massimo Quaglia, Head of Resources

Massimo Quaglia studied electronics and information technology, specialising in digital technology, new technologies and IT security. He completed his studies by gaining an Executive MBA in business management.

From 1992 to 1997 he was a database developer, architect and specialist at Six Payment Services. He then went on to head the Swiss Post team responsible for developing and modelling sorting and delivery software. From 2004 he was a project manager and application manager there.

In 2009, he joined Swiss Post Group company SecurePost, where he assumed responsibility for IT, logistics and quality management systems and became a member of the Executive Board. From 2013 he held the same position at Mobility Solutions AG.

In 2015 he moved to the federal government, where he initially worked as a GIS project manager at the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO). He joined the FSVO in 2017, as Head of its IT Division, and became Head of the IT and Logistics Division in 2018. He has been Head of the Resources Division since summer 2023.