Simonetta Sommaruga served twice as the President of the Swiss Confederation in 2015 and 2020. Additionally, Sommaruga served twice as Vice President in 2014 and 2019. 

Simonetta Sommaruga was born in Zugin 1960. After obtaining her high school leaving certificate, she attended the Lucerne Academy of Music where she studied to become a concert pianist. After travelling widely across the world, she continued her pianist and educational career at the Fribourg Academy of Music.

Sommaruga became involved in politics in 1981, serving as a member of the Grand Council of Bern until 1990. Simonetta Sommaruga was manager of the Swiss Consumer Protection Foundation from 1993 to 1999 and president of the foundation from 2000 to 2010. She served as a local Councillor to the municipal government of Köniz from 1997 to 2005, heading the fire brigade and civil protection departments.

In 1999, Simonetta Sommaruga was elected to the National Council of Switzerland and2003 to the Federal Assembly’s upper house, the Council of States, where she represented the canton of Bern until 2010. She was on the Council of States Committee for Economic Affairs and Taxes, on the Committee for Social Security and Health, and served as vice-president of the Committee for Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy. She was also vice-president of the Swiss Delegation to the Committee of Members of Parliament of the EFTA Countries and for Relations with the European Parliament (DelEFTA/EP).

Sommaruga served on the Federal Council of Switzerland from 2010 until 2022. She served as the head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police from November 1, 2010 to December 31, 2018.  Sommaruga also served as a Member of the Swiss Federal Council from November 1, 2010 to December 31, 2022.