Gaudenz Silberschmidt is Director, Health and Multilateral Partnerships of the World Health Organization (WHO) since May 2019 where is also responsible for private sector, civil society, multilateral and parliamentary engagement. He was also responsible for the creation of a WHO Foundation, the Solidary Response Fund and the Global Youth Mobilization.

Gaudenz joined WHO in 2012 to advice the Director-General on reform issues. He was appointed Director for Partnerships and Non-State Actors in 2015 acted as Director ai Coordinated Resource Mobilization. Before joining WHO he headed as Ambassador the International Affairs Division of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health. He represented Switzerland as member of the Executive Board of WHO where he has also chaired several negotiations during the World Health Assembly and is a former member of the bureau of the OECD health committee. He received his medical degree from the University of Zurich; holds a master’s degree in international relations from the University of St. Gallen and a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Public Health of the Swiss Tropical Institute in Basel.