New director of legal affairs
© 2025 Adrien Buttier - EPFL
Simon Brunschwig became the director of legal affairs at EPFL on 1 April 2025. He took over from Françoise Chardonnens, who will support him in his new position until the end of June 2025; she will then remain at EPFL as a legal advisor until she retires in mid-2027.
Before joining EPFL, Brunschwig served as general counsel at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), where his responsibilities included preventing and managing legal risks worldwide. He led a team of legal experts based in numerous locations and provided strategic legal advice to the organization’s highest governing bodies and executive body.
At the ICRC, Brunschwig also took the lead on complex procedures, represented the organization in its dealings with courts and coordinated multidisciplinary projects. Prior to joining the ICRC, he worked at Lenz & Staehelin, where he focused on public law and non-profit organizations. He has expertise in various areas, including employment law, data protection, intellectual property, litigation, contracts and corporate governance.
Together with his extensive experience in demanding, multicultural environments, Brunschwig brings solid expertise in managing teams, handling complex issues and providing strategic advice in situations with global legal repercussions.
Brunschwig will continue to benefit from Françoise Chardonnens’ legal experience at EPFL, as Chardonnens will stay on as a part-time legal advisor until retiring in mid-2027. Thanks to her support, Brunschwig will be brought up to speed on complex issues and will have time to focus on specific projects and contribute to strategic initiatives.
We wish to thank Chardonnens for her hard work and tireless commitment to EPFL over the past 27 years, in particular as the director of legal affairs since June 2019.