«I am committed to fostering global cooperation in civil aviation, putting safety, security, sustainability and innovation first.»
Practical Experience
Helena Hallauer-Hess has over 20 years of experience in civil aviation, assuming regulatory, negotiation, operational and management roles. She has worked for the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) of Switzerland for 14 years, where she currently serves as Head of Legal and International Affairs.
In this capacity, she is in charge of:
- international negotiations
- national legislation
- aviation security policy and
- cybersecurity policy.
In her successive tenures, Helena Hallauer-Hess has worked extensively with ICAO, contributing to various regulatory and security-related initiatives, such as:
- providing amendments to Annex 17 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation
- serving on the Aviation Security and Air Transport Regulatory Panels
- chairing the ICAO Cybersecurity Panel since its establishment in 2022
Academic Background
Helena Hallauer-Hess holds a Master of Arts in International Relations from the Geneva Graduate Institute, where she specialized in international law. Executive education in leadership, along with published work on aviation cyber security, further enrich her academic accomplishments.
Languages & Negotiation Expertise:
Fluent in German, French and English, Helena Hallauer-Hess brings substantial negotiation experience in both multilateral and bilateral settings as well as a strategic, collaborative and multilingual approach, which are key to consensus-driven discussions.
Last modification 28.05.2025
