David de Pury (diplomat)

David de Pury (died 27 December 2000) was a Swiss businessman and diplomat. He served as the Swiss Trade Ambassador, representing Swiss interests at the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and at the Inter-American Development Bank. He served as the Chairman of ABB Group and as Chair and publisher of Le Temps.

Biography[]

De Pury was a delegate of the Federal Council for Trade Agreements in Switzerland and served as Switzerland's Trade Ambassador,^[1] and representing the country at the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in 1987.^[2][3]

De Pury succeeded Fritz Leutwiler as the Co-Chairman of ABB Group, serving in that capacity from 1992 to 1996.^[3][4][5] He later served as the Chairman of BBC Brown Hoveri.^[6][7] He held a number of government offices, including working in the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs in Bern.^[8] He represented Switzerland in The Hague, Brussels, and Washington, D.C..^[8] In the 1980s he served as the Governor for Switzerland at the Inter-American Development Bank.^[8] He was a board member of Nestlé, Ciba-Geigy and Zurich Insurance and Chairman and publisher of Le Temps.^[8][9] In 1996 he co-founded the wealth management firm de Pury, Pictet, Turrettini.^[8][10]

De Pury was Vice President of the .^[8]

In 1995 he called for a liberalization of the Swiss economy and was criticized for trying to "dismantle" the welfare state.^[8][11]

In April 1993 he spoke to university students at the Harvard Kennedy School about governmental and commercial issues.^[6] He was chosen to speak at the school due to his active role in the annual in St. Gallen, Switzerland.^[6]

De Pury died from cancer on 27 December 2000 at a hospital in Zürich.^[8]

References[]