Jakob Kellenberger is a distinguished diplomat, humanitarian, and academic. He headed the interministerial division overseeing European integration for Switzerland, first as Minister and then as Ambassador. In 1992, he was appointed State Secretary for External Relations with a focus on European affairs, and served in parallel as Head of the Political Directorate. As President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), he led a period of expansion and enhanced cooperation with the European Union and its member states. He later became President of Swisspeace Foundation. Additionally, he led an active academic career, teaching for example at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, the Geneva Graduate Institute, and the University of Salamanca.