Joachim Thraen
Managing Director
Life at FGS Global
Advises senior leaders on public affairs and geopolitics, translating political and regulatory developments into business strategy. Develops FGS Global's Public Affairs offering in Switzerland.
Life Pre-FGS Global
Started his career at Bain & Company in Switzerland before holding senior public policy and government affairs roles at UBS, Johnson & Johnson and MSD. Also worked in diplomacy and the WTO/UN.
Life Beyond FGS Global
Four children provide a daily masterclass in creative problem-solving and the art of persuasion. Enjoys tennis, skiing, music and exploring the world with his family.
Dr. Joachim Jan Thraen is a Managing Director in FGS Global’s Zurich office, further building the firm’s public affairs and geopolitics offering in Switzerland. He advises senior leaders on how political and regulatory developments shape business strategy, investment, innovation and corporate resilience.
He brings more than 15 years of experience across healthcare, financial services, consulting, government and international organizations. His expertise spans geopolitical risk, industrial policy, trade, healthcare innovation and stakeholder engagement, helping companies translate political insight into business decisions.
Before joining FGS Global, Joachim was Director of Global Strategy & Policy Development in Merck Sharp & Dohme's (MSD) Global Public Policy team. He previously held senior roles at Johnson & Johnson and UBS in Switzerland, including Executive Director and Deputy Head of International Government Affairs at UBS. He started his career at Bain & Company in Switzerland and also worked at the German Federal Foreign Office and the International Trade Centre, a joint UN-WTO agency.
In addition, Joachim serves as lecturer at the University of St. Gallen (HSG) and Oxford’s Saïd Business School on geopolitics, China, innovation and global strategy. He spent two years in China and is the author of Mastering Innovation in China (Springer, 2015) and co-editor of Successful Technology Clusters in the 21st Century (De Gruyter, 2026).
A Swiss and German citizen, he holds a PhD in Innovation Management from the University of St. Gallen, an MA in International Affairs from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy in Boston and a BSc in Economics and Economic History from the London School of Economics & Political Science. He is fluent in German, English and French, with additional proficiency in Mandarin Chinese and Spanish.
He lives Geneva with his wife and four children.