Johann Schneider-Ammann Biography: Age, Politics, Net Worth, Leadership, Siblings, Wife, Ethnicity, Children

Johann Schneider-Ammann is a Swiss industrialist-turned-politician who became internationally recognizable during his time on Switzerland’s seven-member Federal Council, where he led the country’s economy portfolio and served as President of the Swiss Confederation in 2016.

Before entering government, he was already a prominent figure in Swiss industry through long-running leadership roles linked to the Ammann Group, and his shift from boardroom to cabinet made him an unusual case in a political system more often associated with career politicians.

Profile

• Full name: Johann Niklaus Schneider-Ammann
• Date of birth: 18 February 1952
• Age: 74 years old
• Gender: Male
• Place of birth: Sumiswald, Canton of Bern, Switzerland
• State of origin: Canton of Bern, Switzerland
• Nationality: Swiss
• Profession: Businessman, electrical engineer, politician
• Parents: Ernst Schneider (father); Elisabeth Schneider (née Hofmann) (mother)
• Siblings: Four siblings
• Spouse: Katharina Ammann (married 1978)
• Children: Hans-Christian Schneider; Daniela Schneider (also known as Daniela Aeschlimann-Schneider)
• Relationship status: Married
• Religion: Christian
• Ethnicity: Swiss
• Net worth: CHF 650 million

Early Life and Education

Schneider-Ammann is now 73 years old. He was born on 18 February 1952 in Sumiswald, in the Emmental area of the Canton of Bern. His father, Ernst Schneider, worked as a veterinarian, and his mother was Elisabeth Schneider (née Hofmann). He has four siblings.

His academic background is rooted in engineering. He studied electrical engineering at ETH Zürich and completed his engineering qualification in 1977. Later, he earned a Master of Business Administration from INSEAD.

Personal Life

Johann Schneider-Ammann married Katharina Ammann in 1978. She is a veterinarian, and she is linked to the Ammann industrial family through her father, Ulrich Ammann, who is widely described as a key owner and leader in the Ammann Group before the next generation took over.

The couple have two children. Their son Hans-Christian Schneider later became publicly associated with the Ammann Group’s management as part of the generational transition. Their daughter is Daniela Schneider.

Career

Johann Schneider-Ammann’s career is best understood as two long chapters: industry first, then national politics.

Engineering and Industrial Leadership:

After finishing at ETH Zürich, he worked as a project manager at Oerlikon-Bührle from 1978 to 1981. Soon after, he moved into the industrial machinery business connected to his wife’s family in Langenthal—Ammann—where he rose steadily through leadership and became a central figure in the group’s modern era.

He is widely described as leading the Ammann Group for about two decades, including the period from 1990 to 2010, before stepping away from direct leadership when he entered the Federal Council. Along the way, he also held a number of board roles in Swiss industry.

Entry into National Politics:

The political chapter began with parliamentary work. He served as a member of the Swiss National Council beginning in 1999 and remained there until 2010. In that period he was identified with Switzerland’s liberal political tradition through the Free Democratic Party/FDP.

On 1 November 2010, Schneider-Ammann joined Switzerland’s Federal Council and took charge of the federal department responsible for the economy (later including education and research in the department’s name and structure).

This role placed him at the center of Switzerland’s economic diplomacy, trade policy, innovation agenda, and employer–employee policy debates.

He served as Vice President of Switzerland in 2015 and then as President of the Swiss Confederation in 2016, a one-year rotating presidency that functions as a “first among equals” role within Switzerland’s collective executive.

He remained in the Federal Council through the end of 2018, after which he stepped down and returned to private life while retaining a public profile through occasional speaking and institutional engagements.

Net Worth

Johann Schneider-Ammann’s net worth is approximately CHF 650 million (family wealth estimate). Schneider-Ammann’s wealth is most often discussed in Switzerland in family-wealth terms rather than as a standalone, audited personal figure.

The core source of that wealth is long-term ownership and leadership ties to Swiss industrial businesses, particularly the Ammann Group’s machine and construction-equipment activities.

Social Media

• N/A