Association of Corporate Counsel’s country representatives for Switzerland 

The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), a global legal association that promotes the common professional and business interests of in-house counsel who work for corporations, associations and other organisations through information, education, networking, and advocacy, have appointed 3 country representatives for Switzerland. 

Christian Haitz

Christian Haitz (pictured left) is the ACC Country Representative for German-speaking Switzerland since 2020. He is currently serving as general counsel corporate and m&a of gategroup, a global company specialising in airline catering, retail-on-board and hospitality products and services. Prior to this, he supported Swiss Re, the provider of reinsurance, insurance and other forms of insurance-based risk transfer, in its global reorganisation from three to two business units. Until 2019, Haitz served as group chief legal & compliance officer and member of the group executive team to Heritage B, a family-owned industrial holding. Since 2003, Christian acquired extensive inhouse experience at Japan Tobacco International (JTI), Wild Group Management and Pöyry (now AFRY).  

During his tenure with Heritage B in 2019, Haitz was the recipient of Inhousecommunity Thought Leadership Award. 

Haitz, who was admitted to the bar in Germany, holds an LL.M. in International IP law  from TU Dresden / Université Robert Schuman Strasbourg, as well as an Executive MBA (Lorange Institute of Business / Ashridge). Haitz engages passionately for the Swiss law-making initiative on extending the legal privilege of lawyers to in-house counsel. 

Claudio Elia 

Claudio Elia (pictured left) is legal director at STMicroelectronics, the global semiconductor provider delivering intelligent and energy-efficient products and solutions that power the electronics at the heart of everyday life. Prior to joining STMicroelectronics, Elia acquired extensive in-house experience at Iveco (now part of CNH Industrial), Avio Aero (now a General Electric Company) and in the Brussel office of Legacoop. 

Elia’s professional and personal philosophy includes giving back in ways that make a meaningful difference to the local and global communities to which he dedicates his support. His strong believe is that if you don’t embrace the changes of your time, you most likely remain with the worst part of it. 

Elia received his law degree from University of Genova and is a lawyer admitted to the bar in Italy. He holds a Master in Law (LL.M.) and Business Administration from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law / Instituto de Empresa, as well as a master degree in EU Law and Economics from the  European College of Parma Foundation. 

Federico Piccaluga  

Federico Piccaluga (pictured left) is the ACC Country Representative for Switzerland since 2017. He is currently serving as the general counsel of Duferco Group and is leading Duferco Group’s sustainability activities.  Since 2019 he has been appointed non-executive board member of Wesii, an Italian start-up operating worldwide, that provides multispectral inspection services. In 2014, Piccaluga started his career as legal counsel at Duferco, he was later appointed as head of legal , tax and compliance at DufEnergy trading. In 2014 joined Dxt Commodities as general counsel. 

Piccaluga is a qualified lawyer with international in-house experience. He is a founding member and vice president of Swiss Energy Law Association (SELA). He also an active participant in a number of organisations including Swiss Bar Association and the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC).