Rebekka Strässle was appointed head of the sanctions division at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) in April 2023.

She earned an M.A. in English and American Literature and History from the University of Berne, as well as a postgraduate degree in international relations from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva.

After an internship at the Swiss Peace Foundation, Rebekka Strässle started her career in the field of counterproliferation at the Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection, and Sports (DDPS). In 2004, she moved to SECO, where she continued her work on export controls and the non-proliferation of WMD, specializing in the prevention of chemical weapons. In this capacity, she worked closely with the Australia Group, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague, and the Swiss chemical and pharmaceutical industry.

In 2007, Rebekka Strässle completed the international MBA program at the University of St. Gallen and was appointed policy advisor to the Swiss minister of economic affairs, Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard. In 2010, she became policy advisor to Federal Councillor Johann Schneider-Ammann.

In 2012, Rebekka Strässle was appointed chief of staff of the Swiss Border Guard, holding the rank of Lt Col. In 2019, she became head of the DDPS liaison office to the state-owned defence contractor RUAG.

From 2016 – 2019 she was an elected member of the Consultative Commission on Security of the Republic and Canton of Geneva.