From Zurich to the World: Helping Millions to Weather the Storm

March 18, 2026

In this edition of Swiss Voices we speak with David Mueller who grew up on the outskirts of Zurich. He studied political science and cultural anthropology at the University of Zurich — not the most obvious path to becoming someone who helped deliver a parametric solution covering up to four million vulnerable people in Lagos from the financial impacts of catastrophic floods. But that's exactly where life took him, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

I left Switzerland when I was about 20," he says with a laugh, "and I haven't really stopped travelling since then."

Today, David is a regional technical specialist with UNDP's Insurance and Risk Finance Facility (IRFF), based at the UNDP Africa Sustainable Finance Hub in Pretoria, South Africa. His work sits at an unusual but vital crossroads: bringing together governments, international insurers, and development partners to build countries’ financial resilience to rising global risks.

A Career Built on Curiosity — and a Little Bit of Luck

David's path wasn't linear. After his undergraduate studies, he left university to work in Kenya and East Africa, then completed a master's in African Studies at SOAS, University of London. Following an internship with the Embassy of Switzerland in Nairobi, he joined the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) as a programme assistant during the 2011 Somalia famine. He later became a Swiss-funded Junior Professional Officer (JPO) at UNDP in Ethiopia, working on private sector development and engagement across Africa. For a while, he left the UN and spent time with an impact-oriented management consulting firm to get closer to the technical work he loved.

The back-and-forth between Swiss development institutions and the UN is something that makes his professional journey so special. "Through the JPO, I started to navigate both worlds," he says. "And honestly, the connection to Switzerland’s development policies— even after all these years abroad — is something I actively want to maintain."

Insurance as a Strategic Development Tool

When David describes his current work, he starts with a simple observation: "People like you and me have safety nets. Car insurance. Medical cover. If something unexpected happens, financial support is available to recover or rebuild. But for an estimated 1.8 trillion people around the world, even the smallest setback can be catastrophic."

His team at UNDP is working to change that.

The clearest example? UNDP has helped facilitate a landmark parametric flood insurance policy for Lagos State in Nigeria. The policy covers up to four million people across seven flood-prone districts. When water levels exceed a pre-agreed threshold — verified in real time by satellite imagery — funds of up to US$7.5 million are automatically released to the Lagos State Government within days, not months, to support relief and recovery.

The product was designed by a team of Insurance Development Forum member insurance organizations including AXA Climate, AXA Mansard in Nigeria, Swiss Re, flood modeler JBA Risk Management, satellite company ICEYE and African Risk Capacity Ltd. The premium is co-financed by the InsuResilience Solutions Fund and Lagos State itself, with the state's share growing each year to ensure long-term ownership.

In the event of a catastrophic flood, the insurance policy will unlock financing for disaster relief and direct cash transfers to affected communities in the seven covered districts, as has been outlined in the Lagos Flood Contingency Plan which was developed with the support of UNDP and the African Risk Capacity. UNDP is also supporting the Government of Nigeria with the integration of risk finance into Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) 3.0.

"The worst situations are the first few hours after disaster strikes," David says. "This policy means the government can act immediately — not wait for emergency budget allocations or loans."

"We've been able to prove that this public-private model works, and this project also offers a blueprint for technology driven flood-risk insurance that can be applied for resilience building in climate-vulnerable countries and cities around the world.

My hope is that our insurance stakeholders, including Switzerland’s big players, will scale up this engagement over time as we assist in creating sustainable insurance markets across the world."

Switzerland's Quiet Superpower

Ask David what Switzerland brings to global development, and he gets thoughtful. “It's not the funding”, he says — “Switzerland cannot compare to Germany or the UK. It's something less tangible but perhaps more powerful”.

"When Switzerland calls for a discussion, people show up. I saw this firsthand at the Embassy in Kenya. Switzerland has this incredible ability to convene — to bring together countries and stakeholders who might not otherwise be in the same room. That neutrality is real, and it's rare."

He also points to Switzerland's identity as one of the world's greatest financial centers — and the responsibility that comes with it. "There's a huge opportunity to pivot this financial tradition towards finance that is more sustainable, more aligned with climate and social goals."

"We also have four languages, 26 cantons, every reason to be divided — and yet here we are. Especially today, when the world seems to have lost its appetite for cooperation, I think Switzerland can prove that it's possible to do things differently."

Advice for A Young Swiss Who Wants to Change the World

David's career advice is a little unexpected. “Forget development studies for a moment”, he says.

"Build thematic expertise first. Study economics. Study climate science. Study actuarial sciences. These are the profiles that the development world is genuinely struggling to attract — because an economist will naturally go into finance, not into a UN agency. If you have that interest and that background, you will stand out."

And one more thing: learn languages. "If you want to work in Africa and you're Swiss, you should be able to speak French. I wish I had prioritised it more."

A Tip for Visitors to Switzerland

When asked what he tells colleagues visiting Switzerland for the first time, David pauses. "Go to Zurich, of course. But get out of the city. The country is small but it surprises you — every canton feels different. It's almost like several countries in one. And I think that's the exciting thing about Switzerland, and probably explains my own curiosity."