Patrick Studer becomes the new CIO of the city of Lucerne – A digital new beginning!

Patrick Studer becomes the new CIO of the city of Lucerne – A digital new beginning!

Patrick Studer will be the new Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the city of Lucerne from January 1, 2026. This reported Nau.ch and further reports that he succeeds Markus Hodel, who will retire at the end of 2025 after 36 years of service to the city, including eight years as head of Central IT Services (ZID). Studer's appointment was approved by City Councilor Franziska Bitzi Staub following a consensual recruitment process.

Patrick Studer is 40 years old and has completed training as a computer scientist. He also has a master's degree in leadership and management as well as further training to become a chief digital officer. He is currently heading the system technology department and the data competence center at CSS Versicherung in Lucerne, where he is responsible for the stable operation and strategic development of the IT infrastructure.

About the central IT services

The Central IT Services (ZID) are a central point for the IT infrastructure of the city administration and elementary schools. The team consists of around 60 employees and supports more than 12,000 users. According to the City of Lucerne ZID offers comprehensive services that ensure IT operations and IT security for the city administration as well as for third-party customers in the public sector.

The ZID is divided into five main areas, which are as follows:

• Kundenbetreuung: Diese Abteilung ist die erste Anlaufstelle für Projekt-Anfragen und bearbeitet Störungsmeldungen über den Service Desk.
• Projekt-Services: Hier werden IT- und Digitalisierungsprojekte begleitet und stadtweite Lösungen eingeführt.
• Applikations-Services: Diese Einheit kümmert sich um die Betreuung und Koordination von Applikationen sowie deren Installation und Wartung.
• Infrastruktur-Services: Verantwortlich für die technische Informatik-Infrastruktur, einschließlich Datacenter und Netzwerk-Schutz.
• Zentrale Services: Verwaltung administrativer Prozesse und Unterstützung bei Druck- und Kopieraufträgen.

The ZID manages a total of over 5,600 workstations and supports up to 7,500 users, which underlines its central role in the city administration. With the appointment of Patrick Studer, those responsible expect a positive further development of IT services in Lucerne.

Patrick Studer lives with his family in Doppleschwand and brings extensive experience in the IT sector, making him a promising choice for the position of CIO.