Our team
Elisabeth Tripod-Fatio
Founding partner
An expert in strategic communications consulting, public relations and public affairs, Elisabeth Tripod-Fatio now heads the agency she founded in 2017.
With a solid experience in both the private and public sectors, she has worked in communications agencies such as Trimedia, CSM and Cabinet Privé de Conseils as Senior Account Manager and Director, but also as Head of Communications and Press Relations for the Executive management, Research and Innovation of the State of Geneva.
Her areas of expertise are strategic thinking, institutional and political communications, crisis communications, Litigation PR, press relations, writing and editing. Passionate about institutional governance, Elisabeth Tripod-Fatio is President of the Centre social protestant Genève, member of the Board of Trustees of the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation and of Foyer Handicap in Geneva. She is a member of the Swiss Circle of Women Administrators. Mother of three teenagers, Elisabeth Tripod-Fatio holds a master’s degree in economic and social sciences, majoring in organization and management from the University of Geneva. She works in French and English.
elisabeth[at]defacto-pr.ch
Philippe Dunant
Managing Partner
Philippe Dunant is partner in the agency, with fifteen years’ professional experience in the field of communications, acquired in consulting, at the State of Geneva and in an international group. He offers the agency’s clients his expertise in corporate communications, reputation management, public affairs, crisis communications and media relations.
Philippe Dunant spent the first part of his career with public relations agencies (Rochat & Partners and Cabinet Privé de Conseils), where he managed consulting mandates in a variety of sectors (finance, real estate, retail and foundations in particular) and led several political voting and election campaigns. Between 2018 and 2022, he held the position of Deputy Secretary General in charge of communications in the Department of Finance and Human Resources of the Canton of Geneva. Before joining the de facto agency, he was also responsible for global crisis communications at MSC Cruise. He holds a master’s degree in international relations from IHEID and a master’s degree in strategic public relations from the University of Sydney. He works in French and English, and has a good knowledge of German and Spanish.
philippe[at]defacto-pr.ch
Hugo Marchand
Senior Consultant
Hugo is a senior consultant at the agency. He specializes in strategic communications, crisis communications, and Litigation PR. He holds a Master’s degree in strategic management from HEC Montreal, a Bachelor’s degree in political communication from the University of Montreal, and a Bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Geneva.
During his studies, Hugo developed a keen interest in the concept of legitimacy and how communication, law, and public affairs help build and defend the reputation of individuals and entities.
Before joining de facto in 2021, Hugo undertook several consulting projects, notably for Romande Energie, and worked for the Irish public broadcaster, RTE (Radio Telefís Éireann). Hugo was actively involved in the academic and student life at the University of Geneva. He co-founded the AFU, the umbrella organization for student associations at UNIGE, where he managed academic affairs. He also held various representation and management roles within the University Assembly of UNIGE and the Geneva University Investment Club. He works in French and English and is fluent in Spanish.
hugo[at]defacto-pr.ch
Joël Lucas
Account Manager
A specialist in communications and digital communications, Joël Lucas is Account Manager at de facto Communications et Relation publiques. He has developed communications strategies for clients in the financial sector as the founder of an IT company, as well as for the External Affairs Department and the Executive Management for Economic Development, Research and Innovation of the State of Geneva.
He also managed the communications tools of the teaching and learning support center of the University of Geneva. Co-founder and CEO of a company active in Food Tech, Joël is in charge of its promotion and development. His areas of expertise are digital communications, including social media and web projects, political campaigns, as well as corporate communications and writing.Joël Lucas is also an author, composer, performer and has produced three albums of contemporary music.Father of two children, Joël holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in European studies (Economics, Politics and Society) from the University of Geneva. Joël Lucas works in French and English.
joel[at]defacto-pr.ch
Léonore Saadé-Augier
Consultant
Léonore Saadé-Augier is a consultant with the agency, specializing in strategic communication, public relations and media relations. Léonore holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Translation and Multilingual Communication from the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting at the University of Geneva, and a Master’s degree in Strategic Communication from Columbia University in New York.
Before joining the agency in 2024, Léonore worked in public relations in the public and private sectors in New York, notably in the aeronautics, adtech and medical industries. Passionate about languages, her areas of expertise include media relations, translation and editing, as well as corporate communication. She works in French and English and is fluent in Italian.
leonore[at]defacto-pr.ch
