Mario Gassner (born 1964 in Liechtenstein) studied law at the University of Zurich (without a degree) and then spent a year dealing with national economic and political questions. From April 1991 to the end of 2004, Mario worked at the Office of Economic Affairs, Vaduz, initially as a desk officer for commercial law and private and social insurances. In July 1994, the Government appointed him Deputy Director. As Head of the Economics Division, Mario dealt with commercial and insurance law. Because of the strong growth in the insurance industry and the resulting increase in supervisory duties, he was then appointed as Head of the Insurance Division, which encompassed supervision of private and social insurances.
Beginning in 1994, Mario directed the "Liechtenstein Insurance Center" project, in which he contributed substantially to the development of the insurance center by determining favorable business conditions for the insurance industry and creating an internationally recognized insurance supervision system. He was substantially involved in drafting the insurance supervision and insurance contract legislation and the Direct Insurance Agreement between Liechtenstein and Switzerland.
Since 1995, Mario has been the representative of Liechtenstein on the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Committee (EIOPC) and the Committee of European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Supervisors (CEIOPS) of the EU, as well as in other international insurance supervision fora (e.g., IAIS). He is also an instructor at the Liechtenstein University of Applied Sciences and lectures regularly at conferences.
During the creation of the integrated Financial Market Authority in Liechtenstein, Mario served as a member of the FMA Project Group and was then elected by the Board of the FMA as Deputy of the CEO, Member of the General Management, and Director of Insurance and Pensions Funds Supervision as of 1 January 2005. On February 1st 2008, Mario took over the position of the CEO ad interim. On June 27 2008, he was appointed CEO by the board.