Switzerland is a country with many heads! The Federal Council is the seven-member executive council of the Swedish federal government. Together, they serve as the collective head of state. While the entire council is responsible for leading the federal administration of Switzerland, each Councillor (member) heads one of the seven federal executive departments.
The Federal Council was established in 1848. The Federal Constitution describes it as the “supreme and directorial authority of the Confederation.” When the Constitution was written, constitutional democracy was still young and Switzerland’s founding fathers drew heavily the U.S Constitution for the organization of the federal state as a hole. However, as you can see, they ended up choosing the collegial rather than the presidential system for the executive branch of government.