Study reports 12 female CEOs in top 100 Swiss companies

Eight chairs around the meeting table, most likely none of them will be occupied by a female CEO. Gaetan Bally/Keystone

More women are in management and on the board of directors at the largest Swiss companies than ever before. But they remain a clear minority, a new report shows.

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According to the annual “Schilling Report” by executive recruiter Guido Schilling, there were two female chief executive officers (CEOs) and two female chief financial officers (CFOs) in the largest 100 Swiss companies in 2006. Today there are 12 female CEOs and 16 female CFOs.

For example, the Swiss firms CSS Versicherung and Die Mobiliar are led by women, Philomena Colatrella and Michèle Rodoni, respectively. The industrial groups ABB, EMS-Chemie and the milk processor Emmi also have women at the helm: Nora Teuwsen, Magdalena Martullo-Blocher and Ricarda Demarmels. Susanne Wille also heads the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC).

In general, the proportion of women in top management positions in the public sector (26%) is higher than national average. The Swiss federal authorities rank particularly well: the proportion has risen from 17% (2016) to 42%.

Companies listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SMI) also perform above average. The proportion of women on the management boards of SMI companies stands at 28%, which is also slightly higher than that of their German DAX competitors (25%), the Schilling Report shows. The full report will be published in May.

Adapted from German by DeepL/sb

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