The Social Policy and Social Insurance Department will have a new head in Barbara Zimmermann-Gerster as of August 7, 2023. An expert in social insurance law, she brings with her many years of management experience and very broad knowledge of employer policy, which she gained during her time at the Swiss Insurance Association (SIA) and at Swissmem, the employers' association of the Swiss engineering industry. Barbara Zimmermann-Gerster succeeds Lukas Müller-Brunner, who left the Swiss Employers' Association in the middle of the year to take up the position of director at the pension fund association ASIP.

Before joining Swissmem, the new Head of Department worked as a legal advisor at the Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport, among others. She completed her law degree at the Universities of Zurich and Lausanne and holds an LL.M in International and European Law from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. "Switzerland is facing weighty challenges around its social welfare systems. I look forward to working with my team to advance the necessary reforms," says the new head of department Barbara Zimmermann-Gerster. And SAV Director Roland A. Müller says of the new manager: "In Barbara Zimmermann-Gerster we have been able to recruit an expert who will play an active role in shaping social policy. Thanks to her many years of experience in associations in general and in employer policy in particular, she is ideally qualified to do so."

Source: Swiss Employers' Association

The year-on-year recovery trend in monthly new registrations has continued for the eleventh calendar month in a row. Since September 2022, the Swiss car market has seen an increase in new passenger cars every month compared to the respective figures a year earlier. Nevertheless, the current market level is no reason for too much euphoria, explains auto-schweiz media spokesman Christoph Wolnik: "Despite the sustained recovery compared to 2022, we have to see how severely the availability of new vehicles was restricted last year. While the situation has improved, it is still tight if you look at the market data before 2020." This year, Wolnik added, the 300,000 new passenger car mark will remain a long way off, having been undershot only twice in the 2010s by a few thousand and a hundred enrollments, respectively.

Just under 30 percent plug-in vehicles in July

The market share of plug-in vehicles (electric cars and plug-in hybrids) that can be charged via the power grid continues to grow steadily and in July stood at a combined 29.2 percent. Of these, the 3,649 all-electric vehicles account for 19.6 percent, or around two-thirds, and their number increased by 81 percent year-on-year. Plug-in hybrids, which have an electric drive with an externally rechargeable battery in addition to a gasoline or diesel engine, also increased by 28 percent to 1,777 new registrations. Since the beginning of the year, electric cars have a market share of 18.8 (previous year: 16.0 %), plug-in hybrids 8.7 (previous year: 8.6 %) and hybrid drives without a charging option via the power grid 27.3 percent (previous year: 24.8 %). Taken together, alternative drive systems (electric, hybrid, gas and hydrogen engines) account for 54.9 percent of all new registrations this year, making them the majority of the market for the first time after seven months (previous year 49.5 %).

Source: Car Switzerland

ODDO BHF is a German-French financial group with a history of over 170 years. The Group emerged from a French family-owned bank and a German private bank with a focus on medium-sized businesses. The financial group employs 2700 people (around 1400 in Germany and Switzerland and 1300 in France and Tunisia), manages €128 billion in assets for its clients and is active in Private Wealth Management, Asset Management and Corporates & Markets.

Opening for German-speaking startups

ODDO BHF has been awarding prizes to innovative startups in France for two years now. A total of 270 companies from 18 different sectors have already applied there. Almost 50 % of these companies were founded or co-founded by women. This year, promising young companies from the German-speaking DACH region can now also apply for the awards. The winners will receive prize money of 5,000 to 20,000 euros as well as coaching and mentoring by experts from ODDO BHF and external partners such as BayStartUP, BAND, Futury, High-Tech Gründerfonds, UnternehmerTUM and the Werte-Stiftung. Each application is reviewed by a committee of experts who make an initial selection. In February 2024, the finalists will present their company to a jury, including Philippe Oddo, at the "Award Ceremony." The winners will then receive their awards.

Philippe Oddo, Managing Partner and Chairman of the Group, says: "We believe in the ability of young companies to find innovative solutions to the challenges of the future. It is therefore a particular pleasure for me that we, as an owner-managed Franco-German financial group, are now supporting German-speaking entrepreneurs in their development with OYEA, following our launch in France." Joachim Häger, Partner and Member of the Board of Managing Directors as well as Global Head Private Wealth Management of the Group, emphasizes, "As ODDO BHF Group, we see ourselves as a long-term and trustworthy partner of family entrepreneurs. For our clients, we offer not only private equity investments but also access to exclusive direct investments in all growth phases. With the award and the subsequent support of excellent young entrepreneurs, we will now gladly promote the most promising companies of the Next Generation."

Requirements for an application

The "ODDO BHF Young Entrepreneurs Awards 2024" are aimed at startups (teams, not individual founders) headquartered in the German-speaking DACH region that have been founded in the last three years and have been entered in the commercial register. Prototype and business model must already exist and a first seed financing must have taken place. Startups from the following industries can apply: AI, Clean Energy & Storage, Digital Business Models, Engineering, Health-Care, Proptech, Industry & Materials, Life Sciences, Med-Tech, Mobility & Transportation. Interested parties have until October 15, 2023 to submit their application: https://oyea.oddo-bhf.com/de-de/index.php.

Source: www.oddo-bhf.com

It is well known: When employees enjoy their work and find meaning in it, they are happier and healthier. As a result, they then work more effectively in their teams and do better work for their employers. So engagement should be a high priority for any organization. What's there to object to when both sides can only gain from it? While one would think that all companies would agree with this without any ifs or buts, the reality is that most companies neglect employee engagement. The experts at Hogan Assessments - a leader in workplace personality assessment and leadership consulting - have identified three critical tactics that keep employees engaged and consistently satisfied at work.

Tactic #1: Know the mechanics of motivation.

Motivation is related to well-being when our satisfaction at work meets our basic human need for meaningfulness. What meaningful work means is naturally defined by each individual. Some need public recognition, while others seek it more privately; some like to have wide-ranging decision-making authority, while others prefer to carry out predetermined processes and tasks. "If you know the specific drivers of each individual, then as a leader you can put employees in the role they each see as most rewarding and provide them with an environment in which they are most likely to be most productive," says Dr. Ryne Sherman, Chief Science Officer at Hogan Assessments and host of The Science of Personality Podcast.

Tactic #2: Promote Team Psychological Safety

Security is a primal human need. After fulfilling physiological needs such as eating and drinking, humans actually look for security. Those who do not feel safe will search for safety until they find it. Thus, team psychological safety is the shared perception of whether it is safe or rather risky for team members to be truly authentic to others. Where there is fear-whether it is fear of a leader or fear of the leader-trust is absent and interpersonal risk-taking is perceived as dangerous. "Leaders set the norms for the team. When leaders model psychological safety with humility, authenticity and vulnerability, team members feel safe to do the same," Dr. Sherman said.

Tactic No. 3: Individualized further development

When employees spend half of their waking hours at work, it's only natural that they would like to have rewarding work. Employers can accommodate this desire by investing in employees' futures within the organization so that employees feel valued and see their opportunities for career success fostered. "Continuing development plans for each employee encourage them to see their current role as a springboard for professional growth and a foundation for their future career path," explains Dr. Sherman.

Source: www.hoganassessments.com

Barbara Stauffer, born 1972, is a Germanist, expert for business humor and communication, actress for clown & comedy. Since 2004 she has been working independently as a trainer, coach and keynote speaker. Her focus is on business humor, communication and team development.

Humorous instead of pressure to perform

Now Barbara Stauffer has published a new book entitled "From head to toe chipper and humorous ready for business". The author's intention behind it: Not to pull people's ears out professionally, but to lift the corners of their mouths. In this way, humor can spread in business instead of performance pressure and fear. Because: "If we start the day with a laugh, then the pleasure comes all by itself. There is a sense of "we", more flow, serenity, joy, creativity, health, success, etc.", says the author.

In the book, readers will find a collection of the most popular short pick-me-ups from Barbara Stauffer's everyday training for people who want to really get going in their professional and private lives. It's all about firing up the inner engine without spending a lot of time, but regularly and continuously, broadening your perspective, boosting your creative thinking, building yourself up mentally and communicatively in business, and asserting yourself humorously, not doggedly and harshly, but with a sympathetic smile. All 65 exercises are suitable for groups (no matter what size), as a loosening up during a workshop, a meeting, a retreat, etc. If one is chosen daily from Monday to Friday, this will give a refreshing pick-me-up for 13 weeks, the author recommends. Or 1-2 weekly, and you have inspiration for a whole year. But the exercises are not just for groups. Exercises 1 to 50, for example, are applicable for individuals and can be completed once a week.

Enriching everyday business life

Barbara Stauffer is convinced: humor has many facets, does not mean laughing at the push of a button, but a positive inner attitude and power that can simply be activated to enrich everyday business life. Each topic (breath, laughter, waking up, change of perspective, quick-wittedness, creative thinking, charisma, failure, feelings, storytelling, switching off together, refueling, humorous rounds) is represented by a body part. This allows for a pictorial reminder of each exercise. Each exercise takes about five minutes to complete.

From head to toe lively and humorous ready for business
By Barbara Stauffer
Schlosser Publishing House, 2023
ISBN 978-3-96200-744-7

More information: http://humor-training.ch

With its small towns and narrow streets, delivering goods on the Croatian islands is no easy undertaking. That's why Gebrüder Weiss is now offering its customers a particularly environmentally friendly transport solution: since this summer, the logistics provider has been delivering goods to private households and companies on the islands of Rab and Lošinj using electric tricycles. The maneuverable vehicles are equipped with a quiet, powerful electric motor and are ideal for deliveries in small towns, vacation and national parks - especially during the vacation season. "It is important to preserve the authenticity and uniqueness of the islands. With delivery by our e-tricycles, we help the island oases retain their original charm. And our customers receive their goods ordered online in an environmentally friendly way," says Barbara Bujačić, Country Manager Croatia at Gebrüder Weiss. The vehicle can transport shipments with a total weight of up to 500 kilograms and cover 50 kilometers per day on one battery charge.

Electric transporters in urban areas

In addition to e-tricycles, Gebrüder Weiss in Croatia has recently started using electric transporters to deliver to end customers in Zagreb. Whether furniture, washing machines or refrigeration and fitness equipment - the logistics company delivers the goods to where the customers need them. The range of the vehicle is 170 kilometers on one battery charge, which enables up to 35 environmentally friendly deliveries per day. The e-vans are ideal for transport in urban traffic and reduce traffic noise thanks to their quiet electric motor. The vehicles' batteries are charged via the company's own photovoltaic system, which it recently commissioned at its main site near Zagreb. The system installed on the roof of the logistics facility has a total peak output of 500 kilowatts per year and saves around 107 tons of CO₂ one.

On the way to climate neutrality

With these aforementioned measures in Croatia, Gebrüder Weiss is taking a further step on the path to the targeted climate neutrality by 2030. For several years, the company has been investing in alternative drive systems in heavy-duty transport and developing low-emission solutions for the last mile. For example, an electric truck is used for local transport in the greater Vienna area and end customers in Austria and Hungary are supplied with electric vehicles. In addition, one of the world's first hydrogen trucks has been in regular use in Switzerland since 2021. The acquisition of further hydrogen and electric trucks is planned in Germany in 2024.

Source and further information

Many companies, especially in the IT and technology industry, are currently in a so-called battle for talent. Here are five practical tips to combat the digital skills gap:

Make continuing education a strategic priority

Due to demographic change, the shortage of skilled workers is becoming even more acute. As a result, the war for talent is also getting tougher. This makes it all the more important to exploit existing potential and develop employees further. Training and continuing education should be firmly anchored in the corporate strategy. To achieve this, companies need clear goals and an agenda. As a rule, the HR department is responsible for the training programs and works closely with the specialist departments, in this case with the CIO. At NetApp, for example, there is the NetApp University with a mixture of mandatory and elective courses. In addition, employees can use the LinkedIn learning program to build up skills on their own.

Create free space for development

Every employee should have the chance to discover their own potential and shape their own career. It is therefore important to enable self-determined learning and to offer a wide range of training and courses. Further development should be integrated into everyday working life and be perceived as something quite natural. In practice, this often fails due to busy schedules: Employees simply do not have the time to concentrate on learning. To counteract this and create more freedom, NetApp has introduced a meeting-free day once a month. CIOs should also give employees the opportunity to swap roles with a colleague. This broadens horizons and creates understanding for other perspectives.

Offer "training on the job" programs

In addition to further training measures, companies need a strategy for attracting young, well-trained talent. Effective measures include graduate programs and "training on the job" models that integrate junior staff early on and make it easier for them to get started. By bringing digital natives together with older employees in mixed teams, the different generations can learn from each other. The young learn about leadership and what makes the company tick, while the older employees benefit from the agility of the junior staff. It's also important to have networking opportunities to share and grow with other experts. To this end, employees should have the opportunity to attend tech events, conferences, partner events and customer meetings.

Promote junior executives

The next generation of IT leaders needs digital skills and must be agile, open and solution-oriented. To build these skills, companies should nurture young talent so they can grow into leaders over time. To that end, NetApp launched the S3 Academy three years ago, a two-year global development program for emerging talent. The program balances technical training with soft skills development. In addition, companies should create an attractive environment in which employees can work flexibly, agilely and independently.

Make it easier for women to enter and advance

Women are still underrepresented in IT professions. There is a lot of potential lying dormant here for the labor market. By positioning themselves as attractive employers for women, companies can attract new talent. Flexible working and parental leave models, mentoring programs and individual coaching, for example, play an important role in this. Companies should also focus more on women in recruiting and employer branding and make it clear that they live a culture of equality. Special employee groups such as "Women in Technology" also enable women to build strong, overarching networks and support each other.

Conclusion: Exploit all possibilities

The increasing shortage of skilled workers on the one hand and the growing need for IT and data expertise on the other mean that the digital skills gap is widening. In order to remain competitive, companies should exhaust all possibilities to counteract this development. Those who place greater emphasis on further training, promote junior staff and live a culture of equality and further development can build up and expand valuable skills. In this way, the shortage of skilled workers will not become a showstopper for digitization.

Author:
Daniel Bachofner is Country Manager Switzerland at NetApp.

The KMU SWISS Symposium will take place on Thursday, September 7, 2023 in the CAMPUSSAAL Kultur+Kongresse at Bahnhofstrasse 6 in Brugg-Windisch. Together with illustrious personalities from business and politics, 300 to 500 participants are expected. "In addition to the informal atmosphere, the participants will appreciate the practical relevance of the presentations," says Armin Baumann, initiator of KMU SWISS. The symposium will also enable a number of exhibitors to present themselves during the networking breaks.

Focus on security of supply

The event addresses security of supply in the broadest sense, after the COVID years revealed problems in this regard. Aftershocks and bottlenecks are still noticeable. Nevertheless, a large majority is not aware of this. Empty warehouses, transportation failures, shortages of necessities such as energy, water, food, raw materials, etc. cripple an economy and can lead to massive conflicts. Whoever is in charge will probably win, unfortunately... Where will we be as Switzerland or Europe in the future? Should prosperity have caught up with us?

Acting instead of reacting - what concerns everyone, only everyone can solve

To date, every advanced civilization has ultimately failed because of its prosperity. Mahatma Gandhi once said: "The earth has enough for everyone's needs, but not for everyone's greed. He hit the nail on the head with this. For everyone himself must behave accordingly in order to conserve resources. Politicians believe that they can get a grip on this with laws and regulations and thus achieve the opposite: the economy alone must bear the consequences with losses in competitiveness, which ultimately leads to the erosion of the middle class, which is responsible for 97% of the Swiss value added working in SMEs as self-employed and employees. This in turn causes tensions and conflicts, which provoke riots already by small incidents. Ergo, what concerns everyone can only be solved together, so the message of the event. Furthermore, tolerance towards one's fellow human beings should once again come to the fore.

Well-known personalities on the podium

The following entrepreneurial personalities should ensure lasting impressions:

• Doris Leuthard, former member of the Board of Directors and Member of the Administrative Board/Foundation Council
• Dr. David W.F. Huang, Representative (Ambassador) of Taiwan
• Dr. Martin Keller, Chairman of the GL fenaco Cooperative
• Daniel Schöni, Owner schoeni.ch Holding AG
• Jürg Brand, CEO vonRoll infratec (holding) AG
• Stefan Winzenried, CEO JANZZ.technology

Michael Sokoll, who has also presented the symposium in Brugg in the past, will be the moderator. Before the actual symposium, from 11:15 to 12:30, there will be two prologues, on the topics of "Analyzing and winning customers with Cloud Contact Center" and "Darknet".

Further information as well as registration possibilities can be found at www.kmuswiss.ch/symposium.

Bank WIR says it can look back on a successful first half of 2023: The purely Swiss cooperative bank recorded significant growth in both mortgage loans and customer deposits, resulting in total assets of 6.3 billion Swiss francs - an all-time high in the company's nearly 89-year history. The bottom line is a profit of 11 million francs. "This result is particularly pleasing because Bank WIR repeatedly 'swims against the tide' in industry comparisons in terms of conditions for the benefit of customers," CEO Bruno Stiegeler comments on the result. "For example, in contrast to common practice in the financial sector, we have consistently passed on the Swiss National Bank's interest rate hikes for savings and pensions and at the same time apply a very customer-friendly and transparent interest rate mechanism on the lending side for money market mortgages - also contrary to the 'mainstream'."

High interest on savings deposits

One example of this is the introduction of the "savings account plus" with an interest rate of 1.8 percent, which is high by current standards. Customers also seem to see it that way: Customer deposits increased by 3.4 percent to 4.4 billion Swiss francs. "With our interest rate policy, we are fulfilling our mission promise to offer top conditions for saving and providing for the future," says Stiegeler. On the assets side of the balance sheet, mortgage loans are up 3.8 percent to 4.6 billion Swiss francs. "This is high-quality growth based on our prudent risk policy," explains CFO Mathias Thurneysen. This is also reflected in the balanced refinancing mix of customer deposits and Pfandbrief loans, he adds.

In the case of money market mortgages, Bank WIR had opted for the "last reset" calculation method with the greatest transparency when switching to the Swiss reference interest rate Saron in February 2020, in which the adjustment of the Saron is reflected with a delay when interest is charged: "Our customers know the interest rate before the start of a quarter and are not charged retroactively," says Stiegeler. Together with the top conditions on savings and pension products as well as the increased refinancing costs (e.g. for Pfandbrief loans), this leads to a deliberately accepted slight reduction in net income in the interest business of 3.4 percent to CHF 31.9 million.

Solidly equity capitalized

Bank WIR's capital base far exceeds regulatory requirements, with a BIS ratio of 15.8 percent as of June 30 (regulatory target: 12.2 percent) and a leverage ratio of 8.6 percent (regulatory target: 3.0 percent), as measured by Basel III capital adequacy requirements. "Bank WIR is in good health and extremely solidly positioned," Thurneysen said. This assessment is also shared by the capital providers: Despite a very volatile market situation, the price of the participation certificate has risen by 3.2 percent to 480 Swiss francs since the beginning of the year - not yet taking into account the dividend payout of 10.75 Swiss francs (yield: 2.2 percent) per share approved by the Annual General Meeting at the beginning of June.

Continued success with VIAC product

According to WIR Bank, its VIAC product is also continuing on the road to success: Switzerland's first fully digital securities provisioning solution had around 82,700 customers as of June 30 (+4.6 percent since the beginning of the year), the company reports. Assets under management amount to CHF 2.6 billion, representing further growth of 19 percent since the beginning of the year. "These figures are also having a lasting impact on our earnings side," Thurneysen said. At the same time, Bank WIR and the VIAC team have taken the decision to further expand the successful model. "Next year, the platform is to be expanded with free securities savings," Stiegeler lets us look into his cards.

Among other things, the costs necessary for this lead to higher operating expenses. Other reasons for the increase of almost two million Swiss francs (+15 percent) are implementation projects from the agile strategy development, such as innovative developments around the topic of complementary currency, the consistent IT modernization, including the realization of the cloud strategy, and the very successful first appearance as a Premium Partner at the Tour de Suisse. The higher personnel costs are explained by the 2.5 percent increase in total wages and salaries already announced in the annual results, as well as the successful recruitment and filling of vacant positions.

Despite a further reduction in fees for the VIAC digital securities pension savings product and the continued sluggishness of business with the WIR complementary currency, income from the commission and services business was virtually maintained. The gradual reduction of trading positions already communicated last year has also been completed. "Bank WIR's overall result is now more predictable," says Thurneysen, explaining the strategic step.

Structures and processes are streamlined

For the second half of the year, Bank WIR expects a stronger interest business. In an environment that remains challenging, Stiegeler forecasts healthy growth for the entire fiscal year 2023: "We want to further expand our strong position as a savings and retirement savings bank and as a construction and real estate financing partner."

Bank WIR is also streamlining structures and processes as of January 1, 2024: Alexander Rohrbach (40, Banking Operations) and Andreas Rogler (52, IT & Services), the heads of two new divisions, are new members of the downsized Executive Board. They complement the Executive Board with the existing members Bruno Stiegeler (58, CEO), Matthias Pfeifer (41, Private and Corporate Clients) and CFO Mathias Thurneysen (38).

Source: Bank WE

For the 8th Kickstart Innovation Program, 41 startups from 13 countries, including Germany, Austria, Singapore, USA, UK, Sweden, Denmark, Portugal, Israel, Spain and Estonia, were selected after a pitch marathon. The jury of more than 170 experts identified these startup participants in just six weeks from 1000 applications from more than 60 countries. The 41 finalists will now work with companies, organizations, cities, foundations and universities during the 11-week program in Switzerland to drive partnerships and deep tech and sustainable innovation.

AI and the circular economy are in vogue

"One trend that is clearly emerging is the application of AI and circular economy as a competitive advantage," explains Katka Letzing, CEO and co-founder of Kickstart, one of the largest open innovation platforms in Europe. "This includes, for example, Swiss startup Aixa's digital account manager or Kloten-based Calvin Risk with the first platform for AI governance, risk management and compliance." Leading organizations and companies such as AXA, the Kanton Vaud, the city of Zurich, Coop, Swisscom, the furniture, PostFinance, Sanitas, CSEM, MSD and other well-known companies and organizations participate in the Kickstart program to find new trends and developments with a focus on technological innovation and circular economy via partnerships with startups. "While established companies have many advantages over startups in terms of customer and process structure, there is also a risk of missing out on new trends such as the use of AI and other technologies," reports Ralph Rimet, Head of Strategic Projects and Innovation at Mobiliar. "That's why we're joining the Kickstart program again this year for innovation partnerships and commercial deals." Since 2016, Kickstart has supported more than 400 startups and delivered more than 270 deals in the form of pilots and commercial projects from over 80 countries, raising more than CHF 2.5 billion in investment to date, including startups such as Planted, Neustark, Unsupervised and AAAcell.

Energy efficiency dominates smart cities

In five areas (New Work & Learning, Finance & Insurance, Food & Retail, Health & Wellbeing and Smart Cities), the startups presented their business models and ideas for the future. In the Food & Retail area, many ideas come from Israel, Portugal and Estonia, among others. Swiss company Advection Engineering, for example, is working on techniques to produce whole, marbled meat substitutes for today's generation. The British company Nukoko is making chocolate without cocoa to reduce environmental impact and have less impact on health.

With rising energy prices or the energy crisis, projects in the smart cities sector are focusing on energy efficiency. Lausanne-based Enerdrape, for example, transforms underground spaces, such as tunnels and underground garages, into renewable energy sources for building heating and cooling needs. Urbio is generative AI design software that accelerates the decarbonization of buildings. 20-40 % of energy in buildings is saved by creating connections through smart thermostats and incorporating learning information about the thermal behavior of buildings.

AI is also the dominant technology in New Work & Learning as well as in Health & Wellbeing solutions. The Austrian startup Ada Growth supports companies in addressing, retaining and promoting female talent. For this purpose, a professional learning tool was developed specifically for women. Traditional corporate learning tools like conferences and volume-oriented LMS offerings lack personalization. The future of learning lies in flexible, individualized microlearning apps that leverage an AI content production cycle to quickly scale to each member of the organization.

Source and further information

There's a nice saying from legendary motivational speaker Zig Ziglar: "Commitment means doing what you set out to do long after the mood in which you said it left you." The point is this: If we really want to achieve excellence, it's not enough to just be enthusiastic at the beginning.

From the hardship in everyday life...

The big difference in the success of people and teams is not so much how you perform in the spotlight - although that does play a role, of course - but rather what happens when no one is looking, when there is no roar of applause, when it's tedious, when you have to worry about the most mundane things.

I think it was boxing champion Muhammed Ali who once said, "The fight is not decided in the ring, but in the weeks and months leading up to it." How true: It's decided at 6 a.m. in the training room, how you act on bad days, how you do the work when it's tedious, how you're there for others when they need you. Because what you do in the dark shines in the light.

...into the light of success

Almost all "overnight successes" have worked 10 years or more in the dark to achieve this success. If you want to be as successful as the person you secretly admire or envy, you simply have to answer one question: Am I also willing to pay the price? And do I pay it up front? And that price largely consists of doing the mundane work even when no one is looking. And not to be distracted from the goal.

Here are 3 examples of what that can mean for leaders:

• Work on the vision and strategy for the team, even when there is already more than enough to do operationally
• Address uncomfortable "people issues" and remove people from the team if their thinking and behaviors do not reflect the team identity of the future
• Continuously developing oneself and having the discipline to read a good book for 30 minutes a day, for example.

These are all activities "in the shadows", sometimes long before the big successes occur. But just - without such activities success becomes very unlikely.

To the author:
Volkmar Völzke is a success maximizer. Book author. Consultant. Coach. Speaker. www.volkmarvoelzke.ch

Swiss SMEs conducted fewer transactions overall in the first half of 2023 than in the first half of 2022, with the number of transactions falling by 18 percent in the first half of 2023 compared directly to the first half of 2022, resulting in Swiss SMEs being either buyers or targets in a total of 109 transactions, according to the latest Deloitte study on M&A activity by Swiss SMEs. Although overall merger and acquisition activity has declined, there has been a notable increase in acquisitions abroad. While cross-border transactions were primarily driven by inbound investments in recent years, a trend reversal toward more outbound transactions has been observed since mid-2022. This means that Swiss SMEs mainly acted as buyers of other companies and less frequently became the target of mergers or acquisitions themselves.

In concrete numbers, inbound transactions show a significant decline (-54% vs. H1 2022), while outbound transactions reached a record level in H1 2023 (+18% vs. H1 2022). The number of transactions involving Swiss companies as targets (62 domestic and inbound transactions) is one of the lowest since Deloitte began measuring the number of transactions in 2013. There are several reasons for this, explains Anthony West, Partner and Head of Corporate Finance Switzerland at Deloitte: "Currently, foreign investors are showing less appetite for Swiss targets. In addition, local entrepreneurs and owners are hesitant to sell their companies. However, Swiss SMEs are compensating for this by increasing their own buying activity abroad. The main factors influencing these developments are the resilience of the Swiss economy and the strength of the Swiss franc."

Foreign investors target Swiss IT companies

In terms of transactions, IT service companies lead inbound transactions in Switzerland. With over a quarter of all transactions (26% vs. 21% in 2022), Swiss SMEs in the IT services sector rank first among the various industries, relegating the industrial sector, which was still in the lead last year, to fourth place (13% vs. 22% in 2022). The Life Science & Health Care sector (19%, vs. 14% in 2022) ranks 2nd. In the first half of 2023, buyers of Swiss SMEs were predominantly European (67%) or North American (26%) companies, which carried out a total of 62 transactions. In terms of acquisitions from abroad, it was again Swiss IT SMEs that generated the greatest demand of all sectors.

While foreign investors are primarily interested in Swiss IT services companies, Swiss SMEs are mainly targeting companies in the industrial sector when buying abroad. The IT sector remained the most sought-after sector for acquisitions in the first half of 2023. Europe remained the most important target region for foreign acquisitions by Swiss SMEs, accounting for 83 percent of transactions. Our neighboring countries accounted for the lion's share, with Germany in the lead (36%). Swiss SMEs made the remaining acquisitions primarily in North America.

IT sector very attractive for takeovers

"The great interest in Swiss IT service providers is likely due primarily to the attractiveness of the location as well as the many newly emerging cloud and cyber companies," says Stephan Brücher, Partner Financial Advisory at Deloitte Switzerland. "Emerging IT companies that specifically drive the growth of the IT industry and provide solutions for businesses of all kinds are an important resource in our country. The very active start-up community in this industry is also strongly supported by ETH and EPFL, including through the creation of new start-ups, making Swiss IT companies extremely attractive acquisition targets."

The subdued takeover propensity compared to previous years reflects investors' cautious stance in response to uncertain and volatile market conditions. The first half of 2023 presented companies with numerous challenges, including rising interest rates to curb high inflation, continuing supply chain issues, the ongoing Ukraine war, the strength of the Swiss franc, and turbulence in the financial sector. Although the total number of transactions remains above pre-Corona levels, a trend is nevertheless emerging whereby foreign investors continue to complete fewer transactions in Switzerland.

Continued major challenges for domestic and foreign companies

This situation is unlikely to change much in the second half of 2023. "Sellers are cautious, and foreign investors show little inclination to seek Swiss companies. Swiss SMEs, however, are likely to remain very active and seek foreign acquisitions. The strong Swiss franc makes foreign targets attractive for Swiss investors, while Swiss companies become more expensive for foreign investors. Possible further interest rate hikes are likely to fuel this trend, which could lead to a further decrease in foreign investment in Switzerland," says Jean-François Lagassé, partner financial advisory and head of financial industry at Deloitte Switzerland. "Nevertheless, we remain cautiously optimistic and expect macroeconomic conditions to improve toward the end of the year or early next year. This positive development should then also pave the way for renewed acquisition activity by foreign companies in the Swiss market."

Source: Deloitte Switzerland