An unmistakable sign that the economy is picking up again: Companies are looking for workers again. According to the Michael Page Swiss Job Index, the number of advertised jobs increased by +7.9 % from April to May 2021 and by +17.8 % since January. This is the strongest monthly growth this year and exceeds the growth rates in the same period before the Corona crisis. Particularly strong demand for specialists in logistics, IT, engineering, facilities management, and the pharmaceutical industry is responsible for this record growth.

"This growth is particularly encouraging. According to our data, the number of jobs advertised before Corona often fell just before the summer vacations (between April and May)," explained Yannick Coulange, Managing Director at PageGroup Switzerland. "In addition, growth is proving consistent across Switzerland."

All regions reported positive growth. With +12.7 % and +26.4 %, respectively, Central Switzerland (LU, NW, OW, SZ, UR, ZG) recorded both the strongest monthly growth and record growth in the current year.

Source: Michael Page

Employees at small businesses across Europe fear they will have to return to the office by necessity because remote working will not allow them to adequately address customer experience and business growth. This finding was published by Ricoh Europe following a survey of more than 1400 office workers on the topic of hybrid working. Well over half (58 %) of respondents expect to work primarily in the office once Covid 19 restrictions are lifted. At the same time, they fear obstacles and bottlenecks in terms of dynamic working methods necessitated by constant changes in customer requirements, according to further findings from the survey.

Many outdated processes

Nearly half (45 %) of respondents say they would be more productive with less administrative overhead. Cumbersome, outdated work practices prevent small businesses from achieving better business results because their teams' capacity to upsell or create new business models is limited. In addition to these missed opportunities, creativity, motivation and job satisfaction are also hampered by the unavoidable processing of tedious routine tasks.

Workload is a key factor in the perception that a return to the office is inevitable. This is exacerbated by a lack of remote working tools for value-added activities and insufficient investment in automated processes. 40 % of workers have difficulty accessing data and information in enterprise systems when working remotely that would be needed to better serve customers. This leads to limitations in a typical identifier of small businesses: fast, convenient, and personalized service. The beneficiaries could be larger competitors, whose teams typically have straightforward access to all the data needed to optimize the customer experience.

More productive with remote or hybrid working

Half of respondents (51 %) believe that automated processes are indeed a way out. Not only would they add value to the work experience - they could also better retain salespeople and other top talent who often represent the company to the outside world. In fact, a quarter (25 %) of respondents are considering a move to an employer that better supports remote working. Automating central processes would also benefit initiatives to strengthen customer loyalty, and small businesses could raise their digital profile as a result.

David Mills, CEO of Ricoh Europe, explains: "Small businesses may lack the budget or even the need to completely refresh their technologies. But even moderate investments can have a significant and immediate impact - for example, the ability to access files remotely. Understandably, many small businesses do not have the skills needed to achieve critical cost savings through efficient process automation. Reliable support in this area could therefore provide the critical foundation for solid growth in the digital age."

Source: Ricoh

Authena, a Swiss startup based in Zug, fights counterfeiting, parallel imports and detour of e.g. pharmaceutical products worldwide. It is now a leading global provider of blockchain-based technology solutions for tracking supply chains and creating interactive end-to-end communication between manufacturers and end users. It uses so-called NFC transmitters, which act as an electronic seal. This allows manufacturers to guarantee the authenticity of their products and detect unauthorized interactions with their goods in real time.

Counterfeit products: A problem not only for consumer goods

Product counterfeiting is not only a problem for well-known brands of consumer goods - especially in the high-price segment. It is probably less well known that counterfeiting also affects the agricultural sector: "Worldwide, one in six products used on farms is counterfeit. In economic terms, the financial losses amount to as much as $10 billion," says Matteo Panzavolta, founder and CEO of Authena. Explaining how Authena's solution works, Panzavolta says, "Authena creates a digital copy individually for each product, which is stored in the blockchain and thus cannot be modified. Through end-to-end communication, manufacturers also get the opportunity to use their product as a communication tool and provide information via text, images, sound or video to end users. Our solution prevents fraud at all levels and makes a significant contribution to modern customer interaction."

Now Lonza Specialty Ingredients (LSI) has entered into a strategic partnership with Authena, in the area of crop protection products. For Andrew Thompson, Global Head of Crop Protection, LSI emphasizes that Authena has "what I consider to be the best anti-counterfeiting solution in the world."

Collaboration starts in Brazil

As a first step, Lonza Specialty Ingredients and Authena are focusing their collaboration on Brazil, where around one in four agricultural products is counterfeit. For this specific market, Andrew Thompson sees opportunities in various areas that will also be applied in other regions of the world: "In a first trial, we are equipping our products with interactive NFC tags. These allow our customers to check where the product comes from, how to use it, whether it has been opened or tampered with, where it is in the value chain and when it expires. At the same time, the data generated gives us a detailed listing of the complete inventory and the certainty that products are not on the shelf past their expiration date. On the one hand, this gives us planning security and, at the same time, the opportunity to communicate directly with our end customers and provide them with advice. In addition, Authena's technology gives us the opportunity to charge for products only when our customers actually use them. This enables us to introduce working capital reduction and optimization for our customers," says Andrew Thompson.

Rollout in Switzerland and Latin America

Matteo Panzavolta emphasizes: "The sum of our different service levels can be summarized as a holistic framework, in which case-specific and highly individual solutions can be bundled for the various demands of customers. Our goal is to revolutionize the way manufacturers protect their products, their reputation and, most importantly, their customers. That's why we are proud to work with Lonza Specialty Ingredients."

The partners intend to further expand their collaboration and develop the technology so that individual plants can be digitally connected directly to Lonza Specialty Ingredients. By automating processes, this will further improve response speed and reliability while increasing cost efficiency, they say. Following the trial in Brazil, Authena will develop customized applications for Lonza Specialty Ingredients throughout Latin America, Switzerland and other countries.

Source: Authena AG

In the first quarter of 2021, the Swiss Euler Hermes Export Forecast stands at 3.13 points, more than two points above the value of 0.78 points reported in January, thus reaching a new record high. Accordingly, a strong increase in Swiss exports can be expected in 2021. This steep upward trend is partly attributable to the low starting level of the prior-year months on the statistical side and the extremely dynamic economic developments in some regions in recent months, particularly in China and the USA, on the economic side.

The industry is also currently experiencing a pronounced boom phase, which the still disrupted supply chains are unable to cope with. This is according to the economic commentary by hpo forecasting for Q2 2021. Due to the Covid-19 distortions, i.e. the mix of lockdowns, gigantic fiscal stimuli and extremely expansive monetary policy, the downturn and upturn phases in industry have been proceeding as if in fast motion for more than a year, but all the more pronounced for it.

Starting signal for the resurrection of private consumption has been given

After a weak start to 2021 from an economic perspective, there has been movement in private consumption after Easter due to initial easing of the Corona restrictions. "In view of recent declines in new infections and good progress in the vaccination campaign, the economy should kick into turbo gear in the second half of the year. We expect a strong consumption boom fueled by pent-up demand in the context of declining economic uncertainty," said Katharina Utermöhl, European economist at Euler Hermes. Overall, Euler Hermes expects global trade volumes to increase by +7.9 percent this year and by a further +6 percent in 2022 (2020: -8.1 percent). The Swiss economy is expected to grow by +3.6 percent in 2021 and +3.0 percent in 2022 (2020: -2.9 percent) - thus reaching its pre-crisis level already in late summer 2021.

According to hpo forecasting, consumption has increased in the USA in particular, due to the progress made with the vaccination programs and the stimulus packages. hpo forecasting refers to statements made by various market observers, according to which many companies are having great difficulty in finding new employees, despite the continuing high level of unemployment in the USA. The additional USD 300 per week that the unemployed in the USA will receive until September 2021 would lead to the paradoxical situation that Americans in the low-wage sector earn more when they are unemployed than when they are working. In general, pandemic successes in developed countries are boosting consumer sentiment, according to hpo forecasting's economic commentary.

Boom phase: rising demand exacerbates supply bottlenecks

Swiss exports are benefiting from the global industrial upswing, writes Euler Hermes. However, the resulting high demand could exacerbate supply chain tensions due to restart problems on the supply side in the short term. These bottlenecks are serious in the semiconductor industry, for example, which affects the IT industry and the automotive sector, among others. The result will be price increases, especially for industrial metals and energy sources. Stefan Ruf, CEO of Euler Hermes Switzerland, comments: "The price of copper has doubled within a year. Freight prices for container exports are once again reaching record levels. These forces could dampen the boom somewhat. Besides inflation risks, COVID-19 remains in focus, or more precisely, the competition between vaccination campaigns and the impact of vaccines on the one hand and new COVID-19 variants on the other."

The experts of hpo forecasting point to another example: According to the online magazine "The Markt" (NZZ Group), many major buyers of semiconductors are currently ordering double to triple the quantities of semiconductors they actually need, so that their orders are given higher priority by the producers. At the same time, semiconductor manufacturers have been overdoing it in recent weeks with announcements of investments in the double-digit billion range to expand their production capacities. On the one hand, these investments are politically desired in order to reduce dependence on Asian manufacturers in particular; on the other hand, there is a threat of overcapacities in the medium term. For the time being, however, equipment manufacturers are looking forward to large orders.

Swiss exports exceed pre-Corona level

It seems that after the slump due to the Corona pandemic, a kind of boom phase is following. According to Euler Hermes, the recovery in Swiss foreign trade is continuing. In the first quarter of 2021, exports increased by 4.8 percent (seasonally adjusted) compared to the fourth quarter of 2020. Thanks to this third consecutive quarterly increase, exports again exceed the level seen before the outbreak of the Corona pandemic. Imports also grew by 1.7 percent compared to the final quarter of 2020. The trade balance closed with a surplus of CHF 11.3 billion. According to the Federal Customs Administration, more than half of the increase was in chemical-pharmaceutical products (+ 1.4 billion francs), with the highest growth in medicines (+ 1.2 billion francs). Exports of machinery and electronics, metals and watches also increased. At +4.0 percent (+ 5.3 billion Swiss francs), the latter are once again approaching their sales levels from the strong years of 2018/19. Regionally, Switzerland exported more to all three major economic areas in terms of value in the first quarter of 2021. In particular, exports to North America (+ 18.5 percent) increased compared to Europe (+ 4.6 percent) and Asia (+ 2.6).

Is the boom phase just a temporary phenomenon?

Business cycle analyses, such as those carried out by hpo forecasting, indicate a restrained development once the catch-up effects have faded. "According to our real economic business cycle observations, we are still very early in the downturn phase of the cycle, which did not peak in the industrialized countries (OECD) until the beginning of 2020," says the hpo economic commentary. Although all sentiment indicators are currently pointing sharply upwards, model calculations continue to indicate a longer phase of rather sluggish consumption after a short phase with catch-up effects, both in North America and Europe as well as in Asia.

Sources: Euler Hermes and hpo

If you're wondering how to increase your productivity (and hopefully you do on an ongoing basis), you'll probably fall back on tactical tips like most, such as setting clear goals, avoiding distractions, and more. These tips are definitely important, but they often come to naught if some foundations are not in place. What do I mean by that?

Increase productivity - change habits

Well, the application of measures to increase productivity almost always requires a change of habits. And these habit changes are always difficult when the foundations are not strong enough. So without these foundations, you consciously or unconsciously lower your productivity.

The three "prime suspects

Here are the three typical "suspects."

1. Too little sleep. It is a simple truth, scientifically proven many times over, that we are not fully capable if we do not have 7 to 8 hours of good sleep. Anything less is an illusion. The problem is that you can get by just fine with sleep deficits, but you will always be less productive than you would be with enough sleep.
2. Wrong food. What we physically let into our bodies largely determines our physical and mental performance. It's simple: eating light and healthy increases your productivity. You can take this into account in your eating decisions or ignore it. You also need to stay hydrated. Many leaders are downright dehydrated.
3. Unfavorable environment. Everything that happens in your environment has an impact on your performance. The environment is essentially determined by people, events and things. You can and must actively shape all three categories if you want to increase your productivity. The important thing is that you are in charge.

So, here you have three fundamental levers to bring your productivity up in a sustainable way. You can ignore them, but you will make it extremely difficult for yourself.

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

They offer a wide range of solutions, make many jobs possible, are active in all sectors and at the same time form the backbone of the Swiss economy: SMEs. The corresponding pension fund solution should be as diverse and original as the Swiss SME landscape. That is why Tellco offers customized solutions that truly meet the needs and wishes of SMEs.

Occupational pension plan must be tailored to the company

Successful company management requires expertise, experience, passion and commitment in daily work. Moreover, anyone who wants to remain successful in the long term will not be satisfied with mediocrity and will continue to develop. Companies place the same demands on their occupational pension solution.

Tellco has geared itself to this: In the 2nd pillar, it offers special pension solutions that meet the needs of SMEs. The pension specialist has many years of experience, well-established processes and an agile organization. It can therefore offer companies a modern pension fund solution offer - with coherent risk tariffs and fair administrative costs.

For the company, safety is the top priority in occupational pension provision

Entrepreneurs bear a lot of responsibility. Their employees depend on the success of their company and want security.

Tellco supports them here: With a pension solution in the 2nd pillar that stands for security. It manages the assets of the affiliated companies with the utmost care. Tellco's specialists place a clear focus on the following when it comes to investing money Long-term and security. Smaller, secure profits are more important to the pension specialist than aiming for high short-term returns and risking large losses in the process.

Flexibility is a prerequisite in the 2nd pillar pension solution

Entrepreneurial activity requires a great deal of flexibility in a dynamic and complex market environment with constantly changing customer needs. Entrepreneurs also expect the same flexibility from their occupational pension plans.

Tellco meets this requirement with a pension solution that can be adapted to individual needs. The customers benefit from a pension solution that is individually expandable is and can grow flexibly with the company.

More information:
Tellco AG has its core competencies in the area of pension provision and assets. As an expert for holistic offerings, we place precisely these at the center of our work. We offer services and expertise from a single source in the three business areas of occupational pensions, private pensions, and money and assets.

Tellco AG
Bahnhofstrasse 4
6431 Schwyz
t +41 58 442 20 00
vorsorge@tellco.ch
tellco.ch/kmu

The Corona pandemic does not seem to have harmed pension assets - on the contrary. A survey we conducted among the most important semi-autonomous pension funds and full insurers shows a positive overall picture: When asked about the effects of the corona pandemic on performances and investment strategies, the answers were more or less unanimous: There were hardly any. Simon Herzer from the Gemini Collective Foundation wrote: "Overall, the financial markets performed significantly better in 2020 than could initially have been expected following the outbreak of the corona pandemic." Also at the pension fund Spida the Corona pandemic had no negative impact, on the contrary: "The pension fund continued to grow in 2020, with retirement assets increasing by 8.1% . In addition, many new connections were gained." Asga admits to a slump in March 2020, but says: "In March 2020, we also suffered significant losses on fixed assets, but these were made up by the end of the summer. Particularly in Q4 2020, equity markets then increased, giving us a significant positive return."

Trend towards alternative investments and "concrete gold

The investment strategies of the pension funds hardly changed due to the Corona pandemic. As the stock markets in particular recovered quickly, there was no need for action in this regard. A further shift to alternative investments or to real estate, the "concrete gold", can be observed. Within the limits set by the legislator for the investment guidelines for the 2nd pillar, the pension funds are doing their utmost to optimize their allocations on an ongoing basis. The following statement is representative of this Allianz Suisse: "As a long-term investor, Allianz Suisse pursues the goal of achieving the most attractive and secure return possible with limited risk, so that we can fulfill the guarantees promised to clients at all times and offer additional return opportunities. The addition of intrinsic assets such as equities and real estate offers higher return opportunities compared to low-risk bonds." This strategy also seems to be the right way forward for other pension funds, such as the Pension Fund Profond writes: "Our strong focus on equity and real estate investments is the right way to go in the long term and thus also in the current situation, we are convinced of that, and the figures of the last 30 years prove us right."

But some Swiss pension funds have adjusted their strategies in the short term, such as the Helvetia (see also below): There, the share of Global equities was increased and implemented with a sustainable strategy, as they say. Or the Groupe Mutuel reduced its exposure to foreign currencies, and Previs reports an expansion in direct real estate.

How Swiss pension funds optimize their costs

Policyholders should therefore continue to benefit from a positive underlying sentiment on the stock markets. The pension funds, on the other hand, are moving cautiously because - as Michael Krähenbühl, Managing Director of Proparis - "it would be nice if the situation stabilizes or that 2021 goes down in history as another good investment year, but that depends very much on the current pandemic."

But it is not only the positive performance of the invested funds that benefits the insured. The majority of pension funds are looking to improve their cost structures, for example by simplifying services, e.g. through online tools. The management costs of real estate and alternative investments are also the subject of ongoing optimization, which ultimately benefits the insured.

Reduction of non-systemic redistribution

The legal requirements in the 2nd pillar continue to force all providers to carry out a high, non-systematic redistribution from the active insured to pension recipients. With the introduction of the new collective life tariff at the beginning of 2020, Helvetia, following other pension funds, has therefore also used its own room for maneuver and implemented various measures to reduce redistribution. Important elements of the new tariff are the gradual reduction of the conversion rate with crediting principle and selective premium increases. Thanks to the new tariff, Helvetia has succeeded in reducing the redistribution in its own portfolio. However, this remains at a high level of CHF 119 million in total (2019: CHF 185 million), according to Helvetia.

Helvetia is one of the few pension funds that still offers the full insurance model. However, the semi-autonomous solution Helvetia LOB Invest is being developed in parallel. Although only 4 percent of the connections are now on its account, the trend is clearly on the rise: "Since 2016, the strategically intended shift from full insurance to equity-preserving business has been taking place," says Helvetia. Semi-autonomous solutions are thus being promoted, while the acceptance policy for full insurance, taking into account expected annuitization losses, tends to be handled more restrictively. This is also clearly reflected in figures: The share of connections to full insurance fell from 61 to 54 percent.

The persistently high level of redistribution shows that a reform of the occupational benefit scheme is still imperative and urgent. Anja Göing-Jaeschke, Head of Actuarial Life Switzerland at Helvetia, explains: "The framework conditions of the 2nd pillar, such as conversion rate and minimum interest rate, do not reflect the demographic development and the extremely low interest rates. Only by adjusting the framework conditions can the systemic crisis in the 2nd pillar be overcome." Hedwig Ulmer, Head of Pension Plans and Member of the Executive Management Switzerland of Helvetia, adds: "With an initial reduction of the conversion rate to 6.0 percent, the core of a BVG reform has been on the table for years. It is now up to politicians to integrate this as quickly as possible into a reform proposal that is capable of gaining majority support."

A detailed dossier on the subject of occupational pension provision can be found in the ORGANISATOR print edition 5/2021. Order option here: www.organisator.ch/abo-bestellung/

The Swiss Venture Club (SVC), an independent, non-profit association for the promotion and support of SMEs in Switzerland, had actually wanted to award the Prix SVC Zentralschweiz 2020 in June 2020. But the pandemic put a spanner in the works. Finally, however, the time had come: on the afternoon of May 26, 2021, presenter Nik Hartmann welcomed the approved live guests at the KKL Luzern as well as the more than 180 viewers* of the live stream.

Award SME elite

According to Urban Camenzind, member of the cantonal government of Uri and jury president, and SVC regional manager Christoph Baggenstos, cancellation was never an issue. The six finalists were also checked again to see if they had retained their "prize-worthiness" during the "Corona extension". According to the jury, nothing had to be changed in the result - and the award winners could be kept secret until the end. "We award companies that belong to the SME elite in Switzerland. Our focus is on exemplary companies that create jobs and help shape the Swiss economy. With the Prix SVC, we offer these companies a platform to showcase their success to the outside world. Last but not least, the attention that our award winners receive through the Prix SVC should also be an incentive for other companies," says Baggenstos.

Six top-class finalists

The jury has selected the winner of the Prix SVC Central Switzerland 2020 from the following six finalists. These six companies were nominated in a multi-stage selection process from 120 companies in the region:

• allvisual ag, Steinhausen: Based on best practice, allvisual advises and implements services and solutions in the areas of digital transformation, product lifecycle management, smart manufacturing/service and 3D visualization for companies in the aviation, automotive, mechanical and plant engineering and medical technology sectors. Interesting detail on the side: at the origin of the company was the design and construction of helicopters. However, this area was eventually sold to an Italian company, which is now successful with it.
• Elbatech AG, Ibach: The company installs modern tunnel radio systems for rail operators throughout Switzerland, thus ensuring uninterrupted communication for all passengers. The design and installation of traction power systems and diamond drilling are other important areas of activity. A special feature of the company is that its fleet now includes its own locomotive.
• Gübelin, Lucerne: The company, known for its gemstone expertise, creates and produces jewelry in its in-house atelier under its own brand Gübelin Jewellery, and also sells world-renowned luxury watch brands in its boutiques. To ensure that the valuable raw materials - gold, gemstones - come from a secure source, Gübelin relies on blockchain technology.
• Renggli AG, Sursee: With over 95 years of experience as a timber construction partner and general contractor, Renggli AG offers energy-efficient and sustainable timber construction projects in modern architecture - equally for multi-storey residential buildings, commercial and public buildings as well as for single-family homes. The fourth-generation family business will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2023.
• Seiler Käserei AG, Giswil: As an independent, owner-managed traditional company, Seiler Käserei AG has been producing excellent cheese specialties since 1928. Seiler processes only natural raw materials without additives. The milk comes from farms with controlled agriculture, directly from the slopes and valleys of the surrounding area. Some cheese varieties are also available in organic quality.
• Shiptec AG, Lucerne: With its shipyard and an engineering office, the company provides technical services in the fields of ship design and engineering, shipbuilding, ship overhauls, conversions and ship maintenance for professional and private shipping.

The winner of the Prix SVC Central Switzerland 2020

In the end, it was the innovative timber construction company Renggli AG, based in Sursee, that was able to accept the Entrepreneur Award, which was presented for the eighth time. Max Renggli expressed his gratitude with emotional words for the honor that had unexpectedly come to him and the staff gathered in a workshop in Schötz. Jury president Urban Camenzind, Director of Economic Affairs for the Canton of Uri, paid tribute to the winner in his laudation: "Renggli AG is known for energy-efficient construction with wood and is one of the MINERGIE pioneers in Switzerland and beyond. The family-owned company has already lived sustainability and put it into practice when this word was often still theory. Renggli AG is characterized by innovation and pioneering spirit. This also makes the company successful in business and equipped for the future." Renggli AG employs over 230 people at its locations in Sursee, Schötz, Granges-Paccot, Ascona and Winterthur. The family-owned company is managed in the fourth generation by Max Renggli, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Elbatech AG and Shiptec AG in second and third place

Second place goes to Elbatech AG. This manufacturer of modern tunnel radio systems is characterized by innovative in-house developments and complete solutions. Elbatech was founded in 2007, is run by Florian Reichmuth and Stefan Franzen
and employs 45 people.

Bronze goes to Shiptec AG, the leading Swiss company in the shipbuilding industry. The company was founded in 2013 as a subsidiary of Schifffahrtsgesellschaft des Vierwaldstättersees (SGV) AG, but its wealth of experience dates back to 1931. Today, Shiptec AG employs over 70 people and is managed by Ruedi Stadelmann.

Three other SMEs from Central Switzerland, allvisual ag, Gübelin and Käserei Seiler, are on the diploma ranks and stand out for their special economic performance.

Prix SVC Central Switzerland: Publicity for SMEs

As the SVC's most high-profile activity, the Prix SVC has become a well-known event throughout Switzerland and is now held every two years in eight economic regions. In 2021, for example, the Prix SVC Espace Mittelland will be awarded in German-speaking Switzerland on August 19.

The Prix SVC Central Switzerland has now been awarded for the eighth time. Furthermore, the following companies have received this award
won: 2018 Seven-Air Gebr. Meyer AG, 2016 Thermoplan AG, 2014 Confiseur Bachmann AG, 2012 LK International AG, 2010 Geistlich Pharma AG, 2008 Max Felchlin AG and 2006 maxon Motor AG.

www.svc.swiss

The business of insurance and pension brokers in Switzerland, like the entire financial industry, is undergoing a transformation. In view of the ever more complex regulatory requirements, rapidly increasing digitalization and constantly rising pressure on margins, more and more brokers are combining to form larger units. Neutrass, which was founded in 1988 and has over 60 employees, is also following this trend and is one of the largest owner-managed insurance brokers in Switzerland. The company is now expanding its core region of Central Switzerland into the Lake Zurich area and taking over the two Thalwil-based, also owner-managed insurance brokers Kuster Consulting AG and INSUREit AG. These two companies have experienced high customer growth over the past few years. Their owners, Willi Staub and Ernst Uhlmann, are looking forward to working with a service and customer-oriented broker that relies on many years of experience and a strong team, according to a statement to the media.

Proud to be a Swiss company

Neutrass covers a broad range of specialist competencies, which are continuously and systematically strengthened. More than ten locations throughout Switzerland underline values such as customer proximity and regional presence. The company's corporate cultures are an excellent fit, the company adds. Neutrass states that it will remain owner-managed and that it places great emphasis on Swiss values: quality, reliability and competence. The company promises to continue its commitment to providing neutral and professional insurance and pension advice to small, medium-sized and large companies as well as public institutions in the Lake Zurich region.

Activity as an insurance broker has changed

Only 25 years ago, just under 20 percent of companies and self-employed persons were serviced by a broker. Today, the figure is around 70 percent. The focus is no longer on premium savings alone. Today, brokerage is much more complex: Clients expect impeccable coverage and benefits, as well as more relief in insurance and employee benefits administration. They also want many additional services, such as absence and case management, claims support, personnel orientation, pension and financial planning. These services and added values are accordingly also part of the Neutrass offering.

A-broker status with insurance companies

Rotkreuz-based Neutrass works on a brokerage basis with more than 50 renowned insurance companies and other financial service providers. Due to its size, longevity and quality, Neutrass enjoys, according to its own information, a very high reputation among product and solution suppliers and the status of an A-broker. This enables the company to negotiate more advantageous products, solutions and conditions for its SME and industrial customers from all sectors of the economy as well as public institutions.

Source and further information: www.neutrass.ch

On behalf of XING Switzerland, the market and opinion research company Marketagent.com surveyed 500 working people aged between 18 and 65 in German-speaking Switzerland on the subject of dream jobs. The sample is for the employed population in
representative of German-speaking Switzerland. A list of 47 specific professions was available for selection in order to determine the dream job. The most important result of the survey: Two out of three professionals would choose a different career today.

New dream jobs awaken desire for other careers

63 percent of those surveyed would choose a career today that was different from their current one. The main reason for this is the numerous new jobs that did not exist in the past. Changed personal interests and the desire to follow one's own vocation are other important factors. Only in fourth place comes the opportunity to earn more money in a different profession as a reason. Particularly in the middle age group of 30- to 39-year-olds, many would now take a different career path (74 percent).

Work-life balance most important factor for the dream job

A good work-life balance, a good salary and the opportunity to develop your own potential: For those surveyed, these are the most important factors that make up a dream job. The development of potential is particularly important to men. For women, the compatibility of job and family is also an important factor.

The dream job is not waiting in cyberspace

Professions related to digitization and social trends, such as software developer, climate researcher, drone pilot or e-sports expert, have not yet made it to the top of the dream job list. On the other hand, the top positions include a striking number of professions in which human contact and the physical environment play an important role. Ten percent of participants also state that their dream job has yet to be invented.

Women's dream jobs:
1. doctor
2. photographer
3. veterinarian
4. animal keeper
5. guide
6. accountant

Men's dream jobs:
1. travel guide
2. photographer
3. lawyer
4. doctor
5. architect
6. professional athlete

Dream jobs involve contact with people

XING Switzerland CEO Robert Bertschinger says of the study: "Despite the Corona pandemic, the list of dream jobs is headed by professions that are rather difficult to transfer to the virtual world. For many, the dream job involves direct contact with other people or, as in the case of travel guides and photographers, the opportunity to move freely. Although past studies have shown that professionals appreciate the possibilities of home office and flexible working, only a few see a dream job as a
activity that could take place entirely online."

Despite digitization and automation, very few people believe that their current job will soon become obsolete. Three quarters (77 percent) are convinced that their current job will still be around in 15 years.

Sources: XING and New Work

Despite the massive impact of the Corona crisis on global supply chains and the immense investment in crisis management, cyber risks continue to be perceived as the biggest threat by the global economy. This result is provided by the analysis and objective evaluation of various global risk studies and surveys conducted annually by the Funk RiskLab in Zurich. For the Funk Global Risk Consensus, the RiskLab evaluates leading studies and risk reports on global corporate risks and consolidates their results in a ranking, the Global Risk Consensus. The ranking of the top five global risks for companies is as follows:

1. cyber risks

As in previous years, companies feel most threatened by cyber risks in the Corona crisis. The professionalism of attackers (targeted division of labor among attackers as well as more efficient and effective attack processes) is developing dynamically and poses growing challenges for all companies. The Corona crisis exacerbated this development, as millions of office jobs had to be moved to home offices virtually overnight and largely unprepared in the spring of 2021. This made it easier for cyber criminals to gain access to corporate networks. The extent of potential damage cannot yet be estimated.

2. non-occupational diseases (pandemic)

For the first time since the regular publication of the Funk Global Risk Consensus, so-called "non-occupational diseases" made it into the top 5 corporate risks practically out of nowhere. A pandemic was not included as a major risk by any of the underlying studies in previous years. The pandemic risk disappeared from corporate risk assessments relatively quickly after an internationally significant event (e.g., swine flu, bird flu, SARS, Ebola) because the probability of occurrence was considered very low. This shows that risk specialists and management also quickly forget and direct their focus on obvious risks, thereby neglecting latent risks. It is obvious that the risk of a pandemic, with its enormous impact and underestimated probability, has become significantly more relevant as a result of the corona crisis. It remains to be seen how long the pandemic risk will remain in the consciousness of corporate managements.

3. changing regulations

Equally weighted as in the two previous years, but downgraded by one rank, was the risk of rapid changes with regard to national and international regulations. In times of major change (digitization, climate change, energy transition, shifts in global political power), this risk remains on the risk managers' monitor.

4. unfavorable market developments

Unfavorable market developments continue to rank among the top 5 risks for companies in the assessment of risk specialists and management. In view of the current global uncertainties and the far-reaching consequences associated with the risks ranked first to third, as well as the associated economic imponderables, this assessment is very understandable.

5. extreme weather events

Global climate change is also leaving its mark on risk assessment. The trend toward more and larger floods, long periods of drought, and major storm fronts is manifesting itself abundantly in the risk reports of leading organizations. Climate change is not only affecting entire industrial or tourist regions, but also the global supply chains of companies. The economic impact of extreme weather events in 2020 was particularly significant in the Asia Pacific and North America regions.

Shortage of skilled workers not part of risk assessment at present

In a direct comparison with the previous year, it can be seen that the "shortage of skilled workers" risk has moved out of the top 10 risks faced by companies from its position as number 4 in 2020. This may be a short-term, Corona-related phenomenon, according to Funk's assessment.

Source and further information: Radio group

At the Annual General Meeting of Valiant Holding AG, shareholders voted in favor of a stable dividend. It remains unchanged at 5 francs per share. The payout ratio is 65 percent and is within the target range of 50 to 70 percent set by the Board of Directors. A total of 78.9 million francs will be paid out to shareholders. Valiant has a strong capital base. It clearly exceeds the FINMA requirements regarding equity capital resources.

Change in the Board of Directors: Roger Harlacher new member

Franziska von Weissenfluh, member of the Board of Directors since 2011, did not stand for re-election at the Annual General Meeting. The Board of Directors thanks her for her many years of valuable service to the company. Franziska von Weissenfluh has made a major contribution to the successful further development of Valiant.

The Annual General Meeting elected Roger Harlacher as a new member of the Board of Directors. He has a great deal of experience in corporate management. The 55-year-old business economist has worked for Zweifel Pomy-Chips AG for 25 years, from 2015 until June 2020 as CEO, and since then as a member of the Board of Directors. Roger Harlacher is also involved in various bodies in the communications and advertising industry, for example as President of the Swiss Advertising Contractors Association, and on the boards of SMEs.

Solidarity with Valiant

Due to the Corona pandemic, the 24th Annual General Meeting was broadcast on the internet and took place without the physical participation of shareholders. 51.8 percent of the votes were exercised by the independent proxy. The high percentage illustrates the solidarity of the shareholders with Valiant, according to a statement to the media.

Source and further information: Valiant Bank