20 years of schillingreport: More women in management bodies

The schillingreport has been examining the composition of the executive boards of the 100 largest Swiss employers for 20 years and of the boards of directors for 15 years. During this time, the proportion of women on executive boards has risen from 4 % in 2006 to currently 22 % and on boards of directors from 10 % in 2010 to currently 33 %. "When we started surveying the composition of executive boards in 2006, I could not have imagined that 20 years later we would be publishing such a broad-based survey in the form of the schillingreport, which has made and continues to make a significant contribution to transparency at the top of the Swiss economy," says Guido Schilling, publisher of the schillingreport. The schillingreport has always focused on data on the composition of management bodies in the Swiss economy and the public sector. For the current edition, 119 executive boards and 93 boards of directors as well as the federal administration plus 26 cantonal administrations were surveyed.  

Proportion of women on boards of directors: Switzerland needs to catch up

When the survey on the proportion of women on boards of directors was first carried out in 2010, there was only one female chairperson; there are currently seven. In 2010, the proportion of women on the board of directors was 10 %, which has risen steadily to the current 33 %, with the required benchmark of 30 % under company law being exceeded in 2024. In recent years, companies have filled between 37 % and 48 % of vacant seats with women, ensuring the desired mix. "We are making good progress. Nevertheless,
Compared to the EU countries, where France already has 48 %, Italy 45 % and Norway and the UK both have 44 % women on their boards, we in Switzerland are unfortunately still at the bottom of the league," says Schilling. He also points out that countries such as the UK, Finland and Sweden have achieved their top position without statutory quotas for women. However, it is encouraging that 62 % of companies currently have a proportion of women of ≥ 30 % on their board of directors, compared to a modest 2 % in 2010, notes Guido Schilling. At the same time, the proportion of companies without women on their board of directors fell from 44 % to currently 3 %.

Generation project Gender diversity in management

The proportion of women on the management boards of Switzerland's 100 largest companies has risen from 4 % in 2006 to 10 % in 2020 within 15 years. "These homeopathic steps have kept me busy for a long time," admits Guido Schilling. "As early as 2010, I talked about the generational project of a balanced gender mix in the Executive Board. The sensitization phase lasted 15 years. The catalyst effect only came about when the companies established two or more women in their overall management. Last year, the companies cracked the 20 % mark and thus achieved the required gender benchmark. I'm talking about the awareness phase here." According to the schillingreport, companies currently have 22 % women on their management boards, with 25 % of vacancies being filled by women. "The acceptance phase in this generational project is reached when companies are moving towards a balanced mix of 40-60 % women and men. Some companies are already far
With more than a third of management positions held by women, they will be the big winners in the war for talent," concludes Schilling. Nonetheless, an increasingly positive trend is also visible in key management functions. In 2006, companies only had 2 female CEOs and 2 female CFOs, whereas there are currently 12 female CEOs and 16 female CFOs.

Gender diversity pipeline expands

Since 2016, the schillingreport has been surveying the proportion of women below management level at the 250 most important Swiss companies. This pipeline of women in top management and middle management shows whether there is sufficient potential in companies to fill more management roles with women in the future. In the private sector sample, the proportion of women in middle management has risen from 22 % to currently 28 % and in top management from 14 % to 21 % over the last 10 years. "This broadening of the gender diversity pipeline is the key to a balanced gender mix in management and at all management levels," says Schilling. 

As pleasing as the increase in the proportion of women on management boards is, another problem is becoming clear: women remain in their positions for a much shorter time than men. For Guido Schilling, this also raises the question of how sustainable this development is for the stability of management bodies. Possible reasons for the higher turnover of women on management boards were in last year's issue of the schillingreport discussed.

Many GL members without a Swiss passport

Another finding of the schillingreport 2025: the proportion of executive board members without a Swiss passport increased from 36 % in 2006 to 43 % in 2010 and oscillated around 45 % over the following 15 years. It was not until 2025 that this rose to its highest level to date of 49 %, whereby
63 % of the newly appointed members of the Executive Board do not have a Swiss passport. "Surrounding countries, especially Germany, have been struggling with a recession since corona, which increases the attractiveness of Switzerland and its employers. While it was more challenging to attract qualified managers from abroad in the past 4 to 5 years, Switzerland is now more attractive again due to its continued stable economic situation," says Schilling. "We have always been a country of immigration, which is also reflected in the high proportion of people without a Swiss passport who have spent the majority of their career in Switzerland, the so-called 'nationals'." The number of nationalities represented has also increased significantly over the past 20 years. In 2006, there were 23 other nationalities on the Executive Board in addition to Swiss; currently there are 48.

The public sector as a pioneer

In the public sector, the proportion of women in top management rose from 14 % in 2016 to currently 26 %. Looking at the Federal Administration separately from the cantons, the proportion of women in top management rose from 17 % in 2016 to currently 42 %. "The federal government not only set targets, but also fulfilled them in an exemplary manner," says Guido Schilling. "Thanks to this balanced mix, there are plenty of opportunities for
There are enough qualified candidates of both genders for top positions in the federal administration". And the consistency between the public sector and the private sector is high, according to Schilling.

Source: guido schilling ag