The proportion of women on the executive boards of the largest listed Swiss companies rose significantly over the last year. This puts the country in sixth place in a European ranking.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/jdp
Português
pt
Mulheres nos conselhos executivos suíços saltam para 24%
Women now represent 24% of positions on the executive boards of the 20 largest companies in the Swiss Market Index (SMI). This is up from 19% in 2021, according to an analysis published on Tuesday by human resources consultant Russell Reynolds Associates. This is the largest increase of any European country over the past twelve months.
Switzerland surpassed Germany and Denmark, putting it in sixth place in a ranking of European countries. The United Kingdom took the top spot with 29% of board positions held by women, followed by Norway, Sweden, Finland and France.
According to the study, companies from the financial sector in particular lead the way in terms of the proportion of women. At UBS, Switzerland’s largest bank, women hold 42% of board seats. This is followed by Partners Group, Credit Suisse and Zurich Insurance Group.
The proportion of women on the executive boards of smaller companies is significantly lower. Among the largest mid-cap companies listed on the Swiss stock market, women hold only 14.7% of seats, an increase of 0.8 percentage points from 2021.
In 2019, the Swiss parliament voted in favour of requiring companies to set aside 30% of positions for women on the boards of directors and 20% on executive boards over the next five and ten years, respectively. The reporting requirement on executive boards starts in 2031.
The study also finds that the management boards of Switzerland’s top companies are also becoming more international. Foreigners now account for 73% of executive board positions in the 20 largest companies in the SMI and 55% of the largest mid-cap companies. By comparison, the proportion of foreign managers in the 40 largest companies in the German Stock Index is only 37.5%.
Popular Stories
More
Life & Aging
Zurich: how the world capital of housing shortages is tackling the problem
In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?
Swiss canton holds first general meeting on winegrowing
This content was published on
More than 250 professionals attended the first general meeting of the Valais wine industry on Monday in Conthey, western Switzerland.
Greater transparency called for in Swiss use of medical imaging
This content was published on
More and more scans, ultrasounds and MRIs: doctors are increasingly prescribing medical imaging tests, particularly in the French-speaking cantons.
Renewal of war in Gaza has ‘unleashed a new hell’, says Red Cross
This content was published on
The resumption of the war in Gaza has unleashed a new hell in the Palestinian territory, the director of the Geneva-based ICRC has warned.
Lufthansa set to abolish in-flight sales, SWISS to keep them
This content was published on
Perfumes, cigarettes, sunglasses: The German airline Lufthansa will no longer sell these products on long-haul flights in future. Lufthansa subsidiary Swiss is sticking to in-flight sales for the time being.
This content was published on
After a short break due to the cool weather, grass pollen is now flying in Switzerland, the Swiss Allergy Centre said on Monday.
This content was published on
Researchers have shown for the first time in Switzerland that urban greenery measurably reduces the stress levels of city dwellers.
This content was published on
The percentage of women on executive boards of Switzerland’s largest 100 employers has – for the first time – reached 10%, a report has found.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.