12 female CEOs in top 100 companies

Keystone-SDA

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

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

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Slightly more women on management boards and boards of directors

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Proportion of women managers in Switzerland up slightly in ten years

This content was published on

Feb 24, 2025

Over the last ten years, the proportion of women in management positions and on the boards of directors of Swiss companies has risen slightly, says a new analysis.

Read more: Proportion of women managers in Switzerland up slightly in ten years

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

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

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‘Advancing women in the workplace must involve men’

This content was published on

Mar 8, 2023

To reduce the gap in the workforce, companies must get men on board, argues Sandra Ondraschek-Norris with NGO Catalyst.

Read more: ‘Advancing women in the workplace must involve men’

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

Adapted from German by DeepL/sb

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