20 years of the Schilling Report: More women on management boards and boards of directors

The management boards of the 100 largest Swiss employers are more diverse today than they were 20 years ago. While in 2006 no management board had a proportion of women of at least 30%, this is now the case in 31 companies. The proportion of women on management boards rose from 4% in 2006 to 22% today. On boards of directors, it has risen from 10% to 33% since 2010. "We are making good progress," says publisher Guido Schilling, "but we are still lagging behind in comparison with the EU."

Boards of Directors: more women, changed skills profiles

The distribution of board seats has changed steadily in recent years. Companies have filled between 37% and 48% of vacant seats with women, which has led to a greater mix. Today, 62 percent of companies have at least 30 percent women on their board of directors - in 2010 it was only 2 percent. At the same time, the number of companies without women on their board of directors fell from 44% to 3%.

The requirements profile for chairmen of boards of directors has also changed. The proportion of people with a background in mathematics, IT, natural sciences and technology (STEM) has risen from 22% to 34% in the last ten years. The number of chairmen with a legal background fell from 27 to 15 percent, while the proportion of economists rose from 33 to 41 percent. Companies are focusing more on economic and technological expertise in order to better master challenges such as digitalization and artificial intelligence.

Management boards: Slow development with catalyst effect

The change in the management boards was slower. It was not until 2023 that the gender benchmark stipulated by company law was reached at 20%; today, the proportion of women is 22%. "It took 15 years to raise awareness," says Schilling, "a real catalyst effect only came about when companies had two or more women on their management boards."

There has also been a change in key functions: in 2006 there were only two female CEOs and two female CFOs, whereas today there are twelve and 16 respectively. Schilling assumes that companies with a higher proportion of women will be better positioned in the "war for talent" in the long term.

Proportion of women also increasing below the management level

The Schilling Report has been recording the proportion of women below management level since 2016. The data shows whether there is sufficient female leadership potential for management positions. In the last ten years, the proportion of women in middle management has risen from 22% to 28% and in top management from 14% to 21%. "This broadening of the gender diversity pipeline is crucial for a sustainable mix at all management levels," says Schilling.

Internationalization and the public sector as drivers

Parallel to gender development, the Executive Board has become more international. The proportion of members without a Swiss passport is now 49%, the highest figure since the survey began. Switzerland's attractiveness for foreign managers has increased, especially after the coronavirus crisis. 63% of newly appointed members of the Executive Board do not have a Swiss passport.

The public sector is also making progress: In the federal administration, the proportion of women in top management rose from 17% in 2016 to 42% today. According to Schilling, the federal government shows that prescribed quotas can not only be set, but also successfully implemented.

SMI companies as pioneers

The companies in the Swiss Market Index (SMI) already reached the gender benchmark of 30% on the Board of Directors and 20% on the Executive Board in 2022. Today, the proportion of women on SMI management boards is 28% - well above the overall average of 22%. While the German DAX index was still ahead of the SMI (6%) in 2016 with a 9% share of women, the SMI has now taken the lead with 28% compared to 25%.

The complete Schilling Report 2025 will be published in May and is available in German, French and English at Schillingreport.ch retrievable.