Management Summary

• Women’s representation in management is progressing – but slowly
  Compared to 2024, the share of women has slightly increased at most management levels, with middle management showing a 2-point rise. The critical mass of 30% in women’s representation has been reached in lower management, an important cultural milestone. Cracking the 30% mark in middle management is the next step.
• Advance member companies continue to lead
  The Glass Ceiling Index (GCI) remains unchanged overall but reveals contrasts: Advance members show a much thinner Glass Ceiling with a GCI of 1.8 compared to 2.8 for non-members. This confirms that the deliberate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts of the Advance members pay off.
• Industry differences are striking
  Healthcare has the thickest Glass Ceiling (GCI 4.8) despite many women in its workforce, while tech (1.2) and pharma/med-tech (1.4) show thinner Glass Ceilings. These industries are able to better utilize their female talent pipeline through conscious talent management.
• Meritocracy is already broken on the first promotion rung
  While men and women are equally represented in non-management, women’s promotion rates to lowest/lower management lag behind. This fact suggests that today’s business world doesn’t fully operate on meritocratic principles.
• Employees call for stronger DEI – the key for real meritocracy
  61% of employees consider DEI very important, but only 23% strongly agree their organization is committed to it. Women in particular lack sufficient chances for career advancement, with 56% perceiving they don’t have fair, transparent development opportunities.
• The lack of meritocracy hurts loyalty and costs billions
  27% of employees would switch their organization for one more committed to DEI. Extrapolated on the report’s sample, non-inclusive and non-meritocratic practices could cost companies up to CHF 5 billion annually.
• Inclusive meritocracy is the way forward
  True meritocracy requires inclusion: fair access, transparency, and unbiased criteria at every career stage. Companies that integrate DEI widen their talent pools, improve loyalty, and ensure the best talent advances.