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Inclusion works when the whole organization takes ownership of it. Helvetia built a model that does exactly that: activating employees across all levels and functions through a cross-functional Diversity Council, targeted awareness campaigns, career sponsoring and financial literacy initiatives. Over 600 employees engaged voluntarily, participation in awareness campaigns exceeded 15%, and the Diversity Council continued to grow, even through a company merger. The lesson is simple: DEI is most effective when it stops being an HR topic and becomes everyone's responsibility.

Deloitte has recognized that attracting and supporting female talent early in their careers was essential to building a diverse workforce. Through YOUnext, its five-month female mentoring program, students are matched one-to-one with Deloitte professionals and guided through hands-on workshops, real case studies and a community of peers and role models who show them what's possible. The result speaks for itself: nearly 200 women mentored, 96% who would recommend the program to others, and 86% more likely to apply to Deloitte, advancing the firm's goal of 50% women in entry-level hires. Read on to discover how Deloitte is turning early promise into lasting careers.

Some of the most defining moments in a working life are the ones we rarely speak about at work: the need to care for someone we love, menopause, or a gender transition. At Merck (Schweiz) AG, these moments are no longer left to chance. Together with the very people who live these experiences, Merck co-created clear, Switzerland-specific guidelines and brought them to life through awareness workshops, manager training and dedicated events equipping employees, managers and HR alike to respond with confidence and care. The result is a workplace where people know how to show up when it counts, where such conversations are met with understanding rather than hesitation, and where everyone is free to bring their whole self to work. Read on to discover how Merck is redefining inclusion, on moments that matter.

Swiss Re turned the EU Pay Transparency Directive into a global leadership opportunity, implementing transparency initiatives across 22 countries instead of just meeting European compliance requirements. Through employee dashboards and manager training, they achieved 38% improvement in employee trust in compensation decisions.
Their approach shows how companies can transform regulatory requirements into competitive advantages by treating pay transparency as a cultural tool rather than just compliance.

Axpo hat in Zusammenarbeit mit Thriving Talent ein datengestütztes Simulationsmodell entwickelt, um zu ermitteln, was erforderlich ist, um ihre ambitionierten Gleichstellungsziele zu erreichen. Das Modell berücksichtigte aktuelle Daten zu Demografie, Einstellungen, Beförderungen, Fluktuation und Pensionierungen in verschiedenen Geschäftsbereichen. Die Simulation errechnete einerseits realistische Einstellungsquoten und zeigte andererseits auf, dass zur Erreichung der Ziele massgeschneiderte, geschäftsspezifische Massnahmen erforderlich sind und keine einheitlichen Ansätze. Diese Analysen führen dazu, dass der Fokus von allgemeinen Ambitionen auf eine faktenbasierte Aktionsplanung verlagert wird, die auf den einzigartigen Dynamiken und Einschränkungen jedes Geschäftsbereichs basiert.

Alpiq hat ein Programm zur Transformation der Führungskultur ins Leben gerufen, das sich auf „Secure Base Leadership“ konzentriert, um einen kulturellen Wandel auf dem volatilen globalen Energiemarkt voranzutreiben, auf dem die Kultur einen entscheidenden Wettbewerbsvorteil darstellt. Das Programm beginnt bei der Geschäftsleitung und wird dann auf die gesamte Organisation ausgeweitet. Es konzentriert sich auf die Philosophie „Care, Dare, Share“ (Fürsorge, Mut, Teilen) und bildet interne Botschafter zu IMD-zertifizierten Coaches aus, um eine integrative Führungskultur, psychologische Sicherheit und vielfältige Perspektiven zu fördern. Die Initiative hat bereits ein Drittel der Belegschaft von Alpiq geschult und zu erheblichen Verbesserungen geführt, darunter ein Anstieg der NPS-Werte von +1 im Jahr 2022 auf +42 bis 2024, die Zertifizierung als „Great Place to Work” an allen Standorten und eine Platzierung unter den Top 5 der Umfrageergebnisse bei Fragen zur Inklusivität.

ABB Switzerland is transitioning from traditional “Disability Management” to a strength-based “Ability Management” approach in health promotion. The company aims to significantly reduce absenteeism. Related targets will be integrated into leadership performance assessments. Through initiatives like the Icebreaker campaign, which encourages open dialogue about mental health challenges, ABB has already achieved measurable improvements in psychological safety and employees’ sense of belonging.

ABB Schweiz wandelt sich vom traditionellen «Disability Management» zu einem stärken orientierten «Ability Management» in der Gesundheitsförderung. Das Unternehmen strebt hiermit eine massgebliche Senkung des Krankenstandes an. Entsprechende Ziele sollen in die Beurteilung der Führungskräfte integriert werden. Durch Initiativen wie die Icebreaker-Kampagne für offenen Dialog über psychische Belastungen hat ABB bereits messbare Verbesserungen in psychologischer Sicherheit und Zugehörigkeitsgefühl erzielt.

KPMG created the "She Advises: Discover Your Career with KPMG" event to address low female application rates in their Advisory function by providing exclusive insights into consulting services and corporate culture for female students. The event featured keynote speeches, presentation skills training, real-life case studies, and networking opportunities, with participants guided by experienced female employees and offered fast-track application processes for interested candidates. The initiative resulted in high turnout from qualified female students, increased female applications, strengthened KPMG's brand among the target demographic, and created a sense of community that lowered barriers to entry in the male-dominated consulting environment.

Die SBB hat „OneSBB Treffpunkte“ als Kaderdialoge vor ein paar Jahren initiiert. Dieses Jahr ist das Schwerpunktthema Vielfalt und Respekt. Daran nehmen rund 1.000 Führungskräfte freiwillig in Gruppen von 30 Personen teil, um sich durch Peer to Peer Lernen über Vielfalt, unbewusste Vorurteile und Inklusion auszutauschen. Die Initiative läuft von April bis Oktober 2025 und umfasst Diskussionen unter der Leitung von Topkader, die sich mit individuellen Perspektiven (Bewusstsein für Vorurteile), Team Perspektiven (Fallstudien) und den organisatorischen Vorteilen von Vielfalt und Inklusion befassen.

Swiss Re launched the Career Returnees initiative in July 2024 to tap into the underutilized talent pool of professionals returning to work after career breaks, recognizing that traditional recruitment often overlooks this experienced group. The program is built on four pillars: open positions for returnees, equal pay for equal work, development opportunities and flexible work options, with explicit career returnee advertising, internal awareness and a manager support toolkit, and external outreach campaigns. Since launch, the initiative has welcomed over 62 employees across 12 countries, with 92% onboarding satisfaction and 82% upskilling satisfaction, demonstrating that career breaks occur across all genders and career stages while returnees integrate quickly and deliver effectively.

MSD Switzerland implemented a Global Job Policy in 2024 requiring all roles to be posted and introduced a structured selection processes with panel interviews to address inconsistent recruitment practices and employee concerns about unequal opportunities. The company developed competency frameworks, behavioral interview techniques, and neurodiversity-accessible assessments to counter unconscious bias and ensure fair candidate evaluation. These inclusive recruitment practices have increased diversity in hiring decisions, improved employee engagement scores, and strengthened organizational culture with better business outcomes.

dsm-firmenich launched the Mental Fitness Champions (MFC) initiative following a merger to support employee well-being during organizational transformation, training colleagues to listen to and support peers. The Global Vitality Office partnered with HSE Global to deliver a customized 7-hour peer support program based on a Canadian Armed Forces framework, training internal instructors and offering courses in six languages across 36 countries. Since launching in April 2024, the initiative has engaged 500+ colleagues in 60+ courses, with 95 certified champions in Switzerland alone, creating a peer-support network that promotes psychological safety, reduces mental health stigma, and fosters an inclusive workplace culture.

SBB established "OneSBB Meeting Points" as leadership dialogues focusing on "Value Diversity Respectfully," where around 1,000 leaders voluntarily participate in groups of 30 to discuss diversity, unconscious biases, and inclusion through peer-to-peer learning. The initiative runs from April to October 2025, featuring discussions led by top executives covering individual perspectives (bias awareness), team perspectives (case studies), and organizational benefits of diversity and inclusion. The program aims to enhance leaders' reflective abilities, foster empathy, reduce discrimination, and develop skills in conflict resolution and leading diverse teams, with outcomes evaluated through participant feedback.

Alpiq launched a leadership transformation program centered on "Secure Base Leadership" to drive cultural change in the volatile global energy market, where culture serves as a key competitive advantage. Starting with the Executive Board and cascading through the organization, the program focuses on Care, Dare, and Share philosophy, training internal ambassadors as IMD-certified coaches to foster inclusive leadership, psychological safety, and diverse perspectives. The initiative has already trained one-third of Alpiq's workforce, resulting in significant improvements including NPS scores rising from +1 in 2022 to +42 by 2024, Great Place to Work certification across all locations, and inclusivity questions ranking in the top 5 survey results.

Die SBB hatte verschiedene Mitarbeitendennetzwerke (Frauen-, Neurodiversity-, LGBTQI+- und Gleichstellungsnetzwerke), die isoliert und ohne Kontakt zueinander agierten. Zur Lösung wurde ein übergreifendes "Netzwerk der Netzwerke" mit regelmässigen Austauschtreffen, gemeinsamer Teams-Plattform und einheitlicher Finanzierungslösung geschaffen. Das Ergebnis zeigt erfolgreiche Synergien zwischen den Netzwerken, wie eine gemeinsame Veranstaltung von QueerNet und dem Neurodiversity-Netzwerk zum Thema Resilienz, was zu stärkerer Mitarbeitendenbindung und erhöhtem Engagement führte.

Axpo partnered with Thriving Talent to develop a data-driven simulation model that assessed what would be needed to meet their gender equality targets of 30% female workforce and 25% female senior leadership. The model incorporated current demographics, hiring, promotion, turnover, and retirement data across different business divisions to calculate realistic hiring rates and specific measures needed for each area. The simulation revealed that achieving gender targets requires tailored, business-specific actions rather than one-size-fits-all approaches, enabling targeted planning with clear ownership and transparency while shifting focus from generic ambition to fact-based action planning grounded in each division's unique dynamics and constraints.

Job sharing was introduced at Nestlé Switzerland in 2020, and after some initial challenges in factories, it was successfully implemented at Nestlé Waters Switzerland in May 2023. This initiative helped retain a valuable engineer by offering a reduced activity rate. It resulted in the company's first job-sharing arrangement in a factory setting with two engineers working at 60% capacity each. The positive outcomes have led to more job sharing pairs in factories across Switzerland, with a focus on continuous improvement and flexibility.

As a global organization, JTI had established several policies to support the DEI agenda and were in the process of being certified by the EY Global Equality Standard. However, they recognized the need for a more localized implementation that met the specific needs of the organization at the time. By focusing on inclusion, raising awareness around bias, and introducing initiatives like the Virtual Reality „Men in Business – In the Body of a Woman“ experience, they have started to see positive changes in conversations, employee engagement, and inclusive management across the organization.

In 2007, a group of women leaders at SAP initiated the SAP Business Women Network (BWN) to elevate the role of women in technology and within the organization, when only 18.2% of management positions were held by women. Today, BWN has grown to over 17,000 members globally, with the Swiss chapter boasting 290+ members and contributing significantly to SAP's success. By 2024, the representation of women in management at SAP increased to 29.8%, with BWN Switzerland leading initiatives such as allyship and career development to drive company culture.

"PowHer," a mentoring initiative that started in Zurich seven years ago, addresses the lack of female mentors and role models in digital fields by connecting women of different ages, positions, and professions as mentors and mentees. The program, which operates independently from other company initiatives, has grown in popularity and is now open to all women across the organization. It has not only increased the visibility and recognition of women in the workforce but also fostered a strong sense of community and lasting support among its members.

Generative AI (GenAI) is becoming increasingly integrated into our daily work, but with its use comes exposure to inherent biases. To address this, Accenture brought together experts from GenAI and inclusion to discuss these issues, focusing on promoting inclusivity through thought leadership and responsible AI frameworks. This collaborative approach aims to ensure GenAI is used responsibly and fairly, leveraging progressive governance to adapt to rapidly evolving technology.

Financial education is a big gamechanger for gender equality. 40% of employees rate money as a top stress factor, losing 13 hours a month worrying about finances at work. To address this, six onsite workshops with Olga Miler from SmartPurse were organized at the Johnson&Johnson Zug campus, covering financial basics, communication about money, and investing. The workshops were highly successful, boosting confidence in financial matters, and will be expanded in 2024.

If CEOs are value-driven they make Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion a strategic focus area. By trusting and supporting their leaders to authentically champion these initiatives, the organization is able to foster a positive culture, improve performance, and achieve success.
When leaders are empowered to pursue their beliefs and values, they can lead with authenticity, integrity, and purpose, resulting in positive impacts on the organization.

Vontobel's new co-CEOs prioritize collaboration and diversity, implementing "One Vontobel" model to break silos. Their inclusive approach fosters innovation, diverse perspectives, and better outcomes in the fast-paced financial market.

IKEA Switzerland achieved and maintained a 50/50 gender balance among store managers since 2014, as part of its commitment to equality and diversity. This has contributed to improved business results, with women in leadership becoming the norm and influencing various aspects of the company's workforce composition.

The new parental leave policy offers 16 weeks of fully paid leave to all employees regardless of gender, supporting natural, adoptive, same/opposite sex partners, and single parents. The policy has been well-received by employees, fostering equity and inclusion, supporting the transition to parenthood, and contributing to improved retention and engagement.

The IT department at Siemens faces a challenge of under-representation of women in management positions, not due to rejection but lack of applications. In response, Siemens created a program to promote women in IT and prepare them for leadership roles through workshops, skill development, and networking opportunities.

Das Sponsoring-Programm von Syngenta für Frauen zielt darauf ab, durch gezielte Vernetzung, Unterstützung bei globalen Standortwechseln und konkreten Möglichkeiten für Weiterentwicklung eine Reihe von weiblichen Tech-Führungskräften innerhalb des Unternehmens und der Branche aufzubauen.

Discover how EY is leading a paradigm shift in the workplace by embracing flexible working arrangements. Explore their innovative strategies for getting clients on board with this transformative approach, fostering collaboration and driving business success.

Learn how Swiss Re is enabling leaders to incorporate inclusion into daily practice and to foster an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued.

NatWest champions working families through their comprehensive initiatives, such as Partner Leave, Phase-Back Program, and a Remote First approach. Uncover how they lead in creating a gender-balanced and inclusive environment that supports employees' specific needs.

Unlock financial savviness with Zurich Insurance as they empower women to enhance their financial knowledge and skills. Explore the WIN Financial Awareness Program, fostering a supportive community and providing personalized services to boost financial confidence.

Experience KPMG's commitment to empowering employees through flexibility and work-life integration. Discover their diverse initiatives challenging traditional norms and supporting new parents, fostering a thriving workplace for all.

Step into ABB's world and witness their groundbreaking gender-neutral parental leave program. Discover how ABB fosters a gender-balanced and inclusive environment, breaking boundaries and paving the way for working families to thrive.

Unveil MSD Switzerland's Women's Network Leadership Academy, revolutionizing the path to gender parity. Join the empowering journey as women develop tools and leadership capabilities to shape their future as trailblazing leaders.

Discover how Migros revolutionizes the workplace with its commitment to work-life integration. Explore their emphasis on part-time positions, hybrid work models, and leadership support, creating an environment where employees can flourish.

Embark on Accenture's transformative journey with their returnship program, EMBARK. Witness the normalization of career breaks, bridging the gender gap, and unlocking individuals' full potential, reshaping the future of work.

Syngenta's Female Sponsorship Program is aimed at building a solid pipeline of female tech leaders within the company and the industry. Through tailored connections, support for global relocations, and tangible career advancements, the program has already made a noticeable impact on the careers of 18 talented women.

Entdecken Sie, wie die Migros die Arbeitswelt durch ihr Engagement für die Integration von Beruf und Privatleben revolutioniert. Erfahren Sie mehr über den Fokus auf Teilzeitstellen, hybride Arbeitsmodelle und Führungsunterstützung, die ein Umfeld schaffen, in dem Mitarbeitende aufblühen können.

Erfahren Sie mit Zurich Versicherung, wie Frauen finanzielle Kompetenz erlangen. Entdecken Sie das WIN Financial Awareness Programm, das nicht nur Wissen und Fähigkeiten im Finanzbereich vermittelt, sondern auch eine unterstützende Gemeinschaft aufbaut und personalisierte Dienstleistungen zur Stärkung des finanziellen Selbstvertrauens anbietet.

In times when Swiss companies are desperate for skilled employees due to the talent shortage, explore the positive impact that returnship programs are having from eight participating companies.

How can you push gender equality in the right direction at a faster pace? At Bain, a sponsorship program is key for ensuring the top management pipeline and retaining female leaders.

Involving employees pays off - learn what happens when the entire workforce sets the agenda for gender parity.

Join the ride: Along a compelling learning journey, PwC teaches the human skills needed to develop an inclusive mindset.

From storytelling to a real culture shift - learn how to use an impactful tool to change leadership behavior.

From speaker to role model - how to narrow the tech gap and attract more women to the industry.

UBS harnesses the power of their people and cultivates collaboration between the women’s employee network, the business and DE&I.

What happens if you put mentees in the driver's seat? Discover KPMG's tailored mentoring program's recipe for success.

Find out how SIX takes every employee on a shared journey towards an open, inclusive and growth-oriented culture.

How to engage the divisions in owning their diversity targets? Let them set their own!

The transition to parenthood is a high-risk time for employees. Read how Vontobel supports and retains female leaders in the 'rush hours' of life.

Starre, generalisierte Diversity-Ziele vorgeben? Erfahren Sie, was es ausmacht, wenn Swisscom die Eigenverantwortung der verschiedenen Geschäftsbereiche erhöht und diese in die Zielformulierung einbindet.

Ein massgeschneidertes internes Gehaltsmodellierungstool sorgt für faire Löhne und stärkt das Vertrauen der Mitarbeitenden.

SIX launches SPI Gender Equality Index for Switzerland, aligning their core business activities with their D&I Strategy.

An honest assessment of what a 'leader' looks like challenges the status quo and creates the climate for women to thrive.

A deep dive into the male and female perceptions of gender equality at work leads to open dialogue, higher engagement and critically: changing the appraisal process.

Bain's 'We Care' programme is changing the culture of care-giving as more men take up flex leave options and extended paternity leave.

48% of all PM Switzerland’s management level employees were women in 2020, smashing the target of 40% by end 2022.

Holiday camps for the children of Swiss Re employees solve the pressing problem of childcare during school breaks for their working parents.

Dow's Sponsorship Program is de-biased by self-nomination and busts the myth that 'there are no eligible women'

Change doesn’t happen overnight but by integrating top & grassroots initiatives @Citi successfully builds an inclusive culture.

Implementing a holistic 4 pillar pay equity framework led to decreasing the pay gap to under 1% - and keeping it there.

Leaders insisting on pay equity and undertaking serious independent analyses builds trust and a culture of inclusion.

Syngenta's 'Future of Work' program engages employees through co-creation of a new Flexible Workplace policy, innovative office floor plan and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Program.

A customised internal salary modelling tool ensures fair salaries and strengthens employee confidence.

The full pay flexibility deal allows new parents to decide how they want to manage the transition back to work.

Accenture's thriving Working Parents' Network attracts 30% men in its membership.

Looking beyond data helps Syngenta make pay equity a fundamental element of the company's culture rather than just a project to tick off.

"NextWave” holds leaders accountable for creating and embedding an inclusive culture.

Ein neuer kollektiver Arbeitsvertrag, der auf verbindliche Grundsätze basiert: Flexibles Arbeiten, gesunde Work-Life-Balance, gleiche Bezahlung und Nicht-Diskriminierung.

Women leadership targets and a CEO supported Diversity Board ensure more women at the top.

Der “driver seat” verschafft talentierten weiblichen Führungskräften Sichtbarkeit, indem er ihnen erlaubt, einen Monat lang im Chefsessel Platz zu nehmen.

The skywomen are empowered via mentoring in order to get involved in business decisions and shape the company future.

A highly effective way to increase transparency: a Dashboard provides real time D&I analytics helping to get leaders’ buy-in for action.

The 'Women at Bain' program, a strong network that acts as a support system to help women thrive during their careers.

Chances for promotions are equal for full-time and part-time employees thanks to a strong culture of flexible working.

The CEO and senior leaders publicly advocate diversity and inclusion as business imperative.

#sharethecare shifts the narrative from ‘caregiving is strictly a woman’s responsibility’ to ‘caregiving is for both parents’. A bold ambition aiming to cultural change.

A cross-divisional mentoring program connects women with more senior colleagues, increasing the bond between women internally and fostering belonging and career perspectives.

Building a Swiss-wide network to advance women’s leadership and inclusion.

Supporting mothers and fathers to perform at their best, both at work and at home with: Coaching sessions, flexible working options and an internal parent network.

Eye-opening sessions for male leaders to understand the challenges that women face in their careers.

A gender diversity checklist makes sure that women have equal chances in the recruiting process.

Equal salary certification makes sure that talent is paid fairly and equitably irrespective of gender.

A new collective employment contract with the binding principles of: Flexible working, healthy work-life balance, equal pay and no discrimination.

'Beyond Bias' workshops for all employees in order to learn how to act in a more inclusive way.

Analysis, targets and many practical steps to make change happen: e.g. proactive outreach to universities to increase the inflow of female candidates to 30%.

The business asked for more women and 'Excelle' was born: a program designed for women to learn, grow and share in technical roles.

A multi-pronged approach tackles recruitment, retention and promotion challenges for women to positive results.

The goal to become the most inclusive material science company in the world leads to innovative ways to retain women and grow the pipeline.

An interview template for hiring managers which is aligned to the corporate values, explicitly seeks inclusive mindset in candidates.