CEO Breakfast 2023: Switzerland’s got (Young) Talent! – Let’s transform today for a gender-equal future

Legendary! Is it possible to create huge impact in only two hours? Yes, it is! The 5th Advance CEO Breakfast did exactly that. 50 CEOs came together with 20 young people on 29 September 2023 for an inspiring exchange resulting in concrete actions.
Discover the gallery below!

The focus this year was a dialogue between CEOs and young women and men to better understand how we need to transform today for a gender equal workforce and inclusive leadership tomorrow. An important part of the discussion was also how we can retain male and female talents in the workforce when families are founded, which is crucial especially in times of the skills shortage.

CEOs and next generation leaders exchanged in moderated dialogues to solve concrete challenges together, such as: How can we unleash the full potential of female and male talents to counteract the skills shortage? What do young talents need to grow their careers and thrive in the workplace – and beyond? How do Millennials and Gen Z want to work to work best?

Key Takeaways & “Monday morning actions”!

• Young talents want very concrete perspectives on how they can develop professionally and at the same time thrive in their private lives. Role models and personal guidance are important elements to achieve this. So, let’s all be great role models for the next generation leaders!
• Young talents want transparency when it comes to promotion criteria and expectations on what it takes to make the next career step. So, let’s review talent development and promotion processes and make them transparent and explicit.
• Leadership behavior was a big one. Seek for open dialogue and ask instead of assuming: What do your talents need to stay on? What’s in the way for them to pursue a career? Sponsor talent by promoting their visibility and open doors. Make sure the middle management walks the talk as well!
• A healthy work-life-integration is key for well-educated young people. Flexibility in how they can work, trust-based leadership and inclusive workplaces are among the most important enablers. Let’s all walk the talk and make it happen!

Kudos & thank yous

We wholeheartedly thank all attending CEOs and young talent for engaging in this courageous and eye-opening dialgue. Special thanks go to Swiss Re and Board Member Andreas Berger, CEO Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, for hosting the Advance CEO Breakfast 2023. Huge thanks to our master mind facilitators Dr. Petra Jantzer, Malvika Singh and Alkistis Petropaki and Lena Schwerzmann, who orchestrated everything together with the Advance team behind the scenes. Special thanks go to Anna Mattsson, President of the Advance Board and Partner at McKinsey & Company, for her contributions and for making sure the event was accompanied by world-class facilitators from McKinsey. A big thank you for your excellent facilitation! Leonie Flückiger, Anaïs Stary, Anne Carter, François Ries, Jsmea Hug, Kim O’Neill, Marta Wlodarz, Szimonetta Rasky. Last, but not least, a big thank you to Linda Pollari for her wonderful photography, and to the improvisation actors’ duo Bernie Forster and J.C. Williams from Storylabor for their activating intermezzo!
Check out on LinkedIn who was there

“What I wish to see from my future employer …”

We asked the young participants about their expectations from their future employer. Here are some of their answers:

• “What I wish to see from my future employer is a commitment to fostering team culture, dedicated efforts in teaching the next generation, and a recognition that not all young individuals should be generalized, as many are hard-working and ambitious, ready to invest time and loyalty.” – Flavia Gericke
• “… that transparency is a key principle in the company’s culture & leaders are walking the talk.” – Gian Ludwig Zihlmann
• “… is the possibility to experience a workplace that embraces individual consideration, provides flexible working options in terms of time and location, and nurtures a culture that actively promotes teamwork and mutual assistance.” – Maja Kucharczyk

Let’s keep the discussion flowing – as we could see at the CEO breakfast, inspiration goes both ways!

Dive into the amazing atmosphere

Photos by LINDA POLLARI

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