«Stronger when equal»: We are all stronger, when equal. What does this mean for you personally?

That things which already should have been self-evident a long time ago, are finally becoming the norm. Diversity is the basis for innovation, for companies to break new ground. This requires the right framework – and this is where every single employee comes into play. As CEO, it’s easy to talk about equality and launch a few initiatives. But an inclusive work environment only comes to life if really everyone gets involved. Equality and diversity must be part of the company culture.

What advice about creating a diverse and inclusive workplace would you have liked to have as a young CEO?

Just before I started my job as head of Accenture Switzerland in January 2020, Julie Sweet became the first woman in our company’s history to be named global CEO. I found that very inspiring because it shows how far we have come in recent years – from consulting being seen as a classic male domain to becoming a very diverse company where all doors are open to women.

At this point it would have been easy to say: «We can tick the box on equality, that’s no longer one of my priorities.» However, the opposite is true: Never rest on your laurels; instead, keep improving every day! That’s certainly the best advice you can get.

How would you advise young people who want to have a career and a family? How should we raise our children in order to get to gender equality faster?

My most important piece of advice would be that it should never be an either-or decision. One of the great myths of the working world is that you can only have a career if you spend countless hours at the office and fill your afterwork with networking. It’s important that fathers and mothers talk openly with their team about their situation, because that’s the only way they’ll get the flexibility they need on the job.

I fully understand when someone says to me, «I can’t attend this meeting because I need to pick my kids up from kindergarten.» And of course, as an employer, we do everything we can to create flexible structures and accommodate parents as much as possible.

For kids, inspiration is the most important thing – which is why, once a year, we invite the children of our employees to our office to show them how exciting a tech job can be. How proud do you think girls, in particular, are when they have written their first small application in a coding workshop?

10 years Advance, engaging for a gender equal workplace. What is your wish for progress in gender balance in the next 10 years? And how do you see the role of leaders on this journey?

In recent years, we have made great progress in Switzerland in getting women actively into the work force. Today, nine out of ten women between the ages of 25 and 39 have a job. That’s great news, but there’s a catch to this success story: the rate of part-time work for women has remained high over the last ten years – it’s just under 60 percent. This means that about three times as many women work part-time in this country compared to men.

This is closely related to the second problem that we urgently need to address: Men end up in well-paid positions more often than women. Or, to put it briefly: Men can pursue careers because women are cutting back. We will only eliminate this imbalance if we also address the male component. Part-time models or uncomplicated sabbaticals at all levels – also and especially on the leadership level – are an important tool. Just like raising children or running the household, a career should be something that both partners share.

How much time do you invest in domestic work? If you have a family or live in a partnership, is this work equally distributed? What is your preferred type of housework?

My wife and I both work in leadership roles. We try to share the household chores but there’s no clear division of who does what. My strengths lie more in cooking and organizing the little things that come up every day.

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