Demographic change – the role of Boards in preparing for the future
swissVR Monitor I/2025 – a survey of board members in Switzerland
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Summary
The impact of demographic change is already evident in many companies. More workers are retiring every year, with record levels expected by the end of this decade. At the same time, fewer young people are entering the labour market. Meanwhile, improved life expectancy means the number of older consumers is increasing, and this group is an attractive target market for many businesses. But whether companies are able to make use of demographic change primarily as an opportunity rather than as a risk depends largely on their Board of Directors. This edition of swissVR Monitor therefore takes a closer look at how prepared companies are for demographic change and how their Boards are discussing the challenges it represents.
Key findings
Key issues for the Board of Directors
Rank I/2025 |
Rank II/2024 |
Issues |
1 |
2 |
Formulating a new corporate strategy |
2 |
1 |
Risk management |
3 |
3 |
HR challenges at management level |
4 |
3 |
Improving efficiency / optimising internal processes |
5 |
9 |
Digitalisation / robotics / automation |
6 |
5 |
Talent (recruitment, retention, etc.) |
6 |
- |
Corporate transactions (acquisitions, cooperation arrangements and mergers) |
8 |
6 |
Responding to market developments / behaviour of competitors |
8 |
7 |
Compliance (with legislation and internal codes of conduct) |
10 |
7 |
Sustainability / corporate social responsibility |
Interviews
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About the survey
swissVR Monitor is based on a survey carried out jointly by swissVR in collaboration with Deloitte and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. The aim of this bi-yearly survey is to gauge Board members’ attitudes to the outlook for the economy and business as well as corporate governance issues. swissVR Monitor also aims to share with the wider public the ways in which Board members perceive their role and the current economic situation. Each edition also explores a special focus topic and conducts interviews with experts. A total of 360 Board members took part in the current edition of swissVR Monitor, providing a good overview of the views and challenges facing board members in Switzerland.