Women’s Network Women’s Network

At KPMG, we support female board members in connecting with peers and advancing visionary corporate governance. KPMG supports several organizations and initiatives that promote women in business. We also provide dedicated networking opportunities and platforms as part of our commitment to cultivate diversity.

WomenCorporateDirectors (WCD) is the world’s largest membership organization and community of women corporate board directors. Through events, publications, and tools addressing the latest news and trends in business and governance, WCD inspires and educates board leaders – and raises the bar for board service in public and large private companies globally.  KPMG has been global lead sponsor of WCD for many years.

WCD members are among the world’s most powerful and influential businesswomen – they represent a global business elite. Members include CEOs, board chairmen, lead directors, C-Suite executives, board members, and heads of global divisions in the major indices, such as S&P 500, FTSE 250, DAX, Nikkei, and beyond.

Mission of WCD

As the preeminent organization for women directors globally, WCD seeks to:

• Foster a powerful, trusted and global community of women corporate directors that meet specific and objective criteria.
• Increase representation of women on public and large private company boards and in board leadership positions.
• Increase the pipeline of aspiring and qualified female board candidates.
• Inspire visionary boards worldwide – by providing education and tools that keep members engaged, informed, and high-performing as directors.

WCD Swiss Chapter

The WCD Swiss Chapter is one of the 79 global chapters around the world – and the number is growing on an annual basis. In Switzerland, KPMG organizes networking events on a regular basis together with Spencer Stuart to exchange and discuss hot topics for board members in an “off the record” atmosphere. More information is available at www.womencorporatedirectors.com.

If you would like to contact the WCD Swiss Chapter please use: CH-FMWCD@kpmg.com.

The Women’s Board Award recognizes deserving female board members who have the potential to become chair of the board. Candidates must have served for at least five years as members of the board of directors of a renowned company and made a major contribution to the value of the organization during that time. KPMG is proud to have supported the Women’s Board Award in Switzerland from the start.

On Tuesday, 10 November 2020, the "Women's Board Award" was presented for the second time in Switzerland. This award focuses on the achievements of high-caliber female board members in the Swiss economy. The nominees for 2020 were: Dr Claudia Suessmuth Dyckerhoff, Isabelle Welton and Dr Karen Huebscher.

The jury presented this year's award to Isabelle Welton, who has already proven her leadership experience in international companies as a board member in leading, listed Swiss companies. Isabelle Welton has been a member of the Neue Zürcher Zeitung Board of Directors since 2013. Since then, two further mandates have been added, one for the real estate and mortgage service provider Avobis Group and the other for the pharmaceutical supplier Siegfried Holding.

KPMG is proud to support the Women's Board Award in Switzerland from the beginning as one of the main sponsors because we see the advancement of women as a strategic business issue and are working on specific global and national projects.