Who will be on the board of directors?

A board position is rarely obtained through an application, but rather through trust and visibility. Anyone who wants to join a board needs not only experience but, above all, a clear positioning and a strong network.

There is hardly any topic in the Swiss business world that is shrouded in as much myth as the question of how to get on a board of directors. At panel discussions, people talk about competence, strategic foresight, and diversity. In practice, it often boils down to three words: You know the right people.

This is not a criticism of the people who serve on boards of directors. It is a criticism of a system that perpetuates itself while claiming, with a clear conscience, that it is seeking out the best candidates.

The pool is smaller than it looks
Anyone who analyzes the appointments made in recent years will notice that a surprisingly small circle of people keeps cropping up. The same names, different logos. The market for board seats in Switzerland is real, but it is not open. It is an invitation-only market. Anyone who isn’t invited simply doesn’t exist in this system, no matter how qualified he or she is.

This doesn't just hurt the candidates who were passed over. It hurts the companies themselves. Homogeneous boards think homogeneously. They are less likely to ask tough questions. They overlook structural risks that an outsider would have spotted immediately.

Qualifications are necessary, but not sufficient
Of course, substance is required: leadership experience, financial literacy, and knowledge of corporate governance. Anyone who thinks they can get on a board of directors with just a good LinkedIn profile and two board seminars under their belt is mistaken. The formal requirements are the ticket to entry, not the reason for the selection.

What really matters is trust. And trust isn’t built through certifications, but through visibility, through repeated contact, and through the reputation that others build for you. A board seat is almost always the result of a recommendation, rarely the result of an open call for applications.

What It Really Takes
Anyone who is serious about pursuing a career at VR must understand three things.

First, positioning is more important than perfection. It’s not enough to be good. You have to be known for a clear area of expertise or a specific skill set. Boards aren’t looking for all-arounders; they’re looking for people who can fill a specific gap.

Second, networking isn’t a matter of luck, but of consistency. Anyone who spends years working in an operational role without investing any energy in building their external profile will one day realize that they are simply unknown outside their own company. You build a network when you don’t need it yet.

Third, it takes patience and the right start. Many people underestimate the value of small or medium-sized companies as a first board position. A solid first assignment establishes a track record, builds experience, and opens the door to more challenging boards.

The Responsibilities of Boards
It’s not just the candidates who are in demand. Boards of directors and nomination committees share responsibility for whether this market opens up or continues to close. Anyone who reflexively searches their existing network for every vacancy will reliably find what they already have.

Professional board search—one that systematically looks beyond familiar circles—is not a luxury. It is a matter of corporate responsibility. The next strategic mistake that a board fails to prevent is often the result of a blind spot that an outside perspective would have eliminated.

In short
It is possible to make it onto the board of directors. But the path there does not lie in attending seminars or in passive hope. It lies in consistent positioning, a carefully cultivated network, and a willingness to view even small steps as strategic investments.

And he leads teams that stop repeating themselves.