Swiss Board Circle 26 Convened at the Zurich Airport Circle
More than 200 board members and decision-makers came together at Swiss Board Circle 26, a day dedicated to exchange, reflection, and forward-looking impulses on January 9, 2026. Under the annual theme “Creating Impact Across Boundaries,” the focus was on responsible and effective board work.
The event was opened by Prof. Dr. Michael Hilb, President of the Board Foundation. Across a total of 20 Board Exchanges, participants discussed current challenges and trends in board governance, moderated by distinguished figures from business, governance, and consulting.
In the morning, key topics such as strategy, innovation, communication, culture, risk, and finance for boards were at the center of attention, accompanied by intense discussions and a shared moment of silence in remembrance of the victims in Crans-Montana. In the afternoon, these impulses were further explored in additional Board Exchanges focusing on board portfolio, global governance, innovation governance, transformation governance, and family governance.
Open dialogue on equal footing, diverse perspectives, and shared reflection left a lasting impression on the day. Swiss Board Circle demonstrated the power of structured exchange and collective insight.
As part of the “Board Pulse,” participants were also surveyed on the issues that will most strongly occupy boards looking ahead to 2026. The five most important priorities identified were:
- Geopolitics
- Technology
- Polarization
- (De-)regulation
- Sustainability
These results provide clear guidance on where boards see the greatest need for action in the coming years. Swiss Board Circle builds on these insights, creating space to further develop relevant board topics in a structured way—with the ambition of creating impact across boundaries.
Impact emerges where perspectives come together.
