Dear bpw, dear readers,
Autumn brings not only mystical fog and beautiful colors, but also great challenges: recent events in world politics show once again that our achievements in terms of equality must not be taken for granted. We all have to work for self-determination, participation in all political and economic processes, and equal opportunities every day. Even though the year is already approaching its end, we at BPW Switzerland will be staying on the ball with the support of our network. With this in mind, we hope you enjoy reading our autumn newsletter.
Looking back on the Autumn Conference 2024
The Autumn Conference is BPW Switzerland's second national event, in addition to the Delegates' Meeting. It is a wonderful opportunity to discuss new projects, goals, and ideas from and for BPW and, of course, to network. On 19 October, 2024, BPW Club Ticino invited guests to the beautiful Hotel Belvedere Locarno under the motto "Women key players of the future". The newly constituted Central Committee announced its vision for the association for the coming years, as well as the allocation of departments and regions.
Under the newly constituted Central Committee, working groups will be reactivated or newly established:
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Working Group on Society and Politics: the aim of this working group is to step up the collaboration between the clubs and the Central Committee on political issues. BPW who are interested in joining the working group are welcome to contact Brigitte Ramseier (brigitte.ramseier@bpw.ch)
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BPW International Working Group: BPW who are interested in joining the working group are welcome to contact Barbara Haller Rupf (barbara.haller@bpw.ch)
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STEM working group: the aim of the STEM working group is to identify ongoing STEM projects and work out which strategic partnerships with other organizations make sense. BPW who are interested in joining the working group are welcome to contact Barbara Haller Rupf (barbara.haller@bpw.ch)
Furthermore, Maja Neuenschwander, Head of the Athlete Hub at Swiss Olympic and member of the BPW Club Bern, inspired with her input about women in sports. "You can be, what you can see" also applies to sports! You can watch her entire message here.
After lunch, three true key players of the future came together for a discussion: Elettra Fiumi, member of the BPW Club Ticino and owner of Fiumi Studios, talked to Nadia Dresti, member of the European Film Academy, and director and screenwriter Klaudia Reynicke, about women in the film industry. Klaudia Reynicke's film "Reinas" is the official Swiss entry for the 2025 Oscars.
Organizing an event in this format requires a lot of coordination, along with an eye for both the essentials and the fine details. Above all, however, it is the encounters, the conversations, and the small moments of calm in the hustle and bustle that make an autumn conference so special. Our heartfelt thanks therefore go to the Organizational Committee headed by Sabine Rettich for their great work organizing the weekend; the co-presidents Maria De Pascale and Angelica Morrone; Sabine Nonhebel and the team from SIM-Phonie for the professional interpretation of the event; and all the sponsors and partners who make an event like this possible.
STEM survey
The organization "Advance - Gender Equality in Business" enriches the discourse on equality and diversity in business in Switzerland with comprehensive studies and white papers. Advance is currently working on a white paper on the topic of women in the tech industry. In order to have an up-to-date and reliable data basis, they are inviting experts of all genders in the technology sector and other industries to take part in this survey.
Hearing Swiss Olympic
On 22 November, 2024, the Sports Parliament will elect the new chair of Swiss Olympic. As a partner of the network sportif, BPW Switzerland was invited to take part in the hearing of the two candidates, represented by Co-President Sandra Jauslin. After a strong performance, sportif's vote clearly went to candidate Ruth Metzler-Arnold and was therefore entirely in line with BPW Switzerland and our goal of achieving a balanced gender ratio on sports committees.
Young BPW
Text: Vanessa Orlando, Young BPW Representative
Registration for the 10th Young BPW Symposium is now open! BPW women from all over Europe will be getting together in Malta from 23 to 25 May, 2025, to discuss the topic "Breaking Barriers: Drive your own success". Every year it is once again enriching to get together, exchange ideas, and network internationally with like-minded women from all over Europe. There are discounted conference tickets for Young BPWs for €350. There are also slightly cheaper hotels on the website below from "Tier 05". Join us and register on the website today!
You can find all the information here.
Cash or Crash - the tool for smart life decisions goes into the next round
Text: Agnes Schubert, Project Manager at alliance F
On 13 November Cash or Crash has leveled up! - Together with a broad network of partner organizations and as many supporters as possible, BPW Switzerland is helping Cash or Crash to successfully launch Switzerland's first decision-making campaign: for 111 days from 13 November, 2024, to March, 2025, as many people as possible will be encouraged to better weigh up the long-term financial consequences of upcoming life decisions. The #jedeEntscheidungZählt ("Every decision counts") campaign aims to enable at least 111,111 more thoughtful decisions and thus prevent precarious income situations and poverty in old age, thereby improving financial education and self-determination, especially among young women. The decision counter is displayed on a subpage of the Cash or Crash life planning tool.
Anyone who is committed to low-threshold and empowering financial education can take part in the campaign. Individuals can also take part: that means you! Become an ambassador today, follow the Cash or Crash social media channels on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook (here, here, and here) - and above all: talk about your life choices with those around you!
Joining the Board of Directors: "Back it fully or don’t do it"
Rochester-Bern Executive Programs guest article.
Text: Amélie Lustenberger
Jump in at the deep end and just give it a go? Or better to be well-prepared and informed? When is it time to go? And which situations require an intervention?
Silvan Felder, managing owner of Verwaltungsrat Management AG and keynote speaker on the Rochester-Bern CAS Board of Directors, gives tips for a successful start and what to do in tricky situations:
Ready for action from the day of the election
"In principle, you should be immediately ready to get down to business when joining a board of directors," says Felder. On the one hand, this means that prospective board members should be well-informed about the company before their first meeting. On the other hand, they should also find out about the rights and obligations of a board member. Further training courses, such as the CAS Board of Directors from Rochester-Bern or the compact seminars from Verwaltungsrat Management AG can help with this.
Trending topics: digital transformation, sustainability, and more
"You don't have to chase after every trend," says Felder. Nevertheless, it is important for the Board of Directors to address the major issues of our time. These issues should not be considered in isolation, but rather holistically as part of the strategic future orientation.
Of crises and red lines
Anyone who accepts a position on the Board of Directors must expect that sometimes they will have to take tough action and intervene. "The Board of Directors is not penalized for a strategy failing, but for demonstrably implementing flawed strategy controlling or failing to implement strategy controlling, which would have enabled the wrong path to be recognized in good time," says Felder. This makes it all the more important for board members to be familiar with and fulfil their duties.
A somewhat different grandchild trick
"A seat on the Board of Directors comes with great responsibility from day one. Either you back decisions fully or you don’t do it," says Felder. Board members should always be able to stand behind the company. Her tip: "Ask yourself in each case: could I explain to my (future) grandchildren why I acted the way I did? If not, don't do it".
Read the full article. https://bit.ly/BPWNLMai24
Upcoming Events
We hope you have a lovely relaxing autumn and send our best regards,
The Central Office and the Central Executive Committee of BPW Switzerland
PS: By the way: the images at the beginning of this newsletter were created using artificial intelligence. If you enter the topics of this newsletter in the app, these images are displayed.
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