By Isabelle Amschwand* swissVR

In an environment where uncertainty has become the norm, Swiss boards are reassessing their priorities. The latest swissVR Monitor shows that after the phase of strategic reflection comes the phase of execution: efficiency, process optimisation, market adaptation, cybersecurity and AI governance are emerging as the defining themes of 2026.

A fragile economy

After years dominated by successive crises, Swiss boards are approaching 2026 with a more restrained than triumphant mindset. The latest swissVR Monitor, based on a survey of 314 board members, shows a governance model that no longer stops at redefining strategy: it is now seeking to execute faster, strengthen security and translate change into concrete action.

The starting point is an economy lacking momentum. Seven in ten board members expect neutral cyclical developments in Switzerland over the next twelve months. Positive expectations remain limited, while negative views remain slightly more prevalent. Against this backdrop, respondents point to a now familiar mix: geopolitical fragility, currency risk and persistently weak demand in several foreign markets.

Efficiency comes into focus

In this climate, the key shift is less about caution than about the reordering of priorities. Over the past twelve months, boards have mainly worked on developing a new corporate strategy, a topic cited by 34% of respondents. But over the next twelve months, the ranking changes markedly: improving efficiency and optimising internal processes become the number one theme, with 39% of mentions. In other words, after the phase of framing comes the phase of execution.

This shift says a great deal about the times. Companies are not only short of visibility; they are also looking for room to manoeuvre. Performance gains are seen as the leading opportunity for the months ahead, cited by 36% of directors. And this drive for efficiency relies heavily on technology. Digitalisation, robotics and automation rank second among the opportunities identified, while artificial intelligence stands out as one of the levers most directly associated with productivity gains, cost reduction and the easing of certain internal workloads.

Major trends: AI and competitive analysis

The Monitor’s message is clear: AI is no longer a peripheral topic or a matter of curiosity. It is moving into the sphere of board-level decisions. Companies now intend to define their areas of application more precisely, prioritise them and align them with their organisational needs. This evolution raises a fundamental question: AI governance, which is becoming as much a board issue as a technological one.

The second major trend is the growing importance of market adaptation and competitive posture. This theme records the strongest rise in the ranking of priorities, moving from eighth to third place over one year, before reaching second place among the topics considered most important for the next twelve months. In a shifting environment, boards want companies to be faster, more responsive and better able to shorten time-to-market. Continuous competitive analysis, more targeted support for innovation, stronger product development and stepped-up commercial efforts are among the responses being considered.

Talent management: both a risk and an opportunity

Another interesting finding is that several topics are seen simultaneously as opportunities and as risks. This is notably the case for talent management, market adaptation and board succession. Talent management, in fact, rises to third place among the key themes for the coming year. This underlines the fact that transformation will not be purely digital. It will also be human. The ability to recruit, retain and develop the right skills is becoming a central factor in resilience and competitiveness.

Cybersecurity remains front and centre

On the risk side, the hierarchy is equally telling. For 17% of respondents, security management is the company’s main risk. Behind that term, cyber threats dominate above all. Directors point to cyberattacks, but also to the need to raise employee awareness, strengthen IT infrastructure, keep control systems up to date and carry out regular checks, including penetration tests. Broader risk management and compliance complete the top three, confirming that regulatory pressure and the burden of compliance are firmly embedded in board agendas.

Being a director: a demanding and exposed role

Finally, one last development deserves attention: being a director takes more time than it used to. Six in ten board members say they devote more time to their mandate than they did a year ago, and half report more frequent interaction with management. More crises, more complex issues, more interdependencies: the role is becoming denser, more exposed and more demanding.

Between the lines, the swissVR Monitor therefore sketches the profile of a new-generation board: less of an observer, more involved; less focused on broad principles, more attentive to execution; less distant from technology, more directly engaged with its uses, risks and governance. In 2026, the board’s role will not be limited to setting the course. It will be about helping the company move faster, more securely and with greater clarity.

*about the author

Isabelle Amschwand,

Chair of swissVR,

national network and expertise for boards of directors

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