Forbes | posted on 27/11/2025
Introduction
The Boardroom was built on a clear conviction: women belong in the rooms where decisions are made — not as exceptions, but as leaders. Founded in Zurich in 2021 by Diana Markaki-Bartholdi, the Boardroom set out to create a new kind of leadership institution: a community that replaces isolation with connection and transforms ambition into opportunity. Today, it has grown into one of Europe’s leading private clubs for senior women executives, uniting more than 500 members across several countries. The Swiss leaders featured in the following pages reflect the new standard the Boardroom is shaping for the future of leadership.
Member Quotes
The Boardroom is a space to reflect and grow. Members and guests exchange perspectives that shape attitudes and decisions. An asset for leaders seeking a hype circle to draw inspiration from.
Clairy Moraitou
Group Head of Customer,
Market & Brand Insights
As a founding member, to me, the Boardroom is a vibrant community where support and critical thinking thrive in an inclusive space.
What makes it special? The brainpower, experience and diversity in the room. A group of women who bring their full selves: insights, questions, humour and energy. We debate, we share hard truths and we laugh. When we connect, transformation happens.
Ev Pardey
Director Restructuring, Turnaround and Cost Transformation
Deloitte
I very much appreciate the Boardroom as it provides a great platform to share knowledge, experiences and different views as well as to support each other tackling challenges.
Franziska Gisiger
Head Legal & Compliance
Glarner Kantonalbank
Leading business impact through Finance across 14 countries, I find inspiration in the diversity of my colleagues and business partners every day. I have learned the importance of listening, cultivating curiosity and always choosing the right path over the easy one to achieve meaningful and sustainable change.
Francesca Pasini
Head of Finance Central
& East Europe
Coca-Cola HBC
The Boardroom provides its members with a broad range of thought-provoking insights and practical exercises on the challenges that arise in boardrooms – but at least equally important I consider the network of peers with its cohesion and mutual support.
Désirée von Michaelis
Designated Head Corporate Clients & Private Banking
Luzerner Kantonalbank
As a female M&A lawyer, I have spent my career navigating rooms where important decisions are made but where women are still far too few. The Boardroom creates the community, mentorship, and visibility needed to change that.
Marion Baehler
Partner
Walder Wyss AG
I have worked in three countries and built a career based on hard-work, net-work and self-work. Lily Tomlin said, “The road to success is always under construction” – and I’ve come to realize that when you are on that road it is not always so obvious that you are on the right path. I am proud to be part of the Boardroom community, to contribute to and benefit from the collective intelligence and experience of this fantastic group, which has provided me a few signposts along that road.
Brandi Marie Caruso
Partner and Group Leader Switzerland
Global Tax Accounting
Deloitte
For me, authentic leadership means courage, resilience and the ability to unite diverse perspectives. I strive to lead inclusively – turning complexity into opportunity, driving meaningful transformation by bringing people together around a common goal. As Malcolm Forbes reminds us, diversity is “the art of thinking independently together.”
Dany Kostadinova
Executive Director
UBS Asset Management
In my career in Life Sciences and Big Four consulting, my professional journey has reinforced that a clear organisational purpose, coupled with inclusive leadership and trusted relationships, are primary drivers of meaningful results. Organisations that invest in purpose and foster inclusion – across gender, age, culture and diversity of thought – unlock greater creativity, resilience and sustained performance. Diverse teams grounded in trust, psychological safety and a plurality of perspectives consistently outperform and deliver lasting impact.
Kishwar Chishty
Partner
Deloitte Consulting AG
Throughout my professional career, I have witnessed firsthand how diverse leadership fuels innovation, agility, and resilience. To truly future-proof our businesses for sustainable growth, our boards must actively champion and embrace a multitude of perspectives. Women‘s presence on boards brings a diligent, inclusive, and forward-thinking approach to governance, which is absolutely essential for navigating the complex challenges of today and tomorrow.
Marina Corti
International Workplace &
People Sustainability Director
Cartier
I’m honored to be a founding member of the Boardroom –
a vibrant community where learning, growth, and mutual challenge drive us forward while having fun. I truly value the opportunity to connect with inspiring, like-minded individuals, all within an environment strengthened by our strategic partnership with IMD. For me it’s a space where ambition meets action, and interactions spark new possibilities.
Nicole Brunschweiler
Chief People Officer,
RepRisk AG
Board member,
Thommen Medical AG
In today’s increasingly volatile environment, the future is hard to predict, and preparedness outweighs relying on fixed plans. Strong governance must be adaptive, trustworthy, and future-ready. Four years after joining the Boardroom as a founding member, our commitment remains steadfast and crucial: empowering women to lead with insight and courage, championing diverse perspectives and building inclusive and resilient boards that safeguard trust while accelerating purpose.
Arianna Greco
General Counsel R&D
and Commercial
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
The Boardroom reminded me that leadership is not a performance – it is a return to who you are. Elleon was born from that same conviction: that engineering deserves authenticity, purpose, and leaders who dare to break patterns. Our missions meet in the pursuit of real change.
Pauline Julie Granger
Founder & CEO
Elleon AG
A transformation-driven supply chain executive with global experience across various sectors from FMCG, retail, distribution, and now automotive, I have found, in the Boardroom, a place where I was able to widen my scope and exchange with executives from different industries, and which is full of support for each other.
Margaret Breen
Sr Supply Chain Director
Skill and experience are essential for securing a board seat, but without a strong network, many women still find themselves on the outside looking in. Investing in meaningful connections provides perspective and confidence, and opens doors that would otherwise remain closed. Collective power is often the key to reaching the boardroom.
Dr. Katja Fechteler
Managing & Non-Executive Director
Text: Forbes-Redaktion
Fotos: Mara Truog
