Opportunities and risks in 2026 – What lies ahead for Boards of Directors

Over recent years, the market environment has been fast-paced and turbulent. Many commentators describe the economy as moving from crisis to crisis, with businesses constantly having to face new challenges. These challenges often bring both risks and opportunities for companies, and the strategic role of tackling these falls to the Board of Directors, which has responsibility for future-proofing the company. Against this backdrop, swissVR Monitor I/2026 considers the most important issues Boards will have to tackle over the next 12 months and identifies both the opportunities and the risks they involve.

The findings of swissVR Monitor I/2026 demonstrate that Boards see improving their company’s efficiency and optimising its internal processes as the most important opportunity. To realise this opportunity, companies are focusing particularly on digitalisation and automation. The most frequently cited risk by Board members is security management and specifically protection against cyber-attacks. When it comes to risk management, survey respondents see the heavy burden of regulation and the associated expenditure on compliance as the major challenges they face.

One in three Boards formulate a new corporate strategy

Corporate strategy remains the top issue Boards have had to tackle over the last 12 months, with a third of Boards reporting that they have formulated a new corporate strategy over that period. Risk management remains the second most frequently cited issue facing Boards. Responding to market developments and the behaviour of competitors has increased more rapidly in importance than any other issue over the last 12 months, moving from eighth place in the ranking to third.

Improving efficiency the most frequently cited opportunity

Swiss Board members are most likely to cite improving efficiency and optimising internal processes as an opportunity for their company over the next 12 months. Most will be using artificial intelligence to achieve this. The second most frequently cited opportunity is digitalisation and automation, followed in third place by responding promptly to market developments and the behaviour of competitors.

Security management the most frequently cited risk

Security management is the most frequently cited risk Board members expect to tackle over the next 12 months. Specifically, they identify the risk of cyber-attacks and report plans to raise employees’ awareness of this issue as well as to upgrade their company’s IT infrastructure and internal monitoring systems. The second and third most frequently cited risks are risk management and compliance, respectively.

More time spent on Board mandates and on interaction with management

Six out of ten Swiss Board members report that the time they spend on their mandate has increased over the last year. This is probably attributable to the increasing complexity of the issues tackled by Boards. Around half of all Board members also report that their interaction with management has increased over the last 12 months. The most likely reason for this trend is the increase in crises and challenges, requiring greater coordination between the Board and management.

Outlook for the Swiss economy still gloomy

Seven out of ten Swiss Board members rate the outlook for the Swiss economy over the next 12 months as neutral. One in six rate it as negative and one in eight as positive. Despite the tariff deal with the US, Board members therefore remain as cautious as they were in swissVR Monitor II/2025. The reasons may include the ongoing uncertainty around issues such as the geopolitical situation, continuing currency risks and sluggish demand in major export markets.

Interviews

About the survey
 

swissVR Monitor is based on a survey carried out jointly by swissVR in collaboration with Deloitte and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. The aim of this bi-yearly survey is to gauge Board members’ attitudes to the outlook for the economy and business as well as corporate governance issues. swissVR Monitor also aims to share with the wider public the ways in which Board members perceive their role and the current economic situation. Each edition also explores a special focus topic and conducts interviews with experts. A total of 314 Board members took part in the current edition of swissVR Monitor, providing a good overview of the views and challenges facing board members in Switzerland.