Leadership takes different forms: explaining a technology, changing the direction of a career, negotiating international trade rules or asking a scientific question whose answer is still unknown. At the Forbes Swiss Women’s Summit 2026, these perspectives came together around the question of how people use their influence – and what they want to achieve with it.

On October 2, nearly 300 leaders, founders, investors, scientists and representatives of arts and culture came together at the Park Hyatt Zurich to discuss how women can shape business and society.

Andrea Gläsemann, Deputy Editor-in-Chief at Forbes Switzerland, opened the morning, followed by a performance by the Mädchenchor Zürich under the direction of Jacob Peböck. In the interview that followed, Aurelie Jaquet, president of the Girls' Choir Zurich, explained how singing in a choir can help prepare girls for later life: „I think a choir is a way of empowering and supporting girls. They develop concentration, learning skills and confidence.” The piano accompanying the choir was provided through Laura Sigrist, co-owner of Piano Sigrist. It was a Steingraeber instrument, connecting the performance with Fanny Schmidt-Steingraeber and her family’s piano-making tradition.

Visibility, Value and Purpose

Following the artistic opening, Lara Sophie Bothur delivered a keynote on communicating technology through LinkedIn. The Global Tech Translator and Corporate Storyteller described how explaining complex ideas in accessible terms became the foundation of her work. She also outlined how corporate influencers can connect businesses with clients, partners and talent. “If you’re not allowing your employees to become visible and training them, I think you’re really missing a big part of your business,” Bothur said.

In “Turning Visibility into Value”, Bothur joined Martina Braun, partner at Wenger Plattner, to discuss protecting a personal brand. Bothur shared her experience of public allegations about her following, while Braun explained the importance of considering legal protection and communication together. „Legal protection creates control. And control creates value”, Braun said.

“The Route to a Meaningful Career”  brought together Tine Melzer, writer, philosopher of language and artist, and Birgit Pestalozzi, Head of Impact at Oceyon, Founder of Relationship for Success and Co-Founder of Swiss Initiative and We Are Climate. Pestalozzi described how a serious accident at 40 prompted her to change direction. „People told me it was courageous to leave my career. To me, it’s courageous to stay in your life and then realise at the end that you’ve missed it,” Pestalozzi said. Melzer described how she approaches difficult decisions: „I always chose the thing I was most afraid of. I set my compass to fear.“ Both connected purpose with practical choices about time, money and the people around them.

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, followed with a discussion of leadership under pressure. She addressed the need to reform the WTO while preserving the predictability its rules provide. Reflecting on what keeps her going under pressure, Okonjo-Iweala said: „If you believe in what you’re doing, and it’s important enough, then when you meet difficult situations, you find a way through them.”

Putting Ideas into Practice

The morning concluded with five interactive breakout sessions. Aurelia Frick of smzh and Birgit Pestalozzi explored how financial freedom can support a self-determined life. Dermatologist Susanne Kristof and Scherien Müller of Merz Aesthetics examined how aesthetic perception shapes choices and behaviour. Margit Vunder and Nadia Couper of EY focused on self-awareness and its impact on leadership. Katrin J. Yuan of the Swiss Future Institute and André Scholz of the Autonomous Factory Siemens discussed AI, innovation and future skills. Analog Astronaut Eleonore Poli challenged participants to select a crew and tackle a survival exercise, putting communication, teamwork and decision-making under pressure to the test.

After lunch, Poli returned to the main stage for “Lessons from an Analogue Astronaut”. Her work simulates conditions of space exploration on Earth. She discussed crew selection, mission preparation and life in isolation, exploring how commanders recognise strain, sustain motivation and support a team under pressure. „It’s not just the commander saying, ‘We take this.’ The goal is to work together as a team“, she said.

Technology, Trust and New Frontiers

Ning Wang, research group leader at the University of Zurich, Katrin J. Yuan, CEO of the Swiss Future Institute, and Carla Bünger, Vice-President and Chief Business Officer at Phoeniqs, then discussed responsible AI and digital sovereignty. Their panel examined the models organisations use, the dependencies they create and the knowledge and infrastructure needed to retain choices. Yuan framed AI as a leadership responsibility: „AI is not just an IT topic. It’s a CEO topic, a board of directors topic.” Bünger emphasised the importance of retaining alternatives: „Having an option B makes all the difference if your option A is no longer available.” Wang connected freedom of choice with its practical foundations: „We need the ability to switch. But before we get there, we need independent infrastructure.”

In “Beyond Beauty: Inside the Business of Aesthetics”, Isabel Claes, Head of Business Development & Key Opinion Leader Management at Merz Aesthetics, and Susanne Kristof, Dermatologist & Founder of SK Aesthetics and Rappjderm Dermatology Centres, discussed a shift towards prevention and individually tailored treatments. Claes described how the industry is moving towards preserving individual features: „The future of aesthetics is moving from correction to prevention. It’s not about looking like everyone else.” Kristof emphasised the importance of ongoing professional guidance: „It’s not a quick fix. It’s not a one-time treatment. You need someone you trust, and you go on this journey together.”

Franziska Gartenmann, Co-Founder of keen wellbeing, then led a short intervention on resilience and recovery, guiding participants through a breathwork exercise. With renewed focus and energy, the audience turned to Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski, Professor at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, and her session, “Searching for the Source Code of the Universe”. She discussed research connecting gravity and quantum physics, explaining the ambition to bring different descriptions of reality together: “We’re not happy when we have two different descriptions but don’t know how to unify them.”

Navigating Change, Creating Lasting Impact

Lubomila Jordanova, Founder of Plan A and the Greentech Alliance, and Kelly Amundrud, EY Switzerland Assurance Partner, then addressed “How to Run a Business When the Rules Keep Changing”. Their conversation explored how leaders make decisions amid shifting regulation, geopolitical uncertainty and rapid technological change. Jordanova brought the perspective of leading a startup through growth and acquisition, while Amundrud drew on her work with global organisations. They discussed adapting strategy, maintaining stability and what changing conditions demand of leaders, their teams and their communication.

Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, Chairperson of Louis Dreyfus Holding B.V. and Founder of the Louis Dreyfus Foundation, closed the main-stage programme with “Turning Legacy into Lasting Impact”. Reflecting on motherhood and sacrifice, she said: „What does sacrifice mean? It means you are ready to give everything. You are not afraid to lose your comfort. You are not afraid to lose your role. Sacrifice is a high level of human strength. Only very strong people are ready to sacrifice.”

The day concluded with an Apéro and networking, allowing participants to continue the conversations beyond the stage.

The Forbes team thanks all participants and speakers of the Forbes Swiss Women’s Summit 2026. The Summit was made possible by our partners: smzh, Merz Aesthetics, EY, Park Hyatt Zürich and Wenger Plattner.

We are looking forward to seeing you next year!

Photos: Lea Moser