Sparring partner for corporate governance – building bridges between stakeholders to shape the future

Overview

It is becoming more complex for investors, boards of directors, and executive management to stay agile in the market and navigate their organizations through uncertain and dynamic times. Today, tried-and-tested business models are suddenly disrupted, markets and competition are becoming more digital and global, and the interests of various stakeholders often diverge.

Good corporate governance becomes increasingly important for building trust. It is not only important what companies do but also how and why they do it. Company culture, in particular the tone at the top, strongly influences governance to maximize performance excellence, to mitigate risks, and to take advantage of opportunities.

At 2bridge, we act as an independent sparring partner for medium to large listed and family-owned companies. Our services build on over 25 years of international experience, insights and leadership. We support investors, boards of directors and executive management to tailor their organizations’ corporate governance to the changing environment and to stay fit for the future.

“You can either react to change, embrace change or create change”

Bobby Umar
Leadership speaker

Our services

Today’s rapidly changing environment requires companies to adjust their corporate governance to stay agile for the future. 2bridge supports investors, board members and executive management to address questions such as:

How do the rapidly changing market conditions influence the appropriate governance of your organization?
How do we bridge differences and align the interests of various stakeholders in the best interest of the company?
What competences and diversity do the board of directors and management team need to be ready for the future?
Are board oversight and executive management engagement encouraging, demanding and allowing progress as well as robust enough to ensure compliance is upheld and risks identified and minimized?

We support companies in tailoring and realizing benefits of good corporate governance to:

build trust and strengthen their reputation with all stakeholders
ensure appropriate checks and balances are in place to mitigate risks and take advantage of opportunities
increase transparency
improve efficiency

2bridge strives for continuous improvement and thought leadership in corporate governance, and our services include:

acting as an independent sparring partner for investors, board members and executive management
board memberships in listed and privately held companies
lectures and workshops

We focus on medium to large listed and family-owned companies in industries we are passionate about and where we have extensive international experience, namely:

technology
retail and consumer
wholesale
industrial production
professional services

“Important to stay agile for the future are a vision, hard work, resilience and diversity“

Cornelia Ritz Bossicard
Managing Partner

About us

Cornelia Ritz Bossicard founded the corporate advisory boutique 2bridge AG in 2016. She is Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of IVF Hartmann and member of the Boards of Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund, Ferguson Finance (Switzerland) AG, Confiseur Läderach Holding AG and Audit Committee Chair of the ETH Board. She is the president of the foundation board of the Cäsar Ritz Foundation Niederwald, is a member of the Board of the Foundation Swiss GAAP FER, serves on the Board of Swiss-American Society and is a guest lecturer at various business schools for strategy, corporate governance and finance.

From 2018 to 2024, she was the president of swissVR, one of the leading network organizations for Board members in Switzerland. During that time she shaped and developed the organization to become a Swiss wide recognized network for Board members and doubled the membership base. She was awarded honorary membership for her outstanding services.

From 2014 to 2020, she served on the Board and as Audit Committee Chair of Valora Holding AG. Prior she had worked as an audit director and senior advisor with one of the Big Four accounting firms, both in Switzerland and the Silicon Valley, USA. Cornelia has over 25 years of international experience as Director and senior advisor to executives and board members of companies ranging from start-ups to multibillion-dollar multinationals in the technology, industrial products, retail and consumer, wholesale, and professional services industries. She has lived and worked in Switzerland, the United States, Europe and Asia.

Her educational background includes studying Business Administration at HEC Lausanne, Switzerland, and the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany, and obtaining a Master of Science in Business Administration. In addition, she is qualified as both a Swiss Certified Accountant and a US Certified Public Accountant. She regularly attends board of directors training and continuing education at various business schools. She is fluent in German (mother tongue), English, and French, and she also speaks Italian.

OUR VALUES

At 2bridge we value

Teamwork: The best solutions come from working together as a team. Effective teamwork requires respect, sharing, and accountability.
Leadership: Motivated people lead organizations to their success. Leadership demands vision, resilience, and integrity.
Agility: Staying agile in uncertain and dynamic times is key to success. Diversity, hard work, and continuous learning are key to staying agile for the future.

NETWORK

Being connected is important for our clients and us. That’s the reason 2bridge collaborates with a strong network of highly experienced experts and why we are members or supporters of a number of associations and organizations, including:

swissVR (www.swissvr.ch)
Swiss Institute of Directors (www.siod.ch), which is part of the Global Network of Director Institutes (GNDI) (www.gndi.org)
SwissBoardForum ( www.swissboardforum.ch )
Women Corporate Directors (www.womencorporatedirectors.org)
National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) (www.nacdonline.org)
Swiss-American Society (www.swiss-am.net)
Swiss American Chamber of Commerce (www.amcham.ch)
Schweizerische Management Gesellschaft (SMG) (smg.ch)
EXPERTsuisse: The Swiss Expert Association for Audit, Tax and Fiduciary (www.expertsuisse.ch)
American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) (www.aicpa.org)

”The most dangerous phrase in the language is, 'We’ve always done it this way'“

Grace Hopper
Inventor of the first compiler for a computer programming language

impulse

Publications

Here is a selection of publications by, with, or about 2bridge and Cornelia Ritz Bossicard.

2024

Women in Business TOP 100, Women in Business, October 2024

Sustainability and the Board – here to stay / Nachhaltigkeit im Verwaltungsrat – gekommen, um zu bleiben / La durabilité, un thème désormais incontournable pour les conseils d’administration, swissVR Monitor I/2024, swissVR / Deloitte / Hochschule Luzern (Cornelia Ritz Bossicard, Reto Savoia, Mirjam Durrer, Daniel Laude), February 2024

swissVR Monitor: Swiss companies struggling with sustainability / swissVR Monitor : les entreprises aux prises avec le développement durable, swissVR / Deloitte / Hochschule Luzern, February 2024

2023

The role of boards in Switzerland and Germany in an increasingly changing business environment, Sherpany - The Agenda Podcast (Cornelia Ritz Bossicard, Ingo Nothoff), November 2023

Cyber resilience - increasingly important for Boards / Cyber-Resilienz – Steigende Bedeutung für Verwaltungsräte / La cyberrésilience – une importance croissante pour les conseils d’administration, swissVR Monitor II/2023, swissVR / Deloitte / Hochschule Luzern (Cornelia Ritz Bossicard, Reto Savoia, Mirjam Durrer, Daniel Laude), September 2023

Cyber resilience – board members are aware of the risks, but action is required with regard to crisis prevention and reporting / Cyber-Angriffe: Verwaltungsräte sehen Risiken, doch bei Krisenvorsorge und Reporting besteht Handlungsbedarf, swissVR / Deloitte / Hochschule Luzern, September 2023

Ethik und Integrität im Verwaltungsrat / Ethique et intégrité au sein du conseil d'administration, swissVR Leitfaden I/2023 (Felix Buschor, Mirjam Durrer, Martin Brasser), April 2023

Board remuneration / Vergütung von Verwaltungsratsmitgliedern / La rémunération des membres de conseils d'administration, swissVR Monitor I/2023, swissVR / Deloitte / Hochschule Luzern (Cornelia Ritz Bossicard, Reto Savoia, Christoph Lengwiler, Daniel Laude), February 2023

Boardroom pay: duties are increasingly time-consuming, but remuneration is hardly rising, swissVR / Deloitte / Hochschule Luzern, February 2023

Verwaltungsräte sind die obersten Führungsgremien der Schweizer Hotellerie - Wie die zentralen Gremien zusammengesetzt sind, zeigt die Auswertung der htr hotelrevue, htr hotelrevue, Mischa Stünzi, Februar 2023

swissVR Monitor

The swissVR Monitor is a survey conducted jointly by swissVR (with Cornelia Ritz Bossicard as its president from 2018 to 2024), Deloitte and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. The bi-yearly survey gauges the attitudes of around 400 board members in Switzerland towards current matters of relevance to boards. The findings are an accurate reflection of their attitudes to the economy and the outlook for business and relevant areas of their own role.

swissVR Monitor I/2024 - Sustainability and the Board – here to stay

Sustainability - Swiss companies are clearly moving towards a more sustainable future, but the headwind they are experiencing appears to be stronger than expected. The topic has become increasingly important over the past few years, a trend that looks likely to continue. In 2024, for example, many listed companies in Switzerland will be addressing major new sustainability challenges: they are now under a new statutory obligation to report in detail on the progress they are making towards their sustainability goals – an important step towards greater
transparency and accountability. Non-listed companies, too, are facing growing demands for greater sustainability from stakeholder groups. All Boards therefore need to address this issue and have a clear understanding of their own role and obligations in the area of sustainability. This edition of swissVR Monitor considers aspects such as the major sustainability issues confronting businesses, the measures they need to take, the obstacles they face, and the nature of the debate within their Boards.

Some key findings:

Sustainability issues will become markedly more important to companies: 66% expect sustainability issues to become more important to companies over the next three years.
External stakeholders challenge companies over sustainability issues: 59% of Board members believe regulation is the greatest factor shaping sustainability.
Obstacles to greater sustainability: 60% of companies report that it is difficult to measure their own environmental impact.
Most Boards discuss sustainability: 85% of Boards have discussed the issue of sustainability over the past 12 months.

Read more in swissVR Monitor I/2024: Sustainability and the Board – here to stay / Nachhaltigkeit im Verwaltungsrat – gekommen, um zu bleiben / La durabilité, un thème désormais incontournable pour les conseils d’administration, swissVR Monitor I/2024, swissVR / Deloitte / Hochschule Luzern (Cornelia Ritz Bossicard, Reto Savoia, Mirjam Durrer, Daniel Laude), February 2024

swissVR Monitor II/2023 - Cyber resilience - increasingly important for Boards

Cyber resilience – board members are aware of the risks, but action is required with regard to crisis prevention and reporting: Cyber-attacks are affecting the Swiss economy more than ever. One in two large companies have already fallen victim to them, and in many cases such incidents result in a business interruption. The 14th edition of swissVR Monitor shows that, although awareness of the risks is increasing, many companies lack a clearly formulated cyber strategy. They practise for emergencies only rarely, and reporting to the board of directors by the management team also needs to improve.

Some key findings:

Cyber attacks can have very serious consequences for companies: 42% of cyber victims say an attack has disrupted their company’s operations.
Cyber resilience now markedly more important to companies: 55% of Board members think the importance of cyber resilience has increased significantly over the last three years.
Regular cyber reporting to the Board could be improved: 56% of Boards receive reports from management on cyber-related incidents within the company.

Read more in swissVR Monitor II/2023: Cyber resilience - increasingly important for Boards / Cyber-Resilienz – Steigende Bedeutung für Verwaltungsräte / La cyberrésilience – une importance croissante pour les conseils d’administration, swissVR Monitor II/2023, swissVR / Deloitte / Hochschule Luzern (Cornelia Ritz Bossicard, Reto Savoia, Mirjam Durrer, Daniel Laude), September 2023

swissVR Monitor I/2023 - Board remuneration

Remuneration for Board members is complex, with several issues to consider. It is influenced by a number of different factors, including time spent on Board activities, the responsibility and risk involved in a Board mandate, the requirements of Board members (specialist expertise, experience and networks), and market comparability. Both internal and external stakeholders are increasingly concerned with the level and appropriateness of Board remuneration. For these reasons, Boards should reassess their company’s remuneration structures from time to time.

Some key findings:

Time spent the main criterion for determining Board remuneration: 74% think that time spent on Board activities is a major criterion for determining Board remuneration.
Wide diversity of Board remuneration: 42% of Board members report being paid between CHF 15,000 and CHF 50,000.
Flat-rate payments the most common remuneration model: 61% receive only a flat-rate payment.

Read more in swissVR Monitor I/2023: Board remuneration / Vergütung von Verwaltungsratsmitgliedern / La rémunération des membres de conseils d'administration, swissVR Monitor I/2023, swissVR / Deloitte / Hochschule Luzern (Cornelia Ritz Bossicard, Reto Savoia, Christoph Lengwiler, Mirjam Durrer, Daniel Laude), February 2023

Speeches & Workshops (upcoming events)

Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Institut für Finanzdienstleistungen IFZ

CAS Verwaltungsrat / CAS Board of Directors: Fachracht / Member of Advisory Council CAS Board of Directors / Coach / Lecturer, ongoing

Einführungsseminar für Verwaltungsräte: Erfolgreiche Arbeit im Verwaltungsrat – Tipps für die Verwaltungsratstätigkeit / Board effectiveness

Executive MBA: Corporate Governance

University of St. Gallen (HSG)

Strategische Geschäftsführung für CEOs und Verwaltungsräte: Strategische Geschäftsführung, Entwicklungen und zukünftige Herausforderungen als Verwaltungsrat / Strategic leadership, developments and future challenges for Board of Directors

Rochester-Bern Executive Programs, University of Rochester / Universität Bern

CAS für Verwaltungsräte Rochester-Bern Executive Programs: Board evaluation

Speeches & Workshops (past events)

EXPERTsuisse

Seminar Leistung und Entgelt des Verwaltungsrats: Fettnäpfchen und Stolperfallen in Bezug auf Sozialversicherungen und Steuern

Seminar Aktuelle Themen zum Internen Audit: Anforderungen an die Interne Revision seitens einer modernen Corporate Governance / Internal Audit

EXPERTsuisse Jahrestagung 2021 zu Corporate Governance

Rochester-Bern Executive Programs, University of Rochester / Universität Bern

CAS für Verwaltungsräte Rochester-Bern Executive Programs: Successful Boards - no coincidence

CAS für Verwaltungsräte Rochester-Bern Executive Programs: Board evaluation

Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Institut für Finanzdienstleistungen IFZ

Einführungsseminar für Verwaltungsräte: Erfolgreiche Arbeit im Verwaltungsrat - Tipps für die Verwaltungsratstätigkeit / Board effectiveness

CAS Verwaltungsrat: Member of Advisory Councel CAS Board of Directors, Coach

Executive MBA: Corporate Governance

Seminar für Sekretäre des Verwaltungsrates: Arbeitsweise und Wirksamkeit von Audit Committees / Audit Committee effectiveness

”Don't find fault, find a remedy“

Henry Ford
Industrialist

Contact

2bridge AG
Hohfurenstrasse 6
CH-8610 Uster
+41 44 941 28 28
info@2bridge.partners

Overall responsibility
2bridge AG, Hohfurenstrasse 6, CH-8610 Uster

Cornelia Ritz Bossicard
Managing Partner
info@2bridge.partners

Company number: CHE-255.091.970

Conception, design and realization
A4 Agentur AG, Grundstrasse 14, CH-6343 Rotkreuz
www.a4agentur.ch

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