What WISTA does

WISTA Switzerland is a non-profit networking association headquartered at 10 avenue Jules-Crosnier in Geneva, founded in 2009 and formally incorporated under the WISTA International statute in January 2010. It serves women at the management level in the maritime, trading and logistics industries, with regional chapters in Geneva and Zug/Zurich and a stated membership of over 200 individuals in Switzerland. The organization is a national chapter of WISTA International, an umbrella body founded in 1975 that today spans 60+ countries and over 4,000 members globally, with Elpi Petraki as International President and Maryana Stober as Switzerland President.

WISTA Switzerland's offering is built around a membership program priced at 300 CHF for access through 31 December 2026, supplemented by networking events (cocktails, lunches, conferences and an Annual Gala Dinner), a 'Sharing is Caring' mentoring framework, discounted professional coaching for members, and co-produced research publications with PwC Switzerland — namely the 2022 'Moving, but not fast enough' study and the 2024 'Driving Forward' report. The technology footprint is minimal: a WordPress-based public website at wista-swiss.com and a basic online member portal for account management. The organization does not develop proprietary technology products, and value delivery rests entirely on community access, events, research and brand.

The business model is community-led and diversified across two streams: individual membership subscription revenue and corporate sponsorship. Sponsorship comes from a broad roster of major commodity trading houses (ADM, Bunge, Cargill, SUCAFINA, Kolmar, Ameropa, SOCAR, GUNVOR, Vitol, Trafigura), professional services firms (Baker McKenzie, HFW, PwC Switzerland) and industry bodies (UNCTAD, Suissenegoce, ZCA, Mareforum, BIMCO). Go-to-market is organic and event-driven, using LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, email and the website to attract new individual members, while institutional partnerships (notably with PwC and BIMCO) extend influence and produce thought-leadership output. There is no venture, private equity or public ownership; the organization is governed by a member-elected board under the WISTA International statute.

Name

WISTA

Legal name

WISTA Switzerland

Website

https://wista-swiss.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

WISTA Switzerland is a non-profit networking association that supports women at management level in the maritime, trading and logistics industries, offering membership programs, events, mentoring and PwC co-authored research, with over 200 members across Geneva and Zug/Zurich chapters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees providing access to networking events, professional development resources, mentoring programs, and industry conferences. Membership pricing is set at 300 CHF for access until 31 December 2026.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

WISTA Switzerland is a membership-based networking organization for women at management level in the maritime, trading and logistics industries. It sells an annual individual membership (300 CHF for access until 31 December 2026) that bundles networking events (cocktails, lunches, conferences, Annual Gala Dinner), a peer mentoring program ("Sharing is Caring"), discounted professional coaching, and access to its online member portal. The association is incorporated under the WISTA International statute and operates chapters in Geneva and Zug/Zurich with over 200 members in Switzerland.

Product overview

WISTA Switzerland is a membership-based networking organization operating as a national chapter of WISTA International, focused on attracting and supporting women at management level in the maritime, trading, and logistics sectors. The organization offers a unified portfolio consisting of membership programs, professional development and mentoring services, networking events (including conferences, cocktail gatherings, lunches, and Annual Gala Dinner), and research publications produced in partnership with PwC. The core offering centers on facilitating professional connections, career advancement, education, and knowledge exchange among over 200 members across Geneva and Zug/Zurich chapters. The portfolio also includes two notable research reports on gender diversity—the WISTA & PwC Survey on Gender Equality and the Driving Forward report—though these are informational publications rather than software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WISTA Switzerland Membership Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Women's representation in maritime grew 14% to 176,820 globally
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BIMCOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 October 2025WISTA International and BIMCO signed a Memorandum of Understanding to formalize collaboration on diversity, sustainability, and professional excellence in the maritime sector. The partnership includes joint research, data exchange, and training initiatives.
• PwC SwitzerlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022WISTA Switzerland partnered with PwC Switzerland to examine the state of gender equality in the commodity, trading, and logistics industry with a Swiss-specific focus. The partnership produced two major research reports: 'Moving, but not fast enough: Gender diversity & equality in the Swiss commodity & trading industry' (December 2022) and 'Driving forward: Shaping gender diversity and inclusion in the commodity and trading industry' (2024).
• ADMminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner/sponsor of WISTA Switzerland with logo displayed on partners page.
• BungeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner/sponsor of WISTA Switzerland with logo displayed on partners page.
• CargillminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner/sponsor of WISTA Switzerland with logo displayed on partners page.
• SUCAFINAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner/sponsor of WISTA Switzerland with logo displayed on partners page.
• KolmarminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner/sponsor of WISTA Switzerland with logo displayed on partners page.
• AmeropaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner/sponsor of WISTA Switzerland with logo displayed on partners page.
• SOCARminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner/sponsor of WISTA Switzerland with logo displayed on partners page.
• GUNVORminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner/sponsor of WISTA Switzerland with logo displayed on partners page.
• HFWminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner/sponsor of WISTA Switzerland with logo displayed on partners page.
• MareforumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner/sponsor of WISTA Switzerland with logo displayed on partners page.
• SuissenegoceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner/sponsor of WISTA Switzerland with logo displayed on partners page.
• UNCTADminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner/sponsor of WISTA Switzerland with logo displayed on partners page.
• ZCAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner/sponsor of WISTA Switzerland with logo displayed on partners page.
• VitolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner/sponsor of WISTA Switzerland with logo displayed on partners page.
• TrafiguraminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner/sponsor of WISTA Switzerland with logo displayed on partners page.
• Baker McKenzieminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner/sponsor of WISTA Switzerland with logo displayed on partners page.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Forte Foundation: Non-profit consortium of leading business schools and companies working to launch women into business leadership. Forte mirrors WISTA's mentoring-and-education model with a comparable member-driven, sponsor-funded structure.
• Catalyst: Non-profit focused on advancing women in the workplace through research, advisory, and member-driven programs. Catalyst competes for corporate sponsorship of diversity programming and offers overlapping mentorship/research services.
• International Women's Forum (IWF): Global membership organization for senior women leaders across industries. IWF mirrors WISTA's leadership-networking, peer-mentorship, and conference-driven model, but serves a broader cross-industry membership.

Others

• BIMCO: The world's largest shipping association, representing shipowners, operators, and brokers. BIMCO is a strategic MoU partner of WISTA International and serves a comparable industry-association role in maritime.

Broad incumbents

• The Grain and Feed Trade Association (GAFTA): International trade association for the grain and feed industry, headquartered in London. GAFTA is a comparable trade-body peer operating in the commodity-trading vertical that WISTA's members serve.
• International Chamber of Shipping (ICS): Principal international trade association for the global shipping industry, representing ~80% of world tonnage. ICS is a broader-incumbent industry association operating in the same maritime vertical as WISTA.
• INTERTANKO: International trade association for independent tanker owners and operators. INTERTANKO is a comparable industry-body peer serving maritime professionals in adjacent shipping sub-sectors.
• Federation of Oils, Seeds and Fats Associations (FOSFA): International trade association for the oils, seeds, and fats industry with a strong trading-company membership. FOSFA is an adjacent commodity-trading industry body serving a comparable corporate member base.
• WISTA International: Parent umbrella organization of WISTA Switzerland, founded in 1975, operating in 60+ countries with 4,000+ members. It is the directly affiliated network and represents the global counterpart to the Swiss national chapter.

Regional players

• Swiss Trading & Shipping Association (STSA): Swiss industry association representing the Geneva-based commodity trading and shipping community. STSA is the most direct domestic peer to WISTA Switzerland, serving the same Swiss trading ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wistaswiss
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wista-switzerland
• Instagraminstagram.com/wistaswiss

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WISTA