swissVR
swissVR is an independent Swiss association (Verein) founded in 2011 that provides networking, events, publications, and continuing education exclusively to individuals holding active board mandates at Swiss companies. The community comprises 1,285 active board members and operates with 14 staff from Rotkreuz, Zug.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersRotkreuz, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What swissVR does
swissVR is an independent Swiss association (Verein) founded in 2011 and headquartered in Rotkreuz, canton of Zug, operating exclusively for individuals holding active board mandates (Verwaltungsratsmandate) at Swiss companies. The organization functions as a closed professional community for board members, providing peer exchange, exclusive events, three recurring publication series (Monitor, Impuls, Leitfaden), continuing education, and a member directory and portal. As of December 2024, swissVR had 1,285 active members and welcomed 154 new members during 2024. Membership is gated to persons with active mandates, ensuring a peer community of governance professionals across industries.
The association's product surface is organized around four pillars: (1) Events — 13 events in 2024 including annual assemblies, summer events, conferences, panel discussions, and company visits covering governance, sustainability, innovation, and succession topics; (2) Publications — three proprietary series (Monitor survey-based analysis, Impuls focus papers, Leitfaden practical guides), including an AI-themed Quarterly Update; (3) Member Search and Member Area — a directory and enriched portal relaunched December 12, 2024 enabling networking and exclusive content; and (4) Education — discounted continuing-education programs in collaboration with academic and consulting partners. The underlying technology stack is non-proprietary and limited to website infrastructure, AWS-based bulk email delivery (Frankfurt region), Google Maps integration, and Inxmail newsletter services (ISO 27001 certified).
The business model is a non-profit membership-fee subscription model supplemented by event participation fees (e.g., CHF 300 for a sustainability conference) and partner co-sponsorship. swissVR operates with 14 employees and is led by a Vorstand (executive committee) presided over by Isabelle Amschwand (elected March 2024), with Bruno Räss and Philomena Colatrella as committee members. The association's strategic partner ecosystem includes all Big 4 firms (PwC, BDO, Deloitte, KPMG), Innosuisse, Swiss Sustainable Finance, Swiss Board Institute, Amrop Executive Search, the University of Zürich, and technology partners such as Sherpany, mühlemann+popp AG, and Apostroph Group. Geographically, operations are Switzerland-domestic, with a first international extension via a University of Zürich China study-tour partnership announced January 2026.
swissVR firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- swissVR
- Legal name
- swissVR
- Website
- https://swissvr.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- swissVR is an independent Swiss association (Verein) founded in 2011 that provides networking, events, publications, and continuing education exclusively to individuals holding active board mandates at Swiss companies. The community comprises 1,285 active board members and operates with 14 staff from Rotkreuz, Zug.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
swissVR industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Association Services for Board Members
- NAICS
- Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)
Keywords
Where swissVR is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rotkreuz
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
swissVR business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: swissVR generates revenue through membership fees from board members who join the association to access networking, events, publications, and education opportunities.
- Event Participation Fees: Revenue generated from paid events, conferences, and workshops. For example, CHF 300 participation fee for sustainability conference, and member discounts on various events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Conference participation fee for sustainability event |
| Subscription | Annual | Member pricing on events and education |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
swissVR product offering
Product offeringCore offering
swissVR is an independent association (Verein) that provides exclusive networking, events, specialized publications, and continuing education to active board members (Verwaltungsratsmitglieder) in Switzerland. Its deliverables include member-only events (conferences, panel discussions, company visits, summer events), three categories of governance publications (Monitor for research, Impuls for topical focus, Leitfaden for practical guidance), a searchable member directory, discounted education programs, and a member portal relaunched in December 2024. Membership is restricted to individuals with an active board mandate.
Product overview
swissVR is an independent association of board members in Switzerland offering a platform for networking and professional development. The core offerings include Events (conferences, panels, company visits), three types of Publications (Monitor, Impuls, Leitfaden), a Member Search directory, and Education offerings. The association also provides a new member area launched in December 2024 with enhanced networking features. All services are exclusively available to members with active board mandates.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- swissVR Events Exclusive events for active board members including summer events, annual assemblies, conferences, panel discussions, company visits, and networking opportunities, covering topics such as governance, corporate strategy, sustainability, innovation, and succession planning. Targeted at members of swissVR.
- swissVR Publications (Monitor, Impuls, Leitfaden) Three categories of recurring publications for board members: Impuls (focus publications on specific topics), Leitfaden (practical guides on governance topics such as AI and SME board compensation), and Monitor (regular analyses of board-relevant topics including demographic change and organizational resilience). Available to active members.
- Mitgliedersuche (Member Directory) A searchable member directory allowing active board members to find and connect with other swissVR members across industries for networking and peer exchange.
- swissVR Education (Bildung) Continuing education offerings at member-discounted rates, including a library of resources, voices from the association, and a Quarterly Update on AI, designed for active board members seeking professional development.
- swissVR Member Area (Mitgliederbereich) Enriched member portal launched December 12, 2024, allowing members to access exclusive content, manage their profiles, register for events, and connect with other board members.
Quantifiable outcome
- 13 diverse events organized in 2024 providing networking opportunities for members
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use swissVR
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
swissVR technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
swissVR partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Deloitte AGflagshipDeloitte partners with swissVR for events including the Cyber-Resilienz event in November 2026. They support board education and publish the swissVR Monitor study.
- Swiss Sustainable Finance (SSF)coreSSF co-organizes events with swissVR on sustainability topics for board members, including the conference 'Sustainability – still relevant for the Board's strategic agenda?'
- Swiss Board Institute (SBI+)coreSwiss Board Institute co-organizes educational events with swissVR, focusing on governance and sustainability topics for board members.
- BDO AGflagshipBDO is a strategic event partner hosting swissVR summer events and panels on topics like succession, governance, and entrepreneurship. They sponsor and co-organize events with swissVR members.
- University of ZürichminorUniversity of Zürich's Executive Education collaborates with swissVR on the 'Executive Experience China' program, an exclusive study trip to technology and innovation centers in China.
- KPMG AGflagshipKPMG is a strategic partner that co-organizes summer events with swissVR, including the event at Sauber Motorsport AG focusing on innovation and risk management.
- InnosuissecoreInnosuisse collaborated with swissVR on the publication 'Fokus Innovationsförderung für swissVR', showing how boards can promote innovation potential. Innosuisse supports SMEs in innovation projects with Swiss research institutions.
- PwC SchweizcorePwC is a strategic partner of swissVR, collaborating on publications including the guide on 'Vergütungen für den KMU-Verwaltungsrat'. PwC team members including Agnès Hoevenaars-Blust, Roman Schneider, and Ana Lucic contributed to the publication.
- Amrop Executive Search AGcoreAmrop is a long-term strategic partner that hosts swissVR annual summer events and provides board consulting expertise to the association.
- SherpanyminorSherpany is a strategic partner that organizes events on strategy processes and collaboration between management and boards.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
swissVR competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Sherpany: Swiss-headquartered board and executive collaboration SaaS platform. Already an active swissVR partner, but its software-driven approach to board workflows represents a potential disintermediation vector for community- and content-based value.
Regional players
- Verband Schweizerischer Elektrizitätsunternehmen (VSE): Swiss electricity industry association running its own VR-Tagung (board conference) for energy-sector directors. Industry-specific peer that competes for a slice of the same Swiss board-member mindshare and event calendar.
Direct peers
- NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors): The leading US professional association for corporate directors, offering membership, exclusive events, peer networks, and governance education. Direct functional analog to swissVR at a much larger scale, operating under the same 'board-member-only' community model.
- Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD): Australia's member-based governance institute for directors, providing education, networking and publications. Functionally comparable to swissVR with a similar membership-fee revenue model and education content offering.
- Swiss Board Institute (SBI+): Swiss governance education provider that already co-organizes conferences with swissVR. Closest domestic peer in terms of board-level education and certification, with overlapping member profiles and content topics.
- Canadian Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD): Canada's national member organization for directors, providing education, designation, and a peer network. Comparable to swissVR in mission, member-funded structure, and exclusive membership for active and aspiring directors.
- Institute of Directors (IoD, UK): UK-based professional membership body for directors offering networking, events, training and policy advocacy. Closest international counterpart to swissVR in terms of mission and exclusive-membership model for active board members.
Broad incumbents
- Diligent Corporation: Global board governance SaaS platform serving enterprise boards with content, benchmarking and networking extensions. Competes with swissVR's value proposition by embedding governance resources directly inside the board workflow.
- economiesuisse: The umbrella association of the Swiss economy, representing the broader business community including governance and policy topics. Less specialized than swissVR on board-level peer networking but operates in adjacent territory with high brand recognition.
- SwissHoldings: Association of large Swiss industrial and service groups. Represents the executive/governance interests of Switzerland's largest companies, overlapping with swissVR's member base but focused on policy advocacy rather than peer networking.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
swissVR social profiles
Digital presenceswissVR compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
swissVR financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
swissVR leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
swissVR funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
swissVR M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about swissVR
What does swissVR do?
swissVR is an independent association (Verein) that provides exclusive networking, events, specialized publications, and continuing education to active board members (Verwaltungsratsmitglieder) in Switzerland. Its deliverables include member-only events (conferences, panel discussions, company visits, summer events), three categories of governance publications (Monitor for research, Impuls for topical focus, Leitfaden for practical guidance), a searchable member directory, discounted education programs, and a member portal relaunched in December 2024. Membership is restricted to individuals with an active board mandate.
Is swissVR a public or private company?
swissVR is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was swissVR founded?
swissVR was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is swissVR based?
swissVR is headquartered in Rotkreuz, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does swissVR make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are event Participation Fees.
Who are swissVR's main competitors?
Sherpany is listed as an emerging player. Verband Schweizerischer Elektrizitätsunternehmen (VSE) is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors), Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), Swiss Board Institute (SBI+), Canadian Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) and Institute of Directors (IoD, UK). Broad incumbents are Diligent Corporation, economiesuisse and SwissHoldings.
Does swissVR have an API?
No public API is recorded for swissVR.
What industry is swissVR in?
swissVR's product category is Professional Association Services for Board Members. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHACAA, Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies). Its NAICS code is 81392 and its SIC code is 8600.