As an executive search firm with a focus on FMCG, we are often involved in the recruitment of General Managers and their direct reports for the Swiss market.

Recently, we conducted an analysis to provide a factual base for discussions about GM succession and the assessment of talent. This analysis revealed several conclusions that are relevant for retention, succession planning and recruitment.

The key conclusions are:

• The functional background is pre-dominantly Sales, followed by Marketing. While Marketing Directors who became General Managers did so almost exclusively through internal promotion, Sales Directors promoted to a GM position were commonly hired from outside the company.

• Gender diversity is low; only 18% of General Managers are women. The situation is not different for “first-time” GMs, suggesting that gender diversity of this group will not be shifting in the near future. Based on this study, international companies seem to be ahead of Swiss-owned businesses in this regard.

50% of GMs have been in the role for less than three years. We also were surprised by the high rate of turnover, which seems to be highest with international companies.

There are many more interesting findings to share. For the full report, please fill out the form below.