Experience Is Not a Phase-Out Model – Why Switzerland Needs Its Senior Professionals Now

It is a paradox that defines the Swiss labour market in 2026: companies are under enormous transformation pressure, CEOs are changing more frequently than ever – and at the same time, the group that brings the most experience is often the first to be let go. Yet current data paints a very different picture: Switzerland needs its experienced professionals and executives more urgently than ever before.

This Grass Brief combines three current data sources into an overall picture – and shows what this means for professionals.

1. An Ageing but Highly Active Workforce

The most recent available figures from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) come from the Swiss Labour Force Survey 2024, published in April 2025. The results are clear: the labour force participation rate for 55- to 64-year-olds has risen by 6.1 percentage points over the last ten years to 77.8%. For women, the increase was even 7.8 percentage points. The average age of the working population now stands at 42.3 years, and men retire on average at 65.3 years, women at 64.7 years.

At the same time, 55- to 64-year-olds are less likely to be unemployed than the general population – their ILO unemployment rate stands at just 3.4%, compared with 4.3% for 15- to 74-year-olds. This refutes the persistent prejudice that older workers are less employable.

Demographic pressure further intensifies this dynamic. A Swiss National Bank study shows that over the next ten years, around 400,000 more people could leave the labour market than young people entering it – assuming constant migration and participation rates. The KOF Economists Survey from December 2025 confirms: 87% of economists surveyed see demographic change as the most important factor behind the skills shortage.

The message is clear: the 55+ generation is not a burden on the labour market – it is a strategic pillar.

2. Leadership Under Unprecedented Pressure

While the workforce ages, the carousel at the top is spinning ever faster. According to the Global CEO Turnover Index by Russell Reynolds Associates, CEO departures in 2025 reached a record of 234 globally – an increase of 16% over the previous year and 21% above the eight-year average. The average tenure of departing CEOs fell to 7.1 years, the lowest since measurement began. Particularly striking: the proportion of CEOs leaving within 30 to 36 months of taking office rose by 79%.

86% of newly appointed CEOs took on the role for the first time. Boards are increasingly relying on internal succession while simultaneously expecting faster results – a combination that massively increases pressure on executives.

The PwC CEO Survey 2026 paints a similar picture for Switzerland. Only 37% of Swiss CEOs expect growth in the Swiss economy – a collapse from 68% the previous year. Only 26% expect revenue growth in the next twelve months, the lowest figure since 2020. And 42% of Swiss CEOs predict significant job losses from AI in the next three years, particularly among career starters. CEOs spend 47% of their time on decisions with a horizon of less than one year.

What does this mean? The executive floors are under pressure, planning horizons are shrinking, and the demands on leadership are fundamentally changing. What is sought is no longer just operational excellence, but transformation capability, AI competence, and the ability to decide under uncertainty.

3. What This Means for Senior Professionals (55+)

The combination of these three trends – an ageing workforce, a growing skills shortage, and accelerated leadership turnover – opens a strategic opportunity for experienced professionals and executives. But only if it is positioned correctly.

Your experience is a strategic asset – but only if you translate it. Companies are not simply looking for “someone with 25 years of experience.” They are looking for people who can navigate complexity, who have guided transformations, who know how to lead organisations through uncertainty. You can do this – but you must make it explicitly visible.

Concretely, this means: your LinkedIn profile, your market positioning, and your approach in interviews should not document your past but demonstrate your future capability.

Become a bridge-builder between generations. The data shows that companies must simultaneously manage CEO changes, AI transformation, and demographic shift. In this situation, leaders are needed who can mediate between generations – who understand the corporate culture and also adapt to new technologies.

Position yourself not as “the experienced one who’s seen it all,” but as someone who combines experience with adaptability. Show that you use AI tools, that you know agile methods, that you continue to learn.

Leverage the gap that leadership turnover creates. When 234 CEOs globally leave their positions in one year and 86% of successors are first-timers, an enormous demand for experienced support emerges: interim management, advisory boards, sparring partners for new CEOs, mentoring. These are roles perfectly suited to senior professionals – when proactively offered.

Don’t underestimate your demographic negotiating position. The skills shortage is real, and it doesn’t only affect technical professions. In a market where the working population is shrinking, experienced professionals have more bargaining power than they often think. The question is not whether the market needs you – but whether you position yourself so the market can find you.

Five Concrete Steps for Your Next Professional Phase

1. Update your LinkedIn profile with a future focus. Not “30 years of experience in the finance industry,” but “Executive with a track record in transforming financial organisations.” Show where you’re heading – not just where you’ve been.

2. Build your AI competence visibly. You don’t need to become a programmer. But you should show that you understand how AI is changing your industry and that you actively integrate these technologies into your work.

3. Expand your network strategically. If you spent 20 years at the same company, your network is likely internally focused. Invest now in cross-industry contacts, interim networks, and board connections.

4. Explore alternative models. Not every next step needs to be a permanent position. Interim management, board mandates, advisory roles, or part-time models are often more attractive for senior professionals – and increasingly in demand from companies.

5. Get professional guidance. A career transition at C-level is not an application process like at 35. It requires strategic positioning, market knowledge, and a clear narrative. Invest in this guidance.

Grass & Partner AG supports executives and senior professionals through career transitions – with outplacement, executive coaching, and strategic career consulting. For people who want to take their next step with clarity and confidence.

Sources: Federal Statistical Office (FSO): Swiss Labour Force Survey SLFS, annual averages 2024 (April 2025); KOF Swiss Economic Institute ETH Zurich: Economists Survey on labour supply and skills shortages, December 2025; PwC: 29th Annual Global CEO Survey – Swiss Edition 2026 (January 2026); Russell Reynolds Associates: Global CEO Turnover Index Annual Report 2025 (January 2026); Swiss National Bank: Study on demographic impacts on labour supply