Targeted promotion of talent

With its Group-wide personnel information and management system (Workday), Swiss Life is achieving greater consistency in its management processes. These include systematic and comprehensive succession planning using a standardised process. The process identifies business-critical succession positions, nominates internal and external candidates, assesses their potential and willingness as well as their development needs, and thus facilitates a succession-planning and development programme on multiple levels.

The individual divisions have specific programmes to help prepare future first- and second-level managers (team leaders and department heads) as well as project managers and subject area specialists for their future roles through talent-promotion programmes, training modules and project work. At Swiss Life Germany, for example, the 18-month “LEAD” programme gives potential managers the comprehensive understanding of the business they will need for handling their future tasks.

At the level of the Swiss Life Group, the Key Persons Programme (KPP) is directed at Swiss Life Group managers, specialists and project managers who already hold a key position at senior level or show potential for such a position. The aim of the Group-wide programme is to prepare people who show the desire and ability to help shape the company’s future in their own areas for a key position so that they can live up to their role as decision maker. The programme thus plays a role in employee and succession planning. Within a period of about 15 months, participants acquire a detailed insight into the Swiss Life Group’s main areas of business, receive and provide fresh impulses on current trends and apply what they have learnt to their daily work. The KPP’s focus themes are:

• In-depth understanding of Swiss Life’s corporate strategy and divisional business models
• Innovation and trends
• Leadership
• Finance and risk management
• Organisational development

The alumni, the so-called Key People Network (KPN) and the participants of the ongoing Key People Programme (KPP) meet annually at the “Shaping the Future Day”. At the 2023 meeting, they explored strategically relevant issues arising from the implementation of the Group-wide “Swiss Life 2024” programme now in progress. In the “Leading Tomorrow” programme, moreover, the members of the KPN addressed current leadership topics in the context of a fast-changing market environment and new technologies. This thematic focus sought to heighten awareness of the importance of leadership topics for Swiss Life’s corporate success and to develop a common vision for the “leadership of the future” topic based on current divisional approaches and initiatives.