The jury praised Tischhauser’s strong academic credentials and proven record of board-level strategic thinking, notably at Swiss Re, where she is reinforcing operational rigor and risk management. They also highlighted her nuanced grasp of governance challenges, authentic and courageous leadership style, and her commitment to advancing diversity in leadership.
“We had first class candidates and as a jury we looked not only at their excellence today, but their capacity to carry the IMD name and board governance to further heights – in the spirit of Hanne,” said Chair of the jury panel Didier Cossin, Professor of Governance and Finance and Founder and Director of the IMD Global Board Center.
IMD created the Hanne de Mora Board Excellence Award to honor the life of Hanne de Mora, who served with exceptional dedication on IMD’s Foundation and Supervisory Boards from 2016 until her passing in June 2025. A visionary leader, de Mora was passionate about mentoring and supporting the next generation of leaders – particularly women – and strengthening board performance. The award recognizes an exceptional woman candidate of the IMD Board Director Diploma who not only excels academically but also demonstrates the potential to contribute to elevating board performance and governance.
“Hanne was an exceptional person, wise, smart, very generous,” said Michel Demaré, Chair of the IMD supervisory board who served alongside de Mora for nine years. “Her interest has always been people. She would be extremely proud to have her name behind this award because it represents what she was really passionate about.”
Tischhauser has a background in consulting and has worked at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) for 28 years. In her acceptance speech, she described de Mora as her “North Star.”
“I first observed Hanne on a panel as a young associate,” said Tischhauser. “She was full of energy, charismatic, very different to some of her male colleagues up there on the stage, and she had that passion. I remember thinking, ‘When I grow up, I want to be like her.’ I am very much working towards this. It’s an honor. It also comes with a responsibility. And I’m looking forward to living up to this.”
A graduate of the Kellogg School of Management and the University of Bern, Tischhauser served clients across Europe, the US, and Asia from BCG’s Zurich, Chicago, and London offices, rising to become a member of BCG’s global Executive Committee from 2016 to 2021.
She was elected to the Board of Directors of Swiss Re Ltd in 2023, and serves on Swiss Re’s Risk Committee, chairs the supervisory boards of Swiss Re Europe S.A. and Swiss Re International SE, is a board member of Sygnum Bank, is an advisory board member to the CAS Board of Directors certification program of the universities of Rochester and Bern, is a fellow of the Institute of Management and Strategy at the University of St. Gallen, and is a trustee at Zurich Zoo.
According to the 2024 Spencer Stuart Switzerland Board Index, women account for only 5% of chair positions, compared to 31% of board seats held by women in SMI companies. Tischhauser said in her candidacy for the award that it was her ambition to learn and grow over the next few years, and together with other women, help to increase the proportion of women in board leadership roles.
Alongside Didier Cossin, the jury panel included Christiane Kuehne, Chair of the IMD Board Community Board and Non-Executive Director at James Finlays Ltd, and Geraldine Matchett, Board member at Nestlé, ABB, Swiss Re, and FCLT Global, inaugural Chair of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Steering Committee, and member of the IMD Foundation Board.
