CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2026 13 they have ideas of new ways to do things. “It pays to listen to people”, he commented. “That doesn’t mean we run a holacracy, but the more people can have an influence, the more they buy into decisions and change. It is an illusion believing that you can do whatever you want as a CEO – you have to earn it all the time. You are just as good as your people.” Thus, with PROMEA having 55 of the best employees in the whole of Switzerland, as well as the kind of culture where everyone knows everyone, Ricardo is clearly very good as the company’s CEO. He is passionate about rewarding these employees with the kind of environment where they can thrive, and this is why PROMEA offers generous homeworking rules (up to three days per week) with one weekly team day where everyone must come into the office. This keeps culture alive in a world where flexibility is a must. However, this is just the beginning. As Ricardo added: “We also introduced so-called ‘PROMEA days’, where the whole firm gathers once a month in the office for employee events such as our Christmas party, an offsite, a summer barbecue, and so on. The strategy here is to offer more quality time together, rather than just maximising quantity and having people in the office for the sake of it.” Given the challenges the team are facing in this space at present, including increasing regulatory demands and the high valuation of stocks, the sense of camaraderie the culture at PROMEA offers sees them aligned and keen to work together to solve these issues. For instance, in the wake of these shifts, the team have started to limit the amount of projects they take on and define new sources of returns (such as currency overlay, regular rebalancing, and new asset classes like private debt, catastrophe bonds, and direct mortgages). PROMEA is not stopping there, and with plans in place to reshuffle its investment portfolios over the next 12 months, taking its returns to the next level in the process, the company has started institutionalising its asset management and created new positions. The intention, Ricardo explained, is for the company to run its investment portfolios like much bigger funds, introducing a more diverse portfolio with specialist advisors for each asset class. Finally, as for his own next steps, Ricardo Garcia strives to continue with the same ambition he has had since his first day at PROMEA Social Insurance, keeping one step ahead of the opportunities that await and continuing to improve things across the company. We wish Ricardo, who has again been recognised as the Most Influential CEO 2026: Pension & Social Insurance Leadership – Switzerland, all the best as he continues to write the bright future of PROMEA, in the face of a changing social security sector, nonetheless. More on PROMEA Social Insurance can by visiting the website below. Contact: Ricardo Garcia Company: PROMEA Social Insurance Web Address: www.promea.ch/de/home
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