Diversity is set, inclusion is a decision: That was the Gisler Summit 2026

On Thursday, March 26, the fourth Gisler Summit of the Gisler Protocol took place in Zurich. Around 120 participants filled the Daizy restaurant to the last seat to be inspired and celebrate 5 years of the Gisler Protocol. Activist and author Markus Theunert and Prof. Dr. Gudrun Sander from the HSG were joined on stage by Senad Gafuri, Annette Häcki and Serafina Kuster, who discussed the representation of people with disabilities in Swiss advertising.

The general meeting of the Gisler Protocol also took place before the Gisler Summit. The Board of Directors was almost completely re-elected. Board member Flavio dal Din had decided in advance to leave the Board after four years and take on new responsibilities. He was thanked by the entire association for his great and formative commitment over the past four years.

5 years, many memories, many thanks

The Gisler Summit was kicked off by association president Nina Bieli. To mark the anniversary, she looked back on the highlights of the last five years and presented several anniversary specials: «Shift happens», a set of reflection cards with 36 questions about the conception and creation process, a potted plant anniversary shirt and the new Gislerprotokoll website. «For the anniversary, we wanted to create something that captures the content of the Gisler Protocol in a form that can be used on a daily basis. We also wanted to create a fitting monument to our now almost iconic potted plant. This is how the reflection cards and the shirt came about. The fact that we are also able to present our new website today naturally makes us all the happier,» says Nina Bieli.

Bieli also made special mention of her co-initiator Annette Häcki, who was also on stage during the event. «The Gislerprotokoll was and still is a project close to Annette's and my heart. Even though Annette is now more involved from the sidelines - including as a member with her agency Day Partners - she is still an incredibly important and valuable sparring partner for me,» says Nina Bieli.

Nina Bieli then presented the results of the Stereotype Analysis 2025, with one particularly striking result forming the basis for the subsequent panel discussion: people with disabilities are practically invisible in Swiss advertising.

Disability and representation in Swiss advertising

The panel discussion was attended by Annette Häcki, a creative with several years of experience in designing and implementing campaigns on the topic of disability, Senad Gafuri, Managing Director of the organization Reporters without Barriers, and Serafina Kuster, an HR expert who has been in a wheelchair since the age of 12. Together, they discussed what is needed to make people with disabilities more visible in Swiss communication, what needs to be taken into account - not least in terms of language - and what those affected themselves want from their representation.

Following the panel discussion, activist and author Markus Theunert offered an insight into the manosphere and the radicalization of masculinity ideology. He addressed the contradictory simultaneity that young men have to face today and the fact that men are far too often left alone with this task. According to Theunert, the political right is increasingly capitalizing on this orientation vacuum.

Diversity is a given - inclusion is a decision

Prof. Dr. Gudrun Sander, professor and lecturer in business administration at the HSG with a focus on diversity management, concluded the event. Sander spoke about the woke backlash and its already noticeable effects in the Swiss economy. However, she also pointed out ways out of this backlash and emphasized the relevance of inclusion in this context. «Diversity is a given, inclusion is a choice for high-performance cultures,» said Sander.