Margit Osterloh

Prof. Margit Osterloh holds the title of Permanent Visiting Professor at the University of Basel and is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Zurich's Department of Business Administration. She is Research Director at the Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts (CREMA) and affiliated with CREMA Vermögensverwaltung & Research GmbH. Her research focuses on organizational theories, gender economics, corporate governance, and innovation management, with a particular emphasis on exploring paradoxes like the Gender Equality Paradox in STEM fields.

Her career spans over four decades, including leadership roles at universities in Germany, Switzerland, and the UK, alongside advisory positions in corporate and policy arenas. Osterloh has received honorary doctorates from Leuphana University (2007) and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (2024), reflecting her impactful contributions to behavioral economics and institutional innovation. She advocates for randomized selection processes in leadership roles to enhance diversity and reduce systemic biases.

Her recent publications address societal challenges such as academic freedom, gender pay gaps, and migration policies. Osterloh frequently contributes opinion pieces to Swiss media, engaging public discourse on topics like cancel culture in academia, leadership dynamics, and the intersection of gender roles and career choices.

Her work combines empirical research with practical policy recommendations, emphasizing the role of post-materialist values in shaping gender norms and occupational segregation. She serves on multiple academic and corporate boards, including Swiss Post and SV Group AG, and is a vocal advocate for institutional reforms to promote fairness and efficiency in education and governance systems.