15 Fortune 500 Companies Headquartered in Switzerland
1. Glencore International
Fortune 500 Rank: 14
Industry: Commodities
City: Barr
While Glencore International may not be a household name, this commodities company is 14th in the overall Fortune Global 500 ranking and the highest ranked Swiss company. The world’s largest commodities trader, Glencore International makes and trades the bulk commodities (metals, minerals, oil, cotton, coal, jet fuel, crude oil, gasoline) that power industries throughout the world. Glencore employs over 60,000 people. Their global marketing operations are made up of 3,000 people working in 40 countries, and their industrial operations employs 58,000 people in 33 countries.
2. Nestlé
Fortune 500 Rank: 14
Industry: Food & beverage
City: Vevey
As the number 1 player in the food industry, Nestlé’s portfolio covers almost every branch of the food and beverage industry. Nestlé’s brands include Jenny Craig, Gerber, Stouffer’s, Dreyer’s, Haagen-Dazs, Purina, PowerBar, Perrier, and Poland Spring. They are also one of the biggest frozen pizza producers as well as one of the biggest players in the pet industry. Nestlé has been headquartered in Vevey on since 1867. Nestlé’s Vevey workforce is made up of people from 85 different countries.
3. Novartis
Fortune 500 Rank: 157
Industry: Pharmaceuticals, vaccines, consumer health
City: Basel
Novartis was created in 1996 when Ceiba-Geigy merged with Sandoz, a leading manufacturer of generic drugs. While pharmaceuticals make up Novartis’ largest division, their consumer health division makes several well-known products including Excedrin, Theraflu, and Maalox. Employees from over 80 countries work at Novartis’ Basel headquarters, which includes a cafe, public green spaces, shops, and a fitness center. The campus is currently in the process of a redesign to replace obsolete buildings with ones that are more energy efficient and environmentally responsible.
4. Zurich Insurance Group
Fortune 500 Rank: 178
Industry: Insurance
City: Zurich
Zurich Insurance Group provides general and life insurance products for clients ranging from individuals and small businesses. to companies and multi-national corporations. While you may not know Zurich Insurance Group, you have probably seen their company Farmer’s Insurance advertised on TV. Based out of LA, Farmer’s Insurance provides home, auto, commercial and life insurance. Zurich Insurance Group currently has 60,000 employees working in over 170 counties.
5. Roche Group
Fortune 500 Rank: 192
Industry: Pharmaceuticals and diagnostics
City: Basel
In addition to making prescription drugs such as Tamiflu, Roche Group’s diagnostics division produces clinical lab supplies, genetic tests, and diabetes monitoring equipment. Roche’s products are sold in over 180 countries. Headquartered in Basel, Roche has 150 subsidiaries, and two divisions, including the biotechnology company Genentech.
6. Credit Suisse
Fortune 500 Rank: 204
Industry: Financial services
City: Zurich
One of Switzerland’s top financial services firms, Credit Suisse offers investment management, private banking, asset management. Internationally these these services are provided through the Credit Suisse brand, but within Switzerland they are provided by the subsidiary Clariden Leu. In addition to operating over 200 retail branches in Switzerland, Credit Suisse has operations in over 50 countries.
7. UBS AG
Fortune 500 Rank: 215
Industry: Financial services
City: Zurich
UBS is a global financial services company which provides wealth and asset management, and investment banking products to corporate, private, and institutional clients. In Switzerland, UBS also offers retail and commercial banking. UBS was created as a result of the 1997 merger of Union Bank of Switzerland and Swiss Bank.
8. ABB Group
Fortune 500 Rank: 273
Industry: Power and automation engineering
City: Zurich
With operations in 100 countries, ABB Group employs 124,000 people. ABB’s portfolio includes a wide range of power and robotics products ranging from power switches to to control systems which control entire factories. Their major product lines include switchgears, electronic control and supply units for variable speed drives and other applications and transformers. ABB’s headquarters lie in outskirts of Zurich in Oerlikon — halfway between the airport and the city center.
9. Alliance Boots
Fortune 500 Rank: 274
Industry: Wholesale pharmaceuticals, retail drugstore and beauty
City: Zug
Alliance Boots is Europe’s leading drug wholesaler, supplying over 170,000 pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics in 20 countries including China. On the retail side, Alliance Boots operates 3,300 pharmacies and health and beauty supply stores in the UK and ten other countries. Boots UK is the leading retail pharmacy chain in the UK. US drugstore chain Walgreen’s currently has a 45% stake in Alliance Boots — the first step as part of a three year merger.
10. Xstrata plc
Fortune 500 Rank: 325
Industry: Mining
City: Zug
Xstrata is one of the largest mining and minerals companies in the world. Copper is their largest segment and accounts for 45% of overall sales. Xstrata is also one of the world’s largest producers of ferrochrome and vanadium — coal by-products used in the manufacture of stainless steel. With operations in over 20 countries, Xstrata employs 70,000 people.
11. Coop Group
Fortune 500 Rank: 364
Industry: Retail
City: Basel
Coop Group is a Swiss retail chain and one of Switzerland’s largest retailers. In addition to operating 800 supermarkets and megastores throughout Switzerland, Coop also owns the Switzerland’s second largest department store chain (Coop City).
12. Adecco Group
Fortune 500 Rank: 387
Industry: Staffing
City: Glattbrugg
As you would expect from the world’s largest employment agency, Adecco has 100,000 clients and 5,500 offices throughout the world. While Adecco’s main business is temporary staffing, they also offer permanent employee placement, outsourcing and other HR-related services. In addition to general office staffing, Adecco also has six professional lines.
13. Swiss Re
Fortune 500 Rank: 394
Industry: Reinsurance
City: Zurich
While Swiss Re is based in Zurich, 40% of their revenues come from the Americas. The company specializes in writing reinsurance for property/casualty and life and health insurers. They have offices in over 20 countries and sell their products worldwide via direct sales and distributors.
14. Migros
Fortune 500 Rank: 396
Industry: Retail
City: Zurich
Migros is Switzerland’s number one retailer and runs ten regional cooperatives. Not only is Migros more popular than Coop, they also have stores in other European countries and run a more diverse array of businesses. In addition to running retail stores like Migros and Ex Libris, Migros operates banks (Migros Bank), hotels (Hotelplan), and gas stations (Migrol).
15. Holcim
Fortune 500 Rank: 396
Industry: Concrete
City: Jona
Holcim is one of the world’s largest cement makers, producing a whopping 200 million tons of cement each year. Operating in 70 countries worldwide, Holcim has subsidiaries in Canada, the UK, Australia and Mexico.
This article is sponsored by the University of St. Gallen, a leading European business school based in Eastern Switzerland.