26.11.24

Three high-profile additions to the National Advisory Board of Ringier’s EqualVoice initiative

In November 2024, Ringier's EqualVoice initiative celebrates its fifth anniversary. The initiative was launched in November 2019 by Ringier CFO Dr Annabella Bassler, with the aim of making women more visible in media reporting and involving them as experts on an equal level. At the centre of the initiative is the Equal Voice factor, which measures the presence of women and men in the media. It is now used by 32 media brands in seven countries and reaches 50 million users. Other projects of the Ringier initiative include the EqualVoice United network with diversity partner EDGE and numerous Swiss companies, the list of female experts as an internal Ringier research tool, the photo challenge EqualPyxx for more diverse images and the expert workshop Fit4Media to promote female expertise. Publisher Michael Ringier and Ringier CEO Marc Walder are co-chairs of the EqualVoice initiative.

At the EqualVoice Summit, which took place in Zurich on November 12, 2024, Antje Kanngiesser, CEO of the Alpiq Group, Susanne Ruoff, CEO of Ruoff Advisory, and Leila Toplic, Chief Communications and Trust Officer at Carbonfuture, were appointed to the national advisory board of the EqualVoice Initiative.

Dr. Annabella Bassler, CFO of Ringier AG, welcomes the new members: “I am delighted to announce the appointment of Antje Kanngiesser, Susanne Ruoff and Leila Toplic to the EqualVoice Advisory Board. These three distinguished women not only have remarkable international experience, but also share our belief that diversity and gender equality are critical to success. Together, we are committed to fostering a world where all voices matter, regardless of gender, origin or background.”

The new board members of EqualVoice

Antje Kanngiesser is CEO of the Alpiq Group. She has extensive management experience from the energy and infrastructure sector with a clear attitude and strong commitment to sustainable energy generation and innovative corporate management in a fundamentally changing market environment.

Susanne Ruoff is founder and CEO of Ruoff Advisory. She has a proven track record in driving digitalisation and sustainability in numerous organizations, having previously served as CEO of Swiss Post and held senior positions at IBM and British Telecom.

Leila Toplic is the Chief Communications and Trust Officer at Carbonfuture. With over 20 years of experience in business, technology, and climate, she is a recognized leader in AI and sustainability. In 2021, she was named one of the Top 100 Women in AI Ethics.

Earlier this year, Leila Toplic created the EqualVoice custom GPT, a tool designed to address gender bias in media by helping journalists and editors make more equitable decisions. This innovation served as inspiration for the EqualVoice Assistant – presented at the EqualVoice Summit 2024 – which now enables Ringier editors and journalists to create inclusive and equitable media content in real time.

The EqualVoice Assistant is an AI-based tool designed to address the nuances of diversity bias in articles published by Ringier media brands in real time. The AI solution scans content as it is created, identifies gender imbalances and stereotypes, and offers specific suggestions for improvement. The EqualVoice assistant not only tracks gender mentions, but also understands context and tone, allowing it to correct and flag wording that could subtly reinforce stereotypes. With this tool, Ringier is not only setting new standards for content, but also creating a framework for AI-driven editorial processes that prioritize equality and representation. As AI plays an increasingly important role in media, the EqualVoice Assistant empowers editorial teams to play a critical role in shaping the way content is produced and perceived. Once the EqualVoice Assistant is fully implemented, a roll-out beyond Ringier’s media brands is planned.

The Advisory Board of the EqualVoice Initiative consists of:

  • Carolina Müller-Möhl, Founder & Chairman of the Müller-Möhl Group & the Müller-Möhl Foundation
  • Tanja Grandits, Michelin-starred chef, Head of Restaurant Stucki & Gault Millau ‘Chef of the Year 2020’
  • Christine Graeff, designated Chief Growth Officer FGS Global, Member of the Executive Committee
  • Regula Bührer-Fecker, Co-Founder of Rod Communication
  • Simona Scarpaleggia, NED, Board Member EDGE Strategy
  • David Allemann, CEO & Co-Founder of On
  • Petra Ehmann, Chief Innovation & AI Officer Ringier AG
  • Christiane zu Salm, Media Entrepreneur & Consultant
  • Pascale Baeriswyl, Head of the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations
  • Antje Kanngiesser is CEO Alpiq Group
  • Susanne Ruoff is founder & CEO of Ruoff Advisory
  • Leila Toplic, Chief Communications & Trust Officer at Carbonfuture

About EqualVoice
The initiative was launched in November 2019 by CFO Annabella Bassler, and is chaired by publisher Michael Ringier and CEO Marc Walder. The aim of the initiative is to promote gender equality and to increase the visibility of women in the media. At its core is the EqualVoice factor, which measures the presence of women and men in the media. Today, it is used by 32 media brands in seven countries, reaching 50 million users. Other projects of the Ringier initiative comprise the EqualVoice United network with diversity partner EDGE and Swiss companies, the list of female experts as an internal Ringier research tool, the photo challenge EqualPyxx for more diverse images, and the expert workshop “Fit4Media” to promote female expertise.
www.equalvoice.ch

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