When generations collaborate, more future-proof decisions follow. As part of the Re:Generation Lab at the 54^th St. Gallen Symposium, this co-creation session turned insight into action toward next-generation ready leadership.  

By Jonas Friedrich & Enya Eggenberger

The Re:Generation Lab, launched in 2022 as part of the St. Gallen Symposium’s “New Generational Contract” with the Club of Rome, is a core element of the annual programme, co-creating solutions to key intergenerational equity challenges such as intergenerational leadership, future thinking, and sustainability + innovation. 

In times of rapid transformation, the expectations of customers and employees are evolving. Yet leadership structures—especially at the board level—remain largely shaped by age and seniority. This disconnect limits innovation, reinforces silos, and risks leaving valuable perspectives untapped. 

At the 54th St. Gallen Symposium, a co-creation workshop—organized in collaboration with the Board Foundation and ZEAM—brought together Leaders of Today and Tomorrow to explore what truly inclusive, cross-generational leadership could look like. The goal: to translate the often abstract concept of age-diverse leadership into tangible ideas that can be (easily) implemented at the highest levels of organizational decision-making. 

Participants identified several domains where age-diverse thinking is particularly powerful: from sustainability, customer behavior and strategy to education, healthcare, and human resources. In these areas, younger leaders bring digital fluency and unfiltered curiosity, while senior executives contribute experience and resilience in the face of uncertainty. When these strengths are combined—not contrasted—they lead to more future-proof decisions. 

Inspired by impulses from Michael Hilb (NextGen Board Leaders) and Yaël Meier (Reverse Mentoring), participants then cross-generationally co-prototyped practical interventions during a four step hackathon: rotating “Yes Days” where junior voices shape bold decisions without veto; temporary leadership swaps that allow Gen Z to take the reins—and responsibility—for one week; anonymous decision-making formats that flatten hierarchy and elevate ideas; and structured spaces for informal exchange like intergenerational breakfast dialogues or the “Sherpa model,” pairing young talent with senior mentors in reverse roles. 

To make such initiatives stick, three enablers stood out. First, mindset: generational exchange must be seen not as a risk to authority, but as a strategic opportunity and as an investment in relevance. Second, culture: psychological safety and mutual respect are essential to unlock honest cross-generational collaboration. Third, proof of concept: visible success stories help build senior-level buy-in and make the abstract real. 

The St. Gallen Symposium has long championed cross-generational dialogue. Yet across the DACH region, the average age of board members is 60—and rising. To counteract this trend, the Young Leaders on Board Initiative was launched in 2022. In collaboration with partners such as the Board Foundation (on board readiness) and ZEAM (on reverse mentoring), the initiative promotes structural change toward more inclusive and future-ready leadership. 

Author: Jonas Friedrich, Enya Eggenberger