On Founders Limit Executive Duties to One-Third of Work Time

Industry Pulse News Desk · 2026-09-18

Leaders at Swiss sportswear manufacturer On spend 33 percent of their time on standard chief executive roles to focus on product development.

Executive leadership at Swiss sportswear company On continues to operate under an unconventional management structure, with its founders devoting only 33 percent of their working time to traditional chief executive duties while scaling global operations.

Co-founders Olivier Bernhard, David Allemann, and Caspar Coppetti, alongside co-chief executive officers Martin Hoffmann and Marc Maurer, utilize a collaborative leadership model. Rather than focusing exclusively on standard corporate administration, executive time is structured to prioritize hands-on product innovation and brand strategy.

Company leadership maintains that limiting traditional corporate management responsibilities allows the team to preserve the core creative focus that established the brand. The remaining two-thirds of executive time is spent directly on research and development, footwear technology testing, and athlete partnerships.

The organizational approach contrasts with standard corporate practices, in which founders typically transition into full-time administrative roles or step back from day-to-day operations as companies scale. On, which completed its initial public offering in 2021, has sustained strong revenue growth using this distributed model.

The Zurich-based company reported that maintaining direct founder involvement in product creation remains a key operational driver. Executives confirmed the structure will remain in place as the footwear maker expands its retail footprint across international markets.