Professor Martha Maznevski is the new IMD MBA Program Director beginning with the class of 2009 which starts in January.

Professor Maznevski is an expert in organizational behavior and international management. Her teaching focuses on leadership and teams in global and virtual (distance) contexts and the relationship between organizational and national culture.

“I first decided to join IMD because of its MBA program,” stated Professor Maznevski. “My research has focused on developing leaders in a multi-cultural context and I believe there is no better place to do that than the IMD MBA classroom. As MBA Program Director, I am looking forward to leveraging the knowledge and experience IMD has in developing global leaders to prepare the next generation of MBAs to lead and shape the global business environment.”

Professor Maznevski will take over a program that was ranked number one in the world by the Economist in 2008. The IMD MBA is an intensive, international, one-year program for a select group of 90 experienced individuals. It is a highly selective program that combines innovation, relevance to business and a unique blend of intensity and dedication to the individual.

With the current economic crisis, MBA programs are under more scrutiny than ever. However, Professor Maznevski doesn’t foresee any major immediate overhaul of the program.

“IMD has always been on the leading edge of designing and delivering an MBA program that develops global leaders,” she said. “Our MBA program has long done what current editorials are recommending MBA programs do: integrate ethics and responsibility and globalization discussions throughout the program; incorporate the practice of leadership, not just the study of it, into the program; and have participants actually experience the real world challenges faced by business today.”