IMD recently hosted its first ever All MBA Alumni event, reuniting MBA graduates from classes through the years as far back as the 1970s to this year’s current class.
The event took place over two days and brought well over 100 alumni — reaching closer to 200 counting the current class — back to school to participate in learning sessions with IMD Professors George Kohlrieser, Howard Yu, Tom Malnight, and Misiek Piskorski.
IMD President Dominique Turpin welcomed the group, many who are now accomplished business leaders, back to campus and joined them for a dinner reception to kick off the two days of networking and learning.
Current MBA director Ralf Boscheck gave an overview of how the MBA program has evolved in recent years and where it is headed.
On the second day, IMD Alumni Director Johan Govea addressed the crowd and introduced them to their first learning session with Tom Malnight and Howard Yu examining how great companies fall by the wayside.
Tombstones featuring the likes of Blockbuster, Nokia, Kodak and other “dead companies” were on display as Profs Malnight and Yu discussed how companies either hold onto the past or try to shape their own future.
Based on his current research with Mars PetCare, Tom Malnight talked about how some companies have tapped into inside-out thinking, purpose, and innovation to achieve double-digit growth over the long term.
Howard Yu said companies need to become continuous disruptors and that the “corporate graveyard” is filled with businesses who succeeded in transforming their industries but did it only once.
Professor George Kohlrieser told the executives how they can continue on their leadership learning journey even though their MBA days are behind them.
Misiek Piskorski focused on how the digital revolution is transforming strategy. He said companies are incorporating big data, the internet of things, artificial intelligence and social media into their everyday operations and are radically changing the business landscape, but that there is even more digital transformation on the horizon.
A wrap up session and dinner closed the first ever all MBA Alumni Event, which has often been requested by MBA alumni in order to connect across cohorts and with the current class. Several MBA classes also participated in organizing the event.
The attendees were extremely enthusiastic about the two days of learning and networking and gave some warm words of encouragement.
“It was a great opportunity to network, see classmates and be exposed to IMD leadership sessions.”
“It is important to join the event to foster and energize the MBA community across generations, and it is an opportunity to get novel insights from IMD professors on trending topics.”
“It’s just always nice to take yourself out of the daily grind and to get some fresh perspective. Reconnecting with IMD and the MBAs is always great. I can have conversations of a depth I rarely do with other friends. As one classmate says: We’re one big happy dysfunctional family. I also appreciated being able to network with MBAs from other years.”
Find out more about IMD’s MBA.
Find out more about the IMD Alumni office.
