Markus Menz

Markus Menz is a visiting professor at IMD and Professor of Strategic Management and former Dean of the Geneva School of Economics and Management (GSEM) at the University of Geneva.   

As Dean from 2021 to 2025, and previously as Vice Dean for Development from 2017 to 2021, he implemented the “Geneva Advantage” strategy aimed at educating responsible leaders for society. Under his leadership, GSEM obtained its initial AACSB accreditation, transformed its executive education programs, recognized with a five-year AMBA reaccreditation, and joined the Quai Vernets campus development.   

 An award-winning educator and researcher, Professor Menz focuses on corporate strategy, corporate governance, organization design, and strategic leadership. He teaches extensively across all levels—from students to senior executives—and has developed and led several academic programs, including a Master’s in Management, an Executive MBA, and various custom executive programs. He also serves as an advisor, board member, and frequent keynote speaker. In his work, he has collaborated with companies across diverse industries, from start-ups to multinationals.  

 His research explores how senior leaders drive organizational transformation to seize strategic opportunities, particularly in areas such as digital technology and sustainability. He studies roles such as Board Chairs, CEOs, Chief Strategy Officers, and Chief Digital Officers, as well as the design and functioning of top management teams, boards of directors, and corporate headquarters. In 2020, he founded the Geneva Center for Corporate Governance to promote responsible and evidence-based governance practices.  

 Professor Menz’s research has been published in leading scientific journals, including Academy of Management Annals, Global Strategy Journal, Journal of Management, Journal of Management Studies, Organizational Research Methods, and Strategic Management Journal, among others. He has also served on editorial boards and as a guest editor for several journals. His work has been featured in prominent media outlets such as the Financial Times, Harvard Business Review, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, SRF, Le Temps, and Die Welt.   

 Prior to joining the University of Geneva in 2015, he was an Assistant Professor of Strategic Management at the University of St. Gallen—where he received the university’s Best Teaching Award—and a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University. He earned his Ph.D. in Management from the University of St. Gallen.