The IMD EMBA
The mission of IMD’s Executive MBA is to “develop global, reflective leaders, who lead with personal responsibility and integrity, and have a positive impact on their businesses and society”. Its tagline – “Growth starts with you” – underlines the importance of a customized approach to the personal and professional development of each participant.
A full return, a new dean, and scholarships
In 2022, the IMD EMBA returned to deliver its full experiential program with all graduating cohorts undertaking three core modules at IMD and three Discovery Expeditions following the disruption caused by the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. It also marked the arrival of the new Dean and the awarding of the first EMBA scholarships.
We welcomed three cohorts, 33% of whom were female, in 2022, and 144 EMBAs graduated from the program.
“This group is resilient in the face of uncertainty, always ready to thrive and reach for new horizons. I know there are many other examples of resilience coming from this group.”
Chrystèle Houphouët-Boigny, EMBA Valedictorian April 2022
“There is no value in the EMBA certificate you receive today based on what you did in the last months here at IMD. The value lies in what you do with it going forward, in the next years, when you will continue to grow and make use of all the concepts and techniques we learned in the EMBA course. This world needs us as reflective leaders more than ever.”
Urs Wächli, EMBA Valedictorian September 2022
“What is the DNA of an IMD alum? For me, it’s a burning curiosity, a willingness to share, and a deep desire to help. I see the same traits in my cohort. I got to challenge my beliefs and was inspired to deliver with purpose and passion for progress. It has been an honor to represent the December 2022 cohort as the valedictorian.”
Sally Beh, EMBA Valedictorian December 2022
Vanina Farber, Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, became the fifth Dean of IMD’s Executive MBA program in 2022. Professor Farber also holds the elea Chair for Social Innovation and leads the elea Center for Social Innovation.
With the launch of five new specialist scholarships as well as a general excellence scholarship, we aim to open up our executive MBA program to a diverse group of talented leaders by alleviating some of the financial burden for those who may have previously been unable to afford a top-tier business education.
A limited number of partial scholarships will be offered to exceptional candidates based on merit and financial need in five categories:
- Emerging market economy leaders
- Women leaders
- Sustainability/tech leaders
- Not-for-profit leaders
- Entrepreneurs
“Our scholarships will increase access to the IMD EMBA program for exceptionally talented individuals whose diverse set of experiences and profiles will greatly enrich our learning environment. These perspectives are essential to achieve IMD’s mission of challenging what is and inspiring what could be.”
Professor Vanina Farber, Dean of the EMBA program
ESG Fundamentals Stream introduced
All EMBAs must successfully complete Advanced Management Concepts (AMC) before becoming eligible to advance to the Mastery Stage. AMC is a five-week online program that includes four streams and exams. In 2022, a new stream was introduced on ESG Fundamentals which are explored from the dual lens of multinational corporations and financial institutions. It addresses the key basic concepts and frameworks of corporate sustainability and sustainable finance to understand the current discussion of integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues into decision making.
A Return to Silicon Valley
The EMBA Discovery Expedition to Silicon Valley has been a staple of the program for over 20 years and made its post-pandemic return in 2022. In September, participants returned to the global center for tech and innovation where they learned about what entrepreneurs do and how they think by meeting with the people who create, execute, grow, and finance new firms. As part of the Mastery Stage, EMBA participants work with founders of a select group of Swiss startups to analyze and challenge their business plans and strategies. These projects culminate in Silicon Valley with each EMBA team pitching their startup to VC and angel investors with the founders present. This is a great example of ‘real learning, real impact’ demonstrated by the fact that IMD-supported startups captured 28 out of the top 100 Swiss start-ups according to the 2022 Swiss Top 100 report.