IMD business school for management and leadership courses

Gain the essential skills of a modern board member

IMD board diplomas draw on more than 40 years of board governance expertise, with proven strategies to increase board effectiveness and attain governance excellence.

If you are an executive director or an aspiring board member, the IMD Board Readiness Diploma pathway will equip you to confidently take up a board mandate.

The IMD Board Director Diploma pathway is for you if you are a non-executive or supervisory board member seeking to significantly build on your knowledge and skills to fulfill your role more effectively.

40 years of experience

Be inspired by the latest research and the world’s best boards. Draw on more than 40 years of board education experience to prepare your board to face the challenges of a complex world.

Extensive portfolio

Gain breadth and depth of knowledge of key topics, such as team dynamics, digital transformation and stakeholder management, to make an informed contribution to any board.

Certified board excellence

An IMD board diploma will reinforce your credibility, give you a deep understanding of governance best practices and latest thinking, and testify to your ambition to excel.

- IMD Business School
“Governance has become the key driver of performance for many organizations.”

Learn more about governance at IMD, as Didier Cossin, Professor of Governance and Finance and Founder of the IMD Global Board Center, expands on how governance is a make or break in these times of transformations.

Discover our board programs portfolio
High Performance Boards
How board directors make a real difference

Learn what high-performing boards are doing to be the driving force behind their company’s success. Get the latest research to find out what works and what doesn’t – in terms of board governance, board dynamics and strategic board involvement.

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Driving Sustainability from the Boardroom
Chart your company’s ESG path to long-term success

A highly experiential program that prepares board members to understand how ESG expands their fiduciary and accountability duties, lead ESG conversations, and respond to ESG crises.

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Strategy Governance for Boards
The role of the board in strategy governance

Play a meaningful, advisory role in the governance of your firm’s strategy within the context of an increasingly digital landscape.

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Team Dynamics for Boards
Build a high performing board team

Drive positive dynamics in your board through a deeper awareness of what happens below the surface when groups interact.

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Digital Transformation for Boards
Get the right digital vocabulary and toolkit

Become up-to-speed with the new digital landscape so you can make informed decisions and provide the best recommendations when evaluating digital opportunities and threats for your company.

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Boards and Risks
Risk governance and prevention in a chaotic world

Benchmark board best-practices on risks and update to the latest risk thinking.

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Finance for Boards
Gain the confidence to make smart finance decisions

Get the essential finance knowledge you need to make tough decisions for your company in areas such as mergers & acquisitions as well as risk management.

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Stakeholder Management for Boards
Master stakeholder dynamics for effective corporate governance

Equips you with practical tools to work effectively on stakeholder engagement and optimize the large set of demands, competencies, and opportunities presented by stakeholders.

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Women on Boards
Navigating your path to boardroom success

Jumpstart your board career with personalized support, practical tools, and insights for navigating your path to boardroom success.

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The Role of the Chair
Develop best chairing practices for boards and committees

Gain a deep understanding of how impactful board chairs fulfill their role and responsibilities, and the practices and behaviors they adopt when holding the board to its highest standard as it serves its governance mission.

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Mastering Board Governance
Principles and best practices for effective board membership

A 5-week online program that equips you with a deep understanding of the principles and practices of good governance so you can make meaningful contributions in your new or future role as a board member.

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The different programs of the IMD Board Director Diploma have empowered me to make real use of the learnings around board processes, team dynamics and managing politics. With global participants and targeted learning, this diploma shows you what is truly achievable for your board.

- IMD Business School
George Vadakkekara Executive Chairman, Thejo Engineering Limited, India

I’m formally launching my board career. IMD’s board education is a strong credential to evidence good board governance skills that drive impact and value.
Executive search firms are very interested to know that I have this diploma.
It honed my governance experience and skill set and broadened my perspective. I now have a better awareness of where I could have blind spots and the actions I can take to work on them.

- IMD Business School
Jacqueline Hess Vice-Chair Board of Directors, Vontobel Swiss Financial Advisers AG, Switzerland

As a board member you need to stay on your toes and keep learning to understand what’s happening globally and contribute to the growth of the company. With the IMD Board Director Diploma I grew as a board member in terms of professional knowledge, with a new way of looking at things and the capacity to ask the right questions around a business plan. The programs reenergize you and change the way you approach your work with boards.

- IMD Business School
Jessica Teo Global Chief Human Resources Officer, Louis Dreyfus Company, Singapore

I was looking for programs that would really provide the framework for my board work. The IMD Board Director Diploma offered the rich content and the modular learning that I was after for my roles on various boards.

- IMD Business School
Keith Svendsen CEO, APM Terminals, Independent NED & board member at various companies, The Netherlands
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