From executive to non-executive: Accelerating your path to the boardroom

Is the boardroom the next chapter in your leadership journey? This IMD masterclass is your starting line.

Becoming a board director means shifting from doing to guiding, from directing teams to shaping decisions, and from operational ownership to strategic oversight. It calls for a different kind of leadership; one that’s grounded in influence and long-term value creation.

This IMD masterclass, led by Georg Guttmann, Affiliate Professor of Corporate Governance and Strategy, opens a practical window into what it takes to make this move, and what the role of a board director demands.

You’ll explore the expectations shaping today’s director roles, what effective board impact looks like in practice, and how influence really works in the boardroom.

You’ll also have a chance to discover IMD’s board portfolio and learning pathways, and how they can kick-start your path to your first board mandate.

What we’ll unpack:

• The leadership shift: How the move from running a business to governing it reshapes your role, your contribution, and your accountability.
• The new board context: How ever-evolving governance expectations influence what boards seek in first time non-executive directors.
• Redefining personal impact: What it takes to create value without executive authority by relying on judgement, trusted perspective, and constructive challenge.
• Board systems in practice: How collective decision-making works, how the chair guides the flow, and how the board and management interact.
• Becoming board ready: Guidance on how to kick-start your transition – how to prepare deliberately, position your profile, and build a coherent path toward your first mandate.

Following the masterclass, you’ll have the chance to engage directly with our Program Advisor, who will offer:

• A comprehensive overview of IMD’s board portfolio, plus insight into IMD’s new Certificate in Board Governance (CAS).
• Guidance on how our programs can align with your professional aspirations.
• Answers to all your questions about our programs and more.

Agenda

• 12:00 – 12:45: Masterclass “From executive to non-executive: Accelerating your path to the boardroom” with Professor Georg Guttmann.
• 12:45 – 13:00: Introduction to our IMD board programs. Engage with our Program Advisors in a comprehensive Q&A and delve deeper into how IMD’s varied board programs can align with your ambitions.

Please note, this event will not be recorded. This is a unique opportunity to experience the IMD learning journey live.