IMD business school for management and leadership courses

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 - IMD Business School  - IMD Business School  - IMD Business School
On campus program
Foundations for Business Leadership

Sharpen your enterprise thinking to lead the whole business

On campus program

Foundations for Business Leadership

Sharpen your enterprise thinking to lead the whole business

Location
Lausanne
Length
3 weeks
Fee
CHF 25,000
Next program starts
09 November 2026
From functional expert to general manager

Most managers excel within their function. But stepping up to general management demands something bigger: the ability to see the whole business, make decisions across disciplines, and lead in a world of increasing complexity and disruption without a roadmap.

Foundations for Business Leadership is designed to close that gap. Over 3 intensive weeks, you broaden business acumen to gain a solid cross-functional understanding. You learn to set, challenge and defend strategy. You develop an enterprise mindset to lead a business end-to-end, and you hone managerial effectiveness to get results through people.

You harness AI as a practical management tool, engage with the latest thinking on ecosystems and non-market strategy, and apply the new insights directly to your own business context. Hands-on simulations plus integrative and reflective exercises ensure what you learn stays beyond the classroom.

You leave confident and equipped to set direction, lead across functions, and perform at a significantly higher level. See the program content and journey.

Master the cross-functional fundamentals

From finance to strategy, build the fluency and skills needed to step up to general management.

Lead with an enterprise mindset

See your whole business in action and develop the organizational insight to turn strategy into execution.

Sharpen your managerial effectiveness

Mobilize your people and align resources as a competitive advantage to deliver results that drive impact.

Harness AI to solve your business challenges

Use AI as a practical management tool to tackle your most pressing business problems throughout the program.

Commit to measurable improvement

Set a personal performance agreement at the start of the program and leave with a clear target to track your impact back in your business.

Answer a few quick questions to discover if this program aligns with your goals and experience.

Talk with a Program Advisor to get personalized guidance and answers to your questions.

What it takes to lead beyond your function

Hear from the Program Directors how Foundations for Business Leadership prepares you to step into a general management role. Meet the faculty.

100%
“I broadened my perspective on how I can support my team and organization.”
99%
“I gained practical tools and skills I could immediately apply in my work.”
98%
“I believe using what I learned will improve my performance.”

Survey of 2026 participants

 - IMD Business School
Participant profiles

You are an experienced manager who wants to develop cross-functional business skills to become an effective general manager or business leader. Typical profiles include Country Manager, Regional Manager, Business Lead, Functional Manager, or Department Manager.

Learn about the admission process. 

2026 participant profile (average data) 

42

average age

16

industries

14

nationalities

The participant experience

What is it really like to experience Foundations for Business Leadership?

Hear directly from participants as they share how the program helped them look beyond their own function and prepare for broader management responsibilities.

Alessandro Elli, IMD student, wearing a black jacket and a white shirt - IMD Business School
“My education and professional experience had brought me this far, but I needed a new set of skills to take the next step.”

Discover how Foundations for Business Leadership helped Alessandro Elli, Head of Project Development – Major Projects at Office Santé by Crédit Agricole, advance into a position of greater responsibility.

 - IMD Business School
Ahmed Rashad Riad

Senior Director, Huawei, Switzerland

A transformational journey

It’s a profound transformational journey. My key takeaways are:

1) Global insights with a diverse cohort: engaging with 59 brilliant executives and business leaders from 27 countries has been a privilege. The diversity and depth of perspectives enriched every discussion, making the learning experience truly global.

2) Intense and comprehensive learning: 360-degree view of business leadership in a remarkably short timeframe: strategy, finance, marketing, digital transformation, supply chain, entrepreneurship, private equity, sustainability, AI, and operations.

3) Self-discovery and leadership growth: challenging my perspectives, pushing me to grow not just as a professional but as an individual, and a leader.

 - IMD Business School
Nurani Nimpuno

Head of Global Engagement, LINX, Sweden

Recognizing my strengths and potential

My financial knowledge expanded significantly.

I discovered my capacity to quickly develop new skills, and recognized the value of my experience and critical thinking when applying what I had learned.

The feedback from my peers was also immensely beneficial.

 - IMD Business School
Pedro Pessoa

Business Developer & Strategist, GFH, Portugal

Learning from exceptional minds

Truly exceptional calibre of instructors – their passion and expertise bringing every session to life, inspiring my journey.

Sharing insights, debating ideas, and learning from each other’s unique perspectives has been nothing short of inspiring.

I carry with me not just newfound knowledge, but a network of incredible individuals I’m proud to call friends.

 - IMD Business School
Cody Almond

Professional Hockey Player, Lausanne Hockey Club, Switzerland

Building confidence in a new environment

I jumped straight into the deep end, surrounded by accomplished executives and managers. I gained valuable insights from our exchanges and gradually found my stride in this new environment.

The experience helped me build confidence, discover who I am off the ice and better understand how others see me in the corporate world.

Read Cody’s full FBL experience here.

 - IMD Business School
Dagmar Fässler-Zumstein

Head of Corporate Communications, Berner Kantonalbank, Switzerland

An incredible journey

59 brilliant professionals from 27 countries has become an incredible journey among friends.

20 days of broadening cross-functional knowledge and insights on dynamic business strategies, corporate finance, creating value through operations and investments, global supply chain management, creating new value for customers, navigating market shifts and designing the business system for sustainable development, and more.

We were challenged and encouraged by numerous case studies and exciting simulations. We scrutinized our ideas and concepts and thoroughly tested our assumptions.

 - IMD Business School
Barbara Schmidt-Ley

CEO and Board Member, Dima Service, Switzerland

Connecting the dots across business disciplines

I’ve attended courses and training on most of these topics before. However, covering all the topics in 20 consecutive days made me understand the general management approach much better (rather than learning separately over a longer time period).

The simulation and integrative exercises allowed me for the first time to be able to really use them because I understood the natural flow and direction.

 - IMD Business School
Marcos Agulleiro Canosa

Head of Financial Planning & Analysis , Ferroglobe, Spain

Great experience

The team reflection was a very powerful tool for me, understanding where I belong within the corporate world.

The professors were excellent, but I also learned a lot from my classmates.

Great people, I couldn’t be happier with my experience!

Philomena Tan

Business Manager, Nestlé Products Sdn Bhd, Malaysia

Rethinking the entrepreneurial mindset

Foundations for Business Leadership has given me a new perspective in my quest to build on my business acumen.

It opened my eyes to the true spirit of entrepreneurship using effectuation versus causal thinking.

I believe this will benefit big FMCG organizations to be more effective and efficient.

 - IMD Business School
Rafael Contador

Vice President LATAM, Corbion, Brazil

Turning knowledge into practical insights

My top takeaways are:

1) gaining a deep understanding of data and AI technology and its application;

2) re-visiting financial concepts and applying to the simulations;

3) networking with brilliant executives from different cultures and industries.

Véronique Athané Ryser

Executive Director, SIG, Switzerland

Eye-opening program

Foundations for Business Leadership is a mind-opener, which relentlessly forces you to question the way you think about your business.

The program is an opportunity to strengthen your business knowledge while living a memorable multicultural experience.

 - IMD Business School
Pascal Tea

CEO, Downtown Studio, Switzerland

Incredibly valuable

The entire program was incredibly valuable.

With my background in marketing & communication, I significantly expanded my knowledge in finance, strategy, and supply chain, while also developing a broader, helicopter view of business operations.

The opportunity to share insights was enriching, and teamwork allowed us to learn quickly and efficiently.

This collaborative environment greatly enhanced my leadership skills and overall effectiveness.

Chosen by leading organizations

Organizations across industries and geographies invest in Foundations for Business Leadership to  prepare their managers to move beyond functional expertise and take on general management responsibilities. Here are some of them.

Explore leadership development for your organization.

Nestlé

Food & Beverage

Switzerland

 

Government of the Republic of Singapore

Public Sector

Singapore

Mitsui & Co.

Diversified Trading & Investment

Japan

CO-RO

Food & Beverage

Denmark

Government of the United Arab Emirates

Public Sector

United Arab Emirates

Absa Bank

Banking & Financial Services

South Africa

Misk Foundation

Education & Leadership Development

Saudi Arabia

Sunlight Group

Energy Storage & Battery Technology

Greece

 - IMD Business School

Competing with everybody else is a thing of the past. Tomorrow’s leading companies see themselves as contributors in an ecosystem of market and non-market stakeholders. We prepare you to lead in this new world.

Read more

 

Florian Hoos Program Co-Director, Professor of Sustainability and Accounting
 - IMD Business School

After this program you will perform at a much higher level as a leader, using your resources as a competitive advantage to lead more effectively.

Katharina Lange Program Co-Director, Affiliate Professor of Leadership
1/2
Next start & fee

Length: 3 weeks (19 intensive days including weekends). Offered four times a year.

Select location
Select next start
4 date(s) available
Program details
Location
Lausanne
Length
3 weeks
Price
CHF 25,000

Looking to explore more? 

This program is part of our broader General Management portfolio for ambitious executives, designed to strengthen strategic leadership, drive organizational performance, and prepare leaders to navigate complex business challenges.

Contact us

Need more information about admissions, curriculum, or key dates? Our Program Advisors are here to help.