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

Successfully navigate the complexity of general management.

On campus program

Foundations for Business Leadership

Successfully navigate the complexity of general management.

Location
Lausanne
Length
3 weeks
Fee
CHF 25,000
Next program starts
19 April 2024

Successfully navigate the complexity of general management

General management requires that you rapidly master an expanding skillset. You must continuously strengthen your foundations in key business functions and integrate your knowledge across functions. You need to develop agility, with an entrepreneur’s mindset to seize opportunities in disruptive environments.

Over 20 days, Foundations for Business Leadership immerses you in an intense, highly experiential setting, exposing you to the most current business challenges you will face as a general manager. Your cross-disciplinary journey will include IMD’s award-winning business cases, plus business simulations, integrative exercises, cutting-edge live cases, dynamic guest speakers, expert faculty, and coaching.

You will leave the program with a fully integrated view of business, a powerful toolkit for general management combined with the confidence to deliver lasting value for your organization.

Build cross-functional abilities

Strengthen your knowledge of key business functions with application to multiple business situations for maximum impact.

Increase value creation

Increase your awareness of how value is created by integrating functions and discover how to deliver lasting value for your organization.

Master complexity

Apply your boosted capabilities to complex business issues and build agility to successfully
manage uncertainty and disruption.

Develop an entrepreneurial mindset

Address your corporate challenges with the mindset of an entrepreneur, creating the conditions to capitalize effectively on opportunities.

Become a better strategic decision-maker

Understand the consequences of your decisions on company performance. Hone your decision-making skills to identify sources of competitive advantage.

Lead and perform as a powerful, coherent team

Develop your effectiveness in the role of leader and team member for powerful results.

 - IMD Business School
Participant profiles

Are you 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.

Then join other highly motivated professionals from widely different functions, cultures, industries, and nationalities. They will broaden your perspectives and enrich your learning greatly. Some participants join from big-name companies and others come from exciting start-up ventures and family businesses. This diversity creates a bonded learning journey. Read more about the admission criteria.

2022 class profile (average data)

15

years of experience

81%

mid to senior level

19%

C-level

13

nationalities

Participant reviews

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. It was an incredible journey!

 - IMD Business School
Dagmar Fässler-Zumstein Head of Corporate Communications, Berner Kantonalbank, Switzerland

Truly exceptional caliber 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
Pedro Pessoa Business Developer & Strategist, Investment FP&A, GFH, Portugal

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
Barbara Schmidt-Ley CEO and Board Member, Dima Service, Switzerland

It’s a profound transformational journey:

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
Ahmed Rashad Riad Senior Director, Strategy and Industry Development, Huawei, Switzerland

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.

 

Philomena Tan Business Manager, Nestlé Products Sdn Bhd, Malaysia

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.

Véronique Athané Ryser Executive Director, SIG, Switzerland

Foundations for Business Leadership is the right learning environment to expand your perspectives when dealing with key challenges like digitalization, value creation, and changing customer demands. Combine this with open-minded participants from different global industries, and you really get a unique learning experience.

Lars Relitz Head of Corporate Digital Innovation & Development, Dachser, Germany
1/7
Experience the program
Hear about the long-term career impact for participants.
Learn about IMD case-study method.
 - IMD Business School

Foundations for Business Leadership is unique in the way it builds intensity into the program to mirror what you are likely to face back in your organization.

Read more

 

Mohan Subramaniam Program Co-Director, Professor of Strategy and Digital Transformation
 - IMD Business School

Together we develop your critical thinking, so you are best equipped to implement your learning directly to your own complex business issues.

Leif Sjöblom Program Co-Director, Professor of Financial Management
1/2
Next start & fee

Length: 3 weeks (20 intensive days including weekends). Offered four times a year.

Dates
19 Apr – 8 May 2024
Location
Lausanne
Length
3 weeks
Price
CHF 25,000
Dates
18 Aug – 6 Sep 2024
Location
Lausanne
Length
3 weeks
Price
CHF 25,000
Dates
10 Nov – 29 Nov 2024
Location
Lausanne
Length
3 weeks
Price
CHF 25,000
Dates
26 Jan – 14 Feb 2025
Location
Lausanne
Length
3 weeks
Price
CHF 25,000
Dates
27 Apr – 16 May 2025
Location
Lausanne
Length
3 weeks
Price
CHF 25,000
Dates
17 Aug – 5 Sep 2025
Location
Lausanne
Length
3 weeks
Price
CHF 25,000
Dates
9 Nov – 28 Nov 2025
Location
Lausanne
Length
3 weeks
Price
CHF 25,000