Online program
Mastering Board Governance

Principles and best practices for effective board membership

Online program

Mastering Board Governance

Principles and best practices for effective board membership

Location
Online
Length
5 weeks
Fee
CHF 2,950
Next program starts
24 February 2025

Make a meaningful contribution to corporate governance

What is the role and responsibility of a board? How can governance make or break an organization? How can good governance contribute to society?

Effective governance is a key driver of growth and, increasingly, a distinctive competitive advantage for any organization. IMD’s Mastering Board Governance program will give you a deep understanding of the principles and practices of good governance, and the roles and responsibilities of a board.

Developed and led by the IMD Global Board Center, this program is grounded in the latest insights and best practices, empowering you to lead the future of governance with confidence and foresight. You will learn from examples of governance successes and failures in various industries and locations, and apply these learnings to your own context.

Every week, you will connect with a group of your online classmates for an immersive board simulation. You will all have the chance to take on the key roles of Chair,Vice-Chair, and Company Secretary as you tackle specific tasks. Experienced board coaches give you feedback on the content and dynamics of your corporate governance work, and a jury of leading board members assesses your group’s final ‘investor pitch’.

The program will build your understanding of effective business decision-making and group dynamics and enable you to make meaningful contributions to a board. It can be taken as a standalone program or as the first step in the IMD Board Readiness Diploma pathway.

Grasp how governance drives performance

Gain a solid understanding of how governance drives organizational performance.

Know who does what

Expand your knowledge of the role and responsibilities of a board and all other governance participants and stakeholders.

Master board effectiveness

Know how to identify and assess the four underlying pillars of board effectiveness, using a concrete framework.

Manage risks

Learn how to proactively identify governance risks and mitigate them effectively.

Delve deeper into board work

Explore core areas of board work such as strategy, risks, stakeholders, M&A, succession, ESG, and stewardship.

IMD program participant
You and your class

You are a professional, manager, or executive aspiring to serve on a board, or you have just been appointed to your first mandate. You may also be a board secretary seeking to master the intricacies of your role and learn best practices to enhance the administration of corporate governance. If you are a family business member looking to deepen your understanding of governance and contribute to the sustainable growth of your family enterprise, or a C-level executive eager to gain foundational knowledge of governance, you will also benefit from this program.

Your class is individually put together through a selection process to ensure that you experience the most impactful learning with a truly diverse group of global peers. They will become a trusted resource, encourage your learning journey, and surprise you in many unanticipated beneficial ways, during and beyond your learning experience.

2023 class profile (average data)

20

years of experience

48

average age

32

nationalities

15

industries

Information Session
Join us on 17 December 2024

Interested in an IMD online program? Don’t miss this opportunity to get all your questions answered by our Program Advisors at 09:00 (CET).

Information Session

Join us on 17 December 2024

Interested in an IMD online program? Don’t miss this opportunity to get all your questions answered by our Program Advisors at 09:00 (CET).

What our participants say about the program
Konstantin Yershov

Early Stage investor and board member, Switzerland

Mastering Board Governance is a fantastic collaborative experience that I recommend to all professionals interested in governance best practices, whether they are new to the subject or looking for continuous improvement. The program helped to improve my skills and was a source of inspiration.

Ekaterina Emelianova

CFO, Sberbank, Switzerland

Mastering Board Governance is an absolute must, not only for current and aspiring board members, but also for executive board members and senior management as it gives many insights into their collaboration with the board. It was a very exciting journey, with challenging and interesting teamwork with other participants.

Anne-Laure Jehl

Investment Manager, IFP New Energy Group, France

Mastering Board Governance is an amazingly efficient course for improving your board’s effectiveness and anticipating risks. I enhanced my understanding of group dynamics, my ability to identify when and why a board underperforms and overall increased my added value as a board member for technological startups.

One-on-one coaching

Throughout your online learning, you’ll be accompanied by an experienced IMD executive coach who will challenge you, encourage you, and provide valuable feedback on your weekly assignments. Together, you’ll dive deeper into the program content and make it meaningful to your own professional context. Your interactions will take place via video, in writing, and over the phone.

An online program participant having a coaching session via video

Achieve your goals

Your expert coach helps you:

Define

Define your learning objectives and stay on track.

Review

Review your progress on a weekly basis.

Overcome

Overcome your challenges.

Apply

Apply what you learn to your own context.

Program overview
Unit 1: What is governance?
  • Be able to articulate what governance is and how it drives organizational performance
  • Identify what defines good governance, notably the drivers and key characteristics
  • Identify the role and responsibilities of the board in shaping governance
  • Understand the importance of the board in driving organizational governance
Unit 2: The role of the board
  • Understand the essential responsibilities of the board of directors
  • Assess how a board reacts in times of crisis
  • Evaluate the main functions of board supervision and control
  • Assess the role of the board vs the role of the management
  • Identify the major sources of board failure
Unit 3: The four pillars of board effectiveness (pillar 1)
  • Identify the drivers of board effectiveness
  • Gain the ability to assess a board against the first pillar of the “Four Pillars of Board Effectiveness” framework: People Quality, Focus and Dedication
Unit 4: The four pillars of board effectiveness (pillars 2, 3, 4)
  • Articulate the importance of Pillars 2, 3 and 4 (information architecture, structures and group dynamics) to governance
  • Diagnose a board’s effectiveness along the above dimensions
Unit 5: Board best practices
  • Understand the board’s role in the strategy and risk processes
  • Deepen awareness of critical board processes, such as managing CEO succession and M&As
  • Define stakeholder engagement for boards, including stakeholder mapping
  • Identify the board role in overseeing ESG and integrity
  • Reflect on Stewardship and the Future of Governance
Board community
A valuable board community

On completion of this program, you will be part of IMD’s board community. This network of board program alumni meets regularly – face-to-face and virtually – to exchange board experiences from different contexts and discuss the latest developments and trends in governance. You will be able to count on this valuable community of peers for advice and support far into the future.

Didier Cossin

Program Director

Didier Cossin

Program Director

Meet your Program Director

Professor Cossin is the founder and director of the IMD Global Board Center, the originator of the Four Pillars of Board Effectiveness methodology, and an advocate of stewardship.

He works with senior leaders, executive committees, and boards to provide the latest thinking on best-in-class governance, board effectiveness, the governance and selection of investments, board dynamics, and strategy design. His latest research focuses on stewardship and how we can foster organizations to have long-term positive social impact while creating economic value for all. 

The IMD difference

Designed for impact and delivered for you, IMD’s online programs help you achieve your aspirations wherever you are in your career or the world. Here’s what makes the IMD online program experience exceptional.

Access to thought leadership

Programs designed and taught by IMD faculty, world-renowned experts in their fields.

Personalized expert coaching

One-on-one support from an experienced executive coach to ensure that learning objectives are attained.

Interaction with peers

Group and pair work with participants from around the world enriches learning through exposure to fresh perspectives.

Bite-sized knowledge

Micro-learning focused on improved knowledge retention and actionable insights.

Applied learning for real impact

Programs grounded in practical assignments guarantee the immediate application of new knowledge and techniques.

Next start & fee

Length: 5 weeks (6-8 hours per week)
Application deadline closes 7 days before the session starts.

Dates
24 Feb – 30 Mar 2025
Location
Online
Length
5 weeks
Price
CHF 2,950
Dates
26 May – 29 Jun 2025
Location
Online
Length
5 weeks
Price
CHF 2,950
Dates
27 Oct – 30 Nov 2025
Location
Online
Length
5 weeks
Price
CHF 2,950

Application deadline closes seven days before the session starts.
All fees quoted are exclusive of any value-added or other indirect taxes that may be due in any country.
IMD reserves the right to modify the program dates, location, and fee at any time.

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One step closer to joining IMD alumni network

Successful completion of this program takes you one step closer to joining IMD’s powerful alumni network.

130k+ alumni

Networking

250+ events per year

Communities

50+ clubs worldwide

Resources