All articles

How philanthropists can harness data to make the world a better place

By Peter Vogel, Malgorzata Kurak

Just as John D. Rockefeller and Henry Ford did nearly a century ago, business leaders today, including Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet, are leading a new golden age of philanthropy to...

IMD can help business navigate change - new Chairman Demaré

Interview of incoming IMD Supervisory Board Chairman Michel Demaré

Dream small: The best path forward for AI in supply chains

By Ralf W. Seifert, Richard Markoff

Artificial intelligence (AI) remains a controversial topic in the supply chain community, something that is fueled by huge aspirations but is hindered by data availability, employee training and...

The past, present and future of Chinese philanthropy

By Peter Vogel, Malgorzata Kurak

For centuries, philanthropy flourished in China, taking its inspiration from the values and beliefs of Confucianism, Taoism, or Buddhism. However, charitable giving grew less common with...

Giving people space to be creative and understanding why humans play – the building blocks of LEGO Group's success

In a discussion with IMD Professor Howard Yu, executive chairman and former CEO of LEGO Group Jørgen Vig Knudstorp talks about navigating waves of disruption and the need to balance long- and...

Future proofing and turbocharging organizations – IMD wins coveted award

The Brandon Hall Group has awarded IMD for cases by faculty on change strategy and innovative learning programs for its Excellence Awards

IMD supports 42 Swiss startups to take their business to the next level

The 42 winners of the IMD Startup Competition will receive valuable business input from IMD participants, and some will even be pitched to investors in Silicon Valley.

Have fun and learn from failure: the secret to a successful career

An interview with Schneider Electric’s Barbara Frei-Spreiter (EMBA 2007) on finding her passion, her approach to the world of work and staying ahead of the green energy curve.

An Instagram exec on the evolution of social media and how the IMD MBA shaped his life

A conversation between IMD MBA Dean Seán Meehan and Gord Ray, Brand Development Lead EMEA at Instagram (MBA 2002)

The Gift of Longevity

By Christos Cabolis

Promoting healthy living is a prerequisite to enhancing prosperity, a point that is the focus of the third UN Sustainable Development Goal (UNSDG): “good health and well-being.” How do the...

Industry 4.0's unpredictable impacts: New data-powered business models

By Ralf W. Seifert, Richard Markoff

Industry 4.0—the increasing use of automation and data exchange in manufacturing—is already having an impact on business models in numerous—and often surprising—ways. One illustrative example is...

Pride, purpose and perseverance as graduating EMBAs celebrate their learning journey

As IMD said farewell to one of its cohorts of EMBAs, the November 2019 graduating class was told by faculty and keynote speakers to keep searching for their purpose, remain clear in their...

‘Be humble. Be brave. Don’t waste your time!’

At IMD’s MBA Graduation 2019, the outgoing class of business leaders were encouraged by faculty and keynote speakers to do what they love, believe in themselves and go where they can be their best

Family businesses are balancing planet and profit - and reaping the rewards

Family Business: A Voice for Change in Sustainability Forum

Firmenich receives first IMD-Pictet Sustainability in Family Business Award

Presented at IMD’s Family Business: A Voice for Change in Sustainability Forum and Award Cermony

A new community connecting startups and entrepreneurs in China

IMD's Alumni Community for Entrepreneurship connects startups and investors and promotes entrepreneurship around the world

Not all problems are created equal

By Arnaud Chevallier, Albrecht Enders

Problem solving is bridging the gap between where you are and where you want to be. It requires designing a strategy—which includes making decisions—and putting it into action. This sounds easy...

More executives needed in politics, say board members

Boards of directors are growing increasingly concerned about the impact of political uncertainty on business, according to the 2019 Knight Gianella Board Survey, carried out for the first time this...

Nestlé’s Paul Bulcke on what makes a powerful board and why trust is a company’s most valuable asset

The Chairman of the world’s largest food company shared his insights with the first ever graduates of IMD’s Board Director Diploma

Bezos’ big bet – going for market share over profits

By Ralf W. Seifert, Richard Markoff

After results showing Amazon’s retail operations were creeping into the black, it seems Amazon is back to buying market share with logistics. Along with many others we believed that e-commerce...

How a small company used big data to increase its sales

By John W. Walsh

The age of online marketing has been dominated by stories of huge sums being spent by many people employed by large firms. This tale from the Antipodes reminds us that smart people in small firms...

Standing at the dumb end of our smarter future

By William A. Fischer

What could ever be dumb about the fast-arriving internet of things — that seemingly inevitable assemblage of ever more networked devices, products and everything in-between? Dumbness? That would be...

Swiss people’s party plays on fear and terrorism ahead of third generation foreigner vote

By Stefan Michel

Currently, the rules for granting citizenship are set in the country’s individual cantons but the vote proposes a revision to the law making it easier and uniform across the country.

IMD and Qatar Petroleum conclude successful High Performance Boards Program

The Qatar Petroleum High Performance Boards Award Ceremony, held in Doha in January 2017, marked the culmination of a year-long transformational journey during which IMD and Qatar Petroleum laid...

IMD EMBAs rewarded for outstanding business cases on LinkedIn Learning and the Apple Watch

Two teams of IMD EMBA participants recently won awards in the 2017 John Molson MBA International Case competition. The IMD case: ''Will LinkedIn Learning Disrupt the Education Landscape?'' took...

Should companies and government meddle with “happiness”?

By Stéphane Garelli

Oud Bint Khalfan Al Roumi is twice happy. She landed a prestigious government position in the United Arab Emirates. Then, she was appointed to the rather unique job of “state minister in charge...

Jebsen & Jessen Family Enterprise: Masters of entrepreneurial partnerships

By Benoit F. Leleux with Marta Widz.

Receiving one of the most prestigious accolades for "excellence in family business" was a memorable moment for Hans Michael Jebsen and Heinrich Jessen – the two principal shareholders of Jebsen ...

Talent competitiveness and leadership quality

By Arturo Bris with Christos Cabolis, José Caballero.

Public policies can strongly influence the quality of leadership capabilities and competencies available in a particular country. For example, policies that increase education expenditure...

Embrace digital - make your strategy process more engaging!

By Knut Haanaes

A few years back the author was involved in an exercise where the strategy processes of a large set of leading global firms were observed. These were all companies you would expect to be...

The continuous attractiveness of Switzerland

By Arturo Bris, José Caballero

Why do MNCs such as Philip Morris and ABB choose Switzerland as a base for their operations? There are several significant factors that define the attractiveness of Switzerland. Among them, one...