IMD has selected Alyson Meister as its first Dean of Degree Programs, effective 1 September 2025, bringing the leadership of its MBA, EMBA, and new Executive Master’s programs together at the highest level as she joins the institute’s Leadership Team.
Working closely with IMD President David Bach, Meister will set the strategy for IMD’s degree programs and leverage the institute’s innovative pedagogy, its deep business expertise, and its proximity to global enterprises to help IMD achieve its vision of becoming the world’s most impactful business school.
The Canadian-born Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior brings significant experience and expertise to the new role. She directs IMD’s prestigious Future Leaders program and its successful Change Management program and has worked with executives, teams, and organizations across a range of sectors, including leading engagements with clients as diverse as Booking Holdings, DP World, Heineken, Hilti, LEGO Group, L’Oréal, Maersk, and Sandvik. Having lived and worked on five continents, Meister joined IMD in 2019 from the Universidad de los Andes in Colombia. She received her PhD from Melbourne Business School and is a graduate of the Ivey School of Business in Canada.
An accomplished researcher, Meister has published on topics including identity and diversity, as well as workplace stress, mental health, and well-being in top journals such as Academy of Management Review, Journal of Management, Journal of Business Ethics, and Harvard Business Review. Her current research is focused on the neuroscience of leadership. She was named on the Thinkers50 Radar list in 2021. As the Director of IMD’s Workplace Well-being Initiative, Meister will bring her expertise to bear to develop emerging leaders holistically and prepare them for an increasingly uncertain and demanding business environment.
“I am thrilled that Alyson has agreed to lead our degree programs forward,” said IMD President David Bach. “Her experience in working closely with top organizations and leaders across a wide range of sectors makes her the perfect candidate to build on our strong momentum. More than ever, business schools must evolve their MBA, EMBA, and Master’s offerings to meet the test of time. At IMD, we have always challenged what is and inspired what could be, and with Alyson at the helm, we will accelerate our innovation and broaden our impact in the degree program space.”
“I am honored to take up this important role in shaping the future of IMD’s degree programs,” said Alyson Meister. “It’s exciting to build on the inspiring work of Omar Toulan, Vanina Farber, and the entire degree programs team. Together, we’ll continue evolving our programs to meet the challenges of today’s world. We’re committed to developing leaders with the clarity, resilience, and skill to lead in a demanding and rapidly changing global context.”
Meister will assume her new role as part of the IMD Leadership Team from 1 September, with MBA Dean Omar Toulan and EMBA Dean Vanina Farber completing their mandates as scheduled on 31 December 2025. Meister inherits a strong portfolio. IMD’s MBA program is currently ranked #1 in Europe by Bloomberg and was named Program of the Year by Poets&Quants in 2024. On the EMBA side, IMD recently announced the introduction of an innovative EMBA Flex. Earlier this year, the institute launched two groundbreaking stackable Executive Master’s programs focused, respectively, on sustainable business transformation and AI and digital business transformation.
“So excited for what’s ahead. With Alyson’s vision and energy leading the integration of our world-class degree programs, this next chapter is in great hands,” expressed Vanina Farber, IMD’s Dean of the Executive MBA.
And MBA Dean Omar Toulan added: “Alyson is the right person to build upon the progress we have made with the MBA program. She has the drive, interpersonal skills, and foresight to lead the program to even further greatness.”
In a further change to IMD’s leadership team, Head of Finance Filippo Poschi has been promoted to the position of Chief Financial Officer, effective 1 August 2025.
