IMD Professor Emeritus of Innovation Management William Fischer has been named the recipient of the Bettina Büchel Award for Impact Through Innovation, an annual award recognizing an IMD faculty member who embodies IMD’s values and inspires the community through their innovation.
The award honors current or former faculty members whose contributions have had a significant impact on IMD. It recognizes individuals who push boundaries and who challenge what is and inspire what could be.
“Receiving this award means a lot to me because of its association with Bettina Büchel, who was my colleague and someone I learned a great deal from. Making innovation a lifestyle has become part of my life’s mission, and this award is a meaningful reminder of that commitment.”
Fischer joined IMD in 1990 and is now Professor Emeritus of Innovation Management. He co-founded and co-directs the Driving Strategic Innovation program in cooperation with the Sloan School of Management at MIT. His work on innovation and talent development has also shaped several influential books, including Reinventing Giants: How Chinese Global Competitor Haier has Changed the Way Big Companies Transform (with Umberto Lago and Fang Liu), and, with Andy Boynton, The Idea Hunter: How to Find the Best Ideas and Make Them Happen (2011) and Virtuoso Teams (2005).
His work has also been recognized beyond IMD. In 1999, Fischer received the Magnolia Silver Award, Shanghai’s highest distinction for foreigners advancing the city’s development. In 2019, he was inducted into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame.
“For more than three decades, he has embodied IMD’s values through his collaborative spirit, bravery and ability to inspire others. By building bridges between academia and practice, he has brought innovation to life through teaching, partnership, and thought leadership. It is particularly fitting that he is the second recipient of the Bettina Büchel Award for Impact Through Innovation, as Bill shares Bettina’s curiosity and determination to push boundaries,” said IMD President David Bach.
Launched in 2025, the award is named in honor of the late IMD faculty member Bettina Büchel, who was its inaugural recipient. Büchel joined IMD in 2000 as Professor of Strategy and Organization and spent 25 years pushing boundaries across teaching, innovation, and IMD’s global reach. She passed away in April 2025, leaving a lasting legacy at IMD.
