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Have a look at the highlights of Lausanne 2025 edition

5 days, 501 participants, 32 industries and 60 nationalities.

Thirty years of impact for the impactful. And just like a world class orchestra, impact.

Day 1

The best antidote to unprecedented levels of uncertainty is to come together as a global community of leaders, to connect across industries and engage in joint learning, says IMD President, Professor David Bach.

Day 2

Participants describe their day two as “absolutely brilliant”, exploring themes such as trust as a cornerstone of effective leadership. They discussed the power of alliances in a fragmented world, and using conflict as an opportunity to form an alliance.

Day 3

It was a “thought-provoking” day, with participants diving into the risks and rewards of innovation and the importance of listening to consumer feedback. They explored sustainability as a driver of profitability and discussed how emerging technologies like humanoid robotics are reshaping the business landscape.

Day 4

Leadership isn’t just about knowing what to do, it’s about being ready for what’s next. In a world where change can come from unexpected directions, participants explored how confidence, adaptability, and the right tools are essential for navigating uncertainty.

The end of corporate passivity: Why business leaders must shape geopolitics, not just react to it

Professor Arturo Bris

The private sector has become too passive and disconnected from governments when it comes to geopolitics. To thrive in a fragmented world, we need leaders to shift from spectators to shapers, says Arturo Bris.

The future of work in the age of AI agents

Professor Michael Wooldridge

AI will book your holiday, but won’t clean your kitchen, yet! Automated LLM-powered agents that talk to each and solve problems together represent the most exciting commercial frontier in AI, but a future of human-like machines remains a distant dream says Michael Wooldridge.

A panel discussion with On footwear brand

Marc Maurer, Co-CEO, On

ON became an international company in its first two years. We learned we need many different pockets of growth. If we plan to grow 25%, we need to have pockets of growth for 35% because some will not materialize, says Marc Maurer.

Business must defend the WTO’s vital rules-based system

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General, WTO

Faced with the threat of trade fragmentation, many are now waking up to the true value of preserving a rules-based system of cooperation, and business can help defend it too, says Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

The conductor as business leader

Rainer Hersch

Comedian and conductor Rainer Hersch says managers striving to lead high-performance teams can find inspiration in the concert hall.

A future for our democracies?

Daniel Ziblatt, Director of the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies

Business leaders today should identify their points of leverage – be it public influence, economic power, or industry collaboration – to quietly but effectively push back against policies that undermine democracy, says Daniel Ziblatt.

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