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Latest Case Studies
Case Study Entrepreneurship Business to Business Digital Leadership Sustainability
Drinkotec: Changing a company, changing a life (C): Dream big or go home
It is now four years later, and Drinkotec is scaling up fast. They’ve had to make some tough decisions in order to focus, have the best people and build the culture that they want, but today, major beverage companies are seeking their technology in order to go packaging-free. This case is about leadership, culture, sustainability and taking the …
By Jim Pulcrano Giancarlo Luchetta Bedin Srinivas Reddy (Srini) Mamidi Anton Rozhkovskiy and Bakel Walden
Case reference: IMD-7-2488 ©2023
Drinkotec: Changing a company, changing a life (C): Dream big or go home
By Jim Pulcrano Giancarlo Luchetta Bedin Srinivas Reddy (Srini) Mamidi Anton Rozhkovskiy and Bakel Walden
Case reference: IMD-7-2488 ©2023
Summary
It is now four years later, and Drinkotec is scaling up fast. They’ve had to make some tough decisions in order to focus, have the best people and build the culture that they want, but today, major beverage companies are seeking their technology in order to go packaging-free. This case is about leadership, culture, sustainability and taking the leap to follow your dreams.
Reference IMD-7-2488
Copyright ©2023
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Drinkotec
Industry Consumer Goods, Food and Beverage;Travel and Leisure, Hotels and Restaurants;Travel and Leisure, Catering
Available Languages English
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Case Study Entrepreneurship Business to Business Digital Leadership Sustainability
Drinkotec: Changing a company, changing a life (B): Taking the leap
The deal is closed; Franck-Erik Flegbo and Cyril Le Terrien become the owners of Drinkotec but discover that the existing team doesn’t really have the capabilities or culture to innovate. The Covid-19 pandemic hits, and they discover that their customers need Drinkotec’s help.
By Jim Pulcrano Giancarlo Luchetta Bedin Srinivas Reddy (Srini) Mamidi Anton Rozhkovskiy and Bakel Walden
Case reference: IMD-7-2487 ©2023
Drinkotec: Changing a company, changing a life (B): Taking the leap
By Jim Pulcrano Giancarlo Luchetta Bedin Srinivas Reddy (Srini) Mamidi Anton Rozhkovskiy and Bakel Walden
Case reference: IMD-7-2487 ©2023
Summary
The deal is closed; Franck-Erik Flegbo and Cyril Le Terrien become the owners of Drinkotec but discover that the existing team doesn’t really have the capabilities or culture to innovate. The Covid-19 pandemic hits, and they discover that their customers need Drinkotec’s help.
Reference IMD-7-2487
Copyright ©2023
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Drinkotec
Industry Consumer Goods, Food and Beverage;Travel and Leisure, Hotels and Restaurants;Travel and Leisure, Catering
Available Languages English
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Case Study Entrepreneurship Business to Business Digital Leadership Sustainability
Drinkotec: Changing a company, changing a life (A): Daring to change
Franck-Erik Flegbo and Cyril Le Terrien were already successful executives in a major multinational when they decided that it was time to dream, and to build their own company, with a culture that delivered performance, created a culture where everyone wanted to work, used the latest technologies, and did its part to save the planet. The opportu…
By Jim Pulcrano Giancarlo Luchetta Bedin Srinivas Reddy (Srini) Mamidi Anton Rozhkovskiy and Bakel Walden
Case reference: IMD-7-2459 ©2023
Drinkotec: Changing a company, changing a life (A): Daring to change
By Jim Pulcrano Giancarlo Luchetta Bedin Srinivas Reddy (Srini) Mamidi Anton Rozhkovskiy and Bakel Walden
Case reference: IMD-7-2459 ©2023
Summary
Franck-Erik Flegbo and Cyril Le Terrien were already successful executives in a major multinational when they decided that it was time to dream, and to build their own company, with a culture that delivered performance, created a culture where everyone wanted to work, used the latest technologies, and did its part to save the planet. The opportunity to acquire 40-year-old Drinkotec came to them, and with it, they saw the vehicle for their dreams
Reference IMD-7-2459
Copyright ©2023
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Drinkotec
Industry Consumer Goods, Food and Beverage;Travel and Leisure, Hotels and Restaurants;Travel and Leisure, Catering
Available Languages English
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Case Study Entrepreneurship Business to Business Disruption Sustainability Strategy
Green Motion: From entrepreneurial pioneer to multinational powerhouse
Entrepreneur François Randin was successful, but searching for his next venture, wanting to build something sustainable. Suddenly he sees an all-electric sports car and decides to create an electric vehicle (EV) charging station company, even though the number of EVs on the road at the time is minuscule. He starts with software, moves to hardwar…
By Jim Pulcrano
Case reference: IMD-7-2456 ©2023
Case Study Sustainability Operations
Trendy fashion company: Sustainability in supply chain operations
The newly appointed Senior Vice President of Trendy needs to put its supply chain on a more sustainable footing for the future. Trendy is an imaginary fast fashion company with a market base in Europe and a global supply chain. Core themes and actions that improve both sustainability targets and/or operational performance are discussed in the ca…
By Ralf W. Seifert and Yara Kayyali El Alem
Case reference: IMD-7-2481 ©2023
Case Study Sustainability Family Business
Grundfos (B): “Solved in a better way”
Without much family discussion, PDJ put majority ownership of Grundfos into the Poul Due Jensen Foundation in 1975. His family would receive a 15% stake in the company. This ownership stake was important, since by Danish law, the company could be sold if family ownership fell below 10%. The 8-member foundation board would oversee the company’s l…
By Peter Vogel and Colleen Lief
Case reference: IMD-7-2375 ©2023
Case Study Sustainability Family Business
Grundfos (A): “Be, think, innovate”
Poul Due Jensen (PDJ), the son of a Danish workhouse manager, had seen first-hand how harsh life can be. He understood early on that he needed to stand on his own two feet. After being orphaned aged 17, he worked as a machine operator, but soon founded his own water technology company, Grundfos Holding A/S, in 1944. He responded to a customer’s …
By Peter Vogel and Colleen Lief
Case reference: IMD-7-2374 ©2023
Case Study Sustainability Disruption Strategy
Coal: Exit, voice or loyalty? The case of three mining multinationals
Coal plays a critical role as an energy pillar in many parts of the world. In three of the world’s most populous countries – China, India and Indonesia – coal supplies more than 60% of electricity needs. However, coal is also one of the most polluting and greenhouse gas emission-intensive substances, holding the dubious title of the single large…
By David Bach and Shih-Han Huang
Case reference: IMD-7-2436 ©2023
Coal: Exit, voice or loyalty? The case of three mining multinationals
By David Bach and Shih-Han Huang
Case reference: IMD-7-2436 ©2023
Summary
Coal plays a critical role as an energy pillar in many parts of the world. In three of the world’s most populous countries – China, India and Indonesia – coal supplies more than 60% of electricity needs. However, coal is also one of the most polluting and greenhouse gas emission-intensive substances, holding the dubious title of the single largest contributor to global warming. Mining is one of the industries under scrutiny for its role in the coal supply chain. Amid growing negative public sentiment and investor pressure, the mining majors are pursuing different strategies regarding coal. Rio Tinto completely exited in 2018. Anglo American spun out its coal assets into a separate company, effectively putting the decision in shareholders’ hands. Meanwhile, Glencore held on to coal, declaring “managed decline” the most responsible approach. The case’s dilemma – “who has it right” – offers fertile ground for debate. Participants should analyze the pros and cons of the company’s strategies from different angles and explore the repercussions on various stakeholders, on shareholders and on the environment. The potential learnings from this case and previews of the difficult trade-offs leaders face extend beyond mining to many industries in transition.
Reference IMD-7-2436
Copyright ©2023
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Rio Tinto Group, Glencore, Anglo American
Industry Materials, Metals and Mining
Available Languages English
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Case Study Social Innovation Strategy Sustainability Diversity and Equity and Inclusion
Count every child: Telenor’s digital birth registration
Birth registration – considered a basic human right provided by government services – was still not working in many countries. One in four children worldwide is not registered. Yet, Zainab Siddiqui, head of sustainability at Telenor Pakistan, had a different idea. In 2013, she initiated the Digital Birth Registration Project in Pakistan in two p…
By James E. Henderson
Case reference: IMD-7-2410 ©2023
Count every child: Telenor’s digital birth registration
By James E. Henderson
Case reference: IMD-7-2410 ©2023
Summary
Birth registration – considered a basic human right provided by government services – was still not working in many countries. One in four children worldwide is not registered. Yet, Zainab Siddiqui, head of sustainability at Telenor Pakistan, had a different idea. In 2013, she initiated the Digital Birth Registration Project in Pakistan in two provinces to replace the existing paper-based approach. Her entrepreneurial leadership was encouraged in Telenor, a global mobile network operator based in Norway, active in 8 markets with over 170 million subscribers. The company was an organization true to its original purpose of “promoting a country’s prosperity” – by “empowering societies and connecting its subscribers to what matters most.” What mattered most could be digital health, digital farming or digital banking services – several of the services that the company had launched over the years. Digital birth registration and its potential follow-on services – such as digital marriage certificates and digital driver’s licenses – were considered good not only for what matters most but also potentially for the bottom line. After several years of successful implementation of the project, Zainab considered how Telenor Pakistan could take on full responsibility for the service from the Pakistani government. How would the company prepare and position itself for the eventual negotiations with the government for this potential growth opportunity?
Reference IMD-7-2410
Copyright ©2023
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Telenor Group
Industry Services, Telecommunications
Available Languages English
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Case Study Sustainability Communication Leadership
“Carbon is the new calorie”: Logitech’s carbon impact label to drive transparency in sustainability
This topical case covers the period from 2019 to 2022, when Prakash Arunkundrum, head of global operations and sustainability at Logitech, was focusing on reducing the company’s carbon footprint. It recounts how he and his team gained internal support to embark on an ambitious carbon labeling initiative and created a transparent methodology to a…
2022 EFMD Case Writing Competition Award – Responsible Leadership
By Julia Binder and Heather Cairns-Lee
Case reference: IMD-7-2416 ©2022
Case Study Sustainability Strategy
Tackling scope 3 emissions through partnerships
Companies are now aiming to decarbonize their supply chains by tackling scope 3 emissions (indirect emissions along the value chain). Scope 3 emissions are difficult for companies to manage because they reside outside the companies’ direct control, and for this reason, they always require partnerships. However, partnerships are not easy, and it …
By Amanda Williams and Knut Bjarne Haanaes
Case reference: IMD-7-2422 ©2023
Tackling scope 3 emissions through partnerships
By Amanda Williams and Knut Bjarne Haanaes
Case reference: IMD-7-2422 ©2023
Summary
Companies are now aiming to decarbonize their supply chains by tackling scope 3 emissions (indirect emissions along the value chain). Scope 3 emissions are difficult for companies to manage because they reside outside the companies’ direct control, and for this reason, they always require partnerships. However, partnerships are not easy, and it is difficult to determine exactly which partnership will best achieve the desired sustainability objectives. This case study focuses on the sustainability partnership portfolio of ZUCCA, a fictitious company in the food and agriculture sector that is looking to dramatically reduce its scope 3 emissions. ZUCCA’s new chief sustainability officer (CSO) is considering the future of the company’s sustainability partnerships portfolio and evaluating which partnership will best help the company dramatically reduce scope 3 emissions. The CSO considers partnering with three different NGOs: the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD); World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF); and the World Economic Forum (WEF).
Reference IMD-7-2422
Copyright ©2023
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization World Business Council for Sustainable Development
Industry Philanthropy, Non-profit Organizations Management
Available Languages English
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Case Study Sustainability Diversity and Equity and Inclusion Family Business
J.M. Huber Corporation: Testing the limits of resilience capabilities
As circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic continued to shift and evolve, J.M. Huber Corporation (Huber) remained focused on protecting its employees, maintaining business continuity, and on advancing its multi-year sustainability strategy. The efforts of Mike Marberry, the President & CEO, the Huber Management Council (HMC), the family sharehold…
By Sameh Abadir and Marta Widz
Case reference: IMD-7-2412 ©2023
Case Study Entrepreneurship Family Business Leadership Sustainability Diversity and Equity and Inclusion
Maria Ahlström-Bondestam: Together everyone achieves more (Video case)
This case presents the unique approach to philanthropy of the Ahlström family. A group of 25 fifth-generation female Ahlström family members founded the Eva Ahlström foundation in 2010, in the name of the family matriarch Eva Ahlström (1848–1920), who was a big contributor to society in her time. This led to the establishment of the Ahlström Co…
By Peter Vogel and Malgorzata Smulowitz
Case reference: IMD-7-2414 ©2022
Case Study Digital Disruption Sustainability Global Business Leadership Strategy
Future-proofing HEINEKEN: The EverGreen strategy
Dolf van den Brink, CEO of HEINEKEN, left the company’s global headquarters in Amsterdam for a company retreat. Over the next three days, the entire executive team would gather to discuss the company’s future. The preliminary results for 2022, presented during the recent two-day Capital Markets Event, were positive, and the company’s progress on…
By Niccolò Pisani and Inès Augier
Case reference: IMD-7-2423 ©2023
Case Study Corporate Governance Strategy Sustainability Diversity and Equity and Inclusion
Multi-stakeholder governance at Better Cotton
Better Cotton was founded in 2005 to set standards for cotton production, with a goal of facilitating ethical, environmental and development-friendly agricultural practices. As multiple players come under increasing pressure to address social and environmental issues across their supply chains, Better Cotton aims to engage all actors to work tog…
By Didier Cossin and Sophie Linguri Coughlan
Case reference: IMD-7-2421 ©2022
Multi-stakeholder governance at Better Cotton
By Didier Cossin and Sophie Linguri Coughlan
Case reference: IMD-7-2421 ©2022
Summary
Better Cotton was founded in 2005 to set standards for cotton production, with a goal of facilitating ethical, environmental and development-friendly agricultural practices. As multiple players come under increasing pressure to address social and environmental issues across their supply chains, Better Cotton aims to engage all actors to work together. The Better Cotton Standard System was developed as a holistic approach to sustainable cotton production that addresses the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic. The organization works to build capacity by working with local partners to train cotton farmers worldwide in more sustainable farming practices that improve their livelihoods and protect and restore the environment. Its assurance model aims to balance scalability with cost effectiveness. Its Chain of Custody system matches supply and demand by tracing transactions throughout the supply chain. Better Cotton subscribes to a multi-stakeholder governance model, bringing stakeholders together to participate in dialogue, decision making and implementation of responses to joint problems. By seeking input from multiple types of actors involved in a question, the eventual consensual decision gains greater legitimacy, and it can be more effectively implemented than a response by any single actor. Multi-stakeholder governance requires balancing representation with the need for efficiency and effectiveness in developing and implementing strategy. The case allows for a discussion on the extent to which the BetterCotton governance model is aligned with its strategy and mission, and more broadly, how to design governance for multi-stakeholder organizations.
Reference IMD-7-2421
Copyright ©2022
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Better Cotton
Industry Manufacturing, Textile
Available Languages English
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