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In 2022, the NatWest Executive Committee (ExCo) shifted its strategy to focus increasingly on growth. The previous 15 years had been spent on restructuring and reshaping following a government recapitalisation in 2008. For the ExCo to transform NatWest into a future-ready bank, it embarked on a four-retreat engagement with IMD to help it develop…

Picking up where Case A ends, Case B reveals that Grupo Inca decided to innovate internally and develop a new fabric from the rare black alpaca fiber. After nearly three years of effort, the Inoue brothers’ dream of creating a luxury collection from undyed black alpaca fiber became a reality. The collaboration between the Inoue brothers, Incalpa…

Grupo Inca, a conglomerate that owned Peru’s leading textile business with a long history of working with alpaca fleece, was at a crossroads regarding the conservation and commercialization of black alpaca fiber. Historically, black alpacas were as common as their lighter-colored counterparts, but market preferences drove them to near extinction…

This case follows the steps taken by Kaichi Yokoyama, Moon Creative Lab’s CEO, to establish the entity as a pioneering venture studio and entrepreneurial talent development entity within the Mitsui Group. As a corporate venture, the story began in 2018 when Kaichi embarked on a mission to reshape Mitsui’s deeply entrenched traditions and pursue …

AMAG is Switzerland’s premier automotive retail and service company, holding exclusive rights to import Volkswagen Group car brands such as Audi, Volkswagen, Skoda, Cupra and Seat. In 2022 AMAG had 7,300 employees and a revenue of CHF 4.4 billion. The electrification of the automotive industry and the introduction of the agency model by the Volk…

Nespresso, the global leading brand in portioned coffee, is facing an existential threat. The company’s current market base, which consists primarily of aging consumers, is likely to decline in the medium to long term. To compensate for the certain shortfall, the company needs to attract young coffee drinkers among Millennials and Generation Z, …

Set in 2024, the case describes the trajectory of Nike’s success and how it had recently lost its way. The company was experiencing its worst slump in more than 10 years. Since 2020, CEO Donahoe oversaw a significant shift away from wholesale, with a focus on direct channels and a suite of apps. However, direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales failed to …

This brief case exercise presents an increasingly common business scenario: An established player acquires a small, agile start-up to re-energize its value proposition. In this case, established global beauty giant UrbanLuxe acquires beauty start-up KYX. UrbanLuxe represents an old-school company selling a classic portfolio mainly via traditiona…

This is a riveting case about poor board governance at Theranos that fostered a culture of deception and led to the company’s collapse and the criminal conviction of its celebrated founder, Elizabeth Holmes. Case B explains Theranos’s eventual collapse and highlights how the board contributed to a culture of deception within the company.

Shenzhen Power-Solution (SPS), founded in 2009 in China as an entrepreneurial venture, disrupted traditional lighting markets in African villages with its flagship product, Candles Killer. This solar lamp, priced under $5, replaces hazardous kerosene lamps and has an optimized design (9 components, water-bottle stands). The candles killer solar …

This is a riveting case about poor board governance at Theranos that fostered a culture of deception and led to the company’s collapse and the criminal conviction of its celebrated founder, Elizabeth Holmes. Case A outlines the establishment and growth of Theranos, it’s board expansion and the issues that led to the Wall Street Journal article t…

The case describes Legendary Foods Africa, a food-tech company founded in 2020 in Ghana by Canadian entrepreneur Shobhita Soor. Legendary Foods Africa is focused on farming, processing and selling palm weevil larvae products for human consumption. Palm weevil larvae, a traditional local food, are rich in protein, healthy fats and essential nutri…

True transformation comes from embedding diversity in leadership values, not compliance. Leaders must foster safe spaces and model vulnerability.

AI is fundamental to the competitive strategies of the most advanced healthcare and pharmaceutical firms. Here is how they are adopting AI to be data-driven leaders.

Former French finance minister Bruno Le Maire says Europe needs to act urgently to secure the semiconductor supply or face relegation to the global slow lane.

From absorbing stress to finding your authentic voice, nine leaders of global companies share the wisdom that has helped them excel in their roles.

Dealing with the conflicting demands of price, sustainability, and security of energy supplies is challenging, but it’s a useful way to assess your firm’s resilience and agility.

Professionals who use AI in a disciplined way to compound their cognitive thinking over time will be the long-term winners. Michael Watkins explains how to make AI a cognitive superpower rather than a crutch