Institute for Management Development

International Institute for Management Development (IMD) is an independent academic institute with campuses in Lausanne, Switzerland and Singapore. IMD is known for its executive education and its proximity to business. In 2024, it named David Bach as its new president.

History and mission

IMD was formed in January 1990 through the merger of independent management education centers International Management Institute (Geneva) (IMI), established in 1946 by Alcan, and Institut pour l'Etude des Methodes de Direction de l'Entreprise (IMEDE) Lausanne established in 1957 by Nestlé. The new organization, the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), settled in Lausanne. The history of IMEDE and its merger with IMI is documented in Jean-Pierre Jeannet and Hein Schreuder (2015, chapters 2 and 4). Its industrial heritage is unusual for business schools, which are usually university-affiliated.

IMD business school solely provides executive education; it is a Swiss university institute accredited by the Swiss Accreditation Council and it consists of one integrated multidisciplinary faculty. The faculty consists of more than 50 full-time members, made up of 21 different nationalities. The current president is David Bach, who follows Jean-Francois Manzoni, Dominique Turpin, John R. Wells, Peter Lorange, and Juan Rada.

IMD focuses on training and developing general management and leadership skills.

Education

IMD's educational offerings:

*Degree programs; the MBA, the Executive MBA, the Msc in Sustainable Management & Technology, the Executive Master in Sustainable Business Transformation, and the Executive Master in AI & Digital Business Transformation.
*Executive programs for Individuals  
*Executive programs for Organizations  
*Online programs
*Advisory work

MBA program

The school's MBA program is a one-year full-time program. The program runs from January through December without any break (summer is dedicated to a Company Engagement Project). Each class includes 90 participants from various countries.

In 2022, IMD celebrated its 50 years anniversary of its MBA program. On 8 October 2022, IMD marked this anniversary with a celebratory event on the Lausanne campus with the launch of a book; ''50 for 50 – Inspiring leadership journeys from half a century of the IMD MBA'', looking back over the last 50 years and looking forward to the future.

Forbes has ranked IMD's MBA #1 among one-year international MBA programs in its 2019 ranking. IMD has held top spots in the ranking since 2001. IMD has also been ranked #1 in 2017, 2013, 2011, 2007, and 2001.

EMBA program

The Executive MBA targets experienced managers with at least 10 years of experience who seek to strengthen their careers without leaving their jobs. The average class size is around 55 participants of more than 40 nationalities. The program has three components: the foundations for business leadership, the advanced management concepts, and the mastery stage. Altogether the program takes over one year. It has a strong focus on leadership skills, integrated business themes, and the immediate practical application of the subject matter. The 55 selected students have an average age of 40.

Executive Masters

In 2025, IMD launched two new degree programs in sustainability and artificial intelligence (AI).

Executive Master in Sustainable Business Transformation

The degree program designed for professionals aiming to integrate sustainability into core business strategy and operations. It provides a comprehensive understanding of sustainability strategy, ESG integration, and systems thinking, while also developing the leadership capabilities necessary to drive sustainable transformation across enterprises.

The Executive Master in AI & Digital Business Transformation

The AI program is designed for professionals seeking to deepen their expertise in artificial intelligence (AI), digital innovation, and organizational transformation. This advanced degree combines theoretical knowledge with practical leadership training to equip participants with the skills required to drive digital change within complex business environments.

Master in Sustainable Management and Technology

The Master of Science in Sustainable Management and Technology program is offered by Enterprise for Society (E4S) on behalf of its three partner institutions: the University of Lausanne (UNIL), the Institute for Management Development (IMD), and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)

The 2-year program aims at building competences along three dimensions: technology and innovation, economics and management, and sustainability. Participants in the program learn how to lead teams across multiple disciplines and solve complex problems in corporations, start-ups and NGOs.

The program is intended for holders of a Bachelor degree with little or no professional experience and will bring together students with either an engineering profile or management/economics profile.

Executive education

Executive education is a fundamental part of the school activities.

IMD has been recognized as the best business school for an open program in executive education from 2012 to 2017.

Ranking

IMD's full-time MBA has been ranked by Bloomberg and Forbes as one of the best one-year programs in Europe and internationally.

In 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 IMD was ranked first in open programs worldwide by the ''Financial Times''. The FT also places IMD at second in Custom Programs, with the school jumping up two places from fourth in 2016. IMD remained in second place in the combined custom and open program rankings, maintaining its spot from last year.

Notable alumni

IMD counts 125’000+ alumnis across 140 countries and 80+ industries.
*Svein Aaser: Former CEO, DnB NOR
* Matti Alahuhta: CEO, Kone Corporation
*Ole Andersen: Chairman, Bang & Olufsen
* Bjarni Ármannsson: CEO, Glitnir Bank, Iceland
* Jon Fredrik Baksaas: President and CEO, Telenor
*Paul Bulcke: Former CEO, Nestlé
* Harsh Goenka: Indian billionaire and Chairman, RPG Enterprises
* Oswald Grübel: Former CEO, UBS
*Carla De Geyseleer, CFO, Volvo Cars
*Philipp Humm: Former CEO, T-Mobile USA
* Tarang Jain, Indian billionaire
* Susanne Klatten: Member of the Board, BMW
* Gerard Kleisterlee: Chairman Vodafone; Former CEO, Royal Philips Electronics
* Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen: Former President and CEO, The Lego Group
* Abba Kyari: Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria from August 2015 to April 2020
*Christoph Loos, CEO, Hilti
* Jay Mehta, Chairman, Mehta Group
* Milinda Moragoda: Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister of Justice, Law Reform and MP
*Thomas Oetterli, CEO, Schindler Group
* Mark Opzoomer: CEO, Rambler Media
* Michael Patsalos-Fox: Former Chairman, Americas, McKinsey & Company
* Prince Pieter-Christiaan of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven, Netherlands
*Mark Rutte: Prime Minister, Netherlands
*Thomas Schmidheiny: Chairman, Holcim
* Søren Skou: Group CEO, A.P. Moller - Maersk
* Ian Charles Stewart: Founder, ''WiRed''
* Diego Molano Vega: Former Minister of Information Technologies and Communications, Colombia
*Peter Voser: Chairman and CEO, ABB, Former CEO Royal Dutch Shell
* Erik Aas, CEO of Banglalink

Faculty

* Howard Yu
* Misiek Piskorski
* Michael D. Watkins
* Jean-Francois Manzoni
* Richard Baldwin (economist)

Partnerships

IMD has partnerships with

* MIT Sloan School of Management
* Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
* University of Lausanne
* Ecole cantonale d’art de Lausanne
* EHL Hospitality Business School
* Inner Development Goals

The Female Quotient
* Graduate Institute of International Development Studies
* World Business Council for Sustainable Development

References

External links

* https://www.imd.org/

{{DEFAULTSORT:International Institute For Management Development
International Institute for Management Development
Universities and colleges established in 1990
Organisations based in Lausanne
1990 establishments in Switzerland