Anton Kongsted Amtrup

IMD Business School, Lausanne

“Resilient leader with military grit and legal precision, driven to empower purpose-led teams.”

Hometown: Copenhagen, Denmark

Fun Fact About Yourself: Explored 30+ countries – including ski instructing in Japan, sailing from Iceland to Greenland, and summiting a 6000-meter peak.

Undergraduate School and Major:
International Institute for Management Development – Master of Business Administration (MBA)
University of Copenhagen – Bachelor’s in law (LLB)
Royal Danish Military Academy – Diploma of Military Studies for the Royal Danish Army                       

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: The Royal Lifeguards – Project Manager and First Lieutenant.

What has been the best part of being in a small class with this group of classmates? Learning that I’d rather be a big piece in a small puzzle than a small piece in a big puzzle. The size enables you to build deep, personal relationships with your classmates, which fosters trust and psychological safety, thereby enhancing teamwork and collaboration, and ultimately accelerating learning.

Aside from classmates, what part of IMD’s MBA programming led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? From the recruitment process to the rigorous program, IMD personalizes its learning and development. Working with career coaches, leadership coaches, highly educated lecturers, and business leaders has transformed the way I think, act, and relate to others. The journey has enhanced my self-awareness, enabling me to build meaningful relationships and ultimately lead with authenticity and ownership.

IMD is known for academic rigor. What is one strategy you used that would help a future IMD MBA better adapt to the workload early on? As my strategy professor Omar Toulan would say, “It’s all about making trade-offs – you can’t do everything.” I adopted this mindset early on, identifying my core weaknesses and delving deeply into those areas. I learned to accept that not every deliverable needs to be perfect and focused on the learning. This approach proved handy as I juggled multiple exams in a single week, while preparing and presenting to IMD’s Venture Award panel. Prioritization is not a survival skill at IMD – it’s a leadership skill.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Completing the special forces selection on a broken foot. That experience taught me that limitations are only self-imposed perceptions, and it instilled in me the belief that with the right mindset and sacrifice, anything is possible. This mindset has helped me stay balanced during intense IMD moments, whether it’s staying focused under pressure, balancing academics with entrepreneurial ventures, or pushing myself just a little bit further.

Describe your biggest accomplishment at IMD so far: It was co-founding a venture with my classmate Katinka to develop a management system for European Armed Forces. Pitching it to investors, lecturers, and classmates at the IMD Venture Award was a defining moment in my MBA journey. Before the summer holidays, we learned that we had qualified for the finals, which made us both even prouder.

Where is your favorite hang-out in Lausanne? Why do you (and your classmates) gravitate there?
Lake Geneva. It is the cohort’s natural gravitation point. Whether it is sailing in the summer, cold plunges in the winter, or year-round runs along the shore, the views are breathtaking, making it even more special.

What has been your best memory at IMD thus far? Experiencing new cultures, cuisines, and businesses during our trip to Singapore for the month-long Future Lab was eye-opening, from learning about digital transformation in legacy companies to discovering the limits of my spice tolerance. It truly was a journey of growth, laughter, and perspective. Working closely with Asian businesses and exploring ecosystems inspired me and helped shape a more global and adaptive business mindset.

DON’T MISS: MEET IMD BUSINESS SCHOOL’S MBA CLASS OF 2025

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