Meet IMD Business School’s MBA Class Of 2025

Want intense?

Here’s intense: Picture a one-year MBA program. A cohort so small that no one can hide and a curriculum so rigorous that its basement study rooms are called dungeons. Imagine a business school where students receive three reports – 15 pages each – during the year evaluating their skills off 30 data points. On top of that, envision a program designed to prepare students for the AI era…through reflection and soft skill coaching.

So why is IMD one of the hottest tickets in business education? Simple: their students aspire to become true leaders: globally-minded and technologically proficient – creative problem-solvers and confident communicators. They want to immerse themselves in the most forward-thinking MBA curriculum on the planet. Let’s be honest: Switzerland is a pretty good place to spend four seasons too.

LEARNING LEADERSHIP BY EXPERIENCING LEADERSHIP

That’s the difference you’ll find at IMD Business School. Located next to Lake Geneva in Lausanne, IMD – which stands for the International Institute for Management Development – has made a shrewd gamble in recent years. Betting that AI will be the disruptive force that shatters how business is done, the school has revamped its programming to help students capitalize on this new order. For example, while professors may grade student marketing plans or case analysis, AI will also evaluate the same assignments, focusing more on processes like reasoning and clarity. In other words, to paraphrase IMD Dean Omar Toulan, MBAs learn just how good they really are.

“If you submit a marketing strategy, the AI can flag whether you’ve considered all the relevant variables,” Toulan told P&Q in a 2025 interview. “It might tell you, ‘In the Trader Joe’s case, you could have analyzed asset turnover more effectively.’ It’s like a mirror for how you think.”

Bottom line: IMD is the place for students who truly want to learn. That starts with how to learn. That was the case for the MBA Class of 2025. After all, the IMD experience is the closest simulation for what executive leadership is really like: carrying heavy workloads at racehorse pace that’s both physically and mentally draining. On the surface, IMD may not be for the faint of heart. In reality, especially at the beginning, it is a boot camp on ruthless prioritization and time management that enables students to maximize the return on their time and talent.

LEARNING NOT TO CHASE PERFECTION

Ironically, that starts with giving yourself grace, says John Nicholas, a South African who works in actuaries. By that, he means shedding the self-expectation of being a perfectionist and knowing when to say “good enough” and let go. To do that, students need to establish their main priorities and non-negotiables, says Ashton Songer Ferguson, a strategist from Colorado. For Daniel Keat, a strategy manager at Salesforce, that has meant adhering to his four MBA priorities: “social (friends, family), career (job hunting, networking), health (exercise, sleep), and academics.”

“The reality is that, at best, you can maximize three of the above,” Keat continues. “Think about why you’re doing your MBA and what’s most important to you – and be willing to accept that you can’t do it all.”

Agustina Bigatti earned bachelor’s degrees in London and Uruguay before moving into business development. Pulled by everything from classes to clubs to weekend trips, she found returning to the “Why” (Why am I here?) and the “What” (What am I taking away from this?) enabled her to clarify what to leave in and what to leave out. Zareen Cheema, a Swedish engineer, found an “accountability buddy” to make sure she was following through on her priorities. Her classmate, Ronald Omores, an analytics whiz from Benin, equates IMD to a rich buffet where it is hard to pick-and-choose. For him, self-care is paramount. That means carving out time to do what he loves to recharge. When that doesn’t work, students just need to toughen up at IMD, says Vin Ne Foo, who grew up in rural Malaysia.

“Just put your head down and do the work. There are no shortcuts. The workload is intense, especially in the first few months, but once you find your rhythm, you’ll be surprised by how much you’re capable of doing. I’ve come to really appreciate the discipline and momentum I’ve built at IMD, and I believe that if I can keep it up, I can take on anything. Do your best, stay consistent, and you won’t be disappointed.”

FROM SINGAPORE TO THE SKI SLOPES

And you won’t be bored for that matter, either.  For many members of the Class of 2025, the Future Lab has been the highlight of the MBA program. Held in June and lasting a month, IMD students traveled to Singapore, ranked as the most innovative and competitive economy by the school’s World Competitiveness Center. In this immersion, students completed courses and projects, along with heading out for site visits to learn about the most innovative practices in the AI and digital spaces. John Nicholas, for one, relished Data Analytics Week, where the class learned to build websites and became Python Pros. Even more, by “living under one roof” – in Nicholas’ words – the class was able to bond more closely than even their small class digs in Switzerland.

While Ashton Songer Ferguson doesn’t miss Singapore’s humidity, she considers the Future Lab to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. “Singapore was a blank canvas, and I set out to paint my experience arm-in-arm with my best mates,” she tells P&Q. “We would traipse around the city, beginning with one destination (or one treat) in mind and wandering from place to place, some on a map, some just hidden gems. Back at our hotel, it was all about experiencing life with friends-turned-family: rooftop workouts, sharing daily kid content, pulling pranks, being held when things felt hard, sharing meals, and laundry loads. Rather than a single memory, the most powerful experience I’ll take with me is that of feeling love and support, camaraderie, and belonging.”

For Ishita Mishra, a JPMorgan Chase assistant VP, the defining IMD experience was a three-day Leadership Lab, where she deepened her self-awareness. While peer feedback can feel intimidating going in, the lab turned out to be a lot of fun, Mishra explains.

“The lighter moments involving pizza, good-natured Borat impressions, and bringing out our goofy, authentic selves in front of one another added balance and transformed my first group members into my first genuine friends at IMD.”

The same could be said for the Easter Weekend Getaway in Gimmelwald, which Agustina Bigatti describes as a “tiny mountain village that feels straight out of a storybook.” Maybe that’s because the 19-student crew arrived during a storm that brought 20 centimeters of snow, making the experience all the more magical.

“We hiked through snowy paths, had snowball fights, shared meals and sang songs, and even had a few brave souls go paragliding,” Bigatti shares. “But what made it truly special was the simplicity. No formal agenda, just deep conversations, spontaneous laughs, and a real sense of presence. It was one of those moments where time slows down and you realize how rare and meaningful it is to connect like that, with nature, with others, and with yourself.”

ACTING AS ‘MIRRORS’ FOR EACH OTHER

Those connections are only deepened by IMD’s small school dynamic. The MBA Class of 2025 features 78 students from 38 countries. More than that, students work in 5-6-member classroom teams, which rotate after each module. As a results, students are more deeply exposed to a variety of personalities and leadership styles, says Vin Ne Foo.

“Because we’re so close and the workload is intense, we see how each of us, with our different backgrounds, handles tough situations,” she continues. “You learn what makes people tick, how to work with them, and how to move forward together. That, to me, is the most valuable learning.”

The setup also amplifies the class’s experience with diverse cultures worldwide, adds Agustina Bigatti. “What’s most powerful is that I now see the world through many different lenses. More than that, I know I have key pillars across the globe – people I can turn to for insight, collaboration, and support. Whether it’s understanding a market, solving a business challenge, or simply being reminded that I’m not alone, this community is now an essential part of how I navigate the world.”

Anton Kongsted Amtrup – a member of Denmark’s Royal Lifeguards who completed special forces on a broken foot – frames the IMD ethos this way: “I’d rather be a big piece in a small puzzle than a small piece in a big puzzle.” Here, MBAs can’t “fly under the radar,” in the words of Oliver Zeidler, most recently a Deloitte consultant. This responsibility – where everyone’s commitment is mandatory for success – turns out to be the program’s “greatest gift,” says Zareen Cheema, an engineer turned technical manager at Volvo.

“We’ve become mirrors for each other, constantly reflecting strengths we don’t see and blind spots we’d rather avoid. There’s an intimacy that forms in shared discomfort, whether it is late-night study sessions at IMD, Leadership Labs that leave you emotionally raw, or even that first failed group presentation where you realize just how much you still have to learn. What makes it special is that it’s not performative. It’s not networking. It’s just people, humans, trying to grow together.”

LIVING THE LAKE LIFE

In many cases, this growth happens at some of the Class of 2025’s favorite haunts. For Ashton Songer Ferguson, that place has been Le Montriond, a nearby beer garden that serves orange wine. For many others, they fall into the routine of past graduates and hit Le Lacustre, a lakeside bar that Zareen Cheema calls the “unofficial IMD after-hours spot.”

“There’s something about being near water that softens us all. We go there after presentations, after intense weeks, sometimes just after tough conversations. And somehow, over fondue and laughter, the heaviness lifts. It’s where we’ve celebrated, debriefed, and vented. In a program this intense, we all need a place to remember we’re more than our deliverables. For me, that place is Le Lacustre!”

For the class as a whole, the place is Lac Léman – or Lake Geneva to most. Anton Kongsted Amtrup calls it the “cohort’s natural gravitational point,” where students are “sailing in the summer, [taking] cold plunges in the winter, or [enjoying] year-round runs along the shore” – all in the shadow of the snow-capped Alps. There are picnics, braais, beaches, and sunset walks, all within a five-minute walk of campus. Call it the perfect respite for busy MBA students,” says Agustina Bigatti.

““[The lake] where we reset, reconnect, and recharge, no matter the season. In winter, some of us do cold plunges after a lakeside sauna session or go for runs along the waterfront. Spring brings its own magic, with flowers blooming all along the shore and a fresh energy as we begin to spend more time outdoors. And when summer arrives? The lake truly comes alive. Restaurants open their terraces, bars, and music events pop up all along the shoreline. From early morning swims and class barbecues to volleyball matches, paddleboarding, or just relaxing by the water, there’s always something happening. You can even bike around the lake and end up in France!”

Bigatti is equally smitten with Lausanne, which she describes as “stepping into a postcard.” At the same time, the city is just a 40-minute train ride from Geneva, home to the European UN headquarters, not to mention international organizations like the World Health Organization and the International Red Cross. As the same time, Switzerland itself boasts over a dozen Fortune 500 firms, including Nestlé, Glencore, Credit Suisse, and Adecco. While Switzerland is best-known for banking, it is also growing in areas like pharmaceuticals and technology.

In the end, Lausanne is like stepping away from all that, a reflection of a simpler time with a communal spirit. “The city is small enough to feel like home, but with access to everything: mountain hikes, skiing, lakeside swims, and all the outdoor adventures you could want,” Biagatti adds. “Getting here wasn’t easy, but that’s what makes it feel like such a personal victory. It’s a daily reminder that big dreams are worth chasing.”

BEST MBA MEMORIES

The Class of 2025 has made the most of their time once they arrived in Lausanne. Daniel Keat achieved his dream of being an ombudsman by his classmates. Partnering with a classmate, Konstantin Dreyer, John Nicholas started a Careers & Character podcast, where he has helped bring the best ideas together from professors, guest speakers, and cohort members alike. At the same time, Alfonso Martinez, an IKEA store manager has lived up to IMD’s moto: “Challenging what is, inspiring what could be.”

“Whether it’s taking on the fund manager role in a venture capital simulation, pitching a business idea for the Venture Award, or co-leading the FMCG, CPG, Luxury & Retail Club, each experience has stretched me in new ways. All of this has happened within a caring yet daring culture, without a doubt the most dynamic, challenging, and inspiring environment I’ve ever been a part. At IMD, weeks of learning feel like months of growth.”

Ashton Songer Ferguson harkens back to the Singapore Future Lab for her biggest moment in the IMD MBA program.  After learning that another team had taken a similar idea to prototype stage, she convinced her team to give her a “green light” on a hands-free breast pump venture. Not only did this build her confidence, but may carry over into an actual enterprise.

“We built something that was both exciting and potentially viable. I got to pitch it, field questions, and receive feedback several times in a row. I felt proud to have conceived the idea, pitched it well enough to achieve buy-in, worked on it collaboratively, and taken it through the iteration process. It’s now a workable tool that I can use both in interviews and in conversations with the real companies that inspired my idea.”

Maybe the best moment for the Class of 2025? It came at the MBAT – MBA Olympics – tournament in France in May, where IMD collected three gold medals (and six medals overall) – including the Best Cheering Award. It was a sense of accomplishment that continued, says Oliver Zeidler, who captained the tug-of-war and rowing teams.

“It felt so good to empower my classmates, coach them in my sport, and show them how to perform in a high-pressure environment – ultimately beating big rowing schools like Oxford and Cambridge.”

Next Page: An interview with Dean Omar Toulan and Profiles of 12 Members of the Class of 2025.

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