The IMD MBA: What You Need To Know

The IMD business school, based in Lausanne on Lake Geneva, likes to call its MBA a “one-year leadership development program” which aims to transform students’ careers. MBA Dean Omar Toulan is confident that the program will develop leaders who challenge what is and inspire what could be, while transforming organizations and contributing to society. The idea, he says, is to do it through reflective and responsible leadership.

“Reflective and Responsible Leadership means that we don’t create leaders; we help develop skills & the ability to make tough/difficult decisions and communicate them. Today’s challenging environment places even more importance on the value of effective leadership. Addressing this challenge is at the core of IMD’s mission and our aim to foster the development of reflective and responsible leaders,” says Dean Toulan.

As a school that specializes in executive education, the MBA is designed to give students a personalized leadership experience, developing students into responsible leaders who can sustainably impact society.

A strong support system is provided through the 1:2 faculty-to-student ratio and 20 sessions with a psychoanalyst.

As for curriculum, the personalized leadership development experience integrates classes, live business cases, personal coaching and company projects across the globe. Students are assigned personal career coaches who help them understand their leadership style and find a suitable job after they graduate. Mentorship is a strong element; students are assigned alumni who can advise them in their career journey.

The program learning journey is supported by four pillars – first, it focuses on developing reflective and responsible global leaders. Next is the experiential element of the program, where over 40% of learning takes place outside the traditional classroom, giving students actionable insights that they can directly apply. This personalized approach of the school aims to help students better understand what drives them and the environment they will best thrive in, while simultaneously learning the skills they need to bring sustainability to their careers.

A focus on sustainability is a red thread throughout the program, with new experiential activities, labs and debates as well as partnerships designed to develop students’ ability to make a positive impact. For two weeks they travel to different countries to explore global challenges and innovative solutions and a variety of labs and experiential exercises are organized in partnership with the WBCSD, such as a 2-day COP simulation.