IMD Business School

From IMD Business School:

THE IMD MBA

2022 will mark the 50th anniversary of the IMD MBA. The IMD MBA is a one-year, full-time leadership journey for those with the ambitions to make a real difference in a complex and rapidly changing world.

Vision

More than ever, we believe the world needs leaders who are globalists, who are digitally savvy, and who have an entrepreneurial mindset. We have designed the IMD MBA to equip candidates with these skills so that they graduate ready to face and impact tomorrow’s challenges.

Ecosystem

IMD’s campus is situated in the international environment of Lausanne, Switzerland. Surrounded by lakes, vineyards, and mountains, the country offers not only a beautiful setting but is also the leading country for innovation and is a leading global FinTech hub.

While here, our participants are exposed to the local eco-system of technology and research programs such as the EPFL Blue BrainProject, startups, NGOS, and sports federations.

Numerous multinational companies have also chosen to base their headquarters in this vibrant region, from the traditional finance and banking sectors to pharma and luxury goods as well as industry leaders such as Cisco, Nestlé, Philip Morris and Medtronic.

And about 9,000 executives from multinationals around the world, choose IMD to continue their learning development and participate in our top-ranked executive programs.

The Program

The IMD MBA has been designed to deliver an intimate, personalized leadership development experience with an unmatched emphasis on entrepreneurship, globalization, and digitalization while equipping participants with the classic MBA toolkit. Our 1:2 Faculty MBA ratio enables professors to get to know each class member’s profile and aspirations, and individual leadership coaching and career advice help participants to understand themselves, and their strengths and weaknesses, better. Both the leadership stream and the career development stream run throughout the year. The leadership stream combines classes in the auditorium with experiential exercises both on and off-campus and an optional 20 hours with an analyst. In fact, over one-third of the program is experiential, developing hands-on experience of business skills, teamwork and the ability to find ways to collaborate with other stakeholders.

Entrepreneurial

We have a long-held emphasis on entrepreneurship that we are now developing into intrapreneurship – what does entrepreneurship mean for large companies in this digitalized world? Graduates need to be agile and able to apply an entrepreneurial mindset to complex challenges. Aside from being a part of the core curriculum, participants also spend their first few months at IMD working in teams with local startup ventures to help them develop their business plan, financial model and marketing strategy.

Global

From day one, participants are immersed in a global world – amongst their classmates alone there are around 40 nationalities, the majority of whom have already worked outside of their home country and have demonstrated their global mindset and appreciation of the value of diversity. During their year at IMD, they work on global cases; travel around the world together exploring key tech hubs during their Discovery Expedition; work with top management of multinationals for their 8-week International Consulting Projects; they meet, negotiate with, and are hired by top international recruiters.

Digital

All of our core courses integrate a digital dimension and reflect the increasingly disruptive and fast-paced environment of business. In addition, a week-long Innovation Lab and a Digital Lab aim to accelerate participants’ expertise in digital technology, design thinking and translating existing technologies to business solutions.

IMD MBA Participants

We are probably the most diverse MBA program. Each year we put together a select group of 90 experienced, mature and globally-minded participants who want to make a difference. They pull together to get the most out of this intense year; they trust and help each other; they open their networks to each other; they graduate with bonds that last a lifetime.

Statistically, on average participants have 7 years of work experience, the majority are in the 28-32 age bracket, they speak an average of 4 languages, and they have all demonstrated their potential through their work progress, achievements, and responsibilities. They join us because they aspire to more. They want to develop, to play a role in a global world, to seriously invest a year to build on their experiences and become leaders capable of taking responsibility at the highest levels of business.

Career Development

Our Career Development Stream runs in parallel to the program to help participants continue their successful trajectory and meet their short and long-term career aspirations. Workshops, panel discussions, and guest speakers help the class to acquire a solid foundation of essential skills. Each MBA also works with an individual career advisor to develop their personalized professional strategy. Networking, talent forums, and company presentations open up new possibilities and opportunities before the key on and off-campus recruiting phase. The close collaboration of our Career Development team with both the companies that take part in our recruiting activities and each individual MBA, help make connections that lead to informed career decisions in a global world.

An Executive Alumni Network

After graduating, alumni maintain strong ties to their classmates, while also benefitting from the wider global alumni network of over 100,000 executives. Classes return to the IMD campus year after year to celebrate their annual reunions or meet in different locations around the world. Alumni clubs in over 40 countries organize networking events and update learning experiences, and our MBA graduates are active in volunteering their ongoing support around the world. They help potential applicants through the decision process, mentor current candidates, take part in simulated interviews, and even frequently return as recruiters themselves. We are proud of the ties that we maintain with them.

Admissions

To find the right group of 90, our Recruitment and Admissions team offer four application deadlines: February 1st, May 1st, July 1st, and September 1st.

When assessing candidates, we look for leadership potential, international exposure and outlook, solid intellectual ability, strong career progression, interpersonal skills, integrity, and a desire to learn and contribute.

Applicants with a strong profile are invited for further assessment, either on campus in Lausanne or at specific international locations. These assessment days allow us to get to know each applicant more personally and to really discover what makes them unique. It also allows them to get to experience our teaching style and culture and to assess us in person.

IMD is committed to fostering the growth of diversity in the program, and we seek to generate more qualified applications from candidates who have something to offer to the class and society. We offer a variety of both merit and need-based scholarships that are linked to our different admissions application deadlines to reduce the financial barrier for those with the potential, drive, and passion that we are looking for.

Conclusion:

If you’re driven to make a positive impact in the world, the IMD MBA will help you unlock your true potential. Challenge yourself, challenge us: apply now.