IMD business school for management and leadership courses

Dolf van den Brink, CEO of HEINEKEN, left the company’s global headquarters in Amsterdam for a company retreat. Over the next three days, the entire executive team would gather to discuss the company’s future. The preliminary results for 2022, presented during the recent two-day Capital Markets Event, were positive, and the company’s progress on…

This study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on corporate financial performance using a unique, cross-country, and longitudinal sample of 3350 listed firms worldwide. We find that the financial performance of family firms has been significantly higher than that of nonfamily firms during the COVID-19 pandemic, accounting for pre-pandem…

Sept 2022. Corinne Avelines, SIBIUS’s CEO, had received the news that the results of the first large-scale test of the company’s first product had just been published. The test, conducted with children between 3 and 4 years old, validated their approach to early detection of autism. The technology was grounded in research showing that it was pos…

The case discusses the development of Valeur Absolue – the niche luxury perfume company – from its inception in 2012 through to 2022 and the leadership journey of its founder Bénédicte Foucart. In pursuit of her purpose to empower women and increase the positive energy in their lives, Bénédicte believed that she would be able to address women’s …

AMAG is Switzerland’s premier automotive retail and service company, holding exclusive rights to import Volkswagen Group car brands such as Audi, Volkswagen, Skoda, Cupra and Seat. In 2022 AMAG had 7,300 employees and a revenue of CHF 4.4 billion. The electrification of the automotive industry and the introduction of the agency model by the Volk…

Without much family discussion, PDJ put majority ownership of Grundfos into the Poul Due Jensen Foundation in 1975. His family would receive a 15% stake in the company. This ownership stake was important, since by Danish law, the company could be sold if family ownership fell below 10%. The 8-member foundation board would oversee the company’s l…

Nespresso, the global leading brand in portioned coffee, is facing an existential threat. The company’s current market base, which consists primarily of aging consumers, is likely to decline in the medium to long term. To compensate for the certain shortfall, the company needs to attract young coffee drinkers among Millennials and Generation Z, …

Nathalie grappled with the divergent views in her head and from her team, evaluating a range of options: Persisting doggedly, halting completely, pausing temporarily, decelerating prudently or reconsidering and crafting a new strategy. The case discusses the cost of perseverance and provides an opportunity to explore the qualities of a CEO faci…

This case examines the leadership challenges faced by Nathalie Wappler, the new CEO of SRF, a public media company that operates in the German-speaking part of Switzerland and is part of the largest media company in Switzerland, SRG. The study spans the period from 2019 to 2021, capturing the seismic shift in corporate identity, disruptive chang…

The Midvale Healthcare System case explores the impact of complexity, uncertainty, volatility and ambiguity (CUVA) on leadership decision making and prioritization. Midvale, a traditionally stable healthcare provider, is experiencing an escalating cascade of internal and external challenges. These include shifting patient demographics, reimburse…

In 2022, Elon Musk, known for his innovative ideas and often compared to Steve Jobs, made a big move by buying Twitter for $44 billion. He then started transforming the microblogging platform, rebranding it as “X.” His goal was to turn Twitter into a super app like WeChat in Asia, combining many services like messaging, shopping and payments int…

E-commerce as a share of retail continues to grow, accelerated by the pandemic. This is particularly true of the online grocery market. As one of the largest online grocery markets in the world, the UK has many players, but two of the most dynamic are the market leader – Tesco – and Ocado. These two companies have taken markedly different approa…

The founding partner of DAA capital gives a deep dive on how pension funds shape their engagement with venture capital.

From reconfiguring supply chains to engaging with policymakers, these tactics, based on expert interviews, offer a roadmap for multinationals to thrive in a world marked by geopolitical turbulence.

Benjamin Von Wong is a Canadian artist who has gained recognition for creating powerful images that carry important environmental and social messages. He combines fantasy, surrealism, and environmental themes. Here, he explains how his creative approach translates for business leaders.

Leaders often get asked to spearhead discussions at global gatherings. You cannot just rock up and hope for the best. Preparation, active listening, and adaptability are the guiding principles for creating forums of exchange and exploration.

Mike and Amit discuss why microprocessors are so vital to the future of AI and the story of one hardware maker that’s a cut above the rest.

CEOs face unprecedented pressure to address environmental concerns “now”. Knut Haanaes, Julia Binder, and Bryony Jansen-van Tuyll explain why companies must heed this urgent imperative to act.