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IMD Board Readiness Diploma

Lay a solid foundation for your board career

IMD Board Readiness Diploma

Lay a solid foundation for your board career

Location
Online & Lausanne
Length
5 weeks online & 6 days on campus with flexible timetable
Fee

CHF 20,000

Position yourself as a future-fit board member

The IMD Board Readiness Diploma equips executive directors and aspiring board members to confidently take up a board mandate. Participants will explore the principles, practices, and behaviors necessary for effective board directorship and reinforce their learning through multiple exercises and activities.

The learning journey ensures that they have the knowledge and skills to confidently serve on and contribute to a board.

After completing the diploma and accumulating boardroom experience, participants can continue their learning journey and obtain the IMD Board Director Diploma.

Explore areas of board work

Understand how governance drives organizational performance and explore core areas of board work.

Gain a framework

Learn a framework for identifying and assessing the four underlying pillars of board effectiveness.

Tailor your learning

Customize your learning according to your needs, areas of interest and aspirations to develop yourself as a board member.

Prepare for a non-executive role

Build confidence and credibility to bridge the move from executive to non-executive, and understand what drives you to contribute in your board work.

Certify your skills

Earn your diploma to demonstrate that you have developed knowledge and skills for the boardroom.

Woman board member in a classroom at IMD business school
You and your peers

You will have the opportunity to network with fellow participants coming from diverse international organizations and a broad range of industries.

Typical participants are:

  • Senior leaders interested in governance and boards
  • Senior executives preparing for a board appointment
  • Executive directors who interacts with the organizational board
  • Group executives preparing to sit on a subsidiary board

 

After the program, you will continue your learning journey by joining IMD’s vibrant board community.

Your learning journey
Prepare for your board diploma journey
  • Meet your dedicated coach and discuss your learning goals.
  • Start your learning journal, identifying your journey objectives.
Attend Mastering Board Governance

Online, 5 weeks, 6-8 hours per week

Begin with the core program, Mastering Board Governance. Learn how a board functions and understand good governance principles. Engage in weekly board simulations with feedback. 

Choose your three thematic board programs

On campus, three 2-day programs 

Complete your learning activities

Online

Complete your learning journey with a board simulation, and finance and governance assessments.

Receive your IMD Board Readiness Diploma

After gaining relevant and substantive board experience, continue your journey with the High Performance Boards program to earn the IMD Board Director Diploma. 

Activities throughout your learning journey

You will engage in a range of activities aimed at supporting your development of key governance capabilities and prompting reflection about the implications for you as a board member.

Learning journal

Reflect on your growth and insights, reviewed by your coach and learning manager.

Coaching calls

Engage in two calls with your designated coach to discuss progress.

Governance assessment

Complete a comprehensive assessment on board governance principles.

Finance assessment

Test your financial oversight skills with a comprehensive assessment.

Board simulation exercise

Participate in a 60-minute online board simulation exercise assessed both by your coach and peers.

 

Hear what IMD board diploma graduates say

IMD board diploma graduates speak about their learning experience, just after receiving their diplomas.

What our participants say
Jacqueline Hess

Vice-Chair Board of Directors, Vontobel Swiss Financial Advisers AG, Switzerland

Governance skills that drive impact and value

I’m formally launching my board career. IMD’s board education is a strong credential to evidence good board governance skills that drive impact and value. Executive search firms are very interested to know that I have this diploma. It honed my governance experience and skill set and broadened my perspective. I now have a better awareness of where I could have blind spots and the actions I can take to work on them.

Bjarni Thordur Bjarnason

Founder & Deputy CEO, Arctica Finance, Iceland

I learned how exemplary boards function

IMD enlightened me on how exemplary boards function and helped me find my role and balance on boards in order to make a real contribution. Anyone who is an aspiring board member and wants to feel prepared for the next stage really needs to take this diploma.

Anouk De Blieck

Non-Executive Director, Elliott Scott HR & Member of the Board of Advisors, Lifeed, Italy

I gained credibility, depth and experience

With boards comes responsibility. Transitioning to a board career demands good governance foundations and solid frameworks. IMD provided just that, with its blend of theory and practice. Being certified with the diploma and having that boards language provides credibility, depth and experience.

Board community
A valuable board community

Your diploma journey enables you to build a valuable network of board members that you can count on for advice and support far into the future.

You will join a community of past IMD board program participants who meet regularly – face-to-face and virtually – to exchange board experiences from different contexts and discuss the latest developments and trends in governance.

Explore your program options
Become part of IMD alumni network

Grow your network by staying engaged with IMD.

On successful completion of this program, you become part of IMD’s powerful alumni network.

130k+ alumni

Networking

250+ events per year

Communities

50+ clubs worldwide

Resources