IMD business school for management and leadership courses

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…

Part One: Ipsen, a global pharmaceutical firm headquartered in France, was facing significant challenges, including regulatory setbacks and fierce competition, when David Loew assumed the role of CEO in 2020. The loss of exclusivity for Somatuline, Ipsen’s flagship cancer drug, added to the complexities. Tasked by the board, Loew aimed to lead …

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…

This note uses physics metaphors like energy and momentum as a framework for leaders to drive success in their organizations. Effective leaders mobilize their organization’s latent potential – skills, talent and creativity – turning it into work for progress and innovation. Steve Jobs’s culture of learning at Apple illustrates how potential can …

This case is about the dilemma faced by Elisabeth Vardheim, a C-level executive at Statnett, Norway’s transmission grid operator. As a result of its participation in the Paris Agreement, Norway decided to greatly accelerate the national energy transition. An increased reliance on electricity, however, brings with it a pressing need for more high…

Many companies today face the need to embark on a dual transformation: Reinventing and sustaining their core business while concurrently creating new, future businesses. This case about Globe Telecom, Inc., in the Philippines presents the s.tory of just such a transformation The case is bookended by the CEO’s 14-year tenure and describes success…

MAY 2022: The planning phase for the Engage project has taken way too long, in part because the technological platform was so critical to the success of the project. After months of discussions with a fintech company, a proof of concept had been delivered, showing promising results but it was still far from the fully integrated solution that had…

SEPTEMBER 2020: Adam Tejpaul and Gabriele Zaninetti were just tasked with the most transformative project J.P. Morgan Private Bank had faced in over 15 years, i.e. the integration of advisory services as part of their offerings. Adam knew the private banking industry inside-out and had witnessed all major changes in the private banking industry….

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a network of 250 multinational companies collaborating to achieve Vision2050 ¬– a plan for a world where nine billion people can live well within the limits of the planet. WBCSD sets an ambitious agenda along three imperatives – climate, equity and nature action. The CEO of WBCSD,…

When one of On’s co-founders stepped into the elevator at the brand new On Labs headquarters in Zurich, a fellow co-worker asked whether it was also his first day at On. He was speechless. Less than a decade earlier, the 5 partners regularly went for lunch runs with some of the other 30 team members. And now in April 2023, On was a publicly list…

This note highlights the pivotal role of psychological safety in fostering a culture of flexibility and innovation within organizations, especially in a rapidly changing business environment. Drawing from Amy Edmondson’s seminal research, psychological safety is defined as the collective assurance felt by team members that they can openly expres…

The CEO of Revier Cattle Company, Tom Revier, had been an innovator in sustainable farming and humane livestock practices for over two decades. He and his partner Paul Hillen are considering whether they should launch a branded differentiated product in the market, and if so, how they should position this offering. The product has definite advan…

In today’s turbulent business landscape, organizational change is imperative for survival and success. However, research reveals that 75% of transformations fall short of their objectives. The root causes of this failure are often human-centric, stemming from factors like fear of the unknown, loss of competence, identity, status, relationships, …

This note summarizes how Judo’s “gentle way” offers insights for mastering organizational politics. The Japanese martial art of Judo combines physical skill with mental strength and ethics. Its core principles offer valuable lessons for navigating organizational politics. 1. Maximum Efficiency but Minimum Effort (Seiryoku Zenyo): Judo emphasize…

On Wednesday 15 September 2021, about 100 On team members were going to jog to the NYSE to mark the running shoe brand’s first day as a publicly traded company. One of few unicorns in Switzerland, On had been founded in January 2010 by running enthusiasts David Allemann and Caspar Coppetti, together with former professional athlete Olivier Bernh…