The MBA International Consulting Projects truly live up to IMD’s core – real learning, real impact. For seven weeks, the MBA cohort is split into 17 teams, each allocated to work full-time for a client company to solve its most pressing and challenging issues.
Topics can span from new market entry and sustainability strategies to increasing competitiveness through AI or financial risk management – just to name a few. It is a fantastic opportunity for MBA candidates to put into practice what they have learned during the MBA lectures and leverage their critical thinking, apply new tools, and create new insights that help clients advance their strategic initiatives.
During the projects, it is great to see how the MBAs take their development to an even higher level, and companies consistently tell us how impressed they are with the final recommendations and presentations. We’re looking forward to hearing the results of this year’s projects.
What is equally important for the MBAs is to leverage the power of diversity. Each team consists of 4-6 MBAs who each have unique skill sets and come from different industries and backgrounds. Leveraging this diversity is key to creating true impact for the client. And it presents another great learning opportunity for the teams as they learn how to create a high-performing team that can generate new insights and concrete recommendations within a short period.
The ICPs are not only a great opportunity for our MBAs to be exposed to larger international organizations across various industries and geographies, but also the client organizations benefit greatly. On the one hand, they leverage to work with some of the smartest and most talented MBAs in the world who help them advance strategic topics. It is a fantastic opportunity to tap into the latest research and insights that the MBAs have been exposed to. On the other hand, they also tap into this diverse talent pool for future recruiting. Being able to work closely with a team of MBAs helps them to identify who of the MBAs might be a potential future hire. The MBAs can bring a fresh, outside-in perspective to the client’s organization and can challenge the status quo.
Now that we are entering the 43rd year that the ICPs have been conducted, with many clients returning year after year, the numbers speak for themselves. Since 1980, more than 700 projects in more than 160 industries and 70 countries have been conducted. We are looking forward to the impact that this year’s ICPs will deliver!
Dominik Chahabadi
IMD Learning Manager and Head of International Consulting Projects (ICP)
