Graduation has a way of arriving quietly and all at once.
One moment, you are in the middle of the year, running from class to class, cycling around the lake, competing at MBAT, studying cases, going to Oxford on exchange, working on your self-awareness and team awareness, travelling for International Consulting Projects, and planning where you want to work next year. And then, suddenly, it’s 5am at the Beau-Rivage, the morning after the graduation gala dinner. You’re standing in a disheveled tuxedo, the DJ has played his final song, everyone is hugging and crying, saying, “We did it, we made it!” and you realize it’s all over. The MBA is over. And so is one of the biggest chapters of your life.
Looking back, it’s difficult to separate the IMD MBA into neat chapters. Still, certain moments stand out with clarity, starting with the Leadership Lab and my first group, team MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Completely Exhausted). Reading the first article I posted this year, it’s clear this team was a secure base (a term coined by IMD Professor George Kohlrieser) early on. We cracked jokes (Borat was always a mainstay), spent late nights in the dungeons (recording accounting videos and doing the dragon master – if you know, you know), and grew close as a team.
From there, the MBAT tournament in Paris galvanized the class. Over three days, we competed in football, trivia, cricket, volleyball, e-sports, and more against other European business schools. By the end, we were no longer just classmates moving through a program in parallel – we had become a unit. As my wife later reflected, I am at my best around people who push me, and MBAT captured that perfectly.
Singapore is where those bonds were truly set. All 78 of us flew halfway across the world to live under one roof for a month. Days were spent deep in AI and debates about the future of work; nights unfolded over hawker food and the glow of a city that never seemed to slow down. Unlike Lausanne, where we returned to separate apartments each evening, Singapore became a shared rhythm… morning runs, impromptu dinners, long conversations by the pool or on the rooftop. It was there that many of us first sensed this year would be about far more than frameworks; it would be about lasting friendships.
Around this time, the podcast I started with classmate Konstantin Dreyer, Careers & Character, really kicked off. We recorded conversations on the hotel rooftop and in quiet corners between lectures, speaking with classmates and faculty about their journeys, doubts, and defining moments. It was so rewarding to see how much joy it brought to the people we interviewed – to feel seen, heard, and appreciated. One evening, sitting with our Dean, Omar Toulan, and Konsti on the roof, Omar captured the moment perfectly: “The MBA is a one-time pivot card… use it wisely.”
That idea stayed with me as the leadership theme deepened over the year, particularly through Coaching and the Personal Development Elective, two unique components of the IMD program. The psychoanalytic work embedded in the PDE was among the most meaningful parts of my year, though it didn’t come easily. At first, I resisted opening up, questioning why my thoughts, feelings, and even my dreams were being prodded when I would rather have been studying (there was always more work) or exploring Lausanne with friends. Over time, I saw the value of looking “under the hood” – noticing the patterns I repeat, the defenses I default to, and the fears beneath my ambition. By my final session, the afternoon after graduation, I told my analyst I felt an immense sense of “inner peace”. With myself and with what lies ahead.
This shift happened quietly. At some point, I realized I was no longer preparing to become a leader. I already was one. In the future, we will be the adults in the room. People will look to us for judgment, for direction under uncertainty, for calm under pressure. IMD didn’t shield us from that reality – it accelerated our exposure to it by throwing us into new teams every month and turning up the heat. By year’s end, I felt more capable. More grounded. More intentional.
There were many highs, but also some lows. The final stretch, especially the job search, tested me. Rejections hurt. But that, too, was part of the learning: getting better at pitching, better at casing, and closer to understanding what makes me tick. It also revealed the power of community – people who listen, challenge you, and help you lift your chin when things don’t go to plan. That sentiment was echoed on Friday when our class speaker, Alfonso “Poncho” Martinez, took the stage, capturing with humor and heart what it truly means to have done an MBA at IMD: “This is not just a degree, it’s a support system.”
None of this happens in isolation.
I feel enormous gratitude to Omar, whose energy, warmth, and wisdom were a constant presence throughout the year. I’m equally grateful to the faculty and staff who carry IMD’s values day after day, often behind the scenes. And to my wife and family. My parents couldn’t be there for graduation, but my in-laws were, and I felt deeply loved and supported throughout the year.
Above all, I’m grateful for my classmates – the people I’ll miss the most. This Monday, it hit home. There was no class to return to. No familiar seats. No 7am gym with the boys. Just the quiet recognition that an era had ended. We won’t see each other every day anymore, but there will be reunions, weddings, and shared milestones to come.
Looking back now, life feels richer because of this year. I feel like a more capable leader and a more well-rounded businessperson. Life feels full of possibility. Doors have opened, both professionally and personally, that would not have existed otherwise. The MBA has given me the confidence to pursue a more meaningful career and the courage to chase my dreams.
As Mark Greeven so beautifully reminded us, quoting Mary Oliver: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
I can’t wait to see where everyone goes and what everyone builds with their beautiful lives.
Well done, Class of 2025.
We did it.
(banner image: Rowing with Olli Zeidler on our last morning before graduating.
IMD MBA note:
And so ends the 25th year of MBA diary/blog entries, with another group of dedicated students sharing their stories, experiences and insights. Congratulations to all of our class of 2025 graduates and a warm thank you to this year’s bloggers, as well as to all students and alumni who have taken the time to allow us to follow their journeys and get a glimpse into what life during the IMD MBA is truly like.
Suzanne Laurent – MBA Promotion Lead
