Category: Alumni

The spirit of the IMD MBA

On By IMD-MBA-BlogIn Alumni, Faculty, Guest entry

As we prepare to welcome in the next MBA Program Dean, Seán Meehan, here are some final words from Professor Ralf Boscheck, who has been running the ship for the past four years.

IMD’s year is ending and so is my fourth and last term as MBA Program Director. Time to thank you for your support and to sum up what we tried to do.

For the last four years, we aimed to put the program into the centre of the school. The idea was to combine its small size and the benefit of attention with the scale of one of the largest executive development operations in the world. In the process, we broke up silos and dismantled hierarchies. We changed our recruiting procedures, adjusted our marketing efforts and strengthened key elements of the program. We improved some rankings and even managed to change some rating methodologies. We also publicly challenged those appraisals where – even when results improved – we questioned the integrity of the statistics that had been applied. Some praised us for it – others clearly did not. And boy – did they not praise us.

Over the years, the MBA office transformed into a successful and truly collaborative team that generated a range of new and valuable initiatives. At the end, we hope to have made some improvements to what has always been a solid and unique program. For the last four years, our tag line has been – “the skills to know, the confidence to act and the humility to lead.”  Even if these words were to change in the future – I think we would be well advised to recall them as the spirit of what we stand for.

Personally, I am very thankful for the opportunity that the MBA assignment has given me – I learned things about others and myself that I would have not realized otherwise. I learned to trust, gained confidence and a bit of humility.

Let me end with a question that a former colleague of ours, the late Professor Stewart Hamilton, asked me a long time back – and I know I have asked this question to some of you before: “How many years are between 30 & 40?”

The answer is “Less than you think … may be three … So as you pursue your career don’t forget to live!

On that note, all the best to you and your families.

Ralf

MBA 2016 – 1st Reunion

On By IMD-MBA-BlogIn Alumni, Guest entry

As one class approaches their graduation, another celebrates their first reunion. We welcome back Kunal Chandra, 2016 blogger, who kindly shares some insights in this guest post.

It hasn’t even been a year since we left IMD and we are already planning reunions just to be able to meet our friends again. The first official IMD MBA 2016 reunion was held in Barcelona at the end of September. The beautiful city, full of energy and warmth, was a perfect location to mirror our own emotions as we joined up with our batch mates and their partners. Continue reading “MBA 2016 – 1st Reunion” →

Before the 10 year reunion

On By IMD-MBA-BlogIn Alumni, Guest entry

Co-founders of Fifth Breath, Daniela McKenzie (Romanian/American) and Irina Marchenkova-Arya (Russian), alumni from the MBA 2008 class, write today’s guest entry about their upcoming launch.

Dana and Irina

Hard to believe that next year it will be 10 years since we left the amphitheatres benches and study rooms at IMD. Maybe because IMD has been, and continues to be, such a constant in our lives through our MBA year KIT (Keep in Touch) list that brings regular updates from across the world, or the whatsapp group or the visits and mini reunions that are going on all the time between members of our class.

Hard to believe that pressures of corporate roles, growing families and living across the world, distance and time difference have not stopped a budding idea that reunited us in more than friendship ways. Throughout the years post MBA, Irina and I kept sharing our thoughts on entrepreneurship and what would be a worthwhile mission to take on one day. We both aligned on building something that has integrity, that betters the world and delivers sustainable solutions to an otherwise burgeoning problem.

The Venn diagram confluence of all these criteria became apparent to us through our personal interests and love for yoga and wool and we set to make the first natural fibre practice mat. The yoga industry lacks truly natural and mindful product choices, and instead of fulfilling its original purpose of bettering people and keeping the planet unharmed, it is now part of the problem of overflowing waste landfills with PVC mats that will take 200 years to decompose.

Wool is the complete natural fibre, whose qualities are perfectly suited for the yoga practice: cushioning, yet light, temperature regulator, non-allergenic, sweat and odour resistant, fire resistant, biodegradable and ethically grown.

The initial prototyping, market tests and supply chain validation were so encouraging, we decided to have a proper launch for this business built during crazy hours between New Zealand and Switzerland, with four kids at times (for each of us) tugging away for our attention.

We teamed up with another mate from our class, Jesper Hornberg (Swedish), who has built a successful and impactful business in Kenya, inspired by our class expedition there back in June 2008 and we’re also launching a limited edition for the mat, with proceeds going to one of Givewatts projects of delivering solar lamps to school children.

While you might think this a carefully curated storyline, we agree that we are only giving you the clean version of this past year, since Fifth Breath was born. With all the enthusiasm, there have also been long hours, disagreements, expensive mistakes and sacrifices to deal with. Our families’ support have been outstanding and overall, our strong belief in what we are building and the complementarity of our skills in getting there carried us through the downs.

A bunch of the skills learned during our MBA applied, for others we had to dig deep in this entrepreneurial journey. But how exciting, we are about to embark on the official launch for Fifth Breath at OMYogaShow in London, Oct 20-22.

Dana mat_2

Wish us good tides. This is not only our story, it is an IMD story to add to the richness of what this institution has inspired countless people over the years with.

Daniela and Irina

dana.mckenzie@fifthbreath.com

irina.arya@fifthbreath.com

www.fifthbreath.com

Still inspired after five years!

On By IMD-MBA-BlogIn Alumni, Guest entry

Brazilian/Italian Diego Magnus, returned to campus to catch up with his 2012 classmates and a special member of this year’s MBA program – his sister.

Arriving home in Brazil makes me reflect how much I already miss my friends. Being back on campus in Lausanne for the IMD MBA 2012 reunion, which happened on Friday and continued over the weekend, inspired a general feeling of “it seems like only yesterday that we finished the program”. Continue reading “Still inspired after five years!” →

MBA 2012 back on campus!

On By suzylaurentIn Alumni

Walking onto campus on Friday morning was like taking a step back in time. The faces in the coffee break-out area, the foyer, were all so familiar, and yet they did not belong to this year’s participants. Instead, I was greeted by alumni from the class of 2012 who were back on campus to celebrate their five year reunion!

Their day on campus started at 08h30 and was followed by various lectures, presentations and updates by the President, the Dean and other faculty. Coffee breaks, lunch and dinner offered time to catch up with each other, partners and children, as well as IMD staff, before setting off for the mountains for further activities.

Here is the traditional fun reunion photo:

_MG_2221fun

Looking forward to a guest blog to hear more about the weekend!

Suzy