IMD Business School

Foundations for Business Leadership

IMD Business School

General Management

About Programme

Most managers excel within their function. But stepping up to general management demands something bigger: the ability to see the whole business, make decisions across disciplines, and lead in a world of increasing complexity and disruption without a roadmap.

Foundations for Business Leadership is designed to close that gap. Over 3 intensive weeks, you broaden business acumen to gain a solid cross-functional understanding. You learn to set, challenge and defend strategy. You develop an enterprise mindset to lead a business end-to-end, and you hone managerial effectiveness to get results through people.

You harness AI as a practical management tool, engage with the latest thinking on ecosystems and non-market strategy, and apply the new insights directly to your own business context. Hands-on simulations plus integrative and reflective exercises ensure what you learn stays beyond the classroom.

You leave confident and equipped to set direction, lead across functions, and perform at a significantly higher level. See full content .

Master the cross-functional fundamentals

From finance to strategy, build the fluency and skills needed to step up to general management.

Lead with an enterprise mindset

See your whole business in action and develop the organizational insight to turn strategy into execution.

Sharpen your managerial effectiveness

Mobilize your people and align resources as a competitive advantage to deliver results that drive impact.

Harness AI to solve your business challenges

Use AI as a practical management tool to tackle your most pressing business problems throughout the program.

Commit to measurable improvement

Set a personal performance agreement at the start of the program and leave with a clear target to track your impact back in your business.

This program is part of our broader General Management portfolio for ambitious executives , designed to strengthen strategic leadership, drive organizational performance, and prepare leaders to navigate complex business challenges.

Programme Content

Learning journey Week 1: Set strategies and manage the numbers
You focus on building the foundational skills needed to develop and evaluate business strategy and back them up with numbers. From reading financial statements to making smart investment decisions under uncertainty.
You put everything into practice through hands-on simulations that mirror your real pressures of business leadership.
Week 2: Lead with an enterprise mindset: see your business end-to-end
You shift from strategy and numbers to see the whole business in action. From marketing and supply chains to AI-powered operations and digital strategy.
You examine how every part of an organization creates and captures value and build negotiation skills and organizational insight to turn your strategy into real-world execution.
Week 3: Integrate stakeholders and lead in ecosystems
You explore how tomorrow’s leading companies operate within broader ecosystems, engaging not just with customers and competitors but with non-market stakeholders.
Guest speakers and industry experts bring the latest hot topics and pressing issues to life.
You sharpen your ability to communicate persuasively and translate strategy into measurable outcomes, culminating in a full business case you build, present, and defend.
Two-day business simulation

Two weeks through the program, you take part in a two-day business simulation which integrates your learning and gives you greater insight into your business performance.

During this dynamic, integrative exercise, you bring together all the new general management skills you have learned on Foundations for Business Leadership and put them into practice by simulating the running and growing of a company. You improve your decision-making skills and overall performance as you see how your decisions impact company results over two years.

Two-day integration and assessment

For the last two days of the program, you prepare an integrative team exercise to bring all the threads of the program together. You present your learning to a panel of judges of alumni and receive your final evaluation.

Drive measurable value for your organization

Each participant commits to a performance agreement defining a concrete business goal to pursue during the program and beyond. Agreed with your line manager, it is a tangible driver of measurable business impact.

Testimonials

"59 brilliant professionals from 27 countries has become an incredible journey among friends. 20 days of broadening cross-functional knowledge and insights on dynamic business strategies, corporate finance, creating value through operations and investments, global supply chain management, creating new value for customers, navigating market shifts and designing the business system for sustainable development, and more. We were challenged and encouraged by numerous case studies and exciting simulations. We scrutinized our ideas and concepts and thoroughly tested our assumptions. It was an incredible journey!"

Dagmar Fässler-Zumstein

Head of Corporate Communications, Berner Kantonalbank, Switzerland

"I jumped right into the deep end with so many accomplished executives and managers. I gained a lot of insights during those rich exchanges. I started to find my stride and gain confidence in this new landscape, learning who I am off the ice and how others view me in the corporate world."

Cody Almond

Professional Hockey Player, Lausanne Hockey Club, Switzerland

"Read Cody’s full FBL experience here"

Nurani Nimpuno

Head of Global Engagement, LINX (The London Internet Exchange), Sweden

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Pedro Pessoa

Business Developer & Strategist, Investment FP&A, GFH, Portugal

"My financial knowledge expanded significantly. I discovered my capacity to quickly develop new skills, and recognized the value of my experience and critical thinking when applying what I had learned. The feedback from my peers was also immensely beneficial."

Barbara Schmidt-Ley

CEO and Board Member, Dima Service, Switzerland

"Truly exceptional caliber of instructors – their passion and expertise bringing every session to life, inspiring my journey. Sharing insights, debating ideas, and learning from each other’s unique perspectives has been nothing short of inspiring. I carry with me not just newfound knowledge, but a network of incredible individuals I’m proud to call friends."

Marcos Agulleiro Canosa

Head of Financial Planning & Analysis , Ferroglobe, Spain

"I’ve attended courses and training on most of these topics before. However, covering all the topics in 20 consecutive days made me understand the general management approach much better (rather than learning separately over a longer time period). The simulation and integrative exercises allowed me for the first time to be able to really use them because I understood the natural flow and direction."

Philomena Tan

Business Manager, Nestlé Products Sdn Bhd, Malaysia

"The team reflection was a very powerful tool for me, understanding where I belong within the corporate world. The professors were excellent, but I also learned a lot from my classmates. Great people, I couldn’t be happier with my experience!"

Rafael Contador

Vice President LATAM, Corbion, Brazil

"Foundations for Business Leadership has given me a new perspective in my quest to build on my business acumen. It opened my eyes to the true spirit of entrepreneurship using effectuation versus causal thinking. I believe this will benefit big FMCG organizations to be more effective and efficient."

Véronique Athané Ryser

Executive Director, SIG, Switzerland

"My top takeaways are 1) gaining a deep understanding of data and AI technology and its application; 2) re-visiting financial concepts and applying to the simulations; 3) networking with brilliant executives from different cultures and industries."

Pascal Tea

CEO, Downtown Studio, Switzerland

"Foundations for Business Leadership is a mind-opener, which relentlessly forces you to question the way you think about your business. The program is an opportunity to strengthen your business knowledge while living a memorable multicultural experience."

Ahmed Rashad Riad

Senior Director, Strategy and Industry Development, Huawei, Switzerland

"The entire program was incredibly valuable. With my background in marketing & communication, I significantly expanded my knowledge in finance, strategy, and supply chain, while also developing a broader, helicopter view of business operations. The opportunity to share insights was enriching, and teamwork allowed us to learn quickly and efficiently. This collaborative environment greatly enhanced my leadership skills and overall effectiveness."

Anonymous

"It’s a profound transformational journey. My key takeaways are 1) Global insights with a diverse cohort: engaging with 59 brilliant executives and business leaders from 27 countries has been a privilege. The diversity and depth of perspectives enriched every discussion, making the learning experience truly global. 2) Intense and comprehensive learning: 360-degree view of business leadership in a remarkably short timeframe: strategy, finance, marketing, digital transformation, supply chain, entrepreneurship, private equity, sustainability, AI, and operations. 3) Self-discovery and leadership growth: challenging my perspectives, pushing me to grow not just as a professional but as an individual, and a leader."

Anonymous

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Prashansa Uttam

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+91 9403890085[email protected]Mon – Fri, 9am – 5pm IST

IMD Business School

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https://www.imd.org
Lausanne, Switzerland

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Foundations for Business Leadership | IMD Business School