Research Centers

Introduction

Since 2010, the IMD Global Board Center has supported boards and senior leaders by providing unique resources and world-class research on current governance issues and trends. Building on more than 40 years’ experience, the center helps some of the most respected organizations in the world transform their governance practices for the better through board education.

Year in review

Programs
In November, the center delivered its first online program “Mastering Board Governance”, with an initial cohort of 28. This five-week program revolves around an innovative immersion simulation, which challenges participants with weekly assignments in different board roles.

In a sign of robust demand, the flagship “High Performance Boards” program attracted 136 participants in 2021 – the second highest on record. The program, which moved to face-to-face delivery from May, continued to feature high-profile speakers such as Barbara Dalibard, SITA CEO and Chair of Michelin, and Carine Smith Ihenacho, Chief Governance and Compliance Officer at Norges Bank Investment Management. The center achieved gender parity across participants, guest speakers and faculty for several editions of the program.

The Board Practice Series, a pathway to certified board excellence, enjoyed its strongest year since its 2018 launch, more than doubling its participants (to 212) and revenue compared to 2020.

The center continued to provide impactful customized programs, with clients ranging from state-owned enterprises, public corporations and leading family businesses to international organizations and global banks.

Research
The center further cemented its reputation as a leader in governance research, with an article on CEO option pay and the pay gap, co-authored by Term Research Professor Stephen Smulowitz, appearing in the FT50 journal Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. The center submitted a further four articles for FT50 publication in 2021 and also presented research at leading conferences such as the Academy of Management Conference and the International Corporate Governance Society Conference.

Outreach
The center offered support to international NGOs, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, to nurture best governance practice as well as engaging with the Professional Boards Forum to promote female board appointments. The center also collaborated with the Institute of Corporate Directors on a series of engagements in the Philippines.