Gain and certify the necessary skills to excel as a modern board member
Board education is key to growing excellent individuals into great value-adding board members and evolving their understanding of how boards can best serve organizations. High performing board members excel in their fiduciary duty of overseeing risk and are a real competitive advantage for a company.
An effective board actively supports the organization’s strategy and oversees organizational risks – typically with a different time horizon from senior management. It also engages with governments, society, and other stakeholders in ways that executive teams cannot. With their distinct role and capabilities, boards play a complementary role to CEOs and senior executives, supporting and challenging where needed in an increasingly complex business context.
We have elevated board practice for more than four decades, drawing on the research and world-class thought leadership of the IMD Global Board Center. Our programs offer the breadth and depth of knowledge necessary for board members to make a truly meaningful contribution in their roles.
Hear what IMD board diploma graduates say
IMD board diploma graduates speak about their learning experience, just after receiving their diplomas.
Non-Executive Director, Elliott Scott HR & Member of the Board of Advisors, Lifeed, Italy
With boards comes responsibility. Transitioning to a board career demands good governance foundations and solid frameworks. IMD provided just that, with its blend of theory and practice. Being certified with the diploma and having that boards language provides credibility, depth and experience.
Executive Chairman, Thejo Engineering Limited, India
The different programs of the IMD Board Director Diploma have empowered me to make real use of the learnings around board processes, team dynamics and managing politics. With global participants and targeted learning, this diploma shows you what is truly achievable for your board.
Global Chief Human Resources Officer, Louis Dreyfus Company, Singapore
As a board member you need to stay on your toes and keep learning to understand what’s happening globally and contribute to the growth of the company. With the diploma I grew as a board member in terms of professional knowledge, with a new way of looking at things and the capacity to ask the right questions around a business plan. The programs reenergize you and change the way you approach your work with boards.
Non-Executive Board Member and Chair of the Sustainability & Ethics Committee at Stora Enso, Finland
I had been on a board before but wanted to be effective and clearer on the role and governance of a board. The IMD Board Director Diploma gave me the skills and confidence for my next mandate.
CEO, APM Terminals, Independent NED and board member at various companies, The Netherlands
I was looking for programs that would really provide the framework for my board work. The diploma offered the rich content and the modular learning that I was after for my roles on various boards.
Vice-Chair Board of Directors, Vontobel Swiss Financial Advisers AG, Switzerland
I’m formally launching my board career. IMD’s board education is a strong credential to evidence good board governance skills that drive impact and value. Executive search firms are very interested to know that I have this diploma. It honed my governance experience and skill set and broadened my perspective. I now have a better awareness of where I could have blind spots and the actions I can take to work on them.
Founder & Deputy CEO, Arctica Finance, Iceland
IMD enlightened me on how exemplary boards function and helped me find my role and balance on boards in order to make a real contribution. Anyone who is an aspiring board member and wants to feel prepared for the next stage really needs to take this diploma.
