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Didier Cossin

Program Director

Didier Cossin is Chaired Professor of Governance and Finance, leading IMD Global Board Center.

Didier Cossin

Program Director

Didier Cossin is Chaired Professor of Governance and Finance, leading IMD Global Board Center.

Meet your Program Director

Didier Cossin is the founder and director of the IMD Global Board Center, the originator of the Four Pillars of Board Effectiveness methodology and an advocate of Stewardship. He is the author and co-author of books such as Inspiring Stewardship, book chapters (such as Governance Risk: A Guide for Investors) and many articles in the fields of governance, investments, risks and stewardship, several of which have obtained citations of excellence or other awards.

Professor Cossin works with owners, boards and senior leaders to provide the latest thinking on best-in-class governance, board effectiveness, the governance and selection of investments, board dynamics and strategy design. He favors an adaptive and interactive approach to finding distinctive solutions for organizations on a wide range of governance topics. His latest research focuses on stewardship, how we can foster organizations to have long-term positive social impact while creating economic value for all. His past research has dealt with optimizing governance in critical decision making, M&As and risks.

Article

How to shift managers’ focus from short-term profit to long-term social impact

Engaging long-term institutional investors and financial analysts can curb excesses of managerial short-termism and boost corporate social performance, argue Stephen Smulowitz, Didier Cossin, and Abraham Hongze Lu.

By Stephen Smulowitz, Didier Cossin and Abraham Hongze Lu

02 December 2024

Article

The four governance trends that will impact investments in 2024

Didier Cossin, Chaired Professor of Governance and Finance and Founder and Director of the IMD Global Board Center, looks at how the governance of political, corporate, and non-market institutions and systems will impact markets next year.

By Didier Cossin

14 December 2023

Article

How to survive and thrive in a geopolitical storm

The business world has been upended by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. But chaos can bring opportunity if your board of directors is prepared for action, write Didier Cossin and Abraham Lu.

By Didier Cossin and Abraham Hongze Lu

26 July 2022

Article

Director diversity: What next for the boardroom?

There are more women on boards than ever – but is that really the end point of our diversity push? To really gain from diversity, the boards of the future will need to expand the way they define it.

By Didier Cossin

31 May 2022

Anand Narasimhan

Shell Professor of Global Leadership and Dean of Research

Anand Narasimhan is Shell Professor of Global Leadership and Dean of Research. He focuses on top team and board dynamics and their impact on organizational transformation. He works with board directors and senior executives on how to enhance their leadership presence to create a positive impact on their followers and stakeholders. Anand’s teac…

Öykü Işık

Professor of Digital Strategy and Cybersecurity

Öykü Işık is Professor of Digital Strategy and Cybersecurity. She is an expert on digital resilience and the ways in which disruptive technologies challenge our society and organizations. Named on the Thinkers50 Radar 2022 list of up-and-coming global thought leaders, she helps businesses to tackle cybersecurity, data privacy, and digital ethic…

Michael Yaziji

Professor of Strategy and Leadership

Michael Yaziji is Professor of Strategy and Leadership. With two PhDs, his expertise spans strategy, leadership, and sustainability. In the area of strategy, his current focus is on artificial intelligence, on which he lectures regularly. He leads the IMD faculty interest group on the topic and initiatives across multiple institutions (IMD, EPFL…

Goutam Challagalla

Professor of Strategy and Marketing and dentsu Group Chair in Sustainable Strategy and Marketing

Goutam Challagalla is Professor of Strategy and Marketing and dentsu Group Chair in Sustainable Strategy and Marketing. He focuses on how digital advances and sustainability concerns are impacting companies’ business strategies and approaches to marketing. Having helped companies to rethink their business models and build new capabilities in the …

Ric Roi

Affiliate Professor of Leadership and Organization

Ric Roi is Affiliate Professor of Leadership and Organization. He is a senior business psychologist who advises boards and CEOs on matters related to board renewal, CEO succession, and leadership transitions. He is also an expert in top team effectiveness and strategic talent management solutions. He has extensive experience in consulting and has l…

Mohan Subramaniam

Professor of Strategy and Digital Transformation

Mohan Subramaniam is Professor of Strategy and Digital Transformation. He focuses on the digital transformation of incumbent industrial firms and new sources of competitive advantage in the digital age. He is a recognized thought leader in digital strategy and has helped senior executives in several companies find new sources of value and growth fo…

Ina Toegel

Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change

Ina Toegel is Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change. Named one of the top business school professors globally by Poets&Quants, which included her on its ‘Best 40 under 40’ list in 2021, her work focuses on how to build and sustain high-performance teams. She started her career as an economist at the World Bank – an atypical backgr…

Jennifer Jordan

Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior

Jennifer Jordan is Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior. Her teaching, research, and consulting focus on influence, power, family business, women’s leadership, and leadership transitions. In 2019, she was named by Poets&Quants as one of the world’s leading business school professors under 40. Leaders in today’s society need …

Guest speakers

Experts regularly join the High Performance Boards program to share their experience. Here are some of our recent guest speakers.

Christoph Franz

Chairman, Roche Holding AG; Board Member, Stadler Rail AG and Zurich Insurance Company Ltd

Michel Demaré

Chairman, AstraZeneca, IMD Business School, and Nomoko Board Member, Vodafone and Louis Dreyfus Company

Eunice Zehnder-Lai

Vice Chair, Geberit; Board Member, DKSH, Julius Baer, Asia Society Switzerland, and education.org

Paul Bulcke

Chairman, Nestlé; Board Responsibilities at several companies, including L’Oréal, WEF, and Avenir Suisse

Raphael Vermeir

Board Member, ENI

Estelle Métayer

Chair of the Board, Nortera; Board Member at several companies, including Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) and Audemars Piguet

Marie-Christine Coisne-Roquette

Chairwoman, Sonepar S.A.S and Colam Entreprendre, Board Member, TotalEnergies and EssilorLuxottica

Olaug Svarva

Chair of the Board, DNB ASA and Norfund; Board Member, Institute of International Finance (IIF), Investinor, and Freyr Battery

Peter Maurer

Board Responsibilities at several companies, including Zurich Insurance, International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, and Basel Institute on Governance

Elisabeth Bourqui

Chairman, Helsana Health Invest Fund; Board Member at several companies, including Bank Vontobel and Athora Netherlands