IMD is mourning the loss of much-valued IMD community member José Lopez, who passed away on Sunday 29th March. An IMD Executive in Residence for many years and former Member of the Executive Board Nestlé S.A., José had been fighting a brave battle against cancer.
A Spanish native, José Lopez was an extraordinary individual. He was an active member of IMD who was strongly appreciated as an IMD guest speaker and student mentor, also offering key insights for IMD research projects.
He energized all those around him and inspired the IMD community with his passion for quality and sustainability, as well as his commitment to society.
José enabled a number of client connections and provided testimonials for potential clients. Back in 1992 and 1998 he had completed the Managing Corporate Resources (predecessor of the Advanced Management Program) and the Seminar for Senior Executives (predecessor of the Breakthrough Program for Senior Executives Program).
President of IMD Jean-François Manzoni said, “José Lopez will be sorely missed. He was a great friend of the school, its faculty, its staff and students. He was very generous with his time, as well as kind and supportive.
“He contributed to several programs, always preparing very well and making sure that he tailored his remarks to the audience and to the session’s role in the program. He was also a regular attendee of our Community Meetings and over time, we came to see him as one of us. We were thrilled and, quite frankly, honoured that he chose to spend quite a bit of time at IMD.
“While in hospital, Jose contacted us to ask us to renew his Executive-in-Residence contract! We did so with great pleasure, hoping to see him again soon. We will miss him greatly and our heart goes out to his family, friends and the countless managers whom José mentored over the years.”
José served on various sustainability committees to provide his expertise to organizations such as the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. He had a long and distinguished career of 36 years in the Nestlé Group.
Letters of condolence may be sent to: 12, Chemin Jolimont, 1806 St-Légier-La Chiésaz, Switzerland. Donations can be made in José’s memory to Médecins Sans Frontières, details below.
We would like to express our heartfelt condolences to his wife Francisca, his children and his family.
Donations to Médecins Sans Frontières, Rue de Lausanne 78, 1202 Genève, Switzerland.
Account owner: CCP 12-100-2. Bank: UBS SA, CH – 1211 Genève 2. Name: Médecins Sans Frontières.
IBAN: CH18 0024 0240 3760 6600 Q. BIC: UBSWCHZH80A. Please specify ‘In memory of José Lopez’.
