IMD has been honored with a CHF 5m donation from alumnus Douglas Geertz to support research on enhancing economic prosperity in developing countries and maximizing the impact of international development aid.
The gift will be used to endow the Douglas Geertz IMEDE 1988 Chair in Geopolitics and Business. The inaugural holder of the Chair will be Arturo Bris, Professor of Finance and Director of IMD’s World Competitiveness Center, renowned for his research and teaching on the nexus between global economics, corporate governance, politics, financial regulations, and competitiveness.
Douglas Geertz, Founder and CEO of private investment and consulting firm Vidya AG, has long been interested in how to bring prosperity to developing nations by integrating private enterprise with government development goals. Working in Latin America and Africa for the Swedish Chamber of Commerce early in his career, he witnessed first-hand how development aid from the Swedish government to build local infrastructure was destroyed by guerilla fighters.
“My vision and aim for this Chair is to drive global macroeconomic development through the impactful research led by Arturo Bris and the IMD World Competitiveness Center,” said Geertz, who completed his MBA at IMD’s predecessor institute IMEDE in 1988 and went on to hold senior leadership roles at Tetra Pak before founding his own company. “I believe the key to bringing prosperity to poor nations lies in a strong partnership between state support and private entrepreneurship. The real opportunity is to align private businesses with government objectives to create sustainable growth.”
IMD President David Bach expressed deep appreciation for the donation. “We are incredibly grateful for Douglas Geertz’s generosity and commitment to our institution,” he said. “This gift sets a powerful example, and we hope it will inspire and encourage other IMD alumni to do the same. Support such as this is essential for us to remain at the cutting edge, and to advance our mission of broadening and deepening our global impact.”
“I’m truly honored to be the first holder of this Chair,” said Bris. “Together with Douglas Geertz’s vision, we aim to address major geopolitical issues like increasing the prosperity of developing nations through the center’s research and insights. His commitment highlights the potential for lasting impact when IMD and its alumni convene around a shared vision.”
The signing ceremony was held on 11 September at IMD’s Lausanne campus and attended by Geertz, his partner Caroline Cuolt, Bach, Bris, and members of the IMD leadership team.
