IMD business school for management and leadership courses
Fostering inclusion at IMD
We aim to build an inclusive, caring, high-performance work environment that attracts talented and engaged colleagues. We are committed to fostering inclusion, supporting a learning culture, keeping our people healthy and safe, and engaging our communities.
We regularly adapt our practices to ensure we are a relevant, attractive, and competitive employer. Our inclusive culture is underpinned by our diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) efforts. At IMD, we use the DE&I house model for reference and change. This model provides a framework for key areas to address. This house model led to the development of our DE&I strategy, which has been implemented since 2019. Our diverse employees reflect the international profiles of our participants, representing a wide range of experiences and identities. Among our faculty and staff populations, 55 nationalities are represented, up from 50 in 2022.
We foster a welcoming culture that encourages open conversations based on compassion and respect. Our internal practices exemplify the world of work we are shaping, one that is diverse, inclusive, and fair. In 2024, IMD was reaccredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), affirming the institution’s place among the world’s top business schools. As part of this reaccreditation, we were recognized for the robust integration of sustainability and DE&I themes in our programs.
In 2024, we engaged in numerous DE&I activities, which continue to emphasize our commitment to a campus culture change. We host a series of events throughout the year to promote inclusion and a supportive environment on campus. Our DE&I campus activities demonstrate our commitment and convey symbolic messages that help to create an inclusive campus environment for all.
We mark select international awareness days and use these as an opportunity to highlight important issues. These include: Pride Month, Black History Month, International Day of Disability, Climate Week 2024, and International Women’s Day.
In 2024, the YMD Team launched the IdeaHub, a centralized idea portal for all our employees to submit and share their innovative ideas. The portal encourages open collaboration across departments, ensuring that novel ideas are not only captured but also given the visibility they deserve. With a structured framework for idea submission, review, and implementation, employees are empowered to contribute toward our ongoing transformation. In 2025, YMD intends to launch IMD Communities, a new digital platform for the IMD community, which will offer a safe space where like-minded colleagues can connect and form sub-communities to explore their passions and engage beyond their departments.
Striving for an equitable gender balance remains a key focus area and we aim to progress this year-on-year. Of our total workforce of 447 employees, 57% of employees are female. At a faculty level, 25% are female. Advancing the gender diversity balance remains a major priority and our Recruitment Committee continues to strongly prioritize the recruitment of female faculty members. We have also made positive strides towards increasing the number of women in our leadership team, the Supervisory Board, and the non-faculty senior staff group of which 65% are women. The new leadership team comprises 33% women.
Supporting a learning culture
All our employees can access a wide range of professional internal and external development opportunities. The We@IMD training program provides our employees with invaluable insights into leadership, high-performing teams, and self-awareness. Further, new internal opportunities and open job positions are transparently displayed on an internal platform.
Employees learning development
Employees completed mandatory training on corruption and bribery
Colleagues participated in LinkedIn learning courses
Promotions in 2024
Open programs provided to employees
Colleagues completed the We@IMD program
Employees completed learning course on ESG Fundamentals
Keeping our people healthy and safe
At IMD, ensuring the health and safety of our community is more than a legal requirement, it is a moral and ethical obligation deeply rooted in our values.
Caring for our employees’ mental well-being is a priority. We continued our Teleworking Policy in 2024 to allow employees to divide their time between campus and home offices, enabling work-life balance. We also celebrated Well-being Month, an initiative that promotes physical and mental wellness in our community through a series of activities held on campus. Throughout the month, we shared communications about mental health to provide support and inspiration for all employees.
IMD has a strong commitment to ethics and transparency. We encourage reporting unethical, illegal, corrupt, fraudulent, or undesirable conduct. Whistleblower, Anti-Bribery, and Anti-Corruption policies were implemented in 2022, ensuring that any concerns regarding misconduct are dealt with effectively, securely, and in accordance with the applicable laws. Further, our Report-It tool enables the confidential reporting of any concerns about potential misconduct or violations.
Engaging our communities
Our commitment to sustainability extends beyond the classroom, embedding itself in our community through impactful initiatives. Our people actively seek opportunities to contribute, give back, and support our local communities.
In 2024, we supported several initiatives focused on healthcare, humanitarian aid, and children. The following initiatives were supported:
- We collectively took 46,107,106 million steps as part of Steps for Cancer’s fundraising challenge.
- Our colleagues participated in the Movember movement, which helps raise awareness of men’s health issues, raising CHF 1,385
- An annual blood drive donation day was held, enabling employees to donate blood on campus.
- Twice a year, a group of our employees collected hygiene and food products for Samedi du Partage, helping underprivileged families in Lausanne.
- We renewed our partnership with Fondation Mère Sofia and participated in the annual Toy Drive to support over 300 families with children.
- Our community donated non-perishable food, clothing, hygiene products, suitcases, and household items to help Ukrainian refugees displaced by the ongoing Russian invasion.
- We promoted Earth Overshoot Day and encouraged employees to take action to protect our planet and strive for a more sustainable future.