Stora Enso, a leading global company in the paper, biomaterials, wood products and packaging industries, realized that to compete in an increasingly digital world it had to rethink everything from strategy to corporate culture.
The company partnered with IMD, a top-ranked business school, to co-create a unique learning journey that shaped the company’s future and addressed critical business challenges.
The learning journey was built around a number of key design principles:
- Based on business challenges deemed critical for Stora Enso’s success.
- Group Executive Team (GET) involvement throughout the whole program.
- Real world, real learning and hence fast paced and explorative.
- Unique development opportunities for participants.
- A continuous connection to the home team and other change agents within Stora Enso.
Contrary to many programs for which participants are chosen according to rank or title, Stora Enso opened the selection process up to anyone in the organization to encourage diversity.
For the initial Pathfinders program, participants were charged with a singular goal: create the company’s future. Working as a “shadow management team,” the Pathfinders made several recommendations to the GET; these were adopted, including the development of a new company-wide Purpose and Values statement.
Participants in the subsequent Pathbuilders program were tasked with building the company’s path forward. They did so by addressing key business challenges submitted by leaders from throughout the company. This resulted in new initiatives in the areas of supply chain, new business development and internal reorganization.
Throughout the Pathfinders and Pathbuilders programs there was significant GET involvement.
CEO Jouko Karvinen and at least two other GET members were present at every module. Additionally, program participants presented their recommendations to the GET and the Board of Directors.
This added up to life-changing experiences for participants and significant business impact for
Stora Enso – the results of a truly pathbreaking partnership.
To find out more about this collaboration, please download the full report.
Saab's growth and digital transformation present challenges in talent acquisition, culture, and upskilling, as CHRO Lena Eliasson emphasizes the human side of change.
Today's businesses face challenges from siloed teams and narrow leadership expertise. To thrive, organizations must foster cross-functional collaboration and develop well-rounded leaders.
In our Coaching Corner series, we share real-world coaching cases that come from our work with leaders.
The Toledo Museum of Art takes a novel approach to bringing art to the masses, unusual in a sector dominated by conservative thinking.
Singapore-based DBS bank was being shaken by nimble competitors and needed to change fast. CEO Piyush Gupta knew spending big on technology wasn't the answer.
Companies that modularize and externalize their best capabilities are in a strong position to seize unexpected opportunities. Prediction is hard. The longer the time range — six months, three years, a decade — the less reliable any forecasting bec...
To amplify the program’s reach, Bayer approached IMD about one of its existing online programs, hoping to deploy at scale the new, expected behaviors to its line managers across the globe as quickly as possible in an impactful way. IMD boldly reco...
Securitas’s group management team worked with IMD on a strategy journey that resulted in the articulation of the company’s new purpose and a fundamental business transformation supported by significant organizational development efforts across the...
Indonesia is the biggest economy in the ASEAN region. Surprisingly, it did not reach the latest UNCTAD Top-100 emerging market multinational list. In contrast, Malaysia and Thailand have secured their place on the list. This indicates that Indones...
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications