High Performance Boards
Board education is key to growing excellent individuals into great value-adding board members, and transforming a group of individuals into a board that is a major competitive advantage for a company.
High Performance Boards is IMD’s flagship program for board directors. It is inspired by the latest research conducted by the IMD Global Board Center and the world’s best boards. The program draws on nearly five decades of board education experience at IMD to offer you an in-depth exploration of issues related to board performance and effectiveness. You will broaden your skills as you familiarize yourself with the latest tools and frameworks for enhancing your board’s performance – as well as your own.
Alongside board members and prominent chairpersons from around the world, you will learn about successes and failures and explore governance best practices. You will identify the strategies, structures, and processes that make boards the driving force behind corporate success, and build a solid network of global peers.
This program can be taken as a standalone experience, or as a step toward the IMD Board Director Diploma – equipping you to navigate key board challenges and elevate your governance impact.
The role of today’s boards is rapidly evolving, are you prepared? Learn how IMD’s High Performance Boards program has equipped board members, since 1977, with the skills and best practices to excel.
Board masterclass
Join us on 7 October 2025
Ready to step into the boardroom? This exclusive masterclass will uncover the essential stepping stones for a confident transition from executive leadership to the boardroom, live at 12:00 (CEST).
Non-Executive Director at Angels Den Funding (UK) & Senior Legal Counsel M&A and Corporate Ventures, Nestlé
Switzerland
IMD’s high-paced program equipped me to be a more effective board member, identify pitfalls and better tailor my role to the ups and downs businesses face. It also connected me with a diverse network of faculty, executives, and fellow board members, all committed to enhancing governance.
Non-Executive Director at Siemens and MN
Chairman Supervisory Board at Kelp Blue, The Netherlands
Executive Chairman, Thejo Engineering Limited, India
The program has increased my effectiveness as a Chairman, and taught me the importance of setting the agenda and addressing concerns, maximizing the board’s time. The peer learning is of the highest caliber, especially when combined with an impactful mix of theoretical learning and real-world practice.
Undersecretary – Department of Health
Abu Dhabi
Non-Executive Board Member and Chair of the Sustainability & Ethics Committee at Stora Enso, Finland
The program gave clear guidance on the role of the board, what to ask, and what to watch out for when you start on a board. It also stressed the importance of good governance and why it is so critical. I was much better equipped and more confident after the program.
Head of HR, A.P. Møller Holding & Board Member at Maersk Tankers and ZeroNorth, Denmark
You have to bring your A-game and be totally present, because the pace and the quality of the participants is high. There’s value in every single minute. Getting that view of how great boards work, ensuring that I’m doing the right things and raising the bar has been invaluable to how I contribute going forward.
Length: 3-day program over 4 days, on campus
