General managers are responsible for leading, which is much more about people and less about operations. It's not enough to do keep on repeating what was done in the past. General managers need to fundamentally rethink what they are doing to make the transition from specialist to generalist a successful one.
As a senior executive you will have already achieved success in your career as a functional expert, but stepping up to general management can be a difficult and potentially a very risky transition. The International Executive Programme is about smoothing and accelerating this transition into general management. It fills knowledge gaps in essential management disciplines, and broadens your general management skills. The programme consists of six weeks which can studied in up to three locations of Abu Dhabi, Fontainebleau and Singapore.
If you would like more information on our General Management Programmes, please click here to access our comparison grid.
Participants on the International Executive Programme take a holistic view of their own skills and experience whilst exploring current management thinking and gaining new perspectives on the ultimate business objective of Value Creation.
During simulations, group work, case studies and coaching the programme equips senior managers to make the move to general management and covers:
Please note: Programme content may change slightly from one session to another.
Let us help you decide: Frequently Asked Questions
We think our diversity is our distinguishing feature. INSEAD is probably the only school where you’ll find 30 nationalities in the same class. And it’s certainly the only school where no single one of those 30 nationalities will predominate. Having said that, our faculty are among the best (and most diverse) in the world too!
The obvious answer is that business is more international than ever before. But it’s the subtle answer that’s much more powerful. With so many different national and cultural perspectives to learn from, you really will start to see things differently. By challenging your old assumptions, you’ll become aware of new possibilities and start to understand how very different people think.
The content is absolutely identical. However, some people prefer to return to the office and apply what they’ve learnt between sessions. And others jump at the opportunity to learn across two or three very different geographies: Europe, Asia – and now the Middle East too.
In fact, you need six weeks to gain the distance for reflection on your work and yourself. We also need that time to cover the ambitious curriculum. More importantly you need six weeks to go through the uniquely INSEAD process of “unlearning” and then “relearning” about business from an entirely different angle. Remember that the modular version offers a little more flexibility if desired. The programme runs four times a year to accommodate even to the most hectic schedule.
It’s all about the amount of experience you have. And the stage you are at in your career. International Executive Programme participants generally have extensive management experience (eight to ten years), and are making the transition from functional into general management. If you’d like to compare the International Executive Programme with the other general management options, click here to take a look at our easy-to-use table. We also strongly encourage you to get in touch with our expert advisor to discuss the various options in relation to your specific needs and abilities.
Sorry, this isn’t possible. It’s essential that you experience both parts of the programme with the same people. The teamwork and coaching are designed to build on the unique interaction and dynamic within this carefully chosen group.
Absolutely. First, you will almost certainly gain a new perspective on your field. And second, you’ll have the valuable experience of passing on your expertise to classmates from other disciplines. In other sessions, they’ll return the favour by sharing their insights and expertise with you.
Breadth and depth are what characterise International Executive Programme participants. As the name implies, they’re so diverse in terms of nationality, international experience, culture and background that it’s hard to generalise. But one thing is sure: they’re all proven experts in their own area of business. And now they’re on the threshold of the next step up: a highly successful general management career. Some have already been promoted, while others are about to make that big breakthrough. They also tend to fit the following profile.
There are approximately 30 nationalities in each session and an even greater diversity of backgrounds. We ensure that everyone is at more or less that same crucial career transition.
As well as becoming part of your own class community, you leave the International Executive Programme as a full member of the INSEAD alumni community. Only graduates of our world-famous MBA, Executive MBA and PhD programmes, together with selected former Executive Education participants, are eligible for this status. This elite worldwide network consists of over 39,200 alumni in around 160 countries, many with very active National Alumni Associations. Alumni benefit from lifelong networking and professional development opportunities, including regional events, refresher programmes and reduced rates for all Executive Education.
Want to know more? Click on the video link below and find out.
Who will be attending the IEP?
How does the IEP meet your needs?
Georg von Wattenwyl
Global Head Financial Products, Advisory & Distribution, Investment Banking
BANK VONTOBEL
Zurich, Switzerland
“People talk a lot about innovation and customer relationship management, but on the programme we actually learnt how to innovate and how to manage customer relationships.”
My network was mainly Swiss and banking! So when Vontobel gave me the opportunity to move to a wider management role, I felt it was also time to open up my perspectives and global contacts. Hence the International Executive Programme – and particularly the modular version that includes the Asia Campus.
For me it wasn’t so much about gaining new knowledge, but learning to think in a structured way. People talk a lot about innovation and customer relationship management, but on the programme we actually learnt how to innovate and how to manage customer relationships. When I got back, I ran a workshop with my whole team to pass on my deeper insights. And I make a conscious effort to apply the structured thinking I learnt every single day. I know that it’s made a difference.
Because I’m in constant contact with my fellow participants by email, I hear similar stories from everywhere in the world. We communicate a lot about the way we’ve implemented the learning from INSEAD. This broad network is all the more valuable, because the bank is in the process of developing its international business. This means I also get to apply all the course content about entering new markets – the regulatory knowledge has been particularly useful.
Looking back on the six weeks at INSEAD, the strange thing was that I was far away from the office thinking very theoretically – but constantly considering how to put theory into practice back home. I was away from work, yet somehow very close to it. This meant that I returned to Switzerland with the drive to implement and to keep on implementing everything I learnt at INSEAD.
Barbara Falcomer
CEO MONT BLANC ITALIA
“When you’re at work, you seldom get the chance to think strategically. But while I was at INSEAD, I managed to formulate the reorganisation and team-building ideas that I put into practice on my return.”
The International Executive Programme came at a hectic stage in my career. I’d just been promoted from marketing director to managing director, so it was very hard to put aside the time. But those six weeks turned out to be more than worth the immense effort of finding them!
In fact, it was a real privilege to step back and evaluate both my business and personal objectives. When you’re at work, you seldom get the chance to think strategically. But while I was at INSEAD, I managed to formulate the reorganisation and team-building ideas that I put into practice on my return. By sharing insights with fellow participants and faculty, I was able to define not only my priorities but also my next steps for achieving them.
I returned to work enriched by new knowledge, particularly about finance and human resources, but even – thanks to the case studies – about my own area of expertise, which is marketing. The 360° degree evaluation also gave me knowledge about myself. But I gained more than just knowledge. I was also enriched by new friendships. I didn’t realise it was possible to get so close to people in just six weeks. And the relationships are still strong 18 months later.
I’ve recommended INSEAD in general and the programme in particular to several other people since attending. And the real proof of my respect for INSEAD is that I’ve already returned there myself – to attend the excellent ‘Women Leading Change in Global Business’ programme in 2007.
Caspar Hobbs
CEO & Co-Founder, The Mergermarket Group
The International Executive Programme "dispelled many myths that I had around business, as it set out very clear processes that made immense sense, taking away the trepidation I had about my abilities for future projects."
Ten months after graduating from INSEAD's IEP in February 1999, Caspar Hobbs co-founded The Mergermarket Group, an independent mergers and acquisitions (M&A) intelligence service.
Used by some of the world's foremost financial institutions, the group offers proprietary intelligence and time-sensitive news, data and analysis via its team of journalists and analysts based in 56 locations around the world.
In August 2006, the The Mergermarket Group was acquired by the Financial Times Group, a division of Pearson plc., the international media group. In November 2006, Caspar was appointed to the Board of Directors of Interactive Data Corporation, a provider of financial market data, analytics and related services.
Since its incorporation in 1999, the Mergermarket Group has become the fastest-growing business in their market sector. As well as expanding their coverage across Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, the company regularly continues to launch new products and services.
As CEO and co-founder, Caspar is responsible for overseeing strategy, expansion, sales and marketing and general management of the business. We asked Caspar to tell us about the group, its founding, its products and services and his experience as an entrepreneur. Read on
INSEAD’s professors represent many cultures, disciplines, and perspectives. Led by acknowledged world experts in their own particular fields, programme faculty remain intimately close to business and most are engaged in cross-disciplinary research.*
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Kevin Kaiser Kevin Kaiser joined the finance faculty at INSEAD in 1992 where he is currently Affiliate Professor of Finance and Director of the International Executive Programme. Kevin teaches extensively in the executive and MBA programmes at INSEAD and is a six-time recipient of the MBA award for Best Teacher for Electives. He also teaches at numerous institutes and for private clients throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Read more... |
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Michael Pich Michael Pich received his PhD in Operations Research from the School of Engineering at Stanford University, his MS in Forestry from the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University, and his BS in Natural Resource Management from the University of Idaho. Prior to joining the INSEAD faculty in 1996, Dr. Pich was an Assistant Professor within the School of Management at The University of Texas, and a Visiting Lecturer at Seattle Pacific University. Read more... |
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Adjunct Professor of Organisational Behaviour |
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Ben M. Bensaou Professor of Technology Management and Asian Business |
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Horacio Falcão Affiliate Professor of Decision Sciences |
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Professor of Decision Sciences The Orpar Chaired Professor of Risk Management |
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Adjunct Professor of Accounting and Control |
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Eyal Maoz Adjunct Professor of Marketing |
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Adjunct Professor of Organisational Behaviour |
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Professor of Economics
The Novartis Chaired Professor of Management and Environment |
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Professor of Strategy and Management The Shell Fellow in Business and the Environment |
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Affiliate Professor of Economics Academic Director, INSEAD Africa Initiative |
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Hellmut Schütte |
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Ludo Van der Heyden Professor of Technology and Operations Management The Solvay Chaired Professor of Technology and Operations Management Academic Director of the INSEAD Governance Initiative Co-Director of the Hoffman Research Fund |
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Michael A. Witt Affiliate Professor of Asian Business and Comparative Management |
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Ian Woodward Adjunct Professor of Organisational Behaviour |
*programme faculty may change
| Dates | Length | Location | Tuition Fees* |
| € 38,200 | |||
| Module 1 | |||
| 23 Aug 2010 to 03 Sep 2010 | 2 weeks | Fontainebleau | |
| Module 2 | |||
| 10 Oct 2010 to 21 Oct 2010 | 2 weeks | Abu Dhabi | |
| Module 3 | |||
| 29 Nov 2010 to 10 Dec 2010 | 2 weeks | Singapore | |
| € 38,200 | |||
| Module 1 | |||
| 08 Nov 2010 to 26 Nov 2010 | 3 weeks | Fontainebleau | |
| Module 2 | |||
| 17 Jan 2011 to 04 Feb 2011 | 3 weeks | Fontainebleau | |
Modules are not interchangeable
Participants are advised to arrive the evening before as the programme starts early in the morning.
Please click here for more information about the terms and conditions.
For full details on how to apply, accommodation, and cancellation conditions please visit the Practical Information page
* Fee subject to change. For programmes delivered in France, VAT (19.6%) to be added for companies based in France, or for European companies where no VAT number is supplied. For programmes delivered in Singapore, GST (7%) to be added for Singapore-registered companies.
