- Search
Search
- LoginAccess your ApplicationFor current applicants
Or learn more about our programmes and applyAccess MyINSEADFor current participants and alumni
Upcoming Sessions
May 2022
Begins 30 May 2022
Singapore, France
3 + 3 + 3 Days
S$28,900
June 2022
Begins 01 Jun 2022
Singapore
3 + 3 + 3 Days
S$28,900
Please visit Dates & Fees for more session dates
Calendar
ShareDeveloping effective directors in a global context
The International Directors Programme is our flagship course in corporate governance and is a unique educational experience that aims to develop effective directors for the global business scene. Today’s supervisory boards have to contend with a host of new pressures, challenges and risks in addition to evaluating the performance of the CEO and senior executives. They must therefore set the company’s strategic direction, often across diverse product markets and geographies, and monitor the firm’s risk profile.
Set within an international context that is unique in director education, this programme offers practical and tested frameworks and tools to sharpen judgment and decision-making skills. It also augments the oversight abilities of directors seeking to boost their existing competencies or to be better prepared for new board mandates. In three focused modules, you will master strategies for the following fundamental areas: board effectiveness and dynamics; board decision-making and oversight; and director effectiveness and development.
New programme content as of September 2022
As the business environment changes at an increasing speed and subjects such as decarbonisation and equality take greater prominence on business agendas, it is imperative that the education of board members follows suit. From September 2022, the International Directors Programme will include the additional material on ESG (Environmental, Social & Corporate Governance), Ethics and Digital Transformation, building upon and complementing the usual foundational topics. The duration of the programme will increase, with one extra day on campus and 2 short Live Virtual touchpoints in between the modules.
How you benefit
- Board operations: Understand the broader context in which boards operate and the responsibilities that come with a board mandate.
- Knowledge and competencies: Gain an overview of the knowledge and competencies expected from directors in today’s environment
- Director-specific skills: Develop the specialised skills that contribute to the creation of an effectively performing board culture
- Ability to challenge executives: Enhance your ability to challenge executives through positive exchanges focused on the key issues that underpin corporate performance
Participant profile
The International Directors Programme is designed for chairs and non-executive directors of listed and private corporations, government agencies and organisations, and non-profits. It is also aimed at CEOs, COOs, CFOs and other C-suite executives, as well as family members and controlling shareholders of boards of family companies.
Participants must have a minimum of one year of experience sitting on a board so that they can fully benefit from and contribute to a programme that involves role-play, simulations and exchanges with other participants.
Locations
Fontainebleau ; Fontainebleau/San Francisco ; Fontainebleau/Singapore ; Singapore
Programme partners
Founding partners: PWC, Institut Luxembourgeois des Administrateurs, Russell Reynolds, Singapore Institute of Directors
A global network and expertise in governance
INSEAD Certificate in Corporate Governance
Following the completion of the International Directors Programme, participants receive the INSEAD Certificate in Corporate Governance. The certification is designed to be a global credential for board members operating internationally – the first of its kind offered by an academic institution. In addition, certificate holders can become a part of the INSEAD alumni community.
INSEAD Advanced Certificate in Corporate Governance
Eligibility to apply for the advanced certificate comes from the completion of the INSEAD Certificate in Corporate Governance, plus the completion of three further programmes. Designed for those who wish to further pursue their development across core competencies that are key to effective directorship.
INSEAD Corporate
Governance Centre
The INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre was launched in 2010 and undertakes cutting-edge research and teaching tailored to the needs of boards and international directors. It aims to establish new programmes and events that foster a global dialogue on the challenges of corporate governance and leadership in an international context.
Related Articles & Events
Webinar & Digital Dialogue
Director duties and ESG - a view from the General Counsel (Registration now!)
INSEAD Directors Forum (Registration now!)
Talent and Remuneration Governance for Impact
Friday, 20 May 2022, 9:00am - 12:00pm CEST
Visit the event webpage>
INSEAD Knowledge
CEOs Who Play to Type Win the Market
Guoli Chen, INSEAD Professor of Strategy | July 13, 2021
Research has shown that the market tends to reward a fit between a CEO’s generalist/specialist characteristic and the type of acquisitions they undertake.
How Boards Can Steer Companies to “Build Back Better”
The momentum for sustainability is strong despite misgivings over current financial strains. Few businesses can afford to ignore it.
What Ails Corporate Executive Committees?
Fragmentation among top leadership teams is widespread. CEOs should pay heed – and sharpen their most important strategy execution tool.
INSEAD Knowledge
Pandemic or No, It’s Business as Usual for Boards
Stanislav Shekshnia, INSEAD Senior Affiliate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise; Veronika Zagieva, Director, Ward Howell Talent Equity Institute; and Maria Nazarova, Research Associate, Ward Howell Talent Equity Institute | August 31, 2020
Power, Politics and Crisis Response on the Board
It’s not the individual directors – it’s the competing coalitions they form that determine what boards will do.
Henrich Greve, INSEAD Professor of Entrepreneurship | July 31, 2020
A Crisis Management Blueprint for COVID-19
Crisis is conquered through a positive combination of talents and competencies.
Ludo Van der Heyden, INSEAD Emeritus Professor of Technology and Operations Management, and Peter Nathanial, Crisis Management Specialist and INSEAD Adjunct Professor | April 3, 2020
The Role of the Board in Times of Distress
If companies are to survive the coronavirus, corporate boards need to exercise collaborative, proactive leadership.
Jaap Winter, INSEAD Visiting Professor of Corporate Governance, and Erik van de Loo, INSEAD Affiliate Professor of Organisational Behaviour | April 7, 2020
Seven Questions for Corporate Boards Navigating COVID-19
A guide to steering companies effectively through the crisis and beyond.
Stanislav Shekshnia, INSEAD Senior Affiliate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise | April 7, 2020
Putting More Women at the Helm of Corporate Boards
Women make great board chairs. If only there were more of them.
Stanislav Shekshnia, INSEAD Senior Affiliate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise; Veronika Zagieva, Consultant at Ward Howell; and Victoria Zimina, Analyst at Ward Howell Talent Equity Institute | March 5, 2020
INSEAD Knowledge
The Problem With Politically Motivated Funding Boycotts
Theo Vermaelen, INSEAD Professor of Finance | January 29, 2020
INSEAD Knowledge
Five Qualities for Leading Business in the 21st Century
Lucy Quist (INSEAD MBA '05J), International Business Leader and Author | December 23, 2019
INSEAD Knowledge
A Corporate Governance Paradigm Shift
Sonia Tatar, Executive Director of the INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre| November 19, 2019
INSEAD Knowledge
Sustainability and the Five Archetypes of Boardroom Behaviour
N. Craig Smith, INSEAD Chaired Professor of Ethics and Social Responsibility; and Ron Soonieus, INSEAD Executive-in-Residence and Managing Partner at Camunico | June 7, 2019
Related Videos
Leading Strategic Corporate Sustainability from the Board Room
Interview with Dr. Ravi Fernando, Chairman/CEO of Global Strategic Corporate Sustainability Pvt. Ltd.
With immense pressure from multiple stakeholders, board directors are expected to step up in championing sustainability. Find out more how board directors can navigate the shifts in geopolitical and business landscape to lead the way in integrating strategic corporate sustainable for sustainable business.
Leading a Crisis from the Boardroom
Interview with Marjolijn van Oordt (IDP-C), International Expert in Crisis Readiness, Capita B.V.
Dealing with crisis can be a nightmare for boards and their organisations. Find out how boards of directors can take the lead in the event of a crisis and be ready to avoid common pitfalls.
Inclusive diversity from the boardroom to the organisation. By Kay Formanek, Founder, Diversity and Performance.
Interview with Noelle Ahlberg Kleiterp, recipient of the Certificate in Corporate Governance
“The programme really hones in on the skills and behaviours and expectations of directors”, says Noelle Ahlberg Kleiterp, a past participant of the International Directors Programme and Non-Executive Committee Member of the Swiss School of Singapore.
INSEAD Certificate in Corporate Governance
Professor Ludo Van der Heyden speaks about the INSEAD certificate in corporate governance.
Paradoxes in Globalization: (1) Why Locals Win
by José Santos, Affiliated Professor of Practice in Global Management
The more the world is global, the more the local matters. What advantage do local companies have in comparison to multinational companies? What does it take for multinational companies to succeed in their globalisation strategy?
