International Directors Programme

Testimonials

Here is a sample of what participants have to say about the value of the International Directors Programme.

I was amazed at the pace and the breadth of learning from the get-go. We covered so much content in a really comprehensive way. I’d expected INSEAD to deliver quality, but it was actually quite surprising how much learning the programme delivered – the calibre of my peers, and the exceptional expertise of the faculty was impressive. Learning from this collective experience was just wonderful.

Dr. Thomas Wiegelmann

Managing Director at Schroder Real Estate

The INSEAD International Directors Programme is a MUST HAVE for any board member looking to enhance their effectiveness, impact and the economic value of the organisation s they govern. Prepare for serious learning and unique global insights about board governance, high quality participants you will learn from but also for introspection and reconciliation of your strengths, weaknesses and unique opportunities for personal growth as a director and global leader.

Aishah Ahmad , Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria

First, there’s the learning. The programme gave me access to some core tools and frameworks to sharpen my critical thinking on corporate governance issues and hone my judgement skills. Second, I gained a lot from the sheer diversity of the group. My cohort of 30 participants came from more than 20 countries. We were a very broad mix, which led to a lot of sharing of knowledge and invaluable country-specific insights.

Mary Sue Rogers

Board Member of Women on Boards (WoB)

I like INSEAD. I’ve done Executive Education programmes there before and every time I return it’s like being given oxygen. Thanks to the programme, I changed my behaviour. Now I spend two-thirds of my time at board meetings listening and only one-third talking – asking the right questions.

Henri Nejade (IDP-C 2015)

CEO and President of Brenntag Asia Pacific

The International Directors Programme gave me access to some valuable frameworks to round out my professional development as a director. But the learnings were not just theoretical – rather, they were about taking real-life examples and working out how I’d apply them once back on the job. As a result, I gained some very beneficial insights and tools to aid my decision making processes. It is the practical aspect of the programme that really sets it apart – for me, this was the greatest gain.

Lim Chin Hu

Independent Director, Kulicke & Soffa, USA and Telstra Corporation Ltd, Australia
Non-Executive Director, Citibank Sinapore; Heliconia Capital Management; Changi Hospital; Spore Exchange Listing Advisory Committee

Corporate governance is a nascent practice in Japan. I believe its development will benefit many Japanese people as they, and boards, tend to have a closed mindset. Coming to the International Directors Programme helps give you a broader outlook. It teaches you about the different corporate governance practices that exist around the world and it gives you the contexts in which boards operate in other countries. You can then take these learnings and apply in them in your company and on your board. That means the International Directors Programme is good for Japanese society!

Ray Hatoyama

Managing Director at Sanrio Co. Ltd and CEO of Sanrio Media & Pictures Entertainment

The programme allows you to learn about yourself and how you react to board issues. For all of these reasons, the International Directors Programme has almost become a required programme. We give our directors a choice. We’ve not said they must attend. They continue to want to go because of the great reviews from past participants.

Gbenga Oyebode (IDP-C 2014)

Chairman of Aluko & Oyebode, Access Bank and Okomu Oil Palm Plc, and member of the Board of MTN Nigeria

Common to both programmes is the fact that they provide you with insights into best practice. They help you see what you are doing right but also what you need to do better. You get to see this surrounded by an international group of peers. You realise that ultimately we are all confronted with similar issues, and you learn to tackle them effectively.

Doris Albisser
Owner and Chairman of Evalugloba AG, Co-Founder of the CLS Communication AG and member of the Board of Directors of Switzerland Global Enterprise

She completed the International Directors Programme and Leading from the Chair in 2014

It’s hard to point out some particular highlights as I liked it all! It all came together to build an excellent programme. The teachers were well prepared. The learning environment was great and really contributed to gaining global knowledge.

Sergio Quiroga da Cunha (IDP-C 2014)
Head of Latin America, Ericsson

You learn a lot from the others. You are surrounded by very experienced board members. The experiences that they have and share are very valuable. I have kept in contact with several of the participants. What you see is that you are not alone and that no matter the market you work in, the industry you are involved with, the challenges are similar and you can learn and get support from others.

Satrijo Tanudjojo (IDP-C 2013)
CEO of Nexans China, a global player in the infrastructure, industry, building and Local Area Network (LAN) markets

The International Directors Programme was my first INSEAD programme. And it’s certainly not going to be my last. It surpassed all my expectations. The content was not just good to know; it was what we need to know as directors and very focused on real life. The two co-directors were the perfect match in terms of knowledge and experience. And the participants were richly experienced and highly diverse. It is simply the best programme I’ve done in my career so far – and I’ve done quite a few, including an MBA.

Rosa Villalobos (IDP-C)

Head of Macquarie’s Luxembourg office, also on the boards of a number of companies with diverse and international activities

I had many take-aways from the programme, but perhaps the most important was leaving with a different perspective. It was a bit like changing a lens on a camera! I gained much broader and deeper knowledge. It was unexpected...The programme helps you find the best fair process for your company and identify your key strengths as a board member to optimise your contribution. It enables you to see how you can best support the board with challenging perspectives and, in my case, advise in areas I am familiar with

Mary Francia (IDP-C 2013)
Founder and Managing Director, Serowires Strategy Consulting, USA, providing advisory services to CEOs and boards on business and corporate development, corporate sustainability and corporate governance