“The programme brought me something so key and that is that organisations are people. And change comes from the people within those organisations, meaning that it is prone to human characteristics – certain irrationalities, certain behaviours and values that live beneath the surface. The programme gave me the insights and the vocabulary to understand, express and manage these complex human dynamics in organisations better.”
Margerieth Visser wears a number of different professional hats. She is the founder of United States of Mind, a boutique consulting organisation that supports and guides companies through commercial change processes. She is an INSEAD Master in Change alumnus, the President of the INSEAD Mastering Change Global Alumni Club, and an INSEAD Executive Coach, lecturing in Executive Education Programmes focus on growth and transformation.
In 2017, Margerieth made a bold decision: to leave a successful professional life and to position herself on the other side of the learning experience by taking an INSEAD programme as a participant. She chose the INSEAD Executive Master in Change (EMC) with a very clear professional aim in mind — to develop the skills to help organisations lead change that truly sticks.
Her decision was rooted in years of experience across marketing, sales and commercial consultancy, where she observed a consistent pattern: despite structured efforts and investment, many change initiatives failed to take hold.
“I started my working life as a marketer in business to business, and I quickly understood that sales and marketing are not always perfectly aligned which can hamper the execution of successful commercial strategies. From there, I progressed into sales – partly to understand this strategic misalignment better—and then on into commercial excellence consultancy, to pursue the development of commercial organisations and make them more successful not only for profit, but for progress and impact. This is when I discovered something else: not only that change in organisations is uncomfortable and sometimes messy and hard to align and drive, but that the transformation very often doesn’t stick!”
Taking the Executive Master in Change, she says, was a means of digging deeper into these challenges – strategic alignment and sustaining change — and finding the insights and tools to address them.
Building Capabilities that Enable Organisational Transformation
The EMC provided precisely that opportunity. It equipped Margerieth with frameworks, tools and a deeper understanding of organisational dynamics. But its impact went further.
“It’s been life-changing for me. And that is easier said than done. But you learn a great deal about yourself in order to be better able to understand others, and to be able to lead others through change. You develop so much as a person and as a leader. The programme really has enriched my life and, in a sense, made me a better leader and a better person.”
This personal development is not separate from professional capability — it directly enhances an organisation’s ability to navigate complexity and lead meaningful transformation. By focusing on the human dimension of change, the programme equips leaders with tools to understand and manage behaviours, values, and dynamics that often derail strategic efforts.
“The programme brought me something so key and that is that organisations are people. And change comes from the people within those organisations, meaning that it is prone to human characteristics – certain irrationalities, certain behaviours and values that live beneath the surface. The programme gave me the insights and the vocabulary to understand, express and manage these complex human dynamics in organisations better.”
Making Change Stick
In a majority of cases, from her experience of having worked with over 1.500 executives visiting INSEAD on Leading Change, there is a consensus out there that change has to do primarily with the implementation of processes, procedures and KPIs, milestones and timelines, often neglecting the critical human aspects, irrationalities and the fundamental need to connect and engage with people – to touch their hearts as well as their minds, she says— by sharing the “why” or the deeper purpose of change in ways that align and mobilise others.
“To me, this really is the golden nugget to lead successful transitions in organisations. To unleash the power to change and transform by balancing out the ability to change and the willingness to change through both vision and leadership.”
As mentioned in the research, a good two-thirds of change and transition initiatives fail because of our inability to overcome human resistance and get people aligned. And the absolutely game-changing benefit of the Executive Master in Change is in developing the skills and capabilities to do this.
A Strategic Investment in Lasting Change
The need for such skills has never been greater.
We are living in a volatile world of relentless complexity and change, says Margerieth. Failure to drive meaningful and lasting change projects can be hugely costly both in terms of financial outlay and in the loss of competitive edge and advantage that organisations risk. In this context, the Executive Master in Change programme offers a learning experience that is both unique and important for organisations to develop skills and capabilities mastering successful change and transformation, she says. Not only in terms of the knowledge and frameworks it offers, but also because it opens doors to learning and support networks that endure.
One of the enduring outcomes of the programme was a powerful community of peers — a source of continuous learning and connection that Margerieth herself helped strengthen.
“You share so much with your peers in the learning that you end up forging deep connections and bonds with others. This was so important to me that I actually founded the INSEAD Mastering Change Global Alumni Club to ensure we remain connected and
collaborative,” says Margerieth. “On your own, you can throw a stone in a pond and expect to see a few ripples. Together, we can work to make waves. And this matters more than ever. From my own experience coaching and consulting INSEAD executive education participants, it’s key that we equip our leaders and decision makers to make successful and positive change.”
A Life-Changing Experience for You — and the People You Lead
Whether you're working in change management or leading within a business undergoing transformation, the ability to change yourself and lead others through it is essential. The EMC provides a structured, rigorous path to mastering these future-oriented capabilities. Whatever your background and motivation, one thing is key before making the decision to take the programme, however, and that is a willingness to “go all the way.”
“Go all the way into this learning experience, gain valuable, impactful new and future oriented skills for leading change and transformation, and enjoy every element of the rigorous process, because it will be life-changing and enriching for your professional and personal development as a leader.”
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