IMD Annual Report 2021

Regional spotlight 104

China

Although travel restrictions continued to impact the ability of Chinese executives to travel to Lausanne for face-to-face programs, China’s appetite for IMD’s virtual liVe and online programs grew in 2021.

The book will further support outreach and engagements efforts with existing and prospective clients in China, showcasing IMD’s expertise and actionable market insights.

Danfoss China, for example, enrolled a larger cohort of its executives into online programs, up 40% on 2020. Concrete interest for virtual programs from several large-scale companies, across industries such as insurance, banking and appliances, also increased, underlining growing demand for IMD’s world-leading executive education solutions in the Chinese market. Tailoring content IMD explored ways to make its online programs more relevant and accessible for Chinese clients, including annual licenses for large corporate clients. IMD’s use of social media channels in China was enhanced in 2021, building the institute’s brand in an engaging way that connects more naturally with local audiences. The Future of Global Retail Dean of IMD China, Professor Winter Nie, and Professor of Innovation and Strategy Mark Greeven co-authored a book - The Future of Global Retail - with Research Associate Yunfei Feng and City University of Hong Kong Professor of Finance James Wang, which explored how China’s new retail revolution will transform how the world thinks about retail and digital innovation, providing a clear framework and roadmap to help executives prepare for the future.

Dean of IMD China and Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change Winter Nie