Benoit F Leleux

Most leaders believe they will decide when it’s time to leave a business, but in reality, it is rarely planned for and occurs when illness strikes, a financial shock hits, or their board loses patience. By that point, it is too late for a smooth transition. Our research with 19 French SME owner-managers shows that succession unfolds in two very different ways: forced by crisis or chosen by conviction.

While tech startups and Silicon Valley often dominate entrepreneurship narratives, management buyouts and corporate carve-outs represent an equally entrepreneurial path that deserves attention. These are the topics explored at the relaunch of IMD’s Alumni Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE). To demonstrate this alternative entrepreneurial journey, the event highlighted the remarkable transformation of dss+, an operational safety and risk management consulting firm carved out from DuPont in 2019.

To move beyond CSRD-compliant ESG reporting, consider potential actionability when identifying material issues in the research phase.     To help envision how to take actions that improve the sustainability impact, zone in on the following:  Transformative priorities  Material topics that are essential to build long-term value and maintain a competitive advantage.  Sustainability enablers  Material topics that put you in the right position to address the core focus areas.  Continuous...