Chief Alumni and Development Officer

Chief Alumni and Development Officer

IMD Business School

Lausanne, Switzerland

THE
SEARCH         

IMD Business School (IMD)
seeks a seasoned, strategic, and collaborative leader to serve as
the chief alumni and development officer (CADO). Reporting to the
president of IMD and serving as an integral member of IMD’s
executive committee, the CADO will provide strategic vision,
leadership, and direction for all alumni engagement and fundraising
activities. Founded by business executives for business executives,
IMD is an independent academic institution with Swiss roots and
global reach. Consistently ranked among the top business schools
globally, IMD develops leaders who transform organizations,
contribute to society, and manage the complex challenges of the
twenty-first century.

This is an exceptional opportunity for a strategic, creative,
and experienced advancement leader to partner with an inspiring
president early in his tenure to build and develop a best-in-class
advancement program at one of the world’s top business schools,
positioning IMD to achieve exceptional fundraising success. The
CADO will work closely with IMD’s executive leadership and the
president to establish strategic direction of the fundraising
program, reinforce connections with IMD’s alumni, and strengthen
infrastructure and systems to support a robust advancement
enterprise. Importantly, they will serve as a key leader in the
planning and implementation of IMD’s first capital campaign. The
CADO will cultivate and foster a culture of philanthropy among all
internal and external constituencies and strategically develop and
engage new relationships with individuals and corporations who are
inspired by IMD’s mission and impact and are motivated to
contribute philanthropically.

With at least ten years of leadership experience in advancement,
preferably within a higher education environment, the CADO must
possess strong managerial, strategic planning, and motivational
skills; a keen understanding of fundraising best practices; and a
comprehensive knowledge of all major development and alumni
engagement functions, including a track record of significant
personal success in donor cultivation, solicitation, and
stewardship at the major and principal gift levels. The ideal
candidate will be a seasoned team leader adept at motivating,
empowering, and advocating for staff, as well as facilitating
cohesion and team success. The CADO must possess comprehensive
advancement knowledge and be prepared to develop and enhance
critical advancement infrastructure, refine the application of a
new CRM, and develop and implement related policies, procedures,
and best practices to effectively leverage data and moves
management in all aspects of advancement work.

The ideal candidate must demonstrate a high level of integrity
and trust and exhibit the credibility, maturity, and sophistication
to effectively engage and partner with varied groups of internal
and external constituents. The CADO must possess extraordinary
communication and negotiation skills, the political savvy,
flexibility, and cultural agility to navigate a complex academic
and alumni community, and the desire and ability to build bridges
and strong, genuine, and collaborative relationships across IMD.
The CADO should possess knowledge and awareness of the nuances of
the culture of fundraising in Europe and Switzerland. An advanced
degree is preferred.

IMD Business School has retained the services of Jack Gorman of
Isaacson, Miller, the national executive search firm, to conduct
the search. Inquiries, nominations, and applications may be
directed to the search firm:
https://www.imsearch.com/open-searches/imd-business-school/chief-alumni-and-development-officer