IMD RANKS AMONG WORLD LEADERS IN EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, October 19, 2005 - IMD has been ranked No.2 worldwide (1st in Europe) for custom programs and No. 3 worldwide (2nd in Europe) for open-enrollment programs in the BusinessWeek 2005 Executive Education rankings. The leading business weekly also rated the IMD Executive MBA top in Europe and 7th best in the world.

Based on the results of 163 surveys received from directors of leadership and executive development at companies from all over the world, this year�'s rankings see IMD�'s custom programs move up one place since the last BusinessWeek rankings (2003), with open-enrollment programs up an impressive five places. IMD received particularly high marks for its global focus and diverse student body.

"IMD takes great pride in these rankings," says Dr. Peter Lorange, President IMD. "They demonstrate the value, in a highly competitive market and difficult global economic climate, of offering only the very best executive development: state-of-the-art custom and open programs, top faculty, service, and facilities."

Gordon Adler, IMD�'s Director PR and Communications, says, "If we weight Open Enrolment, Custom and EMBA programs evenly, IMD comes out number one globally. IMD may be behind niche players in each category; but overall, we�'re number one in the world. We would like to thank our partner companies and participants for their support."

Professor John Walsh, IMD�'s EMBA Program Director, says, "IMD was the top non-US school in the ranking; there were no others in the top 10. We're delighted with this result. It's a very strong showing, and it's great news for our brand, but we're particularly pleased about it because the BusinessWeek ranking relies heavily on the opinions of graduates, and we think graduates are in the best position to assess the quality of the program."

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IMD is an independent not-for-profit foundation located in Lausanne, Switzerland. For over 50 years it has trained managers of leading international companies. Its proven "Real World. Real Learning" philosophy is designed to enhance leadership in every area of management. IMD helps executives and companies find new and innovative ways in which to sustain global competitiveness.

For further information please visit our website www.imd.ch or contact:

Anna Lennman

Communications Team

Tel: +41 21 618 0636

Fax: +41 21 618 0318

Email: anna.lennman@imd.ch