Institute of Management & Strategy at the University of St.Gallen (IFB-HSG)

Welcome to our website! We are independently financed and positioned within the University of St.Gallen as the first point of contact for all aspects of strategic management.

A few facts about our institute

1. place SIM
in the world wide FT ranking

100+ Master degrees
per year

30+ Countries
of the students

10+ PhD fellows
at the institute

20+ Business cooperations
on different topics

The three fields of the IFB

Under the motto
«We create and share knowledge in Strategic Management that is equally rigorous and relevant and
has a positive impact for academics, students, executives, and society at large»

we mainly operate in three different areas:

Research

Find out more about our research activities, where predominantly scientific concepts are developed with the focus on the problem and the application.

Teaching

Discover our wide range of courses offered at bachelor, master and doctoral level.

Executive Education

Learn about our executivce education programs in strategy, finance, general management and leadership.

News

November 11, 2026: Max Kownatzki as Guest Speaker at the CGCS Speakers Series

29. October 2026

Eurowings CEO and HSG alumnus Max Kownatzki will discuss geopolitical factors and their impact on the aviation industry and Eurowings as part of the CGCS Speakers Series.

Christoph Lechner in Interview: From Insight to Strategic Impact

25. September 2026

Following the launch of the Center for Geopolitics and Corporate Strategy, co-founder Christoph Lechner discusses how the Center connects research, teaching and executive education with corporate practice – and how geopolitical insights can be translated into concrete strategic decisions.

Thomas Burri in Interview: Why Geopolitics Is Becoming a Strategic Question

25. September 2026

Following the launch of the Center for Geopolitics and Corporate Strategy, co-founder Thomas Burri discusses the growing importance of geopolitical developments for companies, the role of international law, and why geopolitics is increasingly becoming part of strategic decision-making.

Press Release: Launch Center

14. September 2026

To mark the launch of the Center for Geopolitics and Corporate Strategy, the University of St.Gallen (HSG) has issued a press release outlining the new Center’s objectives and key areas of focus, as well as the public kick-off event on 24 September 2026.

Read the press release

Research

Business management has undergone enormous change in recent years. In particular, framework conditions have been changed by technical and digital developments. Our institute has a total of 5 chairs and 6 competence centers focusing on various strategic topics.

Our Competence Centers

The IOMS focuses its research on the latest topics in business administration. The aim is to offer the most up-to-date and useful knowledge both for society and for companies to respond to their challenges.

Alliances, Platforms & Ecosystems

Due to the advent of digital platforms, issues of cooperative strategies, both at the business, corporate and network levels, have again become increasingly important.

Circular Economy

This Competence Center focuses on the promising alternative to today’s linearly functioning economic systems and presents a solution to the waste of resources and the creation of waste in the first place.

Global & Corporate Strategy

As globalization progresses, today’s top management places its holistic, global strategy at the center of its corporate mission.

Strategic Innovation

This competence center focuses on the systematic development and implementation of new business opportunities in a dynamic environment. It highlights how companies can create sustainable competitive advantages through innovation strategies and new business models.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Mergers and acquisitions are an important engine of transformation in the global economy with significant influence on national and international production networks, market relations and competitive dynamics.

Strategy Processes, AI & Decision Making Under Uncertainty

By identifying and defining new business processes that offer more efficient opportunities through digital technologies, new regulations, new markets, new customer profiles and new business practices, unique strategies can be formed.

Teaching

The extensive range of courses offered at bachelor, master and doctoral level allows over 200 students per semester to build up comprehensive knowledge in the areas of strategic management, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance. Our students benefit from close mentoring throughout the entire training process up to degree papers.

Executive Education

In addition to the high level of professional quality, our executive education programs impress with the exclusive network. The focus is always on personal contact with fellow students, speakers, executives or network partners. The heterogeneous field of participants from different industries promotes cross-industry and lasting contacts that will successfully contribute to your career.

Program overview

The Institute of Management and Strategy is the perfect choice for executive education programs in the areas of strategy, financen, general management and leadership. For many years, countless delighted participants have valued the high degree of practical relevance, the exclusive network and the renowned instructors.

In-house executive education

We will accompany you in the development and implementation of executive education programs for executives and in the design of in-house academies. We evaluate your needs and develop a tailored concept for you.