March 9, 2006

“The bridge between IMD and Holcim is very strong. Our executives relate IMD’s business school knowledge to Holcim reality.”

Walter Baumgartner, Head of Corporate Training and Learning at Holcim, summarizes the success of the IMD/Holcim Senior Management Program. Over the last three years, some 400 participants, senior Holcim executives from all over the world, have attended a seven days program on the IMD campus in Lausanne. According to Walter Baumgartner, the comment reflects the feedback from other members of the Executive Committee as well as from participants. He explains:

A major element of the SMP program is project work. All participants conclude the program by setting in motion a project that meets three criteria: 1. the project concerns a highly important issue, 2. it has the potential to make an important business impact and 3. it will benefit the whole Holcim Group, not only one business unit or region. Several SMP projects have already led to improved business performance.

Walter Baumgartner credits participants who have implemented their projects, and also acknowledges the important role the members of the Executive Committee have played in the knowledge transfer into the organization:

“Exco members have been present at each SMP block related to their discipline or area. By now the concept of value creation –we call it Holcim Value Added (HVA) is well established among senior Holcim managers all over the world. One participant told me: Before I attended the program, the HVA principle was a mechanical exercise for me. Now I know exactly what the method entails and why we are doing this. I now have a much deeper understanding of our strategy, our means for strategy execution and how this translates to value creation.”

According to Walter Baumgartner SMP has given senior executives a wealth of management knowledge and tools. But, it is time for the next step. He says: “Based on participants’ feedback and on studies among different Holcim Group companies we have identified leadership as our next program focus. We have enormous potential in our organization and we have to unlock it with the right management development tools.”

Holcim has decided to collaborate further with IMD again as “IMD understands business like no other school.”

Jean Francois Manzoni, IMD Professor of Leadership and Organizational Development, and program director for the new Senior Leadership Program comments: “I enjoy working with Holcim senior managers because they’re smart and experienced, yet they remain eager to learn and keep improving. The Senior Leadership Program will build on the work we did in the SMP. Where the SMP was more focused on the 'what', the SLP will be more focused on the 'how'. It will challenge participants at a more personal level."

Looking forward to the next step in Holcim’s road to success, Walter Baumgartner says: “I think the combination of management skills from the SMP program and individual leadership development will deliver superior results and help the Holcim Group to achieve its objectives.”