Executive Education

Custom Programmes

We co-create with a “business-first” foundation for
measured and scaled impact.

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Rising Star DACH

+30 Ranks since 2020

Proven Impact

Numbers that reflect real impact

Custom Programmes at the Executive School of the University of St. Gallen enable organisations to execute strategy faster, align leadership and deliver measurable performance impact.

We go beyond leadership development. We combine advisory, capability building, and transformation execution into one integrated system, designed to solve real business challenges and create sustainable results.

3’000+

Annual Participants
across all Custom Programmes worldwide

55+

Programmes
delivered annually

600+

Faculty & Researchers
contributing to programme delivery

97%

Confirm Programme Value
of participants rate programmes as valuable

70%

International Participants
representing 75+
nationalities

“Our Custom Programmes combine deep research with practical experience and are co-created with partners to ensure strong customer relevance. Faculty act as thought partners rather than traditional teachers, working directly with organisations on complex strategic challenges. Through diverse pedagogical formats such as action learning, experiential learning and peer exchange, we connect content with real-world application. Our goal is to unleash participants’ potential and translate evidence-based insights into tangible impact for leaders, teams and organisations.”

Karolin Frankenberger · Executive Facultiy University of St.Gallen and Dean of the Executive School of the University of St.Gallen

Independently verified impact data
Financial Times Executive Education Rankings · Custom Programmes category · FT Ranking 2026

ACT · Organisational Enablement

Most orgnizations are “over-structured” but “under-performing” due to the following issues:

Complexity is the norm!

2/3 of organizations are overly complex and inefficient: Processes are fragmented across functions, creating duplication, delays & unclear ownership! (McKinsey, “State of Organizations 2026”)

Traditional fixes don’t work!

Reorganizations and cost-cutting deliver diminishing returns: As complexity increases, organizations add layers, interfaces & coordination mechanisms, but productivity stalls! (BCG, “New Ways to Combat Rising Complexity and Costs 2024)

Execution is the bottleneck!

Employees spend up to 40% of time on non-value work: Decision-making is slow, coordination is costly, and value creation gets lost between functions! (Gartner HR/ productivity research, 2024 CEO & workforce study)

Our ACT system – How we enable your organisation to ACT

We design fully customised, enterprise-wide interventions aligned to the organisation`s strategy, structure, and execution reality. The ACT system is our solution approach, combining Advisory, Capability and Transformation. It empowers our partners to tackle critical challenges while building the skills and structures needed to ACT decisively.

A – Advisory

Generating deep insights and holistic organisational intelligence across all levels.

Resolved organizational dilemmas through explicit trade-off clarity
Aligned stakeholders despite heterogeneous interests and decision logics
Execution insights revealed by AI-driven analytics
Targeted interventions grounded in rigorous root cause evaluation

C – Capabilities

Igniting engaged leaders & cross-functional teams to become a better version of themselves.

Leaders who execute, not just understand
Leadership readiness for growth, complexity and transformation
Succession strength and critical capability-depth in key roles
Observable shifts in leadership behaviour, decision quality and accountability

T – Transformation

Implementing new ways of value creation & -delivery in our current operating model.

Systems that enable execution at scale with innovation at heart
Culture and behaviour shifts embedded in leadership routines
Cross-functional collaboration across silos and hierarchy levels
Operational excellence through aligned ways of working and governance

Solutions · Programmes

Our solution portfolio

Most organisations don’t struggle with defining strategy. They struggle with executing it consistently across levels, functions, and geographies. Our solutions are designed to close this gap: We create fully customised organisational interventions that start from your real business challenges and translate them into aligned action, leadership behaviour, and measurable outcomes.

Each initiative integrates advisory, capability building and transformation execution into one coherent system. The result is not isolated learning or conceptual change, but sustained improvements in how your organisation performs.

CxO Sparring

Structured CxO sparring formats, strategy dialogues, executive workshops, offsites & retreats
Fact-based diagnostics, scenario work and decision preparation for critical CxO moments
Executive-ready outputs, decision papers, strategic narratives and action roadmaps for executives

Level: C-Suite / Board

Organizational Learning

Bespoke learning architectures tailored to functions, industries and transformation topics
Measurement of learning impact through behaviour change and application tracking (incl. AI companion)
Learning labs addressing live strategic and operational challenges

Level: All Functions

Development Programmes

End-to-end design and delivery of leadership, top-team and growth-programmes (N-1, N-2)
Modular learning journeys combining workshops, coaching and applied business cases
Talent and succession programmes linked to future roles, capabilities and organizational strategy

Level: N-1 / N-2 Leaders

Leadership Transformation

Design and rollout of leadership models, routines and behavioural standards
Implementation of governance, decision forums and accountability mechanisms
Facilitation of company-wide leadership alignment and change cascades

Level: Enterprise-wide

Business Transformation

Co-creation of transformation roadmaps across strategy, organization and operating model
Orchestration of multi-level change initiatives from pilot to scale
Hands-on execution support ensuring adoption, performance impact and sustainability

Level: C-Suite + Cross-functional

Execution & Operating Model Excellence

Redesign of operating models to enable speed, clarity, and accountability
Optimization of decision rights, governance structures, and execution flows
Elimination of organisational friction and non-value work across functions

Level: Enterprise-wide / Cross-functional

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“Custom Programmes is the organizations’ partner to increase their performance through business & behavioural change – we co-create with a ‘business-first’ foundation for measured & scaled impact!”

Dr. Kiyan Nouchirvani · Director, Head Custom Programmes

Our Value Proposition

How we work and the value we deliver

What sets us apart is a systemic, execution-focused approach that combines strategic clarity with organisational reality. We address performance at its root, by aligning structure, behaviour, decision-making and data into one coherent system.

Rather than applying predefined solutions, we work as a senior partner, co-creating interventions that are tailored to your context and designed to deliver measurable impact at scale:

Strategic Boutique Partnership

Senior strategic partner – every intervention is custom-architected to your strategic context and execution reality.

“Transformation succeeds when context drives intervention.”

Systemic Organisational Diagnostics

Advisory-led diagnostics that identify structural and
behavioural blockers – addressed at source, not at symptom level.

“Execution improves when structural blockers are removed.”

AI Enabled Performance System

AI-enabled analytics generating real-time insight to accelerate decision cycles and enable evidence-based execution.

“Technology creates impact when it accelerates alignment and execution.”

Leadership Architecture

Aligning leadership behaviour, decision rights and governance structures to translate strategy into sustained business outcomes.

“Leadership creates value when it translates strategy into performance.”

Global Expertise Platform

Faculty, practitioners and advisors operating through one integrated ACT system for coherent, measurable organisational impact.

“Impact scales when expertise operates as one integrated system.”

How we deliver real impact

From programmes to organisational impact: “Executive education trains leaders. We train leaders and transform organisations.”

WHY
with us?

< 30%

of executive education programmes are structurally integrated into organizational systems

Source: Deloitte

40+ institutes at the University of St. Gallen with direct business and industry exposure
#1 C-level alumni density among Swiss universities across leading corporates
#15 FT worldwide in Custom Programmes with 97% ROI confirmation across 2’300+ annual participants

WHAT
we deliver?

70%

of transformations fail due to organisational & behavioural factors, not strategy or learning

Source: McKinsey / HBR

100% customized initiatives aligned with partner strategy & organisational context
CAS, DAS, and Executive Master pathways integrated into Custom Programmes
Up to Enterprise-wide scope covering strategy, leadership, organisation & execution

HOW
we work?

100%

Programme Directors with proven expertise in organisation, leadership, and enterprise transformation

Source: ES-HSG

Programme Directors with deep organisational & transformation expertise, beyond learning design
4-phase transformation cycle applied end-to-end: Decode, Reframe, Mobilize, Evolve
ACT architecture across all programmes: Advisory, Capabilities, Transformation

Turn strategy into performance: Custom Programmes is your partner to increase organisational performance through business and behavioural change, grounded in real challenges and designed for measurable impact.

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Excellence in Practice

Recognised for real-world impact

Gold · 2025 EFMD Excellence in Practice

EiP 2025 Winners Gold Organisational Dev blogSM

Organisational Development

Axpo × ES-HSG

The University of St.Gallen received the EFMD Excellence in Practice Gold Award 2025 for its transformation initiative with Axpo, demonstrating how large-scale leadership and organizational development can drive cultural change and measurable business impact.

Read the Axpo Case Study

The Executive School of the University of St.Gallen has been awarded the Gold Award in the Organisational Development category at the EFMD Excellence in Practice Awards 2025. The award is considered the highest international recognition for effective and evidence-based initiatives in the field of organisational and leadership development. The award was given for the transformation project realised in collaboration with the Axpo Group – an initiative that understands cultural change not as mechanical change communication, but as a creative overall architecture/integrated change process on several levels:

A multi-stage organisational feedback process, based on in-depth qualitative interviews at top management level, supported by quantitative surveys and data collection.
Strategic sparring formats for realigning leadership identity at executive board level,
A management conference as an orchestrated leadership experience – with a real orchestra to generate collective resonance with the new Axpo values,

A scaled learning architecture with over 1,200 managers, curated along the newly developed Axpo values, always driven by action and experiential learning. No preaching, no teaching.

The programme combined in-depth leadership diagnostics with consistent implementation in everyday work and across divisional boundaries. This has not only led to an increased perception of leadership, trust and cooperation at management level, but also to a better anchoring of the new Axpo values in HR and performance processes. Axpo is now one of the ten best-certified employers in Switzerland in the Great Place to Work award (newly ranked 6th in 2025).

The case exemplifies a new standard in leadership and organisational development: from didactic teaching to immersive experiential spaces, from individual to collectively effective measures, from top-down to systemically co-designed organisational and strategy implementation work.

By winning the Gold Award, the Executive School’s Custom Team has once again positioned itself as a pioneer in responsible, transformative management development.

The University of St.Gallen congratulates them on this award.

Get the Report: The Power of US

Silver · 2023 EFMD Excellence in Practice

Outstanding L&D Partnerships

Orion × ES-HSG

The HSG was recognized at the Excellence in Practice 2023 awards for its international leadership program “Horizon,” which successfully develops leaders into innovative, growth-oriented executives and creates measurable business impact.

Explore the Orion Case

Quality and impact of customized executive and organisational development solutions from university of St. Gallen is regularly recognized by leading authorities in the idustry. Here is a sinpet of one of our most recent industry recognitions:

The Custom Team of the Executive School of the University of St. Gallen wins the Silver Award of the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD).

The 2023 «Excellence in Practice» competition awards outstanding and impactful learning and development partnerships in the field of executive education. The award demonstrates the strength and potential of the HSG to further build executive education as an important pillar. The jury of the more than 50 cases considers particularly the sustainable business impacted generated by the program, both for individual leaders as well as for the organization.

The “Horizon” program for the largest Finish pharmaceutical company Orion has substantially boosted the company’s growth and innovation ambition visibly underlining HSG’s claim “From Insight to Impact”. It shows the quality and competitiveness of HSG’s executive education, also at an international level. The 4-module program at different international locations including India had the objective to develop Orion’s leaders to become “ambidextrous leaders” making a real difference to the profitable company growth.

EFMD is the largest international network association in the field of management development. The Custom Team has already won a silver award (with Porsche) and gold award (with Lonza) in the past years.

Read for more information: Horizon – Leading with both Hands

PARTNERS & Testimonials

Trusted by leading organisations globally

Partners who have trusted ES-HSG to design and deliver executive programmes that create measurable impact — across industries, geographies and leadership levels.

Insurance

“I am very pleased to see the deep impact our jointly designed executive learning journey unfolds. Great participant experience with latest knowledge and strong community building. Our partnership with the Executive School HSG truly reflects our Helvetia corporate values: Trust, drive, and passion.”

Dr. Daniel Bartl
Head Leadership & Corporate Culture, Helvetia

Sanitary Technology

“With the University of St. Gallen we have a well reputated and deeply committed management training provider. The Custom team is very eager to continuous adaptation of our programme for higher impact, by closely aligning to our company development and management stakeholders.”

Friedrich Krämer
Head Corporate HR Processes, Geberit

Energy / Renewables

“We’re honored to receive the EFMD Excellence in Practice Gold Award in partnership with the University of St. Gallen. This recognition reflects Axpo’s commitment to shaping the energy future – and to the cultural / leadership journey we are undertaking to make that happen. Partnering with UNISG enabled us to experiment, reflect, and grow; this award celebrates not only the results, but also the courage of our organisation to try something new.”

Henriette Wendt
Chief Operating Officer, Axpo

Selected Partners

Our Team · Global Expertise

Head of the Unit

Dr. Kiyan Nouchirvani

Dr. Kiyan Nouchirvani Director, Head Custom Programmes

kiyan.nouchirvani@unisg.ch +41 71 224 76 52

Programme Directorship

Helen Blässar

Helen Blässar Director Custom Programmes

helen.blaessar@unisg.ch +41 71 224 26 16

Annette Collisy-Lenzen

Annette Collisy-Lenzen Director Custom Programmes

annette.collisy@unisg.ch +41 71 224 75 98

Jost Gloor

Jost Gloor Director Custom Programmes

jost.gloor@unisg.ch

David O’Connor

David O’Connor Director Custom Programmes

david.oconnor@unisg.ch +41 71 224 75 36

Dr. Mohamad Razaghi

Dr. Mohamad Razaghi Custom Programmes & Business Development Manager

mohamad.razaghi@unisg.ch

Christian Sauerbrey

Christian Sauerbrey Director Custom Programmes

christian.sauerbrey@unisg.ch +41 71 224 75 20

Moling Sheng

Moling Sheng Senior Advisor Custom Programmes

moling.sheng@unisg.ch +86 139-0108-3642

Dr. Simon Stöpfgeshoff

Dr. Simon Stöpfgeshoff Director Custom Programmes

simon.stoepfgeshoff@unisg.ch +41 71 224 75 26

Programme Management

Tanja Casutt

Tanja Casutt Programme Manager Custom Programmes

tanja.casutt@unisg.ch +41 71 224 76 21

Ator Dawood

Ator Dawood Programme Manager Custom Programmes

ator.dawood@unsig.ch +41 71 224 76 49

Belinda Helfenberger

Belinda Helfenberger Programme Manager Custom Programmes

belinda.helfenberger@unisg.ch +41 71 224 76 77

Barbara Hoffmann

Barbara Hoffmann Programme Manager Custom Programmes

barbara.hoffmann@unisg.ch +41 71 224 74 75

Alice Rizzo

Alice Rizzo Junior Programme Manager Custom Programmes

alice.rizzo@unisg.ch

Elena Vömel

Elena Vömel Finance Manager Custom Programmes

elena.voemel@unisg.ch +41 71 224 23 79

Veronika Werdecker

Veronika Werdecker Junior Programme Manager Custom Programmes

veronika.haid@unisg.ch +41 71 224 76 27

Education Facilities ST. GALLEN

World class facilities – Future oriented centers of learning

Nestled in pristine natural surroundings conducive to reflection and inspiration, our state-of-the-art facilities cater to executive education (WBZ Executive Campus) and the future of learning (SQUARE). Designed for high-impact, inspirational, and engaging personal and organisational transformation journeys, these campuses offer the perfect setting for your organisation’s growth.

WBZ Executive Campus

WBZ St. Gallen – modern seminar facilities, a central location, and a professional environment for custom corporate programs and successful workshops.

SQUARE

HSG’s bold landmark for 21st-century learning — a flexible, technology-rich environment that dissolves boundaries between disciplines, formats and generations of learners.

Insights

the letters ai floating the background is an orga

AI in Organizational Development: Shaping the Future of Work

How data-driven insights, adaptive structures, and intelligent tools are transforming how organizations evolve and grow.

HSG’s bold landmark for 21st-century learning – a flexible, technology-rich environment that dissolves boundaries between disciplines, formats and generations of learners.

Topics covered:

AI Maturity: Are We Merely Exploring—Or Truly Integrating?
From “No AI” to AI Coaching: How Readiness Levels Shape Use Cases
The Paradox of Personalized Content: Why One-Third Still Opt Out of AI
Overcoming AI’s Biggest Hurdles: Why HR Expertise and ROI Clarity Matter Most