The current world of business is changing fast, in particular through the rise of digital technologies and the need to find a more sustainable economic model. These changes generate constraints but also tremendous opportunities to rethink competitive landscapes and to come up with disruptive strategies (‘the kinds that result in the creation of entirely new markets and business models’ (Christensen, 1993)).

 

In this course, we will look at how an existing company can transform itself to develop this kind of disruptive strategy and move forward towards a more sustainable and resilient model. We will consider in detail the role of the CEO in this transformation, in particular to set a new vision, but also how to analyse broader changes in the industry, and how to design new business models to make this strategic transformation real.

 

We will do it in close relationship with a corporate partner of the E4S Center: Romande Energie, which is developing an ambitious strategy based on the ‘decarbonation’ of the Lemanic Region. Romande Energie will be used as a sort of ‘live case’ to look at the practical implications of some of the concepts discussed in class, but also to explore how to push these even further.