INSEAD’s new Global EMBA Flex will welcome its first participants in May 2026
The Wharton School raised a lot of eyebrows in 2022 when it launched a highly flexible executive MBA program with a huge online component and a hefty price tag of more than $200K. Now the move looks to have placed Wharton in the vanguard of a major trend.
Reverberations from Wharton’s launch are beginning to be more fully understood this fall as two elite European business schools have announced the launch of similar flexible pathways to an EMBA degree. INSEAD’s new Global EMBA Flex program will commence May 2026, and IMD’s new Modular Flex and Elective Flex formats will begin in September and October 2025, respectively.
“The big story,” David Bach, IMD president and Nestlé professor of strategy and political economy, tells Poets&Quants, “is that two top European business schools are introducing highly flexible new EMBA formats to shake up the market.”
The coronavirus pandemic helped push B-schools to innovate with more flexible formats, Wharton Dean Erika James said in announcing that school’s Global MBA Program for Executives — a program that is 75% online — in August 2022. The circumstances of Covid-19, she pointed out, proved “that high-quality academic programs can successfully extend beyond the traditional in-person classroom experience.”
Bach says Wharton’s 2022 launch of a high-priced, mostly online EMBA changed the game. Now IMD and INSEAD are changing it further — with an eye toward the constantly shifting landscape of what participants need and want.
“In addition to the Wharton experience,” he says, “other key consideration are the move toward more stackability, the fact that careers can take twists and turns impacting someone’s EMBA journey, and clear indications that we need more and more flexible formats to attract more diverse candidates.”
The INSEAD GEMBA Flex learning journey
INSEAD’s Mark Stabile: “With GEMBA Flex, we continue to broaden our Master Programs’ reach and impact, blending INSEAD’s tradition of academic excellence with an innovative, future-focused approach”
INSEAD’s new Global EMBA Flex program can be completed in 14 to 20 months via a blend of in-person modules, live virtual classes, and asynchronous online learning, allowing participants to balance their studies with professional and personal commitments. For 142,000 euros (just over $150,000), participants will get the same quality instruction for the same cost as those in INSEAD’s highly ranked traditional GEMBA Europe while enjoying greater flexibility and the freedom to learn from anywhere in the world.
INSEAD’s Flex program features 12 core courses, four electives, and three “Key Management Challenges,” which are “cross-disciplinary, cross-departmental courses that reflect the realities of doing business.” The program’s in-person elements can be completed at INSEAD’s campuses in France, Abu Dhabi, or Singapore; participants will have up to eight weeks out of office, compared to 13 weeks for those in the GEMBA.
“Building on two decades of success with our GEMBA programs, this new offer reflects INSEAD’s commitment to innovation and excellence in business education,” Mark Stabile, INSEAD dean of degree programs, says. “The development aligns with our vision of providing rigorous, relevant management education and empowering the next generation of leaders to transform business and society.”
INSEAD’s GEMBA was recently ranked No. 9 in the world by The Financial Times. Its new GEMBA Flex promises a personalized learning experience that becomes more so as participants go through the program, allowing them to choose in-person interaction by joining other GEMBA cohorts on campus, or online modules based on personal or work needs. The program’s flexibility — and INSEAD’s commitment — also ensure a highly diverse cohort of participants.
Moreover, GEMBA Flex participants will have access to the same level of career support and networking opportunities as those in the traditional GEMBA programs, including in-person networking during modules. The school is targeting an inaugural cohort of around 40 participants.
“The new section of the Global Executive MBA is designed to meet the evolving needs of senior executives,” Stabile tells Poets&Quants. “This new format not only enhances the learning experience but also broadens INSEAD’s reach, reinforcing the school’s commitment to developing global leaders.
“It supports the ambitious executives who seek a flexible pathway to their professional growth. Building on INSEAD’s existing and well-established Global Executive MBA cohorts in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, and its expertise in blended and online executive education, GEMBA Flex offers great flexibility in how and where participants learn while maintaining the same rigorous curriculum and admissions criteria.”
To find out more about INSEAD’s new program, visit INSEAD GEMBA Flex.
See the next page to learn more about IMD’s new Modular and Elective EMBA programs.
