Lifting Spirits, the sculpture by Jean and Marianne Bremers that you might have seen in the gardens of the IMD campus, reminds us of our purpose: to challenge what is and inspire what could be, by developing leaders like Oksana Lesyk, who transform organizations and contribute to society.

Oksana is Senior Project Manager for the Reform Support Team at Ukraine’s Ministry of Infrastructure. Oksana said that, when Ukraine was invaded by Russia, in February 2022, “We were forced to demonstrate our courage and our professionalism to the whole world as we continued to work to keep Ukraine’s infrastructure running smoothly.

During that time Oksana came to realise that her true interest lay in organisational team management. 

“I started to look at my personal and professional development from a different angle. I asked, what I could do for myself; how could I be more efficient and a better team leader overall?,” she said. 

Through colleagues who had studied at IMD, Oksana was made aware of IMD’s scholarship programme. She realised it was what she had been looking for: the chance to develop her own approach to leadership and team management. 

Oksana’s experience of the course was exactly what she needed during a time of great uncertainty and loss. She said,

“It was a great opportunity and a very intense period in terms of learning and developing. The mentors were really supportive, and I remain in touch with them even now. The most valuable experience was to open myself for myself and the biggest most relevant insight was to put a safety mask on yourself first, and then to help others. It sounds so easy, but it’s difficult in times of extreme uncertainty,” she said.  

By supporting the Lifting Spirits Unrestricted Scholarship Fund this Giving Day, you will help provide flexible resources to support scholarships for leaders like Oksana, as well as core priorities and urgent needs as they arise.

Through your giving, you will support vital initiatives that ensure the business leaders of tomorrow deliver on the promise of a sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous future.