Interview of IFM faculty

Hilde Gustafsson 
MBA, BBA BI Norwegian School of Management, Oslo (NO). BA Psychology University of Eik, (NO)/University of York (UK). Director, Human Growth Consulting (CH), Former Managing Director Retail DDB Worldwide, Oslo (NO), Former Customer Service Manager/Deputy Sales Manager, IKEA (CH).

Why do you teach at IFM?

I teach at IFM because I appreciate the learning environment. The classes are not too big which means you get to know all your students with their individual needs. The campus is nice, very centrally

situated in Geneva.


Which topics do you teach at IFM?

I teach Organisational Behaviour, Business Writing and Public Relations.

What are the advantages of studying your topic?

As a manager you need to understand and develop your organization to be able to succeed. You need to communicate in a proper and efficient way, both internally and externally, and you need to know how to interact and deal with the public, your stakeholders.


How would you describe your teaching style and how does it influence your class?
I am passionate about teaching! I find great pleasure in transferring my knowledge and experience to the younger generations. My philosophy is that: “Anyone can read a theoretical book”, but it is only when the theory is connected to practical situations and real life, that real learning takes place. I therefore focus a lot on giving practical examples and providing real cases in my classes.




How would you describe your students? 
The learning environment is great, the classes are relatively small, and we have a very open dialogue with our students. I also appreciate the diversity; the students, come from all over the world, different backgrounds, different nationalities and different cultures. This makes it an exciting
environment and a great base for learning.

What advice would you give to the future generation of entrepreneurs and managers?
We live in a world that is changing more and more rapidly. My advice is to believe in yourself, but be humble! Do not be afraid of making mistakes, but learn from them. Ask for help and advice especially from people who have been in business for a long time. Be open minded, continue to develop, learn and last but not least, HAVE FUN !