For 24 years, Rudi Blatter was the CEO of Lindt & Sprüngli (Canada), building the Lindt brand from zero to Canada’s most-respected premium chocolate brand through operational excellence, focused marketing and innovative retail strategy.

In his talk entitled “What do Espresso, Pinot Noir, Pink Floyd and Lindt Excellence have in common?”, Rudi shared the secret sauce to Lindt Canada’s success and his philosophy on pioneering brand new businesses within a multinational corporate environment. Organizations with strong entrepreneurial tendencies statistically perform better, achieving higher levels of innovation and growth. He explained how corporate “intrapreneurship” can be achieved in a global company with traditional corporate practices and a focus on building a new business.

It was an inspiring talk, and the response was overwhelming with over 100 people attending. The event was organized by IMD Alumni Club Canada in partnership with the Swiss Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and sponsored by Lindt Canada and the Swiss Business Hub Canada.