Today’s Global Leader with Nora Fehlbaum

Join us for a special edition of Today’s Global Leader featuring Nora Fehlbaum, chair of the board of directors and former CEO of the legendary design brand Vitra and a third-generation leader of the family-owned company. Leave with a fresh perspective on how meaningful spaces can shape the future of work and society, and take away practical insights on sustainability as a guiding design principle, long-term leadership, and running a family business with purpose.

Under Nora Fehlbaum’s leadership, Vitra has explored how design, sustainability, and culture can intersect to create spaces that endure and inspire long-term thinking, responsible choices, and new forms of collaboration. From its newly opened Bowery showroom in New York to cultural moments on the Vitra Campus and the contemplative Doshi Retreat, Vitra’s projects show that design is as much about mindset and meaning as it is about aesthetics.

ESMT faculty member , a leadership and New Work expert, will set the stage with insights into how evolving work cultures are reshaping the future of leadership. The subsequent Q&A with Nora Fehlbaum, with plenty of time for audience questions, will be moderated by , journalist, TV host, and executive coach.

About the Today’s Global Leader event series

Today’s Global Leader is an ESMT event series in hybrid format. Successful business leaders share their leadership philosophies and position themselves on current political and economic topics in an open discussion. Interaction with a diverse audience, including international students and other young leaders, is guaranteed. Check out our past events with Ola Källenius, Christian Sewing, among others on .

About the speakers

Nora Fehlbaum is the chair of the board of directors of the Swiss furniture manufacturing company Vitra, leading the family-owned company in the third generation. Fehlbaum joined Vitra in 2010 and was initially responsible for the Vitra Campus, the global launch of Vitra’s online shops, and the expansion of the Vitra Accessories Collection, before taking the helm in 2016 as CEO until the end of 2025.

While the first generation laid the company’s commercial foundations, and the second added a cultural dimension through the development of the Vitra Campus and the Vitra Design Museum along with its collection, the third generation represented by Fehlbaum puts the spotlight on sustainable thinking and action.

is a lecturer in leadership, a member of the ESMT faculty, as well as a program director for executive education programs. Her teaching and research interests are leadership for middle managers, leadership transitions, collaboration across organizational boundaries, teamwork mediated through technology, experiential learning, and innovation in executive education. Her work has been published in journals such as MIT Sloan Management Review, Harvard Business Manager, Organization Studies, and Harvard Business Publishing, as well as popular business media such as European Business Review and Forbes.

About the moderator

is an independent conference moderator, executive coach, and communications consultant specializing in executive media training and high-level moderation. A former national TV presenter, she produced some 250 films and reports, served as spokesperson for Reporters Without Borders for 12 years, and now trains executives in media and presentation skills while advising organizations on event design and delivery.

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