About the School

The IEDC–Bled School of Management, founded in 1986 as the first business school of its type in Central and Eastern Europe, is one of the leading international management development institutions in Europe. 

IEDC-Bled School of Management 

Leading International Management Development Institution in Europe

At Glance

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IEDC-Bled School of Management is a pioneer in providing an innovative approach in leadership development, an innovative approach which encourages business leaders to take on new, and more creative ways in meeting their challenges.

Vision

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IEDC’s vision is to be:

  • Center of excellence in general management and leadership development
  • Creative environment for creative leadership
  • One of the best small, but innovative business schools in the world
  • Meeting place for leaders, with particular focus on emerging economies

Mission

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The mission of IEDC, as an agent of change and a learning partner, is to attract the most promising executives and top managers, provide them with world class management education and other relevant services in a truly international context, inspire them for life-long-learning and prepare them to act and add value as competent and responsible transformational leaders in their organizations and society at large.

IEDC strives for education with IMPACT!

History

Only the best is good enough

(Danica Purg)

1986

Establishment of “Executive Training Centre” in Brdo

1987

Launch of the General Management Program (GMP)

1991

Launch of the International Executive MBA

1993

Business Ethics in the curriculum – one of the first schools in the world

1996

Peter Drucker speaks at
the 10th IEDC Anniversary

1998

Introducing “Art & Leadership”

1999

IEDC receives CEEMAN International
Quality Accreditation (IQA)

2000

New location: moving from Brdo to Bled, new name: IEDC-Bled School of Management

2002

IEDC-Bled School of Management, Postgraduate Studies is awarded the status
of a higher educational institution

2005

IEDC receives AMBA (Association of MBAs) accreditation for all three MBA programs at IEDC

2010

IEDC-Bled School of Management, Postgraduate Studies launches its first PhD program IEDC establishes Chair of Sustainable Development; the Chair becomes the Coca-Cola Chair of Sustainable Development

2016

Institute of Sustainability and Ethics

2018

World Institute for Sustainability and Ethics(WISE),together with Cologne Business School, University of Stellenbosch and Zhejiang University School of Management, China

IEDC Team Development Institute

2019

IEDC establishes a NLB Chair in Change Management

2020

Launch of DBA - Doctor of Business Administration at IEDC - Bled School of Management.

2021

IEDC – Bled School of Management was listed 23rd place in the WURI "World's Universities with Real Impact" in Entrepreneurial spirit (among TOP 50), on 36th place in Ethical value (among TOP 50) and 34th place in Crisis Management (among TOP 50) and 72nd place among the WURI "World's Universities with Real Impact" (TOP 100).

2022

IEDC establishes Tokić Chair of Creativity and Innovation

2023

In 2023, IEDC together with ROCHE Slovenia, established Bled Institute for Leadership in Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence (BILDAI).  BILDAI is focused on developing new educational programs, research projects and international partnerships. The Institute's core mission includes assessing the impact of AI on various sectors, prioritizing research for AI integration, and providing guidance on ethical considerations and regulatory compliance for the use of AI.

2024

In 2024, the new management of IEDC – Bled School of Management was appointed. Prof. Mislav Ante Omazić is the new President of the Board of IEDC and Prof. Danica Purg is a Member of the Board.

The IEDC-Bled School of Management was selected as a 2024-25 PRME Champion among only 47 schools worldwide with a track record of impactful contributions in thought and action leadership.

 

2025

In 2025, IEDC Executive MBA and DBA programs were reaccredited by AMBA for the maximum period. Prof. Danica Purg, Founder and Dean of IEDC-Bled School of Management, has been inducted into the prestigious Thinkers50 Hall of Fame 2025.

IEDC – Bled School of Management Awarded 5 Palmes of Excellence by Eduniversal. The Future 500 Forum officially launched a multi-year initiative to identify, accelerate, and empower 500 of Europe’s most promising scale-ups.

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107.000 executives

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100  countries 

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17 Alumni Clubs

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60 faculty members & world experts

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100% faculty with international experience

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> 1000 years of joint faculty experience

The IEDC–Bled School of Management, founded in 1986 as the first institution of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe, is today one of Europe’s leading international management development schools. In 2026, IEDC is celebrating 40 years of excellence.

IEDC is an international centre of excellence and a vibrant meeting point for business leaders from around the world. It offers a unique environment where art and learning intersect, inspiring creativity and reflective leadership. Since its establishment, IEDC has welcomed participants from more than 100 countries and educated over 107,000 leaders.

Alongside its Executive MBA and Doctoral programs, IEDC offers executive seminars, a four-week General Management Program and the International Summer School for Young Managers. Companies value IEDC’s innovative and highly experiential learning approach.

At the heart of IEDC’s work is its mission: to develop competent and ethically responsible leaders who create sustainable value for their organizations and for society. The school pursues this mission through high-quality management education, research, and executive development, all grounded in experiential learning and global relevance.

IEDC holds AMBA accreditation for its Executive MBA and DBA Programs, and its Master in Management Program holds a national accreditation by NAKVIS. For its pioneering role in business education, it received the Golden Order for Services from the President of Slovenia. AMBA also recognised its Executive MBA among the four most innovative worldwide.

In 2025, IEDC was ranked among the most innovative universities by WURI, placing 34th among the Top 400, including 22nd in Funding for Sustainability, 29th in Entrepreneurial Spirit and 31st in Visionary Leadership. It also holds 5 Palmes of Excellence by Eduniversal, placing it among the Top 100 business schools globally.

IEDC has been active within UN PRME and was the first school in the region to become a PRME Champion. It also hosts international institutions, including CEEMAN, the European Leadership Centre, the Coca-Cola Chair of Sustainable Development and the NLB Chair in Leadership Development, as well as two institutes: WISE, focused on sustainability and ethics, and BILDAI, dedicated to digital transformation and AI.

In 2025, IEDC launched Future 500, a European initiative uniting entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers to accelerate Europe’s next generation of global champions. The next phase includes the development of a Future 500 methodology and Future 100 Slovenia, highlighting national champions ready for global growth.

IEDC has reliable partnerships with several well-known regional and international clients, among them (in the alphabetical order): Aircash, Alpacem, Balfin, Coca-cola, Dukat, E.on, ENNA Group, Ericsson Nikola Tesla, Heineken, Infobip, Končar Group, Krka, Lactalis, Lek, Metinvest, Mplus group, NLB Group, Petrol, Podravka, Porsche Finance Group, Privredna banka Zagreb, Roche, Smollan, TBC Bank, Tokić Group, Umdasch Group, Vetropack Holding, Vienna Insurance Group, William Grant and Sons, Zavarovalnica Triglav and others.
 

Latest IEDC Self-evaluation Report

Accreditations of the School