The Department of Management & Leadership

Engine for effective leadership

The departments are a central driving force at HWZ. They develop programmes, promote innovation, and ensure that study, continuing education, and professional practice remain closely connected. The Department of Management & Leadership shapes key areas of expertise in leadership, management, and transformation. Its aim is to enable individuals to manage organisations effectively, shape change, and practise responsible leadership.

40 years of HWZ · October 14, 2026

This article is part of the content series marking the 40th anniversary of HWZ. Through this series, we aim to showcase the diversity of stories from our university and highlight the topics and individuals that have shaped, and continue to shape, HWZ.

More about the anniversary

Management and leadership as core competencies

Leadership is a professional craft. Leaders require a solid repertoire of tools and approaches in order to develop people and organisations effectively. For us, effective leadership is demonstrated by making sound decisions, providing direction, shaping relationships, and enabling change.

The Department of Management & Leadership provides the professional and methodological foundation for this. We teach tools for operational management and at the same time enable leaders to shape strategic change and to lead people responsibly.

Developing leadership skills through degree programmes and continuing education

The department brings together around two dozen specialised CAS programmes under one roof, ranging from business fundamentals such as general management to leadership training designed for demanding transformation contexts.

Within HWZ, we are the central point of contact for leadership matters. We contribute our expertise to bachelor’s and master’s modules, continuing education programmes, and applied research. In doing so, we address current practical challenges and translate them into directly applicable leadership skills, which we impart through both degree programmes and executive education.

The team behind the Department of Management & Leadership

The department is led by an experienced management duo. Dr. Meike Wiemann-Hügler is responsible for the continuing education programmes in the field of leadership, as well as the department’s research activities. Dr. Frithjof Müller oversees the department’s strategic and operational management.

We share a passion for supporting people in becoming effective and reflective leaders, enabling them to realise their full potential. For this reason, we design our teaching methods and content specifically to provide students with the greatest possible support for their current and future leadership challenges – always closely aligned with changes in the business environment and with the aim that what is learned can be applied directly in their professional lives.

Combining practice-oriented leadership with scientific evidence

What sets us apart is the combination of academic depth, scientific evidence, and a consistent focus on practical application. In our research projects, we are always dedicated to examining current management and leadership challenges. We do so with the aim of developing solutions in close collaboration with practitioners, ensuring they are ideally tailored to their needs.

We are currently developing the «Women’s Health Readiness Barometer»: a measurement tool designed to assess the maturity level of Swiss companies with regard to women’s health and to monitor their progress over time. The results will be presented at this year’s Women’s Wellbeing at Work Summit.

Future Skills for leadership and transformation

The more technological developments and artificial intelligence automate or become integrated into operational processes, the more important it becomes not only to understand technology itself, but also to focus on the human side of leadership. Building relationships, providing direction, making responsible decisions, and managing change are becoming increasingly significant.

This is why we focus on areas such as coaching, high-impact leadership, AI-supported management and self-leadership, in order to develop the skills required for the leadership of tomorrow.

In doing so, we aim to position HWZ as a leading centre for evidence-based and future-oriented leadership education in Switzerland.

The department’s contribution to the HWZ of tomorrow

The Department of Management & Leadership strengthens HWZ where economic change meets human leadership. We combine entrepreneurial thinking with modern leadership practice and academic insight. In this way, we enable individuals to take on responsibility and to develop organisations sustainably.

Contact

Dr. Frithjof Müller

Head of Department
Telephone EMail
Portrait Meike Wiemann Huegler

Dr. Meike Wiemann-Hügler

Programme Director
Telephone EMail