The Business School
Rochester-Bern Executive Programs (RoBe) is a recognized business school for executive education at university level in Switzerland. It is our vision to contribute to a better and more sustainable world by inspiring, equipping, and connecting responsible leaders. Founded in 1994 as a subsidiary of the Universities of Rochester (USA) and Bern, and organized as a self-financed Swiss foundation, we collaborate with faculty from the world’s leading business schools.
Explore RoBe
Rochester-Bern organizes a variety of educational programs for individuals and companies, which can earn degrees from either or both of the partner universities.
Partner Institutions
Organized as an independent foundation, Rochester-Bern is affiliated with two universities, one with its parent institution, Simon Business School at the University of Rochester, and the other with the University of Bern, where it is headquartered.
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester was founded in 1850 and is among the leading private institutions of higher learning in the United States. Rochester faculty and alumni/-ae have included 13 Nobel Prize winners and 13 Pulitzer Prize winners.
Simon Business School is one of the seven schools at the University of Rochester. It is named after William E. Simon, a financial entrepreneur and former U.S. Treasury Secretary, who believed strongly in the principles and ideals of the school.
The Rochester-Bern Executive MBA program, as part of Simon Business School, carries with it the reputation of one of the world’s top graduate business schools, which has awarded MBA degrees since 1962. It has been fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International since 1966.
Our program is uniquely designed to foster global perspectives, including travel to Simon Business School in Rochester, NY, where participants immerse themselves in a dynamic learning environment. This experience not only broadens horizons but also strengthens connections with a vibrant community of peers, faculty, and alumni.
Speaking of alumni, our graduates are leaders in their fields, driving innovation and success across the globe. Their achievements are a testament to the transformative power of our program.
Preparing students to succeed in an ever-changing business landscape requires innovation. We continuously refine our educational model and curriculum in collaboration with RoBe to ensure we are meeting the evolving needs of top leaders. "We'll change the way you think” is more than the program’s tagline, it reflects our commitment to fostering rigorous thinking and delivering real impact.
We invite you to explore the program and discover how it can transform your leadership journey. Together, we can shape the future – one leader at a time.”
University of Bern
The University of Bern was founded in 1834 and is one of ten universities in Switzerland. It consists of eight faculties and has a distinguished reputation in economics.
The cooperation with the University of Rochester dates back to the well-known monetarist Karl Brunner who worked at both universities in the early 1970s. The founder of the Rochester-Bern Executive MBA is Claudio Loderer, former Director of the Institute for Financial Management at the University of Bern and both a former student of Karl Brunner and a Ph.D. graduate of the University of Rochester.
The late Professor Karl Brunner and Professor Claudio Loderer recognized the importance of expanding international partnerships early on, thereby laying the foundation for this success story. Their work combines academic depth with a strong understanding of management competencies, particularly as they are shaped within the U.S. context.
Our joint Executive MBA program represents a genuinely mutually beneficial collaboration: it brings together complementary strengths, broadens perspectives, and creates lasting value for participants, institutions, and the business community.
Through this collaboration, we strengthe global connections and empower leaders to position themselves successfully in an increasingly complex international environment.
We look forward to continuing this successful partnership and shaping the future of executive education together.”
Foundation Board of the Business School
Foundation board members are business leaders or academics; they do not have any financial stake in the program. The foundation’s activities are monitored by an advisory board of alumni/-ae that provides guidance and support.
As of 2021, the foundation board consists of the following members:
Prof. Dr. Claudio Loderer
Vice President,
University of Bern
Dr. Odile Hettler
Odile Hettler Consulting
Prof. Dr. Ravi N Mantena
Simon Business School, University of Rochester
Prof. Dr. Andrew Chan
University of Bern
Prof. Dr. Ahron Rosenfeld
Ben-Gurion-University
of the Negev
Prof. Dr. Philip Valta
University of Bern
Prof. Dr. Mitchell Lovett
Simon Business School, University of Rochester
International Excellence
Bloomberg Businessweek 2025
(Simon Business School) since 1996
Financial Times 2026
