History of SMP

1968-1975 Development of the St. Gallen Management Model
The St. Gallen management model has its roots in a project launched by the Institute for Business Management at the University of St. Gallen. Its director was Professor Dr. Dr. Hans Ulrich, and the project lead was Priv. Doz. Dr. Walter Krieg.

As director of the 1973 Management Center St. Gallen (MZSG), founded as an association, Prof. Dr. Cuno Pümpin is charged with advancing the St. Gallen Management Model and system-oriented management and making it accessible.

1976 Günther Pipp at the MZSG
Günther Pipp, the founder of the SMP Management Program St. Gallen AG, at the age of 26 successfully completes his studies. He becomes the first assistant of Prof. Cuno Pümpin. In addition to his studies at the University of St. Gallen, he was active as assistant for establishing and expanding the Management Center St. Gallen (MZSG). He completed his well-received dissertation on systems-oriented management theory using the principles of cybernetic discoveries from Prof. Dr. Pümpin und Prof. Dr. Dr. Hans Ulrich (1979).

1976 – 1984 Expansion of Part-Time Business Education
Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Cuno Pümpin and Prof. Dr. Hans Ulrich, the University of St. Gallen becomes one of the most important providers of management education for European executives.

As a predecessor to the modern business school, MZSG translated those concepts of integrated management into practice-oriented seminars and programs for executives.

The role of the University of St. Gallen as the vanguard of part-time professional education continues to contribute to its excellent image as a managerial Mecca.

1984 Privatization of Executive Education in St. Gallen
Prof. Dr. Hans Ulrich and the association’s board approved the metamorphosis of the MZSG Association into a privately held company with the name Management Center St. Gallen AG (MZSG). A new association with the name “Association for the Advancement of Systems-oriented Theory” assumes the original role.

The reason for this spinning off executive education was the recognition that the university’s established structures and processes, with their focus on research and teaching, could not meet the special needs of a constantly growing and varied the clientele over the long run.

After privatizing and to this day, some of the leading European private business management educational institutions are located in St. Gallen. The direct competition amongst these quality-oriented providers ensures a high degree or relevance and attention to client’s needs, throughout the entire range of services. The market economy is not just taught by these institutions, but experienced daily; completely along the lines of the first founders of the St. Gallen management approach.

St. Gallen achieved with this division of labor within German-speaking Europe a unique symbiosis of research and teaching with a focus on implementation and knowledge transfer to executives in decision-making positions.

1985-1990 Management Ausbildung und Beratung (MAB) (Management Education and Consulting)
Much like some other leading employees, Günther Pipp leaves the new MZSG in 1985, and shortly thereafter founds MAB Management Ausbildung and Consulting AG, the forerunner of today’s SMP.

MAB develops into one of the important executive education and consulting organizations in the following years. The tight, most often long-term cooperation with renowned clients from Europe, permit the company to independently develop concepts and to continually ameliorate the St. Gallen systems-approach, by observing it mirrored in practice.

In the early years consulting is the primary business domain of the company; eventually practice-oriented teaching of the St. Gallen management approach becomes the largest business domain of the company.

1991 The Founding of SMP Management Programm St. Gallen
The rise of importance along with the ever growing professionalization of management training lead that this domain being spun off under a new brand SMP Management Programn St. Gallen as its own business.

Even at its founding, SMP offers a broad range of practice-oriented seminars and integrated management programs. This knowledge base is further expanded, thus building the basis SMP’s offerings today. Amongst other things, it leads to cooperation with Professor Dr. Walter Krieg, the former project lead for the development of the St. Gallen management model.

The management consulting business incorporates in 1991 under the brand MAB Consulting St. Gallen, and develops into one of the leading consulting firms in the German speaking Europe. Despite the legal and organizational separation of the business division, the intensive cooperation of both businesses is maintained, thus guaranteeing a continual exchange between teaching and consulting.

1991-2000 Successful Growth
Expansion of the St. Gallen knowledge base and further development of the St. Gallen approach to management with regard to implementation and applicability.

2000 Beginning of Internationalization
Beginning of an intensive cooperation with the AACSB-accredited Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU). Expansion of the range of offerings to include a Global Executive MBA and addition of distance and e-learning offerings with a university certificate in cooperation with Boston Business School and FGCU.

2001
Establishment of a unique knowledge platform, which permits integrated knowledge to be acquired in small discrete units, thus permitting the students to learn when their schedules allow.

2004 Cooperation and Integration
In order to combine strengths, SMP was brought together with three other internationally oriented business schools under the aegis of the St. Gallen Group. Under the direction of Dr. Günther Pipp, one of the most important private knowledge-groups comes into being. The institutions of the St. Gallen Group further increase their lead as preferred knowledge partner for modern and results relevant management.

2005
One of the leading universities from the fifth continent becomes an additionally partner: the Univeristy of Southern Queensland (USQ). It is one of the universities run by the Australian government, and as such part of the state university system. Its quality and diplomas enjoy worldwide recognition.

SMP Management Programm St.Gallen - Tellstrasse 18 - CH-9000 St.Gallen

Phone +41 (0)71 244 55 55 - Fax +41 (0)71 244 55 56 - E-Mail