Spain’s Iese Business School has achieved the best performance in the Financial Times rankings of executive education programmes, coming closest of any school since the survey was launched in 1999 to topping both rankings.

Iese not only held on to top place in the ranking of customised programmes aimed at corporate customers, but also climbed one position to second in the ranking of open-enrolment programmes. In doing so, the school also tops the 2016 FT combined ranking of the leading 50 schools for executive education, calculated from both tables. Swiss school IMD climbs to second place after coming third for four years, relegating HEC Paris into third.

Executive education offers non-degree programmes, either tailor-made for corporate customers (customised) or available to all working managers -(open-enrolment). This 18th edition of the FT’s executive education rankings includes the best 85 customised programmes and the best 75 open programmes worldwide. The rankings are based on criteria including participants’ and clients’ satisfaction, the diversity of participants and faculty, as well as the schools’ international teaching and students.