HEC Paris, the Laidlaw Foundation and the HEC Foundation Join Forces to Award Scholarships to 10 Exceptional Women Annually to the MBA Program

With the launch of the Laidlaw Scholars Program, the Laidlaw Foundation, HEC Paris and the HEC Foundation aim to identify and encourage underprivileged women in their pursuit of an MBA. 

This new partnership is set to make a significant impact by granting 10 full scholarships annually to extraordinary women with strong leadership potential, who do not have the financial means to support their dream of pursuing an MBA. HEC Paris is aware that there are many outstanding women who hesitate to consider an MBA, due to financial constraints.  With the support of the Laidlaw Foundation, HEC Paris is looking to change this – with dedicated support for women across all backgrounds and financial aid.  Through this collaboration, 100 percent of tuition fees will be covered with the aim of encouraging women who may have previously believed an MBA was out of reach to dream big, apply to the program, and become part of the school’s community.

In addition to receiving a full scholarship to cover the cost of tuition fees, an alumni mentoring program will be organized to connect Laidlaw Scholars with accomplished female alumni. Laidlaw Scholars will benefit from their guidance, career advice, and industry knowledge. 

The aim of this scholarship program is threefold: 

• Empower outstanding women by giving them the opportunity to pursue a high-level MBA education, regardless of their financial constraints, to enable them to reach their full potential and make significant contributions to their organizations and to society as a whole; 
• Bridge the gender gap in leadership and build a strong network of diverse women, who will drive organizational growth and promote diversity in leadership positions by equipping women with the skills, knowledge and networks to excel in leadership positions through targeted support and mentoring; 
• Promote inclusiveness by investing in the education of talented women from underprivileged backgrounds, who will create a more diverse and inclusive business environment, helping to inspire and sponsor future generations of courageous women.  

Eloïc Peyrache, Dean of HEC Paris, comments: "The launch of the Laidlaw Scholars Program is all the more important to us as HEC celebrates 50 years of gender diversity this year: this scholarship embodies our commitment to supporting and promoting parity. We want to encourage talented women from all backgrounds to pursue their academic and professional ambitions, while contributing to a more balanced representation in the business world. We firmly believe that diversity is a force that stimulates innovation, creativity and success, and we are proud to play a part in promoting this ideal."

“This partnership allows us to support and empower women from all over the globe, by giving them the opportunity to join a top-ranking MBA program,” adds Olivier Sevillia, President of the HEC Foundation. “We are delighted to open this opportunity to outstanding women who possess the drive, resilience and determination to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals. As an alumni of the MBA program myself, I understand the transformative impact of this program, making this initiative particularly meaningful to me.”

“We are committed to supporting more extraordinary women to reach the C-Suite. By partnering with HEC Paris, we know that outstanding women will have the opportunity to develop the skills, knowledge and networks that will propel their careers forward,” comments Susanna Kempe, CEO of Laidlaw Foundation.

The first step for those interested in applying to be a Laidlaw Scholar, is to connect with us and tell us about your background. A Marketing & Recruitment manager will then be in touch shortly after. Vouchers will be awarded to potential candidates to cover the cost of the GMAT exam fee. For more information on our Laidlaw Scholars Program, visit: https://www.hec.edu/en/mba-programs/mba/admissions/laidlaw-scholars-program