Impact on society

HEC Paris’ mission is to train the leaders of tomorrow, who understand that their responsibilities go beyond the bottom line and contribute to the greater good in society. Linking employees’ search for meaning with the company’s goals is a key challenge for the future. This has been a strategic priority at HEC Paris for more than 10 years, through the interdisciplinary Society & Organizations Center. With the creation of the “Joly Family Chair in Purposeful Leadership” thanks to Hubert Joly’s (H.81) exceptional donation, since followed by 9 donors, the School has been able to introduce a completely new pedagogical program from the start of the September 2019 academic year, which will run throughout each student’s schooling.

A program to know yourself better and to work together for the common good

By Cécile de Lisle, Executive Director of the Purposeful Leadership Chair

"This year saw the launch of a program designed to help Grande École students, during their four years of studies, to focus on what makes sense to them in their relationships with others, their professional project and the company’s corporate purpose. There were three stages during the first year of this program, allowing students to experiment, take a step back and explore these issues in greater depth.

1 / Experimenting in Mont Saint-Michel, Saint-Cyr Coëtquidan and Chamonix

Even before the new first-year students set foot on campus, they met for four days in Mont Saint Michel, Saint-Cyr Coëtquidan and Chamonix. They were asked to experiment with the issues of meaning through role-play situations that encouraged them to question themselves (supported by professional coaches), to excel as a team (for example, in simulations of combat operations with young officers) or to question the corporate purpose of companies (by learning about the purpose of local business leaders).

Social and environmental issues were also brought to life for the students, especially during their unforgettable experience learning about the retreat of the glacier in Chamonix and hearing insights from leading climatologists.

2 / A new perspective, thanks to exceptional testimonials

After visiting these exceptional places, meaning finds expression in exceptional men and women. The leaders mentioned below came to meet the students to recount how, in all circumstances and despite the conflicting demands of a given economic environment, they have tried to be themselves, to be with their teams and be faithful to their corporate mission. The students appreciated the sincerity and depth of the testimonials provided, including those from Antoine Frérot (CEO Veolia Environnement), Hubert de Boisredon (CEO Armor), Antoine Lemarchand (CEO Nature et Découvertes), Christopher Guérin (CEO Nexans), and Emery Jacquillat (CEO Camif Matelsom).

3 / in-depth, in touch with reality and in a sustainable way

Once these questions had been asked, the students chose to explore in greater depth the one that was of particular interest to them. This exercise, informed by the use of the humanities and social sciences, was rooted in the real-life experiences of the companies and their employees, who hosted the students and allowed them to ask questions about their corporate purpose and the meaning of their actions. These discussions have become high-quality dissertations on subjects as varied as taking vulnerabilities into account or the inversion of hierarchy in companies, the best of which were recognized by Denis Machuel (CEO Sodexo).

Finally, the students learned about the environmental and social issues that are essential to reinventing a company and harnessing its potential for the common good. A rewarding first year on a program that the students will follow throughout their studies, learning how to bring a human dimension to business."

In 2003, HEC Paris created France’s first Master in Sustainable Development and Social Innovation. 300 of the program’s alumni reunited on campus to celebrate the 20th anniversary in the presence of Bénédicte Faivre-Tavignot (H.88),Co-Founder of the S&O Institute and Executive Director of the Inclusive Economy Center at HEC Paris. Read the article.

The event was an opportunity for Jérémy Ghez to hand over the academic management of the program to Professor François Gemenne, IPCC expert and newly hired by HEC Paris.

In response to exceptional demand on the part of students and businesses, the Master took in 100 students in 2023/2024.

Co-founded by HEC Paris and Schneider Electric in early 2023, the Impact Company Lab is a leading experimentation platform focused on concretely growing Companies’ ability to drive a just transition in a rapidly changing world. Run by Professor Marieke Huysentruyt from HEC's Inclusive Economy Center (S&O), the Impact Company Lab delivers value at 3 levels:

• redefines & Convenes Impact Leadership: build a global community of global  Frontier Impact Companies & Frontier Leaders,  harness their experiences, their specific drivers & their collective transformation power to narrow gaps between impact intentions and results (where it matters most)
• applies future-focused & bold thinking to universal business impact related challenges: identify new perspectives and drive paradigm shifts (harness thinking & potential change opportunities in a horizon 2050 and focus on the megacities of the world which is where a just transition will be most)
• design, experiment & scientifically assess impact initiatives with the potential to drive systemic progress: creating a body of compelling evidence for the leaders of  today and of tomorrow.

This initiative consolidates the School’s position on ESG issues, an area in which HEC has been actively involved for more than 15 years.

In March 2023, the Sustainability & Organizations Institute organized the first edition of Purpose Day at the Philanthro-Lab in Paris, attracting around a hundred participants.

The event offered an opportunity to discover the research carried out by 4 PhD students, and to measure the impact of the Purpose Center’s activities thanks to Professor Rodolphe Durand (H.93 – D.97), holder of the Joly Family Chair in Purposeful Leadership created in 2018.

Another highlight of this edition was the talk by Denis Machuel, CEO of Adecco group, on the importance of offering authentic purpose and how this can serve as a compass for businesses.

HEC Paris, the Foundation and Mazars launched a corporate Chair in early September devoted to enlightened leadership in the field of governance, consulting and multi-capital accounting.

The chair’s 3-year research period on ESG reporting will be managed by Professor Luc Paugam and will include a case study on key performance indicators as well as extra-financial reporting frameworks. Mazars will be involved at various academic levels and will take part in the future certificate, which aims to revisit company management from the perspective of 'conscious management'.

Read the article