Strategy & Leadership
- Build your career around your values and sense of purpose—not just job titles.
- Step outside your comfort zone regularly to keep learning and growing.
- Develop a leadership style based on trust, authenticity and collaboration.
- Invest in your network as a source of learning, support and opportunity.
- See sustainability as a driver of strategic transformation and innovation.
- Protect your personal well-being to sustain your leadership over the long term.
How do you build a career in a world shaped by technological, environmental and geopolitical transitions? For Gwenaëlle Avice Huet, Executive Vice President at Schneider Electric, there is no such thing as a perfect career path. Instead, careers are built through choices, meaningful encounters and a willingness to continually challenge yourself.
Speaking at HEC Paris' Welcome Conference in August 2025 to first-year students newly arrived on campus, she reflected on a journey that took her from fundamental scientific research to the public sector and, ultimately, to senior leadership in industry. At every stage, it was not titles that guided her decisions, but curiosity, purpose and a desire to keep learning.
Her experience has convinced her that leadership is no longer about control or hierarchy. It is about trust, empowerment and helping others grow. The best leaders, she argued, do not look for candidates who already tick every box, but for people with the potential to learn, evolve and embrace new challenges.
She also emphasized that sustainability should not be viewed merely as a regulatory requirement or a reporting exercise, but as a powerful driver of business transformation and innovation.
Beyond technical expertise, Gwenaëlle Avice Huet encouraged students to build strong networks, embrace moments of doubt as opportunities for growth, stay true to their values, and maintain a healthy balance between professional ambition and personal well-being.
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
