Strategic Management Specialization

Today’s business environment is constantly and rapidly changing. Globalization, the financial crisis, the development of digital business models and emerging markets are causing drastic uncertainty among well-established organizations. Firms need to be efficient in their response, while embracing technological change and undertaking strategic action such as mergers, acquisitions and alliances.

These challenges signify a growing demand for strategic skills and high standard technical training. 

That’s why the Strategic Management specialization covers a wide range of topics focusing on internal and external strategic analysis, as well as on the structure/organization of companies.

A Diverse Student Body

Comprised of students from 25 nationalities, this specialization is a real opportunity to interact with people from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds. Through group projects and events, students absorb a fantastic variety of knowledge and experience from their fellow classmates.

Constant Interaction with International Leading Companies

Students interact regularly with international firms (consultancy, industry, services) through numerous workshops and conferences. They also have the opportunity to take on an optional company project, where they tackle a real-life strategic issue alongside an industry professional or consultancy firm.

The ‘real-life’ knowledge students learn throughout the curriculum results in an extremely high placement success rate.

Career Outlook

Our annual graduates start their career with an average salary starting at €45K at top recruiting companies and in various paths. This success can be attributed to strong academics, in-depth interview preparation and extensive networking and career events. While the majority of students choose to pursue consulting, this specialization is also geared towards finance, business development, venture capital and project management just to name a few. Attracting top consulting and industry players from around the world, the specialization in Strategic Management provides students with an invaluable network and the frameworks of strategic thinking necessary for a successful career in the industry and as a top manager.

Strategic management is essential to company growth and survival, while encompassing two main components:

• Strategic analysis - Identification of major trends and sources of opportunities:
  ‘External analysis’ consists of identifying the forces that constrain a firm –be it from the industry or from competition- and determining the course of action in order to reach sustainable success.
  ‘Internal analysis’ refers to identifying performance leverages within a firm by assessing the available resources and determining ideal paths for optimal performance.
• Structure and organization - How a company is designed and manages projects, including central functions such as planning, management control and information systems. It also deals with employees’ commitment, corporate values and culture.

The Strategic Management Specialization’s curriculum covers these two main fields through 30 courses and electives. It is common with HEC’s MSc in Strategic Management. Both populations of students are grouped within the same promotion and have access to the same courses.

Flexible Yet Comprehensive Course

With a choice of almost 20 electives, students are able to adjust their curriculum to suit their own professional goals. They can also complete a certificate program at the end of their masters, thus expanding their knowledge of another related area of interest.

Core Courses

• Fundamentals of Business and Corporate Strategy (pre-term online course)
• Strategic Financial Decisions
• Strategic Problem Solving
• Strategic Analysis of Negotiation Games
• Thinking Strategically : Applied Game Theory for Business

Elective Courses

General

• Behavioral Strategy 
• Designing and Managing Processes for Competitive Advantage
• Odyssey 3.14: (Re)invent your Business Model

Industry-specific

• Energy Strategies
• Issues in Service Offshoring Strategy
• Managing Public-Private Partnerships: Strategic and Organizational Issues 
• Private Equity Strategy
• Strategic Challenges in Creative Industries

CSR and Sustainability

• Impact Investing and Social Finance
• Social Entrepreneurship
• Values-Based Strategy

Data and Digital

• AI: Effects and Applications across Industries
• Data and Analytics in Operations
• Getting Value Out of Data
• Making Digital Transformation happen

Tech and Software for Business

Most of these electives are taught by firms and thus, rely heavily on practical knowledge from real-life experience.

Workshops with Firms and Conferences

Leading consulting firms actively participate in workshops throughout the year, both on campus and in their local offices. Consultants present their activities and methodologies as well as supervising case study sessions, for a complete immersion in real-life business.

Additionally, many leaders from the industrial and service sector are involved in the curriculum, sharing their experience in policy matters. This allows students to interact with CEOs, Business Unit Managers and Directors of Strategy of large companies.

Examples of companies participating in these workshops (non-exhaustive list):

• Accenture
• Bain & Company
• CMA CGM
• EY
• IBM
• JP Morgan
• Mazars
• McKinsey & Company
• Monitor Deloitte
• Oliver Wyman
• PwC (and Strategy&)
• Roland Berger
• Urgo Group

Company Project

In parallel of the electives, the students have the possibility to complete a 10-week part-time Company Project. Starting in January, this project is proposed by a company facing a real-life, concrete strategic issue. In many cases, the project is an opportunity to deal with demanding clients. Supervised by a professor, the student groups complete their study and deliver their results and recommendations to the firm’s top management.

The students who choose to achieve the company project have to choose 3 elective courses in addition (8 otherwise).

Study Trip

Students have the opportunity to go on study trip during the program with company visits and networking events.

Professional Experience

The professional experience requirement is satisfied through the completion of at least 4 months in a course-related field. It is, however, important to stress that this professional experience may not be an internship per se but a full-time job.

Program Faculty

Around 50% of courses are taught by academic professors and researchers from HEC Paris and other universities and around 50% taught by professionals holding key positions in the private or public sector:

• Laurence Lehmann Ortega, Academic Director, Affiliate Professor, winner of the 2015 Pierre Vernimmen Teaching Award
• Thomas Astebro, Professor
• Matthieu de Chanville (HEC 1998), Senior Principal, AT Kearney
• Olivier Chatain, Associate Professor
• Giada Di Stefano, Assistant Professor
• Rodolphe Durand, Professor
• Oliver Gottschalg, Associate Professor
• Philippe Greco, CEO, Concomitance - Strategy, Sales and Marketing
• Eric Hazan (HEC 1992), Partner, McKinsey & Company
• Ambroise Huret (HEC 2000), Partner, Eleven Strategy
• Frédéric Iselin, Affiliate Professor
• Sri Kudaravalli, Associate Professor
• Yann Le Fur (HEC 1995), Senior Banker, Natixis
• Michel Lander, Assistant Professor
• Bertrand Limoges (HEC 2000), Partner, Isatis Capital
• Elie Matta, Associate Professor
• Marie-Laure Michaud, Principal, The Boston Consulting Group
• Joseph Nehme, Affiliate Professor
• Michaël Ogrinz (HEC 2000), Partner, Advent International
• Gonçalo Pacheco de Almeida, Associate Professor
• Archag Touloumian (HEC 2009), Engagement Manager, Oliver Wyman
• Bertrand Quélin, Professor
• Marc Vermeulen, Affiliate Professor
• ...