Purpose Day

Over the past years, there has been an explosion of interest in purpose-driven leadership. Academics, leaders and  business experts make the case that purpose-based organizations are able to unleash human and business potential. Then, it is time to discuss the ways to elaborate and incarnate Purpose, its actual effects, and the conditions for making the most of it:

How can Purpose best be elaborated and embodied?

Does Purpose bring positive change within teams and for team members?

What impact does Purpose have on stakeholders?

“PURPOSE & PROFIT 2.0 After the Backlash, What Remains ?” was the theme of the 2026 edition that took place on April 7th 2026 at Cité universitaire in Paris. a world of accelerating geoeconomic change, is the alignment between purpose and profit becoming stronger or more fragile? In this edition, we showed that purpose alone does not guarantee performance. As a new economic order emerges, purpose-based firms may gain a decisive edge or confront new trade-offs.

“Corporate Purpose: Navigating Dissent” was the theme of the 2025 edition, which brings a unique focus on the tensions that challenge purpose-driven organizations. Throughout the day, we examined how companies can foster authenticity and trust as they address internal and external pressures. We explored the role of dissent in shaping a credible corporate purpose.

"Bring Purpose to Life": This summit addressed how purpose intent can be translated into authentic action. We unlocked insights from the keynote speakers, panelists and participants into how best to embed purpose in firm culture and governance, as well as the latest thinking on how purpose can best be measured.

The first edition of the HEC Purpose Day: Bringing Change with Purpose took place in Paris in 2023. The opportunity was to highlight and present all the work made by the S&O Professors and Doctorants around the Purpose.

Partners

	Oxford University Centre for Corporate Reputation
	Enacting Purpose Initiative
	Joly Family Chair followed by many individual donors  First HEC Endowed Chair in Purposeful Leadership Holder: Rodolphe Durand, Professor of Strategy
	Accounting for Purpose Chair Holder: Luc Paugam, Associate Professor of Accounting