Annual report
Quickly access our various projects and highlights of the year 2020:
2020 Activites presented by our President
Despite this context, the donors and corporate partners of the HEC Foundation have shown remarkable generosity and solidarity. On behalf of the HEC Paris and the Foundation, I would like to express our deepest gratitude to you.President of the HEC Foundation
Beyond the educational aspect, the School’s first concern was support for the students, their health and their physical and mental well-being. The health center was strengthened and the Careers department doubled the number of workshops on offer. The professors, School and Foundation teams, as well as the donors, were actively engaged in offering online events to students confined on campus, thus helping to maintain links. Every effort was made to ensure the students felt supported and connected during this difficult period.Executive Director of the HEC Foundation
2020 : A YEAR OF SOLIDARITY
From the start of the pandemic, while the School implemented the necessary measures to enable the students to pursue their training in the best possible conditions, the HEC Foundation was able to count of the strength and the solidarity of the HEC community.
See all the solidarity funds createdThank you for your generosity
400 students
have received financial support thanks to donations made through these funds
+ 340 donors
have contributed to these funds
€300000 raised
through the Covid-19 fund
2020 highlights
During their first weeks on the HEC Paris campus, students in the January 2020 MBA intake who are receiving support from the HEC Foundation were invited to a scholarship award ceremony on Monday 13...
Last month, three of Fondation HEC’s Grand Donors returned to the HEC Paris campus to meet the students they have supported financially over the past two years.
As everyone else, we had to adapt during this exceptional period. Even if we could not get together physically, many events could be maintained or even created in video conference! We suggest you discover...
Like all educational institutions around the world, HEC Paris has been facing the health crisis linked to the COVID-19 epidemic since March. The entire HEC Paris community has had to adapt to this...
HEC Paris and the Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IP Paris, which unites Ecole Polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, ENSAE Paris, Télécom Paris and Télécom SudParis) launched a new center devoted to Data Science...
The HEC Paris Foundation marked its 48th birthday with the first-ever 100% online Foundation Annual Gathering. The event was marked by messages of support from alumni who have become top business leaders...
The ‘traditional’ scholarship award ceremonies were held on September 7 and 21 for incoming doctoral and scholarship MBA students. But due to the exceptional nature of the 2020/2021 academic year, we have...
On Tuesday October 13, the Foundation paid tribute to one of its donors, Marc Bréban (H49A). Before his death on January 1st, 2019, Mr. Bréban chose to extend his loyal support through a final mark of...
In these complicated times, we would like express our gratitude for the commitment of our corporate partners and the renewal of their aid. The precious support of these companies funds research Chairs...
At HEC Paris, just as everywhere else in the world, 2020 was marked by unexpected, urgent decision-making and resilience, whether it be the early departure of Peter Todd - to whom I wish to pay tribute here for all he has brought to our school over the past five years – or, on a very different level, with the pandemic. However, we have come through the past twelve months with agility, commitment, a permanent rejection of the status quo and a determination to support those who are the most fragile, and our community should be proud of that.Dean of HEC Paris
Each in their own way
Committed, energetic and innovative, 2020 saw a host of collective initiatives! Whether initiated by a Club, a class or a program, they were all in step with the values and mission that drive us! An immense thank you to all for your time and energy in relaying our actions and strengthening our impact.
The crisis is already having an impact on our students and their families. That is why the HEC Foundation launched a solidarity fund. Coming together to help students in difficult situations and make a...
October 2020 was HEC MBA GIVING MONTH. The HEC MBA Program, the HEC Foundation, the HEC Alumni Association and the HEC MBA Afterwork team partnered up to organize this one-month fundraising campaign, with...
Under the leadership of its delegate Julien Lacaze, the class of 2009 has set itself the goal of raising €250,000 in pledges from 100 donors over the next 4 years to support the School at a key moment in...
In light of the Lebanese crisis and with the support of the circle of Lebanese donors, the HEC Foundation has created a solidarity fund for the Lebanese students on campus. Below is a moving account from...
For the second year in a row, the "Pâquerette" class (H.67) has taken action in favor of equal opportunities. Thanks to the support of 34 donors, nearly €27,000 has been raised to help students in 2020.
At the initiative of Adrien Couret (H.07), Managing Director of the Aéma Group, the HEC Alumni Insurance Club and the HEC Foundation have launched a fundraising campaign to help finance the HEC Paris...
One year ago, the HEC Foundation received a bequest from Mr. Blin (H.54). In 2020, the Executive Board of the HEC Foundation has decided to create a capital scholarship fund called the “Yves Blin Fund”.
This is a particularly difficult time, and one that is all the more complex for many students. Faced with this unprecedented situation, the Bridgepoint Alumni have decided to fund living expenses grants...
We are delighted to announce the launch of a new Research Chair at HEC Paris, made possible by the exceptional donation of €3M by Pierre Andurand (MS00). The aim of the donation is to enable the School to...
As generous patrons of the HEC Foundation for many years, Henri (H.76) and Jérôme (H.16) de Castries have created the "Henri and Jérôme de Castries Family" Foundation, which is housed by the HEC...
On the occasion of the sale of her Parisian apartment, of which she had already given temporary usufruct to the HEC Foundation, Valérie Colloredo (H.94) wished to make an exceptional donation. These funds...
2020 PROJECTS FINANCED BY THE HEC FOUNDATION
The strong momentum surrounding the campaign, the School's innovative projects and the commitment of our donors and corporate partners enabled the HEC Foundation to increase significantly fundraising +37% compared to 2019
See all the campaign projectsYour impact on knowledge Production
2020 highlighted the importance of research as a vital source of progress, obviously, but also in understanding challenges and supporting decision-making. The production of knowledge leading to the creation of new models and additional teaching content is one of HEC’s priorities. This year, several patrons enabled significant progress in a key aspect of the campaign.
Multi-disciplinarity is the key to progress in research. September 2020 marked a turning point for HEC with the launch, in association with the Institut Polytechnique de Paris, of Hi! PARIS, a joint center devoted to data science and artificial intelligence for science, business and society.
The aim is to recruit 30 internationally-renowned research professors and to make Hi! PARIS the leading inter-disciplinary and inter-institutional center in Europe.
Capgemini, Kering, L'Oréal, Rexel and Total enabled us to lay the foundation stone of this center.
This new center will also boost the joint doctoral program created in 2018 by HEC and IP Paris by the recruitment of 150 PhD students.
Learn more
Thanks to his outstanding donation of €3M, Pierre Andurand (MS.00) will enable the creation of a new Research Chair at HEC Paris and the recruitment of an opinion-leading research professor in the field of Health or Climate. A strong illustration of the impact of philanthropy on the faculty’s excellence.
Our sincere thanks to the 14 companies who have renewed their support to HEC Paris and its Foundation: Accenture ; Allen & Overy ; Bain&Co ; BCG ; BNP Paribas - Corporate Initiative "Corporate Finance" ; Bouygues - Chair "Smart City and the Common Good" ; Danone, Renault et Schneider Electric for the Society & Organizations Institute ; Kering -Chair - Luxury ; LVMH - Corporate Initiative "Engagement and commitment towards society inspiring excellence" ; Michelin ; ODDO BHF - Corporate Initiative "Financial Analysis" ; PwC. Our thanks also to all those who have been working with us actively for many years. Beyond their financial aid, it is their expertise and commitment which help us to produce world-changing research and to train students to become change-makers.
Every year, the HEC Foundation Awards showcase the quality of students’ and teachers’ work at HEC Paris. A total of 9 prizes were awarded during the fully online 2020 edition: 6 in recognition of students’ work in the various programs of the School and 3 for the HEC Faculty. The opportunity was also taken to award HEC Paris' Professors with a special Prize to honor their dedication and adaptability in 2020.
Created in 2020, the Bernard André Parent Foundation Prize was awarded to 3 HEC students whose work demonstrated the influence of geographical data on the choice of an entire economic activity and on company management. was awarded to 3 HEC students whose work demonstrated the influence of geographical data on the choice of an entire economic activity and on company management.
"Promote education, share knowledge, venture future” is the guiding principle of the Foundation named after the German entrepreneur Dieter Schwarz, founder and owner of the supermarket chain Lidl and of the Schwarz-Gruppe. Created in 1999 and based in Heilbronn, the Dieter Schwarz Foundation supports a wide range of opportunities in the fields of Education and Science. Interview of Professor Reinhold Geilsdörfer, CEO and also member of HEC Paris' Advisory Board.
Your impact on talent inclusion
Fifteen years ago, HEC Paris and the Foundation undertook a firm commitment to promoting equal opportunities. In addition to the scholarships awarded to students on campus, the Foundation leads fundamental upstream work to support students in high schools and preparatory classes.
For more than 15 years, the Foundation and the School have been providing scholarships and personalized support schemes to numerous gifted young people as of preparatory class level. This scheme is now a nationwide offer, open to all establishments with a Business School preparatory class eligible for admission to HEC. In 2020, the HEC Foundation awarded 452 grants of an average €400 to CROUS scholarship students to support them with their living expenses. These grants are awarded to students enrolled in a Business School preparatory class who obtained their French Baccalauréat with distinction. This grant represents a form of encouragement for these students.
Launched in 2019, the PACT Africa program (Support Program for African Talents) has enabled 5 talented students from Côte d’Ivoire to prepare and succeed the international entrance exam and be admitted to HEC Paris in September 2020. The aim of the program is to double the number of students from sub-saharan and southern Africa in the HEC Paris Grande Ecole program within 5 years. It is based on the Dual Diploma agreement signed in 2017 between HEC Paris and the National Polytechnic Institute in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, and will expand to other countries in the region with the support of the HEC Office in the Ivory Coast.
For the third year running, HEC Volunteering, in association with the HEC Paris Equal Opportunities task force, the Article 1 non-profit organization and the HEC Foundation, is leading a mentorship program for the School’s scholarship students. This scheme provides a year (or more!) of support to students from alumni who share their experience, transmit their expertise and also benefit from the contact with these young generations.
Your impact on Purposeful Leadership
Institutions of excellence such as HEC Paris must train future leaders who know how to embody the company's raison d'être and the meaning they want to give to their work.
In the face of pressing issues, humankind along with its various economic organizations must reevaluate existing practices and foundations. This new environment urgently calls for a new type of leadership, based on purpose. The Purposeful Leadership Chair, through its academic research, uncovers how purpose can create value at both individual and organizational levels.
It may seem intuitive that for companies to succeed, they must set a concrete goal that goes beyond profit maximization.
However, evidence indicates that simply having a purpose does not necessarily improve organizational effectiveness or performance. Researchers found that purpose results in better company performance when employees perceive said purpose clearly and believe it is authentic in relation to what happens in practice. Our world-class research team composed of 8 professors, post-PhDs and PhD students, is working to understand the conditions that make purpose a driver of both personal fulfilment and organizational performance.
So, how can purposeful leadership have an impact on performance? Purposeful leadership increases labor productivity, and current research suggests that this relies on two connected mechanisms: an increase in deeper trust and loyalty, and an increase in dedication and autonomy. The fusion of the corporate purpose and strategy, driven by a purposeful leadership that creates trust and engagement, empowers businesses to better perform thanks to improved organizational coordination and employee commitment.
Despite the masks, all the first- and second-year students of the Master in Management and the MBA and EMBA students - representing nearly 2,000 HEC students -, followed a course on purposeful leadership which included testimonials from corporate leaders, role play (rescue missions with the Chamonix mountain guides), and an in-depth exploration of these practices in a partner company of the program. This search for meaning in business was led by some thirty professors, the best coaches at HEC, about sixty business and association leaders, and over 70 companies that had agreed to host our students on these topics.
Our academic research is based on the experience of employees in business. Our work on the link between embodying the mission and the capacity for innovation of employees, for example, is based on surveys conducted systematically from 2015 to 2019 among 1,500 companies, 75,000 teams and 451,000 employees. These valuable sources were made available to us by the Korn Ferry Institute in partnership with the Joly Family Chair in Purposeful Leadership.
To enable HEC students, as well as those from 1,500 universities in 100 countries around the world, to understand the best practices related to embodying this mission in companies, a case study was prepared (and shared with all of these universities) on the implementation of this type of leadership at Best Buy.
This multinational consumer electronics distribution company was saved from bankruptcy in 2012 when its leadership set a mission to serve the common good and all the company's stakeholders, and primarily its employees.
HEC PARIS : A STRONG LINK WITH CORPORATE PARTNERS
HEC Paris, via its Careers & Corporate Partnerships Department maintains a tradition of cooperation with the business world, reflected in annual memberships, funding for teaching and research chairs, and support provided for collaboratively defined projects.
Learn more about corporate partners
Projects realized thanks to our corporate partners
News of Sheltered Foundations & scholarships Funds
By creating a scholarship fund or a sheltered foundation under the aegis of HEC Foundation, patrons make an outstanding philanthropic gesture, with a high short-term impact on projects led by the Foundation and an invaluable long-term effect.
Learn moreDo you have a question? Do not hesitate to contact us!
