HEC Paris Foundation : launch of the “Impact Tomorrow” campaign

The future of the school is in your hands

On June 20^th, a major campaign was launched to support the development of the School and propel it to the top of the world rankings!

This ambitious fundraising campaign aims to raise 200 million euros over the next five years. Those funds will be essential to support the development plan led by Peter Todd and his team. “HEC Paris aims to become one of the world’s leading business schools. However, our competitors are supported by powerful foundations, which allows them to undertake strategic projects and ensures the sustainability of their funding. If HEC Paris is to compete in this category, it must strengthen the role of its foundation, says Olivier Sevillia (H.90), President of the HEC Foundation. The funds raised will help us implement a development plan that is significant, energizing, and convincing. That plan aims to attract the brightest talent from around the world—both students and teachers—and to develop leaders and entrepreneurs who are effective and instilled with a strong sense of social responsibility. It also aims to promote innovative ideas that will shift the business world towards a form of capitalism that is inclusive and humane.”

Forging a strong link between the School and its alumni

As a strategic partner of the School, the Foundation enables it to invest in long-term projects in the fields of equal opportunities, research and teaching, support for entrepreneurship, and the renovation and digitalization of the campus. The new campaign will go even further. For Olivier Sevillia, “by contributing to the campaign, we give back a little of what we have received so that younger generations can learn the best management practices. It also means supporting a plan that will advance responsible and meaningful business practices, which is sorely needed in the 21^st century.” The commitment of our alumni is crucial: they account for 60% of the donations received by the Foundation. They can also help through the companies where they work, some of which are partners of the Foundation (40% of the funds raised). HEC Paris is at a turning point. We are in competition with business schools in English-speaking countries and China. To make progress in that worldwide race, we must be able to count on a strong and engaged network of alumni.

Towards an inclusive campus

Giving to the HEC Foundation means taking action in favor of social mobility and, more generally, promoting social and cultural diversity on the campus. Today, nearly 18% of our students receive a grant from the HEC Foundation on social criteria, one of the highest percentages in the French Grandes Ecoles system. Ultimately, the School aims to bring that figure up to 25%. Internationalization and gender parity have increased significantly across all our programs. The challenge now is to ensure that our students are enriched by that diversity and thrive within an inclusive campus.

Supporting the social commitment of leaders

Beyond the excellent teaching it provides, HEC Paris aims to have a tangible impact on the economic and societal models of the future, through the original knowledge it imparts and its unique teaching. Thanks to donations from alumni and partner companies, the HEC Foundation supports that effort. It finances chairs, research work, scholarships for doctoral students, conferences, and more. One example of a research chair that the Foundation provides with funding is “The Joly Family Chair in Purposeful Leadership”, which was instigated in July 2018 by Hubert Joly (H.81) and the tenured professor of the Rodolphe Durand Chair (H.93). That organization convenes meetings between the world’s leading experts on the theme of searching for meaning in business and training a new generation of leaders.

Helping start-ups

As a key player in entrepreneurship, HEC Paris has developed expertise in the training of entrepreneurs, as well as in supporting their projects. The Foundation’s contribution will enable 400 start-ups to emerge each year and will increase the capacity of the HEC incubator. This support for business creation has a significant technological aspect, which is why HEC and the École Polytechnique have joined forces to offer a master’s program in entrepreneurship.

Jean-Marie Eveillard (H.62), an investor residing in the United States and manager of the First Eagle Global fund for thirty years, has financed the creation of a research chair in the field of Value Investing, with a donation of 1.5 million euros.

For more information on the work of the Foundation.
Delphine Colson (H.49), Executive Director of the HEC Foundation – colson@hec.fr

For more information on corporate support.
Raphaëlle Gautier (H.02), careers director and corporate partnerships – gautierra@hec.fr