Meet The HEC Paris MBA Class Of 2024

“EPITOME OF CULTURE, ARTS, AND HISTORY”

In the center of it all is Station F, which houses over 1,000 startups, plus another 150 investors and venture funds. Station F also partners with leading organizations like Microsoft, Apple, and Google to provide training and support to fledgling startups. In fact, HEC Paris is a Station F partner. It maintains an HEC Incubateur program that currently supports 90 projects from students – a partnership that has resulted HEC alumni generating over $400 million Euros in funding over the past four years.

Sofian Kerrou is weighing the continued pursuit of an entrepreneurial life. He loves how Station F would enable him to start his own venture or join an existing startup team. However, he is also excited by Paris’ opportunities in medicine. “For more than 100 years, Paris has been a medical hub with the most renowned clinics in the world is a strong argument to choose Paris. Many Parisian hospitals are considered centers of reference for almost every medical specialty, and this is the place where the medical innovation is being created.”

And then there’s the history and mystique of Paris, a locale colored by romance and freedom – not to mention world class cuisine. It is an eternal city, with architectural styles reflect a creativity and craftsmanship that symbolize the hopes and history of a people. The city is stamped with landmarks like The Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, and the Pont Alexandre Bridge. And it is remembered for its transformative experiences: strolling along the River Seine or gazing upon the city’s remarkable symmetry from the Eiffel Tower. Cafes and restaurants, Pinots and Expressos, pastries and quiches, gardens magnifying the daylight and lights puncturing the darkness.  Those are the joys of living in Paris. And they act as a magnet for students, 630,000 strong in the Paris metro.

“Paris is an epitome of cultures, arts, and history,” writes Shawn Qiu, a Bloomberg analyst with engineering degrees from the University of Michigan and Columbia University. “It’s hard to not fall in love with such a magnificent city because of its natural scenery and human masterpieces. It is the best example of what humans can leave to the world to showcase our wisdom and hard work. Being close to Paris, I constantly remind myself of the spirit of perfection. I hope I can also be inspired and have my own chapter in Paris one day.”

After spending 5 months in Paris as an undergrad, Sophie Shen has some advice for her classmates. “I fell in love with the art scene in Paris. Thursday evening openings at Musée D’Orsay, world-famous exhibitions at the Pompidou, and L’Orangerie (where one can view Monet’s water lilies from such a unique angle) are only a few of many things the Parisien art scene has to offer. As a big modern art fan, I cannot wait to explore more of the art scenes in Paris while I obtain my MBA at HEC.”

LEARNING TO LEAD

Proximity to Paris is just one of HEC Paris’ unique benefits. Ask alumni to name the experience they remember most and the Outdoor Leadership Seminar (OLS) is certain to come up. Held over two days at the Saint-Cyr Military Academy, OLS is a series of exercises in adverse conditions. Supervised by military trainers, these exercises are designed to teach students teamwork and problem-solving and test their abilities to manage pressure and lead others. Here, students rotate in the role of leader, receiving ongoing coaching and feedback to elevate their performance as the tasks become increasingly complex.

“[The] adventures [are] taking place in the woods, the fields, and in the water,” writes Samuel Deason, a 2022 grad and P&Q Best & Brightest MBA. “My favorite challenge was fording a lake on a raft which our group had to build ourselves. All we had to construct the raft were a few plastic tanks and a rope! This tradition reflects the concept of having skin in the game – if you don’t build your raft well, you’re going to sink!”

Deason’s classmate, Arvind Rajan, appreciated the insights he gained into himself specifically and team dynamics in general from OLS. “These exercises were great windows on team dynamics. As with any organizational time-bound project, we had to chart out a strategy and improve upon it as we went along. Just as in the real world, some people knew each other, and some people were just getting to know each other. Some had heard of similar missions and therefore had an idea about execution; However, they had to get crucial ‘buy-in’ from the team to proceed with that plan. In one sense, the mission itself was not as important as ensuring that despite information asymmetry, lack of trust, and team politics, we delivered as a team.”

HOSTING THE MBA OLYMPICS

MBAT is another rite of passage for HEC Paris MBAs. Think of it as the MBA Olympics hosted annually at HEC Paris. Although MBAT lasts three days, it takes months of planning, with HEC Paris MBAs organizing committees, marshalling resources, and managing volunteers to ensure the tournament runs without a hitch. After a two-year layoff thanks to COVID, the event returned last May, attracting 1,500 MBAs from over a dozen schools, including ESADE, IMD, Cambridge Judge, and Oxford Saïd. This year’s event featured 30 events, including basketball, swimming, gaming, rugby, and running – with the final day capped by a party and concert. While HEC Paris served as a gracious host, Oxford Saïd walked away with 15 first place finishes.

The MBAT is now entering its fourth decade as a HEC Paris tradition. Like the Outdoor Leadership Seminar, MBAT represents an opportunity for the Class of 2024 to gain hands-on experience and bond with their classmates. With the next MBAT running from May 4-6 in 2023, Monica van den Boom can’t wait to make it a reality.

“So many HEC alumni have described their amazing experience of the MBAT that I can’t help but join in on the excitement,” she writes. “It is a unique opportunity to meet people from business schools all over the world while having a great time. Many alumni described it as both the most amazing experience of their MBA journey and the most exhausting – this very contrast makes me want to experience it for myself.”

Idris Bailey is equally bullish on MBAT. “Expanding my network, and especially building a global one, was a prime motivator for pursuing the MBA at HEC Paris. Hosting an event like the MBAT affords a unique opportunity to interact with thousands of some of the brightest, most interesting people from around the world in a setting that doesn’t quite exist anywhere else.”

A CLASS PROFILE

This year, HEC Paris admitted a 280-member class. The program’s acceptance rate dropped from 22.4% to 18%, making it one of the most selective programs in the world. At the same time, the class’s 690 average GMAT matched the previous year’s class. Overall, women account for 36% of the class, with the average student age being 30.

Academically, a third of the class majored in Engineering as undergraduates. Business & Commerce majors represent 14% of the class, followed by Economics (9%), Management (8%), Law (5%), and Computer Science (5%). The remainder of the class features students holding undergraduate degrees in Accounting, Humanities, Social Science, Medicine, Biological Science, Political Science, History, and Modern Languages. Like many classes, Financial Services professionals represent the largest share of incoming MBAs. Financial Services hit 20% in the Class of 2024. Consulting Services and Technology each maintain a 15% share. Manufacturing (9%), Consumer Products (8%), Government (6%), Energy (5%), Healthcare (5%), Media Entertainment (4%), and Real Estate (2%) also hold substantive segments of the class.

Sofian Kerrou describes HEC Paris as one of the world’s top business schools – and the rankings back him up. This year, the school placed 7th globally with The Economist and 11th by The Financial Times. Kerrou also notes that the school has a reputation for producing top CEOs. Sure enough, you’ll find HEC Paris alumni heading up AstraZeneca, Instacart, Schlumberger Business Consulting – with alumni who’ve previously run Michelin, Best Buy, Danone, BNP Paribas, and L’Oréal. Chances are, you’ll find some future leaders in global financial institutions, luxury brands, and even the French government matriculating in the Class of 2024.

AN INTERVIEW WITH BENOIT BANCHEREAU

What can incoming students – and future MBA applicants – expect from HEC Paris?  This summer, P&Q reached out to Benoit Banchereau, Executive Director of Communications, Marketing and Admissions for MBA Programs at HEC Paris. Here are his thoughts on the program’s leadership development, campus environment,

P&Q: What are the two most exciting developments at your program in the past year and how will they enrich the MBA experience for current and future MBAs?

Banchereau: “We developed a new set of activities to reinforce and enrich our Leadership Development offer:

* We added a core course on Purposeful Leadership supported by the Hubert July chair. The purpose of the course is to help participants understand how companies integrate environmental, social, and societal issues into their strategy and how they adapt their governance. In addition, the course teaches how to manage – and hopefully resolve – the trade-off between doing well and doing good, and integrate purpose into their leadership action.

* We also created a new elective, “Be yourself & Be with others,” to teach our participants how to operate in highly diverse teams, respecting and valuing the opinions of others while asserting their ideas and viewpoints.

* Our Careers curriculum is being continually revamped to ensure we develop leaders with a good understanding of responsible leadership.

Other new or revamped courses include: AI in Management, Luxury Management, Data for Managers, Creating Value through Emotions, and Inspiring Diverse Teams.

HEC had already started digitizing certain elements of our curriculum, in different programs, before the pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we developed a pedagogical continuity plan that allowed us to maintain all our courses face-to-face, while enriching them with digital components.

The crisis accelerated the process and increased the acceptance of certain solutions. We typically leave it to each professor to decide the pedagogical format that best fits the needs of his or her course. For instance, in certain disciplines, asynchronous online courses are particularly well-suited for assimilating hard skills, as the model facilitates self-paced learning and leaves more time to engage in rich and informed discussions during the in-person sessions.

Synchronous online sessions are well-suited when we have geographically dispersed participants and when we invite guest speakers who have busy agendas and mobility constraints. In that respect, the development of remote learning has opened many doors and has created several opportunities to enrich our courses.

P&Q: If you were giving a campus tour, what is the first place you’d take an MBA applicant? Whys is that so important to the MBA experience?

Banchereau: “This is a tough one! Our campus life is one of the strongest points of the HEC Paris MBA. The majority of our MBA students live on campus, which facilitates group projects, bonding and maximizes the time spent studying together and socializing. The first place I would take them is to see the lake, nestled on our 340-acre campus and located in the forest. Students often gather at the lake for evening and weekend barbeques and the surrounding area is beautiful!”

Next Page: In-Depth Profiles of 12 HEC Paris MBAs