Meet The HEC Paris MBA Class Of 2025

AN INTERVIEW WITH BRAD HARRIS

What’s on the horizon at HEC Paris? Last year, P&Q reached out to Brad Harris, associate dean of MBA programs at HEC Paris. In this Q&A, Harris shares new developments with the program, along with taking a deeper dive in its leadership and sustainability curriculum.

P&Q: What have been the two most important developments in your MBA program over the past year? What type of impact will they have on current and future MBAs?

Harris: “At HEC Paris, we remain focused on developing students suited to lead in the ever-changing landscape across business, through our core courses, updated specializations, electives, and speakers. Of course, the international cohort composition and connections students forge with one another are also critical in accomplishing our goals. In the past year, we have made numerous curriculum changes. The main developments include:

* A revamp to our Digital Innovation Specialization, now the Data & AI for Business Transformation Specialization, will give students a clear understanding of challenges and use-cases, as well as help them to acquire skills in data analysis that will enable them to transpose this know-how in the industry of their future professional journey, in any sector. Building businesses based on data and artificial intelligence is crucial in today’s world for organizations or any size. This specialization is a mix of learning-by-doing, where students will work on data projects and consulting missions with companies, and academic course work.

* We have also started offering a wide range of Intensive Electives, during “Accelerated Electives Weeks.” These courses are offered over a week-long format that works with the MBA schedules and address professional and industry specific skills covering a range of subject areas and skills. Topics include AI, Chat GPT, and sustainability.”

P&Q: Give us your one-minute pitch for your business school. What makes you unique?

Harris: “The top-ranked, global HEC Paris MBA program is one of the most diverse programs in the world, with a 90% international student body, representing on average 60 nationalities. Our class size, limited to around 300 students, combined with the fact that many of our MBAs live on campus in our housing residencies, ensures that our students become part of a close-knit community for life. Students graduate prepared to work with people from different backgrounds and cultures. Moreover, we emphasize there is rarely a single “right” way to lead or think; students must understand their context, balance the timely with the timeless, and, most importantly, have the confidence and wherewithal to think critically in the face of complexity.

Our program is highly customizable, allowing students to pick from one of 7 Specializations, allowing them to focus deeply and develop their management skillset in areas such as: Advanced Management, Strategy, Data & AI for Business Transformation, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Strategic Marketing, or Sustainable & Disruptive Innovation.

Finally, students are immersed in leadership training, which is embedded across our curriculum offerings. Students are taught with a learning-by-doing approach, which puts leadership theory that is learned in the classroom into practice, when students are immersed in unforgettable hands-on, leadership development experiences, such as our Outdoor Leadership Seminar, Social Impact Day or MBA Tournament.”

P&Q: Sustainability has emerged as a major attraction to prospective MBA students. How does your full-time MBA program integrate sustainability across its curriculum?

Harris: “Sustainability is not something we just teach, it is something we live. On the academic side, sustainability has been integrated into all of our MBA courses. In addition, we are now offering dedicated electives focused on sustainability. These include: Sustainability in Sports; Sustainable Development and Systemic Shock; Sustainable Operations Management: the challenging transformation from linear to circular value chains; and Industrial Decarbonization.

We also offer our Specialization in Sustainable and Disruptive Innovation that addresses the enormous challenges and deep transformations such as global warming, changing global powers, resource depletion and technological disruptions that are shaping what businesses can and cannot do. The Specialization will help students to be prepared to develop radically innovative, sustainable and impactful business models by providing the tools and mindset to implement changes in business and innovation.

Importantly, students can also see, and have voice in, our campus efforts to be more sustainable. Whether it is the type of food we serve, our waste protocols, or even class delivery strategies, we constantly strive to be better stewards of our resources and environment.”

P&Q: What are some key elements in your teaching of leadership? What types of options does your school offer that deepens student experience with leadership and makes them more competitive in the marketplace?

Harris: “Leadership is a major theme in our program, irrespective of a student’s chosen concentration. Leadership, at its core, is about the ability to influence, and we strive constantly to help our students become more influential so that they can make a positive impact in the world.

As stated above, our MBA students are immersed in thoughtful leadership training, which is embedded across our curriculum offerings. Students are taught with a learning-by-doing approach, which puts leadership theory that is learned in the classroom into practice, when students are immersed in unforgettable hands-on, leadership development experiences, such as our Outdoor Leadership Seminar, Social Impact Day, or MBA Tournament.

More information on specific Leadership Activities:

* During our Outdoor Leadership Seminar, students spend two days proving – and improving – their team-leadership skills during a series of increasingly difficult field exercises supervised by military-trained professionals. Just as in the real world, the seminar teaches them to lead in situations where they don’t have all the answers, where they confront obstacles that they’ve never seen before. During the seminar, they stretch their limits and go farther than they ever thought possible, learning how to leverage the strength of their team to accomplish a common goal. After each timed exercise, their mentor provides feedback about their effectiveness at leading the group and their methods of problem solving. The program develops participants’ confidence to lead in all circumstances and teaches them how to motivate others to work toward a common goal.

* The MBAT, renowned as the MBA Olympics, is the largest gathering of MBA students in Europe. Students participate as members of the MBAT’s core team, and take on the responsibility of organizing a three-day, multisport competition for 1,500 participants. Students are entirely responsible for the MBAT, including all of its organizational and operational details.

* The Executive Committee on Campus (TEC) is a mentorship and business-leadership program designed to help students define their long-term personal and professional goals.”

P&Q: Two years ago, P&Q asked you to share how you’ve integrated AI, STEM, analytics, and digital disruption into your programming. Since then, what types of enhancements have you made in these areas?

Harris: “As stated above, we recently revamped our Digital Innovation Specialization, now the Data & AI for Business Transformation Specialization that will give students a clear understanding of challenges and use-cases, as well as help them to acquire skills in data analysis that will enable them to transpose this know-how in the industry of their future professional journey, in any sector. Building businesses based on data and artificial intelligence is crucial in today’s world for organizations or any size. This specialization is a mix of learning-by-doing, where students will work on data projects and consulting missions with companies, and academic course work.

We are also continually adding new courses across the curriculum focused on AI, including a new elective on AI in Marketing. Finally, our Creative Destruction Lab offering, which previously had tracks in Climate Change and Space, is adding an AI track this year.”

P&Q: How many courses outside the business school can MBAs take during your program? To what extent has your business school embraced coursework from other schools and departments at your university? Are students from other schools and departments at the university allowed to take MBA electives?

Harris: “Our MBA students can apply for one of the certificate programs offered to master’s students. These include: Climate & Business, Data Science for Management, Digital Entrepreneurship, Digital Transformation, Energy & Finance, Engagement & Commitment Towards Society Inspiring Excellence, Influential Luxury, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Inclusive & Social Business Adding.

We also offer our MBA students International Exchanges – students have the option of participating in an international exchange during the Customized Phase of the program with one of our more than 30 partner schools across the world. Our Double Degree programs also offer students the opportunity to study at another school from one of our partners across the world. These students graduate with two degrees and thus will be part of two alumni networks.”

P&Q: What is your biggest student-run event of the year and what does it reflect about your school?

Harris: “We have many great student-run events such as the annual Talent Show and TEDxHECParis, but our best and most notable is the MBA Tournament (MBAT), renowned as the MBA Olympics, is

the largest gathering of MBA students in Europe. Students participate as members of the MBAT’s core team, and take on the responsibility of organizing a three-day, multisport competition for 1,500 participants. Students are entirely responsible for the MBAT, including all of its organizational and operational details.

The behind the scenes work that the team of around 35 students handle is impressive – handling all the logistics required to accommodate, transport, feed and entertain the participants. It’s a demonstration of the invaluable teamwork and leadership they have developed in the program.”

MBA Student	Hometown	Undergraduate Alma Mater	Last Employer
Namit Agarwal	Rajasthan, India	Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics	JP Morgan Chase
Luisa Arce	Bogotá, Colombia	Universidad del Rosario	Sura Investment Management
Juan Ayma	Lima, Peru	Pontifical Catholic University of Peru	Waray
(Barge) Ekanat Boonlue	Bangkok, Thailand	Chulalongkorn University	Shopee Thailand
Jennifer Elie	Port-au-Prince, Haïti	Fairleigh Dickinson University	L’Oréal USA
Duby Ezegbu	Lagos, Nigeria	University of Lagos	Fidelity Bank Plc
Mattia Ghisalberti	Milan, Italy	University of Milan	Cortilia
Nishka Hemrajh	Durban, South Africa	University of the Witwatersrand	Mentenova
Nicholas Johnson Restrepo	Bogotá, Colombia	Carnegie Mellon University	ClustrX LLC
Xinru Li	Liaoyang China	Shanghai University of International Business and Economics	CHANEL
Wangari Muchau	Nairobi, Kenya	NA	MediaPal Agency
Minh Phuong Hoang	Vinh Phuc, Vietnam	Foreign Trade University	Maggi, Nestle Vietnam